All I Want for Christmas by Gina Wilkins

Author:Gina Wilkins
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2013-04-07T04:00:00+00:00

7

“WARDS OF THE STATE.” Ryan couldn’t seem to stop saying it as she leaned against the wall of the service elevator heading up to the third floor of the mall.

She kept telling herself the words weren’t as cold and intimidating as they sounded—but she couldn’t make herself believe it. She was having a difficult time applying the term to the two children who’d so quickly stolen her affections.

“Ryan, your brother and Juliana promised to do everything they could to find out what’s happened to Opal Coleman,” Max reminded her. “We don’t know for certain that the kids have been abandoned. And if they have, being wards of the state isn’t automatically a bad thing. It only means that the courts become responsible for the children’s welfare, seeing to it that they receive proper care.”

“I know what it means,” Ryan answered wearily. “I just don’t like it. I’d rather take them home with me until we find out something conclusive.”

“Your brother didn’t think that was a good idea,” Max responded. “Not without official permission of some sort. Maybe if Juliana can track down Essie Smith, she’ll make a formal request as the children’s aunt that you baby-sit them for a few days, or something along those lines.”

Ryan nodded. “Maybe she will.”

Max had followed Ryan back to the mall after lunch, when both Nick and Juliana had hurried away to keep previous appointments. He’d claimed he had some more shopping to do. Ryan didn’t believe him, but hadn’t bothered to argue. She hadn’t been surprised when he followed her onto the elevator.

Santa Claus had stepped off just as Ryan and Max prepared to get on. The bearded man had greeted Ryan with a smile, a wink and the reassurance that the elevator seemed “well behaved” today.

She was thinking of him when the elevator bumped—just as it had the time she’d been stuck in it with him. She frowned and muttered, “Oh, no. Not now.”

“What—?” Max began, but was cut off when the car jerked to a stop between the second and third floors. He reached out instinctively to steady Ryan when she stumbled. His hands lingered on her shoulders.

“It stopped,” he said unnecessarily, staring at the frozen floor numbers.

“It did this the other day,” she said with a sigh. “I was stuck in here for about ten minutes with, er, Santa Claus.”

“How did you get out then?”

“I don’t know. We pushed the alarm button a few times, then it just seemed to start up on its own. I’ve ridden it several times since without any problem. I assumed the proper repairs had been made.”

“Did you report the incident to maintenance?”

Ryan cleared her throat. “No,” she admitted. “I got busy and forgot. I guess I thought Santa took care of it.”

Max shook his head and pressed the third-floor button, then the alarm button. Nothing happened either time.

He tugged at the collar of the white shirt he wore beneath a navy-and-green-plaid sweater. “How long did you say you were stuck in here last time?”

“Ten minutes, roughly.

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