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recognize me? I'm Santa
Claus!" he boomed.
    With a bushy wink of his eyebrow, he reached
down into his large red velvet bag and handed a gift to the Rose
sisters. Lily felt the heavy weight in her hands and knew it was a
book of some kind.
    "Well, go on, open it up!" He laughed
again.
    The sisters looked at each other and with a
shrug, Violet tore open the green wrapping paper. The three of them
stared at the pink leather bound betting ledger. Who was Santa
Claus?

Chapter Eight
     
    Annie was fuming. Her hair was on end and
steam was nearly shooting out from her ears. Cade was next to her
laughing as Santa Claus rubbed her very large round belly waiting
to feel the baby kick. It wouldn't have been so bad if, one – she
knew who this person was, and two – he hadn't been the tenth person
in a row to come over and start rubbing on her belly as if she was
an old dog lying in the sun. Now she was about ready to chop off
Santa's hand.
    Santa bent down on his knees and started
talking to her belly. Okay! That was it! She was so upset her
stomach literally hurt and her back was killing her as she tried to
keep her temper between the unsolicited belly rubs, endless advice
on how to raise her baby, and the fact that every single person
here had to tell her their whole birthing story.
    "Cade," she growled between clenched teeth.
"Get Santa Claus away from me or there will be no Christmas this
year."
    Cade chuckled and came to stand behind her,
wrapping his arms around her and resting them on their child. She
instantly calmed down when she felt his arms around her. His
calmness and patience soothed her as his large hands sprawled
across her belly. This caused Santa Claus to stop talking to
it.
    "Ho! Ho! Ho! Santa just loves babies!" Santa
said in his deep voice. "Now," he reached into his big bag,
"something for Daddy, Mommy, and Baby." Santa handed Cade a
rectangular box, Annie a small bag, and then held onto a square
box. "That one first," he said, pointing to the bag.
    Annie pulled out the tissue paper and white
onesie that read, "My Mom Shoots People, But I Kill Them With
Cuteness".
    "I don't know who you are, but this is the
best onesie I've gotten," Annie told him.
    "You're welcome. Go ahead Cade. It's for the
birth," Santa told him.
    Cade ripped open the gift and laughed. He
pulled out a fifth of the most expensive bourbon Cade had ever
seen. His mouth watered at the thought of the amber liquid sliding
down his throat. He lifted it up and showed it to Annie. He had
ever only heard of this brand, he didn't even know where you could
buy it.
    "You get drunk during the birth of our
child, I'll shoot you," she joked.
    "Don't worry Annie, Santa has something for
you too."
    He handed over the heavy box and Annie
gingerly took it. She slowly opened it and gasped. She ran her
fingers over the hard case and then opened the box to show a brand
new Smith & Wesson 1911 PD pistol.
    "Her gift is way cooler than mine," Cade
joked.
    "Well, she's the one carrying the baby. I
thought she might want to shoot you during labor. Could prove to be
entertaining," Santa joked.
    "How did you know this was one of the
pistols I wanted and one of the few Cade didn't have?" Annie asked.
Her eyes narrowed as she tried to make out who was dressed up as
Santa Claus.
    "I know what all good girls and boys want,"
he chuckled as he turned to walk off toward Katelyn and Marshall
and her family.
    "Okay, I'll let Santa rub my belly anytime
if he brings me gifts like that. Who is Santa Claus?" Annie asked
Cade as they watched Santa stroke his beard and laugh again.
     
    Marshall stared at Santa Claus and felt the
familiar nagging sensation that told him he was missing something.
There was just something about Santa's movement that he knew, but
damn, he couldn't place it. When Santa grabbed Katelyn and planted
a kiss on her, all he cared about was giving Santa a big fat
nose.
    "So who has been naughty and who has been
nice?" Santa asked as he reached into his