It was supposed to be just an innocent kiss at a charity kissing booth—but it turned out to be fireworks. ‘Volunteered’ to dress as Santa, firefighter Zeke Pepper is blown away by the kiss and feels he may have met The One, but school teacher Hannah Cooke is still trying to win back her high school sweetheart Jackson. When Zeke runs into Hannah on Christmas Street, they make a deal: In exchange for him making her ex jealous at a New Year’s Eve party, she agrees to go on three dates with Zeke. It seems like her plan to win Jackson back is working perfectly—but Zeke has other plans. Could she be falling in love with the wrong firefighter?
Excerpt of Kissing Santa
CHAPTER ONE ~ Fireworks
Saturday, December 10th
“You got your kissing face on, Pepper?”
“Nope. I didn’t sign up for the booth.” Zeke Pepper glanced at his fellow firefighter as he plopped his heavy boots into place under his even heavier fireproof suit. They’d just returned to the fire station. “And I’m glad.”
“It’s for a good cause.” Austin Dean removed his helmet to reveal sandy-colored hair plastered to his head and soot smudging his fair complexion. “If I were single, I’d jump at the chance.”
Another firefighter, Felipe Mendoza, joined them in shucking off his gear. Six inches shorter than the other two men, Felipe ran a hand through his dark hair, sending ashes flying into the air. “Dude. You don’t know what you’re missing.”
“I have a life of my own, you know. Places to go. Things to do.”
Zzzz’s to catch.
Zeke stowed his tools in his compartment and thought about the next few days off—starting just a few minutes from now—when he planned to catch up on a little sleep. There had been several fires on this shift and far too many hours since he was awakened by the cacophonous fire bell.
“You do have a life, bro, but your life is like one little taco,” Felipe said. “Not like Austin. This guy has the whole enchilada.”
Zeke frowned. “What does that even mean?”
Austin grew serious. “It means I’m a man whose wife is about to go into labor.”
“It’s your own fault.” Felipe shook his head. “Wouldn’t have happened if you didn’t take that romantic cruise nine months ago.”
“It was a really great cruise. I’d do it again in an instant.” Austin grinned. “Only next time I’ll make sure we remember the birth control pills.”
Felipe snorted. “You got the whole enchilada by accident? Your manliness quotient just dropped ten points. Down to a chalupa.”
Austin punched Felipe’s arm. “And your life is like a sampler platter. You want to try everything on the menu without choosing anything.”
“Hey, that’s not true. If I ever find just the right sample, I may settle for the whole enchilada, too,” Felipe teased.
Austin shook his head. “You don’t sound like a man who’d be willing to settle for just one entree.”
Zeke dropped his gloves onto his shelf. “I’m not even ready to make a commitment to a woman yet, much less become a dad, so I’ll settle for my little taco life. I happen to like tacos.”
“Good work on that fire, guys.” The chief’s voice boomed as he passed behind them and kicked off his own heavy boots. Zeke was six feet tall, but Chief Hendrickson had at least three inches and fifty pounds on him, and it was all muscle. He’d played football for the University of Utah twenty years ago, and worked out in the gym to maintain his muscles tones. No one messed with the chief, on or off the job. Zeke liked the man, but he also made sure he stayed on his good side. The guy liked team players.
“Thanks, Chief,” Zeke said. “You were impressive lifting that beam.”
Chief Hendrickson nodded and hung up his jacket. Turning, he frowned at Felipe. “Are you on the booth tonight?”
“The ladies are going to love me.” Felipe made a kissing sound and then added, “I am going to earn so much money for the department.”
The chief took a step closer to Felipe. “Dude, is that what I think it is?”
Zeke and Austin exchanged a glance.
The chief took another step. “Is that a cold sore on your lip?”
“No.” Felipe turned away quickly, shaking his head as he took off his heavy yellow jacket and hung it up. “I’m good. I am ready for the pretty ladies.”
Chief Hendrickson frowned and shook his head. “That is ugly, man. There’s no way you can kiss anyone with that on your lip.”
The shorter man protested. “Come on, Chief. It’s just a tiny little zit. I’ll put some coverup on it or something and no one will even notice. I can still be in the booth. I’ll be great. The ladies will love me.”
“Sorry, Mendoza, but whether it’s a zit or a cold sore, you are off the fundraiser.” Hendrickson shook his head and turned to Zeke. “Pepper, because we’re down one man at such short notice, you’re volunteering to take his shift. Any questions?”
“Can I find someone else to volunteer?” Zeke asked, watching his evening go down the drain.
“Don’t look at me.” Austin put up his sooty hands. “Joan would kill me.”
Hendrickson didn’t take his eyes off Zeke. “Pepper, I need your help. Are you telling me you don’t want to help me?”
“No, sir,” Zeke said, frowning at the thought of what saying no to the chief would do to his career. So he did the wise thing. “I would be glad to help out.”
“Good man.” Hendrickson clapped his hand on Zeke’s shoulder, then turned to Felipe. “How about you, Mendoza? You understand you’re off the booth?”
Felipe scowled. “Yes, sir.”
“Good. Then I’ll see you at the high school, Pepper. And I’d better not see you there, Mendoza.” The chief left the last of his gear and stepped through the door into the station house.
Zeke turned to Felipe. “You owe me big time for this. For every kiss I have to give, I’m punching your arm. Twice.”
“I don’t even want you to do it. I want to, dude.” Felipe smacked his forehead. “I hate cold sores. It’s just not fair.”
Austin laughed and said, “See you guys later. Gotta check on my enchilada.”
“Twice,” Zeke repeated as he shook his head and made his way to the fire station kitchen. It was empty, though he could hear the other guys in the sleeping area.
Zeke didn’t know if he was more upset at being forced to do the kissing booth or because he could not wipe Felipe’s words from his mind. The whole enchilada? Zeke might not be ready to become a dad yet, but he was well aware of how tired he was of tacos. For the last few years, he’d found himself increasingly yearning for a serious relationship with a woman of his own.
At thirty-one, he was tired of the dating game. Quiet as he was, he forced himself to date, but found it disappointing. He wanted a wife and, eventually, children. The whole enchilada.
He wanted to find the one perfect woman, though the guys around here would laugh if he ever said anything like that out loud.
He wanted someone he could share his life’s journey with, take cruises with, and make babies with. Someone to share the holidays with.
But instead, he would spend his holidays dressing up as Santa and kissing total strangers.
Total strangers who must be desperate if they were willing to pay for a kiss. Desperate, maybe ugly, maybe old ladies, maybe--
Next time he saw Felipe, he intended to punch him on principle alone.
* * *
“I got you a kiss.”
“Is it chocolate?” Hannah Cooke asked her friend.
“No, a real one.” Roxy Biloxi smiled mischievously.
“You did what?” Hannah wasn’t sure she’d heard her friend correctly.
Saturday, December 10th
“You got your kissing face on, Pepper?”
“Nope. I didn’t sign up for the booth.” Zeke Pepper glanced at his fellow firefighter as he plopped his heavy boots into place under his even heavier fireproof suit. They’d just returned to the fire station. “And I’m glad.”
“It’s for a good cause.” Austin Dean removed his helmet to reveal sandy-colored hair plastered to his head and soot smudging his fair complexion. “If I were single, I’d jump at the chance.”
Another firefighter, Felipe Mendoza, joined them in shucking off his gear. Six inches shorter than the other two men, Felipe ran a hand through his dark hair, sending ashes flying into the air. “Dude. You don’t know what you’re missing.”
“I have a life of my own, you know. Places to go. Things to do.”
Zzzz’s to catch.
Zeke stowed his tools in his compartment and thought about the next few days off—starting just a few minutes from now—when he planned to catch up on a little sleep. There had been several fires on this shift and far too many hours since he was awakened by the cacophonous fire bell.
“You do have a life, bro, but your life is like one little taco,” Felipe said. “Not like Austin. This guy has the whole enchilada.”
Zeke frowned. “What does that even mean?”
Austin grew serious. “It means I’m a man whose wife is about to go into labor.”
“It’s your own fault.” Felipe shook his head. “Wouldn’t have happened if you didn’t take that romantic cruise nine months ago.”
“It was a really great cruise. I’d do it again in an instant.” Austin grinned. “Only next time I’ll make sure we remember the birth control pills.”
Felipe snorted. “You got the whole enchilada by accident? Your manliness quotient just dropped ten points. Down to a chalupa.”
Austin punched Felipe’s arm. “And your life is like a sampler platter. You want to try everything on the menu without choosing anything.”
“Hey, that’s not true. If I ever find just the right sample, I may settle for the whole enchilada, too,” Felipe teased.
Austin shook his head. “You don’t sound like a man who’d be willing to settle for just one entree.”
Zeke dropped his gloves onto his shelf. “I’m not even ready to make a commitment to a woman yet, much less become a dad, so I’ll settle for my little taco life. I happen to like tacos.”
“Good work on that fire, guys.” The chief’s voice boomed as he passed behind them and kicked off his own heavy boots. Zeke was six feet tall, but Chief Hendrickson had at least three inches and fifty pounds on him, and it was all muscle. He’d played football for the University of Utah twenty years ago, and worked out in the gym to maintain his muscles tones. No one messed with the chief, on or off the job. Zeke liked the man, but he also made sure he stayed on his good side. The guy liked team players.
“Thanks, Chief,” Zeke said. “You were impressive lifting that beam.”
Chief Hendrickson nodded and hung up his jacket. Turning, he frowned at Felipe. “Are you on the booth tonight?”
“The ladies are going to love me.” Felipe made a kissing sound and then added, “I am going to earn so much money for the department.”
The chief took a step closer to Felipe. “Dude, is that what I think it is?”
Zeke and Austin exchanged a glance.
The chief took another step. “Is that a cold sore on your lip?”
“No.” Felipe turned away quickly, shaking his head as he took off his heavy yellow jacket and hung it up. “I’m good. I am ready for the pretty ladies.”
Chief Hendrickson frowned and shook his head. “That is ugly, man. There’s no way you can kiss anyone with that on your lip.”
The shorter man protested. “Come on, Chief. It’s just a tiny little zit. I’ll put some coverup on it or something and no one will even notice. I can still be in the booth. I’ll be great. The ladies will love me.”
“Sorry, Mendoza, but whether it’s a zit or a cold sore, you are off the fundraiser.” Hendrickson shook his head and turned to Zeke. “Pepper, because we’re down one man at such short notice, you’re volunteering to take his shift. Any questions?”
“Can I find someone else to volunteer?” Zeke asked, watching his evening go down the drain.
“Don’t look at me.” Austin put up his sooty hands. “Joan would kill me.”
Hendrickson didn’t take his eyes off Zeke. “Pepper, I need your help. Are you telling me you don’t want to help me?”
“No, sir,” Zeke said, frowning at the thought of what saying no to the chief would do to his career. So he did the wise thing. “I would be glad to help out.”
“Good man.” Hendrickson clapped his hand on Zeke’s shoulder, then turned to Felipe. “How about you, Mendoza? You understand you’re off the booth?”
Felipe scowled. “Yes, sir.”
“Good. Then I’ll see you at the high school, Pepper. And I’d better not see you there, Mendoza.” The chief left the last of his gear and stepped through the door into the station house.
Zeke turned to Felipe. “You owe me big time for this. For every kiss I have to give, I’m punching your arm. Twice.”
“I don’t even want you to do it. I want to, dude.” Felipe smacked his forehead. “I hate cold sores. It’s just not fair.”
Austin laughed and said, “See you guys later. Gotta check on my enchilada.”
“Twice,” Zeke repeated as he shook his head and made his way to the fire station kitchen. It was empty, though he could hear the other guys in the sleeping area.
Zeke didn’t know if he was more upset at being forced to do the kissing booth or because he could not wipe Felipe’s words from his mind. The whole enchilada? Zeke might not be ready to become a dad yet, but he was well aware of how tired he was of tacos. For the last few years, he’d found himself increasingly yearning for a serious relationship with a woman of his own.
At thirty-one, he was tired of the dating game. Quiet as he was, he forced himself to date, but found it disappointing. He wanted a wife and, eventually, children. The whole enchilada.
He wanted to find the one perfect woman, though the guys around here would laugh if he ever said anything like that out loud.
He wanted someone he could share his life’s journey with, take cruises with, and make babies with. Someone to share the holidays with.
But instead, he would spend his holidays dressing up as Santa and kissing total strangers.
Total strangers who must be desperate if they were willing to pay for a kiss. Desperate, maybe ugly, maybe old ladies, maybe--
Next time he saw Felipe, he intended to punch him on principle alone.
* * *
“I got you a kiss.”
“Is it chocolate?” Hannah Cooke asked her friend.
“No, a real one.” Roxy Biloxi smiled mischievously.
“You did what?” Hannah wasn’t sure she’d heard her friend correctly.