Chapter 83: Keys
*When everything goes to hell, the people who stand beside you without flinching – they are your family. – Jim Butcher*
Neo knew that Shelby would be pissed at him. And he was willing to live with that. He was also certain that she would eventually forgive him.
Pretty certain that she would.
Or she would kill him. It was a fifty-fifty chance at this point. Then again, that was just about every day of his life. It was a good day when everyone made it home at the end of the day.
While he was a police officer in the Marines, there were several days that not everyone came home. Those days still hung heavy over him. But today, Christmas day, was not going to be influenced by those days.
Today, he was going to focus on the woman who kept his office running so smoothly. And the little boy who can make his whole staff pitch in to guarantee the best Christmas ever. Although, right now, it probably seemed like the worst.
Neo knocked on the black door with the green wreath on it. Shelby opened the door and smiled at him but the daggers in her eyes let him know that he was a dead man. At least he knew which way this was going to go.
“Hey, Nate, look who’s here.” The cheery tone told him that she was pissed. She never sounded this cheery.
“Hey, Neo.” The little boy said sadly.
Neo squatted down and looked at the six-year-old boy. “What’s wrong?”
“I tried to be good. But Santa didn’t bring me anything.” His lip was trembling.
“I think that might be my fault.” Neo admitted and could feel Shelby plotting his murder. “I think I know where your presents are.”
Neo didn’t have to look at his assistant to know that she was probably planning to make him a peach pit smoothy.
“You do?” he asked the man with hope shining in his eyes.
“I do. Go get your coat on and we’ll go see if I’m right.” He stood up. “Go on, Shel, get yours too..”
Yup, she was going to kill him. Note to self, do not let Shelby near a woodchipper. Neo bit his tongue to keep from laughing as that thought ran through his head. The drive across town in the pickup was tense as Shelby tried to cheer up her son and plot her boss’s demise.
They pulled into the driveway at a small craftsman house with red cedar shake siding, green shutters and cream trim. The large porch had a swing at one end and a small child size rocking chair close by. Both were painted bright blue to contrast the cream porch.
Christmas trees were in the large two front windows on the lower level. The wood and glass door between them had a green wreath with red ribbon and white lights.
“Why did Santa bring my presents here?” Nate asked as Neo helped him out of the backseat.
“If you did what I think you did, I’m going to kill you.” Shelby hissed quietly to him as her little boy ran to the front door.
“Well then,” Neo said handing her a key, “it’s a good thing that I did not get you a woodchipper.”
“I hate you.” She said with as much venom as she could muster. Which at that moment was not much.
“I know.” He smiled down at the younger woman waiting for her to take the key. “I love you, too.”
Grabbing the key, she sprinted up the stairs. “Guess what uncle Neo got us for Christmas?”
“A puppy!” Nate squealed and Shelby gave her friend a warning look. He held his hands up in surrender. But he decided to drop the idea to some of the guys. Nate should have a puppy before the new year.
Probably from Zack who had been coming around the office a little more than he needed to. And Shelby found reasons for him to come by. Neo wondered if he should mention that Zack and his brother lived next door. Or the fact that Zack had been the one to let Neo know that the house was for sale.
“No, buddy, he got us a house.” Shelby told her son.
“Nope.” Neo grinned. “The house is from Reese, we already talked about it, if he tries to headhunt you, I get Willow. What I got you, is not inside.”
“A puppy!” Nate tried again as Shelby unlocked and opened the door. Before following her son, she gave her boss one more warning glare.
Inside was an open floor plan with knotty pine floors. To the right was a dining room with a trestle table and a bench on the far side and two round back chairs. Under the tree on that side was a train.
On the left was a living room with a bright blue couch and hot pink chair. They both had black pillows and a blanket on the back of the couch. A TV hung on the wall above an electric fireplace. It certainly wasn’t anything that he would have chosen. But it fir Shelby perfectly.
Under this tree were presents. Lots and lots of presents.
“So…. We may have added a few presents under there.”
“Neo…” Shelby objected.
“It’s not all for him.” He glanced at his watch. “I would love to stay and show you around. But I promised to relieve Matt at the hospital.” He kissed her cheek and then squatted down and caught Nate as he ran into the hug.
“It’s all for us?” Nate asked.
“It’s all for you and your mom. I have to go to work, maybe your mom can bring you to the office next week? I think I heard Santa say something about laser tag gear.” He squeezed the boy before letting him go.
“Awesome!” Nate ran back to the pile of presents.
Neo grabbed his helmet off the small bench next to the door and opened the front door. As it closed, Shelby realized that she had no way to get home. Or anywhere.
She ran outside and discovered him propped against the pickup that now had a big red bow on it.
“Neo, I can’t…”
“I know that you’re doing side jobs from home. The house is paid for. The pickup is now part of your compensation. Nate starts over at New Horizons in January.”
“Neo-.”
“Stop. Just listen to me. Willow is pregnant, she’s going to work from home as much as possible. She may need your help from time to time. You’re always working, and I know that Tyler is trying to get custody. This takes away his arguments of you living in a one room apartment. Takes away your unreliable transportation. You have a home office; it’s completely set up and you’re enrolled in online classes for spring.”
He held up a hand to stop her from speaking. “I told you when you started, work hard for me and I will take care of you. The guys furnished it with Bree. The house is tied into the system, there’s four of my guys in this neighborhood. Hit the panic button and we’ll be here.”
Tears filled her eyes, and he pulled her into a hug. “Look, Shel, it might not have worked out between us, but your still important to me. So is your little man in there.”
“Thanks, Neo.” She squeezed him before stepping back. “So, if this is part of the job, what’s my present?”
“I paid Corky to finish your tattoo.”
“I really do hate you.” She whispered, fighting back her tears.
Reaching up he brushed the tear away from the corner of her eye. “Yeah, I know.”
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