Pete is an improbable Santa Claus ringing his bell on the sidewalks of New York. He might need this job, but he doesn't have to like it. Impulsive and a little rough around the edges, Pete has a big warm heart, and when he sees the homeless man reading a book on the pavement, he is intrigued.<br><br>Lucas is a deaf-mute who fled an ex-boyfriend who wanted to use him as a prostitute. He is cold and isolated, but the very not-ordinary Santa Claus ringing a bell nearby makes him smile.<br><br>When Lucas is attacked and robbed, it gives Pete the opportunity to invite him home for Christmas. But can they live together long-term? Will Lucas's bid for independence break their hearts or bring them to deeper understanding?

Silent Night

“I’ve left some clean clothes in the bathroom. If you want, you can take a hot shower and put them on. You’re not going anywhere tonight. And I won’t accept no for an answer.”


I blink and find myself nodding. I decide to trust him, to allow him to be as gentle as I thought he was from the very first moment we met.


The bathroom is small but clean. The stream of water is hot and strong; it crashes over my tired body, making it alive, melting the tension away. I wash myself twice from head to toe, and when I came out of the stall, my skin is flushed from friction and heat. The clothes on the stool turn out to be a large, warm tracksuit. You can’t imagine how wonderful it is to feel the softness of warm, clean garments after days spent in the cold, always wearing the same clothes.


Chapter 8