Page 28 of Wait a HO HO HO Second!

“Wait, what?” she asked, sitting up straight. “Why would you see me tomorrow? It’s Saturday, isn’t it?”

“Yes, the first Saturday of Santa,” Kian reminded her, as if she should have figured it out herself.

“No, no,” Joy said quickly. “Marci and I can handle it. We do it every year.”

“I’m not doubting that. But I’m here to learn, and the best way to do so is through hands-on experience. Besides, Mom would want me to be there this year.”

How could Joy argue with him when he was right? This was his first Christmas without his mother. “I’m sorry, Kian,” she whispered, ashamed of her own behavior.

“For what?” he asked with a sigh. A sigh that was more than a bit exasperated.

“I’ve been forgetting that this is the first Christmas without your mom. I’ve been so caught up in my own emotions that I’ve never stopped to consider yours. You probably think I don’t care that you’re hurting this Christmas, but I do. It’s supposed to be the happiest time of year, and it’s not so happy this year.”

Kian sighed, not in exasperation, but in resignation. “If I’m honest, it never crossed my mind that you don’t care about my feelings. You care because that’s who you are. Even if you don’t want to, you care,” he said, an uncomfortable chuckle in his voice. “This year, we’ll struggle through the holidays, with more sadness than happiness, but I’m confident we can still make it memorable for the rest of the community.”

“All the same, I’m sorry for being a bitch when it’s unwarranted,” Joy whispered, feeling terrible for not considering his feelings. Even though she didn’t have to care about his feelings, given how he’d treated her over the years, she still did. She never liked being a bitch.

“It’s a defense mechanism; I get it and deserve it. Knowing you’re safer there tonight makes me happy. It would make my mom happy, too, so don’t think twice about it, okay?” Kian asked, obviously trying to placate her.

“Not okay,” Joy said. She heard his exhaled breath and smiled. Man, she really could mess with him. Maybe that was her superpower. If only it didn’t make her feel bad every time she did it. “I’ll think about your kindness every time I use that chair lift, Kian. I suppose I knew the day was coming when I’d have to get one installed if I wanted to keep living here, but having someone else see the need and go to the trouble of organizing and paying for it hits different. It makes me feel appreciated and cared for, which has been missing since Lorelei died.”

“You’re welcome, Joy. Consider it a big hug from Mom every time you sit on it. You’ll feel appreciated and cared for all year long. Get some rest. Tomorrow, the real man in red arrives, and we’ll need to be on our toes. Goodnight, Joy.”

Before Joy could respond, the line went dead, and she flopped back against the couch with a groan. Marci was right. Operation Bye-Bye Bossman was officially dead in the snow.

17

#WAITAHOHOHOSECOND!

“If only the days of December were 32 hours long,” Joy muttered as she tied up loose ends before the evening's festivities. Santa would arrive in an hour, and then it would be bedlam for two more hours until all the cocoa was gone and every kid had a chance to sit on Santa’s lap. Marci put it well when she said it was always slightly organized chaos. Truthfully, the entire holiday season was slightly organized chaos, but Joy loved it. She wouldn’t turn down those extra eight hours a day, though.

Grabbing her crutches, she left her office and walked down to customer service, where Marci was holding down the fort. When she arrived, the man in the chair across from the desk, wearing a Santa hat, made her heart do a weird flip-flop. It lasted barely a second, but it was enough to remind her she’d kissed Kian Van Adler. What she’d been thinking, she couldn’t say. Then again, maybe it was a simple case of brain freeze from being out in the cold for so long. That had to be it. They’d spent hours together since then, and he hadn’t so much as mentioned it, so she was making it out to be more than it was. Obviously, it had sparked no interest in him, and she’d do well to remember that.

“Kian, what are you doing here?” Joy asked, halting at the desk.

“I told you I’d be here,” he said. “It’s time to welcome the big man himself.” Kian stood and his Santa hat fell to the side. “I ran through the checklist with everyone, and they’re ready.”

“You ran through the checklist? With everyone?” Joy repeated, confused.

Kian pulled the hat off and stuck it in the back pocket of his buttery-smooth denim. Joy knew he always tried to ‘dress down’ when he came to the mall, but he had no idea he still stuck out like a sore thumb. Then again, maybe that had more to do with who he was than with what he wore. It was hard to deny his stunningly handsome Van Adler heritage, so convincing anyone he was someone else would be impossible.

“This is bad,” Marci said, hanging up the phone as she stood. “Like, bad bad.”

“What’s bad?” Joy asked, the fear in Marci’s voice snapping Joy into GM mode. “Whatever it is, we can fix it.”

“Not this!” Marci exclaimed, walking around the desk. “Mr. Carrington suffered a heart attack an hour ago.”

Joy and Kian gasped in unison.

Marci was shaking from the call, so Joy stepped over and put her arm around her shoulders to calm her. “Is he okay?”

“Mrs. Carrington assured me he will be fine after he goes to the cath lab and has three stents placed, but he won’t be reprising his role as Santa for the fifth straight year.”

Relieved that Steve would be okay, Joy let out a breath. “Good, I’m glad to hear that.” Then it dawned on her why Marci was so upset. “But we need a Santa!”

“We’re going to have to cancel tonight,” Marci said, shaking her head. “There isn’t enough time to line up anyone else.”

“I’ll do it,” Kian volunteered, stepping forward. “We can’t let the kids down.”