Page 29 of Santa Loves Curvy Girls

Belle: Okay :)

I had no idea how our developing relationship would work with him unable to change out of his Santa costume, but I hoped he liked me enough to find a way.

Or maybe he’d finally show me who he really was?

17

NICK

Ihad to tell her the truth.

I wasn’t sure I could go one more day without doing so.

The more snow I shoveled, the more certain I felt.

If I could show Belle who I really was, then everything would be the way it was supposed to.

No more hiding. No more Santa costume standing in the way.

She could just be my girl, and she could know me as Nick, not the guy in the Santa suit. It was what I wanted more than anything in the world.

As I put away my shovel and headed back inside, I decided that telling her was the right thing to do. It wasn’t right to keep progressing our relationship with such a big secret standing between us.

Running into her today like that and talking to her as Nick St. James almost felt like a sign. Now was our time. And nothing would stop me. I’d never felt like this about anyone.

I played the whole scenario out in my mind.

I could meet her tonight at the skating rink as myself, Nick St. James. I’d let her know ahead of time that I wouldn’t be inthe suit so she would be way less shocked about who I really was. And then we could spend time together as us.

Then everything would fall into place. I just knew it.

I exhaled, feeling tons of relief just at the thought of coming clean.

I’d really liked being Santa and getting to be anonymous in that suit, but not when it came to Belle. Not anymore. She’d proven that she didn’t care about my status or just wanted to know me because I was a football star. She’d been kind and gotten to know me, even with a bushy beard and stick-on eyebrows covering my face.

Still, I wasn’t sure we would’ve ended up where we were if it hadn’t been for that suit.

If I hadn’t been chosen as this year’s Santa Claus and hadn’t been in disguise, I had the feeling that everything that had happened between Belle and me… it might not have happened.

We wouldn’t have been in the same place long enough to talk and get to know each other.

I wouldn’t have had her incredible cookies either. I was pretty sure I’d fallen for her right then and there. The cute elf costume hadn’t hurt either. Her hair. Her smile. Her sense of humor.

I might’ve never gotten to know Belle if it hadn’t been for both of us working at the mall this year.

Whoever had picked me to be Santa, well, I definitely owed them one.

I couldn’t wait to see her face when she saw the real me tonight at the ice-skating rink. And I couldn’t wait to hold her hand and be with her as the real me. No more beard in the way of even more heart-pounding kisses…

The minutes seemed to tick by slower than ever, but finally, it was time to head to the mall. I took my usual route, which helpedme avoid people, and I made my outfit change with plenty of time.

If Belle got there early, like she did sometimes, I wanted to go ahead and see her. I was so excited to tell her the truth, I wondered if I could keep it in until tonight.

I made my way over near the food court and the Christmas tree.

The mall buzzed with families and kids ready to meet me at Santa’s workshop. I stopped and took pictures more than once and waved at toddlers and babies.

Now that I’d had plenty of practice, I had the Santa walk and voice down pat.

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