Page 13 of Santa Loves Curvy Girls

“Really?” he asked, taking another bite.

“Really,” I said. “I’d love to have one, but they’re expensive. Maybe next year.”

His eyes twinkled again. “Maybe you should ask Santa to bring you one then,” he said. “I hear you can write him a letter asking for such things.”

I smiled. “You don’t say?”

He held up a finger. “But not if you end up on the naughty list, of course.”

My cheeks were starting to hurt from smiling so much. “Uh oh, I might be in trouble then.”

We said our goodbyes, and I started making my way home, smiling like a complete doofus. My heart still pounding at the way he looked at me.

Uh oh.

I was falling in love with a guy… but I had no idea who he was.

8

NICK

It took some hunting and searching around town, but a couple days later, I found it.

I found the machine Belle has been wanting. According to Ms. Merriweather at The Nutcracker, it was called a dough sheeter machine. And she happened to have one in stock. Just one. Gently used but in great condition.

And she’d given me a great deal on it.

“Are you sure?” I’d asked, holding the small but heavy cookie-shaping machine in my hands.

She’d patted my shoulder. “Least I can do after you fixed Bessie last year.”

Bessie was her trusty old van, and it had to be older than me. The radiator had gone out last fall, and I’d picked up enough about cars in my auto shop class to replace it for her.

“Thanks, Ms. Merriweather,” I told her gratefully. I had googled this thing, and a new one cost a pretty penny.

She walked me to the front and helped me wrap it up. How she knew it was a gift I didn’t know, but that was Ms. Merriweather for ya. She just knew things sometimes.

As I walked out of The Nutcracker, I held the package gingerly under my arm. I hoped Belle liked it.

The sound of singing voices reached me from across the street. Which made sense since it looked like Garland’s favorite group of carolers were on their usual tour around town, singing Christmas songs. The small but mighty group of old ladies stood in front of Jingles, the Garland chocolate shop. Some people called them the Carol Karens. They were the kind of women who knew (and spread) the town’s juiciest gossip.

Better head the other way, I thought to myself.

I couldn’t risk any questions.

Not today.

I also wasn’t sure how good I was at keeping secrets. I’d never had to keep a secret like the one I had this year. Back home, my Santa suit lay hidden on the very top shelf of my closet, where I knew Mom couldn’t reach.

And now I had a gift for the cute elf I’d made friends with at the mall.

Maybe wanted to be more than friends with, if I was being completely honest.

There was just something about Belle that was special. That much I knew.

Hopefully, she liked my gift.

Or rather, Santa’s gift.

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