Page 8 of Santa Loves Curvy Girls

“Okay,” he said. Then he told me about the Spiderman toys he wanted and the Spiderman books. And a ton of other stuff. Camera lights went off in front of us, but I hardly noticed them. I just listened to Ryan and nodded along when he asked me to please bring some toys for his baby sister too.

“Well, of course,” I told him. He jumped up and down, and this time, we both smiled at the camera. The lady who had to be his mother stood near the stage holding a baby and beamed at me.

A second later, Belle was back, offering Ryan a cookie and leading him off the stage, his hand in hers.

My heart warmed, not believing I’d come full circle.

My mom had a picture at home on the mantle of me sitting on Garland Santa’s lap, and now I was Santa.

I was no longer Nick, the star football player who was just seen for his popularity and what he could do on the field.

I was just a guy who could do some good in Garland.

A few weeks ago, my mom had said I’d make the perfect Santa. Had she made this happen? Maybe she had nominated me or something. Or maybe someone else had.

Before I could think too much about it, the next kid ran up to me.

This time, it was a girl, and she didn’t seem nervous at all. She chatted my ear off, asking me questions about what the elves got to do at the North Pole, where I liked to go on vacation, and if it was okay if she stayed up and said hi to me on Christmas Eve.

“Ho, ho, ho!” I said, buying time to make up some answers. “Little boys and girls need their rest so they can open presents on Christmas morning.”

I shot a glance at Belle, hoping she got the message that it was time to move on to the next kid in line.

She walked right over, saving my butt from fielding more questions I had no idea how to answer.

I’d had the biggest crush on her in the first grade. I still remembered being too chicken to give her the flower I’d found outside on the playground. Being this close to her now made me sweat a little, and it definitely wasn’t just the heavy suit.

Now that we were working together, maybe this suit could give me something I never had back then. A little daring—and a real shot.

But would she ever go for me like this?

5

BELLE

Santa Claus had never made butterflies appear in my tummy before.

Or left me completely breathless.

I never thought I’d daydream about finding myself back in Old St. Nick’s arms either.

But here I was, doing just that as I mopped up coffee that one of the parents had spilled earlier.

I had no idea who was behind the thick white beard this year, but it definitely wasn’t our math teacher. Or any other middle-aged man.

I moved the mop back and forth on the tile.

Something about his bright blue eyes and how he spoke told me he was young. And cute. Plus, definitely way more athletically built than any Santa I’d ever laid my eyes on.

I tore my gaze away from him, focusing on the spots I’d missed on the floor.

Was he a college student maybe? Someone I hadn’t seen before or didn’t really know? He didn’t seem to be anyone I knew.

And he’d said my cookies were the best he’d ever tasted. I’d almost melted into a puddle when he’d said that.

I couldn’t resist. Part of me already had the biggest crush on him, suit and all.

But more than anything, it was his eyes.

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