Page 11 of The Selkie Santa

“No, I’m an apparition,” Noah grunted, craning his neck to look over Mal’s huge shoulder toward the kitchen. “Is Harps around?”

“Amazed you dare show your face in here. Not that it matters. She’s gone.”

Noah’s heart stopped. “What do you mean, gone?”

“Gone to work elsewhere.”

“Where?”

“She made me promise not to tell you.”

Noah felt himself paling beneath his tan. “Why?”

Mal scratched his shaggy head. “Doesn’t seem to hold selkies in high regard, that girl. Can’t think why.”

The young faun was smirking like he was in the know. Had they all been talking about him since he’d been gone? Spreading salacious gossip? Lies?

“Look, whatever you’ve heard, it’s not true. And I need to find Harper.”

Mal grinned. “I loved a girl once, pined and begged. Then she married me, and I lived to see the error of my ways.”

“Not funny, Mal,” Noah muttered. The bear shifter’s laconic humor wasn’t doing anything to brighten his mood right now. “I need to talk to her and she’s not answering my calls.”

Mal rubbed his bearded jaw. “Aw, that’s right. She’s changed her cell number too.”

So that was why Harper hadn’t picked up. “Can you give me her new number?”

“Nope. Promised I wouldn’t do that either.”

Noah ground his molars together. “At least give me a hint as to where she might be.”

Mal ladled fragrant chowder into a metal pot and placed it in the bain marie. Noah sensed there were customers behind him getting impatient. He leaned over the counter, hissed desperately, “Please, mate.”

Mal’s face softened slightly. “Egh. Always thought you were the best of a bad bunch. Look. I’ll tell yer, but you didna hear it from me, okay?”

“Thanks. I owe you Mal.”

“Okay, I’ll have your next catch of snapper for free.”

Noah nodded desperately. “As much as you want.”

“She’s running the café at the Monsters of Mercy retirement village.”

Noah managed a weak smile. “Isn’t that where her gran lives?”

“Apparently the cook walked out in a huff, and she’d do anything to help her gran.”

“Thanks a million, Mal.”

“You better duck when you see her. It’s clear you’ve done something to make her pretty damn miffed. And for all her sweet looks, I reckon that girl could land a fair punch to your ugly selkie snout.”

“I’ll risk it.” Noah grinned, and with a wave, he was gone.

CHAPTER 4

Eleanor Emberstone beamed at her granddaughter over her sparkling winged spectacles. “Guess what, darling? We’ve decided you will be our elf in the Christmas show this year.”

Harper huffed a sigh as she placed the plate of Christmas cake on the counter. “Gran, I really don’t think…”

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