Page 43 of Her Secret Santa

“Thank you.” That makes three times. I never expected to change this much, and I never expected tolikeit. “I have to go be Santa for a while. Text if anything comes up?”

“I will.”

I’ll get all of Clara and Allie’s information over to her before I start my shift at the mall, and I’ll find dresses for them both tonight. Maybe I’ll get Arlo’s opinion on something for Allie. He probably won’t find it as entertaining as I will, but it’s worth annoying him a bit to amuse myself.

I come face to face with a frowning Landon when I step out of Heidi’s office, and I shoot him a glare. Was the little fuck listening at the door like a creep?

“Can I help you?” I ask archly, staring down my nose at him.

“Not at all,” he scoffs, rolling his eyes. “I needed to discuss something with Heidi.”

I glance back toward her office, a muscle in my jaw ticking.

“Make it quick,” I snap. “She’s quite busy, as I’m sure you can see. If you need something that’s going to take time, bother someone in your own department.”

I leave him scowling behind me, ignoring the insults he mutters under his breath as I make my way down the hall. It’s hardly past eleven, which means I’m right on time to head over to the mall for my shift.

I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited to play Santa.

Chapter Eighteen

CLARA

Ihaven’t had a Saturday off in what feels likeyears. Especially a Saturday leading up to a holiday.

Now that I think about it, maybe I haven’t. Between working multiple jobs and caring for my grandma from home up until this year, I haven’t really had any days off. It feels weird to lay in bed for even a moment after waking up, especially without an alarm blaring in my ear.

Alexis, the mall manager, texted me last night and told me to take the day off, and that I'd be paid anyway. The display is closed for the day. There are only four days until Christmas, but apparently most of the elves have come down with an awful stomach bug and we just don’t have the staff to keep it running until people are feeling better. It’s a shame to close it so close to the holiday, but a day off does sound nice.

My hair is a mess of blond strands over the pillow and down my shoulders—it’s probably about time to trim the ends. Maybe I could ask Allie to come over and touch them up for me. I’m sure Brooke could use help with the kids too. It would be fun to takeeveryone out to the park, or maybe even the zoo if there’s enough money. That would be a hell of a Christmas treat for them. I could also go see my grandma. There are only four days until Christmas, and I know I'll be busy after the new year.

Before I decide how to spend my day, a knock sounds at my door.

I toss the covers off and hop out of bed, confused. Allie has a key, and that's not how she knocks when she bothers to. I'm not expecting a delivery of any sort.

Another knock rattles the door as I approach, and I frown. I put my hands against the worn wood of the door for balance and look out the peephole.

An older man in a uniform shirt and slacks stands outside, a massive box in his arms. I unlock the door and open it hesitantly, utterly baffled by the sight.

“Hello?” I say, a wary smile on my face. “Can I help you?”

“Ms. Sanders?” the man asks.

“Yes, that's me.”

I blink in surprise when the man holds the box in his hands out toward me. It's huge, flat and wide and made of matte black cardstock with an enormous silver ribbon around it.

“For you,” he prompts when I make no move to take it.

I look back and forth between him and the box, both so out of place in my apartment building. Am I dreaming?

I take the box from him, bewildered.

It's heavier than I expect, and I scour the lid for any indication of who it's from. If he hadn't said my name, I would have assumed he had the wrong address

“Have a pleasant day, Ms. Sanders,” the delivery man says.

I'm left staring after him as he makes his way down the stairs and out of sight. I stand there, stunned, glancing back and forth between the box in my hands and the empty space on my fadeddoormat where the man stood moments ago. What the hell is happening?

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