Page 27 of The Luminosity of Loriana Harper

Marnie did the same thing, and they exchanged glances. The younger woman offered a small smile, then headed back to her side of the street.

This went on until they reached the end of the parade. They had a whole eight wands left.

Impressive.Some years she got it right—like this year. Some years they had too many leftover items, while some years they ran out. Those were the worst.

Mitch pulled the wagon off to the side of the road, and the three of them stood and watched Santa pass.Kids love this.Perhaps. Still, she found the idea of sitting on a stranger’s lap oddly disquieting. No wonder some kids howled. That clearly wasn’t a job she could handle—whether as Santa, Mrs. Claus, or just an elf. Being around screaming and terrified children all day didn’t appeal. And yeah, some kids loved it. But not all did. Loriana didn’t like the odds.

“Everything okay?”

The question, asked quietly, yanked her back into the present. She offered Mitch a wide smile. “Yes, just basking in the atmosphere.”

He quirked an eyebrow.

Is he going to call me out?

Did he know her well enough to do that?

“What happens now?” He eyed the wagon.

“We take that back to the library, then we head to my place for hot chocolate. I’d love to go to Fifties or Timmies, but they’ll be packed.”

Marnie’s gaze shot to hers.

“Oh, did I forget to mention this?”

The glare informed her that she had.

“I really need to be going.”

“Loriana, Marnie, hi.”

A deep voice interrupted her thoughts. She pivoted to find a group of men, two strollers with toddlers, and a young boy standing behind them.

She might’ve squealed in delight.

Justin, the youngest of the men, gave her a grin. “Happy to see us?”

She clapped her hands. “My favorite guys? Yes, of course.”

Maddox, the most stalwart of the group, arched an eyebrow. “I thought you weren’t supposed to pick favorites.” He pivoted his gaze. “Nice to see you, Marnie.”

Marnie’s cheeks reddened, but she held her own.

“Oh, where are my manners?” Loriana placed a hand on Mitch’s arm. “This is Mitch, our handy computer specialist and wagoner.”

Did Mitch blush? Hard to tell with the crappy lighting and his dark skin.

“Mitch, this is Maddox.”

The men exchanged handshakes.

“Maddox is also into computers.”

“Cyber security.”

She waved her hand.

“And this is his husband, Ravi.”

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