Page 64 of 1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Forty-Seven

Carl stared. “Huh?”

“Santa. We won’t be needing your services. Thank you for the offer, though.”

The man scratched his head, and the wig slid partway off. He glared over the tiny spectacles. “What are you talking about? You don’t cancel Santa.”

He sharpened his voice to show authority. “I do. Vintage is going through some renovations so we’ll be skipping the gifts and visit this year. Again, I appreciate it, but I have to get ready to open. Nice to meet you.”

He turned to leave but a loud sound exploded in the air. Carl groaned and a certain smell drifted over. “Who are you—the Vintage Scrooge? The kids will be devastated. They always eat their pancakes and open presents. Why are you being so cheap? Fine, I’ll do it for two hundred.”

“There are no more pancakes,” Jameson muttered. “And no money will be spent on useless gifts.”

“What am I going to do with the suit? I already paid for it!” Another gurgling noise. “Damn dairy. I need the bathroom.”

Jameson glanced at the clock. He did not need this scene to greet the first customers of a busy weekend. He needed this man out of here. “I’ll cut you a check for the suit,” he said, motioning him forward. “Use the office bathroom, then you can leave through the back door.”

Carl bent over slightly, which loosened his beard so a bunch of gnarled gray hair hung halfway to the floor. “Fine. But this is a terrible thing you’re doing. Killing kids hopes and dreams is a sin.”

“I can live with that.”

He wrote out a check to cash while Carl was in the bathroom destroying his private sanctuary, then hustled him out the door. By the time Vintage opened, Jameson was already a bit rattled.

The customers flooded the new space, commenting on the lack of holiday décor; the expensive bar bill; and why all the colors had changed. Jameson showed up at every table to greetthe customers, explaining the exciting new updates, upselling the menu, and promising a five-star experience.

The children became a problem.

He stopped at table five, where an adorable young girl and her father were eating. Her blonde pigtails held red ribbons, and her outfit consisted of a sparkly sweater, furry pants and bright red rubber boots. Her wrist was filled with jangly bracelets and Christmas tree earrings bobbed as she tilted her head up to look at him. “Welcome to Vintage. I’m Jameson, the manager, and I’m here if you have any questions. We’ve been doing some updating and looking forward to any input you have for me and my staff.”

“Hi, I’m Zoe! Daddy and I came to see Santa. Do you know when he’ll be here?”

Her bright blue eyes fastened on him with innocent trust. He swallowed hard and tried to be a man about it. “I’m sorry but Santa won’t be able to make it this weekend. He’s extremely busy with his…schedule.”

The father studied him with frank curiosity. He was ridiculously good-looking in a classic way, with thick dark hair, dark eyes, and a solid, confident presence. “What a shame. Hi, I’m Gabe. I work over at Sunshine Bridal. How’s Mac’s sister doing?”

Jameson checked in on both of his cousins regularly, but was surprised at the consistent concern of the patrons. “Much better, he appreciates so many of his friends checking on him.”

“Good. I see there’s been a lot of changes here. Looking forward to attending the Fur Gala.”

“It will be quite a turnout. How was your meal, young lady?”

Zoe glanced at her father as if asking a question. Gabe nodded. “Mr. Jameson, I really miss the pancakes. It’s my favorite part of coming here and I would like to make asuggestion, like in one your boxes? I would like to vote that you bring the pancakes and Nutella and fruit back.”

He’d been dealing with complaints on the charcuterie board all morning but the way Zoe approached it made him pause. “Did you try one of our new entrees on the menu? What about the stuffed French toast?”

“Yes, that’s what I got but I really really love the pancakes. Plus, it comes on a big fun board and I get to have different type of bacons. But I don’t want anyone to get sad so please don’t tell anyone else I was disappointed. Okay?”

He couldn’t help the smile that tugged at his lips. She actually looked concerned she’d hurt his feelings. “Okay. Anything else?”

She bit her lip. “I really like the lights but they’re gone. But I love the purple. Purple is my favorite color but I put red ribbons and a red sweater on because it’s Christmas and red is the best.”

“Thank you for the suggestion, Zoe. I will see what I can do.”

Her face lit up. “Okay! Mr. Jameson?”

“Yes?”

“Since Santa is busy and lots of kids still come here to get presents, would it be okay for me to bring some over here for kids to open later on? I’ve been saving and Mom says it’s good to give to cheerity, and I usually give to the dogs because I love dogs and have one, but this year I want to give extra presents because Santa is busy. Daddy, is that okay? We can go to the store with my piggy bank money and come back here! Plus, you don’t have a tree and you need a Christmas tree to put the presents under so we can stop and get a small one!”

He blinked and glanced at Gabe.

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