Page 3 of Falling for Santa

Megan nodded, her throat tight. She sipped her coffee, letting the warmth steady her. “I don’t think I’m ready to go back into law. At least not until Ruby is older.”

After a moment of thoughtful silence, Miss Doris’s eyes lit up with a familiar twinkle. “You know,” she said, leaning back in her chair, “Scott Hunter’s looking for someone to help out at theChristmas Market. He plays Santa every year, but he needs an elf to help him with the little ones.”

Megan blinked, caught off guard. “An elf?” she repeated, laughing softly.

Miss Doris chuckled. “I know it sounds silly, but it could be just what you need. Scott’s a good man, and he’s always willing to help out someone in need. Besides, he could use a good office manager for his business. He’s just too stubborn to admit he needs the help. This could be your way in.”

“What kind of business?” Megan asked, wondering what Santa was doing in the off season.

“He builds and installs custom cabinets,” Miss Doris said, her voice as proud as if the man was family. “Scott has clients all the way from Wilmington to Charleston.”

Megan hesitated, the idea both intriguing and daunting. She could picture herself organizing files or managing orders—work she felt confident in. But the thought of dressing up as an elf? That was a different story.

“I don’t know if I’m cut out for that,” she said, shaking her head. “The elf thing.”

Miss Doris leaned forward, her gaze steady. “Sometimes, the best opportunities come from the most unexpected places. At the very least, it’s worth meeting Scott and seeing what he has to say.”

Megan glanced at Ruby, who was now humming as she scribbled over a picture of a beach scene. Her daughter deserved stability, and Megan couldn’t let her pride stand in the way of giving Ruby the life she deserved.

“I’ll think about it,” Megan said finally.

Miss Doris smiled, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. “That’s all I ask, dear. He really could use a hand.”

As the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting the room in a warm, golden glow, Megan felt a flicker of something she hadn’t felt in a long time. Hope.

Later, as they walked back down the beach, Ruby skipped ahead, clutching her new drawing in one hand and her bucket of shells in the other. Megan glanced over her shoulder at Miss Doris’s house, her heart lighter than it had been in weeks.

The conversation played over in her mind, and though the idea of working as an elf still made her laugh, there was a growing determination in her chest.

“I’ll do it,” she whispered into the wind, watching Ruby’s carefree steps. “Whatever it takes, I’ll make this work.”

The waves lapped gently at the shore as Megan and Ruby made their way back to the bungalow they now called home, the horizon painted in soft hues of gold and pink. Tomorrow, she decided, she would call Scott and see where this unexpected opportunity might lead.

Chapter Two

The smell of fresh cedar filled Scott Callahan’s garage workshop, a comforting mix of earthiness and possibility. He leaned over his workbench, carefully guiding his carving knife along the soft grain of the wood. Each pass revealed more of the intricate snowflake design he was shaping, the sharp blade gliding effortlessly under his practiced hand.

The rhythmic sound of his tools and the soft hum of the space heater in the corner provided the perfect soundtrack to his morning. This was his time, before the demands of the day crept in, before emails and client calls stole his focus. Though custom cabinetry paid the bills, these small, detailed carvings were for him alone. It was his preferred way to clear his mind and remind himself of the joy of creating something for its own sake.

Scott paused, brushing shavings off the block of cedar and holding it up to inspect his work. The snowflake was nearly complete, its delicate lines branching out like the frozen patterns he’d marveled at as a kid on rare winter mornings. Of course, snow was a rarity here on Palmar Island, but he remembered the one Christmas Eve it had dusted the ground, how magical it had felt despite the chaos in his home.

His gaze shifted to the corner of the workshop where his Santa suit hung neatly on a peg near the door. The red velvet jacket gleamed faintly under the overhead light, the gold trim catching the glow like a whisper of holiday magic. Beside it, his black boots sat polished and ready, the fur-trimmed hat perched on top.

The sight tugged a smile from him, but it was tinged with a familiar ache. Playing Santa every year for the island’s Christmas Market was one of his greatest joys, a chance to give the kids in the community the kind of holiday magic he’d wished for as a boy. But it also highlighted the solitude in his life. Once the suit came off, it was just him and this workshop, the house next door too quiet for its size.

Scott set the carving aside and rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s just a few weekends,” he muttered, as if the words might dull the ache. “And I still need to find an elf.”

He’d been putting it off, hoping someone would magically volunteer. Most years, the job went to a high school or college kid home for the holidays, but this time, no one had stepped forward. With the first weekend of the Christmas Market just days away, he was running out of time.

Sighing, he dusted off his hands and headed toward the main house. The scent of freshly brewed coffee greeted him as he stepped inside, a reminder that he had at least one thing under control this morning. He poured himself a cup, leaning against the counter as he took a sip. The warmth spread through him, chasing away the chill that still clung to the early hours.

His phone buzzed on the counter, the number on the screen unfamiliar. He frowned but picked it up, pressing it to his ear. “Scott Callahan.”

“Hi, Mr. Callahan. My name is Megan Findley,” a woman’s voice said, soft but clear. “I hope I’m not catching you at a bad time.”

Scott set his coffee down, his curiosity piqued. “No, you’re fine. What can I do for you?”

“Miss Doris suggested I give you a call,” Megan said, a hint of nervousness in her tone. “She mentioned you’re looking for someone to help out at the Christmas Market, with the elf position?”

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