Page 6 of Falling for Santa

Megan sighed, her laughter softening. “If this is what it takes...” She trailed off, glancing down at Ruby, who was busy tugging on Mr. Bear’s ear.

Scott handed her the costume, his grin widening. “Consider it part of the job interview. Give it a try tomorrow, and we’ll see how it goes.”

Megan looked at the costume, then back at him, shaking her head with a bemused smile. “You really don’t take it easy on your new hires, do you?”

“Not when the stakes are this high,” Scott quipped, folding his arms. “Santa’s reputation is on the line.”

Her laugh this time was genuine, light and clear, and it caught him off guard for a split second.

“Fine,” she said, tucking the costume under her arm. “But if I end up on the town’s Christmas card in this, we’re renegotiating.”

Scott smirked. “Deal.”

With that, she gathered Ruby and her things, and the two of them walked away, Megan glancing down at the costume in her arms with a shake of her head. Scott watched them for a moment, chuckling softly to himself. He could already picture her in the costume, and somehow, he knew she’d make it work.

Tomorrow was going to be interesting.

Chapter Three

The bells jingled again as Megan adjusted the hem of her elf costume for what had to be the tenth time. She caught her reflection in the mirror and groaned softly. The bright green dress, striped tights, and pointy felt ears made her look like something straight out of a cartoon. And the jingling—oh, the jingling—seemed determined to announce her every move.

“Just a few weekends,” she muttered, pulling at the waistband of her tights. “I can do this.”

She glanced at her phone on the small table nearby. There was a picture from that morning of Ruby waving cheerfully, her chubby fingers sticky from the toast Miss Doris had made her. Megan had barely been able to pry herself away, but Ruby had been completely unbothered, diving into her crayons the moment Megan left.

The thought brought a faint smile to her lips, but it was quickly replaced by a fresh wave of nerves as she stepped out of the small staff room and into the bustling square.

The transformation was stunning. Twinkling lights zigzagged above, garlands wrapped every lamppost, and the scent of cinnamon mingled with the faint saltiness of the ocean air.Crowds of families swarmed the Village, stopping at booths for cocoa and cookies or wandering through the rows of decorated trees.

Near the center of it all was Scott, perched on his oversized Santa chair. His rich laughter carried across the square as a little girl whispered in his ear, her red pigtails bobbing with excitement.

Megan hesitated for a moment, clutching the clipboard he’d given her the day before. Her job was simple enough. Keep the line for Santa moving, answer any questions, and hand out candy canes. Easy on paper, but the reality was far from it.

“Here goes nothing,” she mumbled, making her way to the growing line of families.

“Do you know if Santa likes cookies or brownies better?”

Megan blinked and turned to see a freckled boy clutching a plastic container filled with baked goods. He looked up at her expectantly, his wide eyes brimming with determination.

“Cookies,” she said after a beat, smiling. “Definitely cookies. But he might make an exception for brownies if they have chocolate chips.”

The boy’s face lit up. “Yes! That’s what we made!”

Before Megan could respond, a young girl tugged on her sleeve. “Excuse me, miss elf,” she said, her voice laced with urgency. “How old is Santa?”

“Uh—” Megan froze, glancing toward the throne where Scott was still deep in conversation with the pigtail girl. “Well, that’s a great question. Let’s just say Santa’s old enough to know all the best Christmas secrets.”

The girl tilted her head, considering this answer carefully, before nodding in satisfaction.

“Nice save,” came Scott’s deep voice from behind her. Megan turned to see him standing there, his eyes twinkling beneath the rim of his red hat.

“Thanks,” she said with a sheepish grin. “I wasn’t sure what the official policy was on Santa’s age.”

Scott chuckled, shifting the bells around his waist. “Rule number one: keep it mysterious. The kids love it.” He nodded toward the line. “How’s it going over here?”

“Chaotic but manageable,” Megan said, gesturing to the growing crowd.

Scott glanced at the families and let out a low whistle. “Looks like we’ve got a busy one today. Let me know if you need reinforcements.”

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