Page 12 of A Crossroads Christmas

He nodded. “Not a bad idea. I like it.”

“Then Rael can shut the fuck up.”

“He won’t,” Mammoth chuckled, “but since I want to be Santa this year, I’ll agree with you.”

“You do?” That was a surprise.

“Sure. Rowen even bought me a new red suit.”

I couldn’t help cracking a grin. “That sounds perfect.”

“It’s about time we turn the tables on Rael. Give him a Christmas he won’t forget,” Mammoth added.

“Oh, you got some ideas? Because whatever fucked up shit you’re thinkin’, I’m in.”

His deep laughter filled the room. “Yeah, you’re gonna like this one.”

“WHAT IS IT, JAKEY?”I asked, gesturing to the extra chair at my desk so he would feel invited to sit down.

“I saw Santa Claus kiss my Mama,” he fumed.

Huh? “What do you mean?”

“I heard Mama giggle and crept downstairs.”

Ah, I saw where this was going. “And there was a man in a red suit?”

He nodded. “Yeah. She smiled at him, and he kissed her. That’s not okay. Mammoth is gonna be so mad!”

I didn’t say that Santa wasn’t real or that the man in the suit was probably Mammoth. Jakey still believed, and I wouldn’t ruin that for him. I stopped believing in Santa when I was eleven. Little Jakey was only seven.

“Well, maybe he was just being nice.”

“No. He gave her the kind of deep kisses that Daddy does.”

Oops. I wondered if Uncle Mammoth and Aunt Rowen knew Jakey saw them. I bet they didn’t because Jakey was mad as he talked about it. “Are you going to tell him?”

“I drew him a picture and put it in his stocking so he’d find out.”

Oh, that was kinda cute. Jakey was an incredible artist who saw things that most people wouldn’t believe and brought them to life with his colored pencils. I did. Everyone in the club and all the family did as well. Jakey’s drawings were special.

“I’m sure that’ll help,” I replied.

“Noah, I gotta do something bad,” he sighed.

“Like what?”

“Get on the naughty list.”

It was really hard not to laugh, but I never would because that would hurt Jakey’s feelings. “What did you have in mind?”

A grin widened his mouth. “I’ve got an idea.”

“I want in on it,” I decided. Why not? Who said we couldn’t have a little fun even if there wasn’t a real Santa watching?

“You might get on the naughty list too,” Jakey warned.

“I can handle it,” I promised.

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