Page 35 of A Crossroads Christmas

Mammoth sat on the couch and patted the cushion. “Come sit. I need to ask you something. It’s serious, son. Need an honest answer. Okay?”

“Okay, Dad.”

“Do you know where Miles and Zara went?”

He blinked. “No. Should I?”

Mammoth shook his head. “It’s okay if you don’t.”

Jakey nodded. “I do have a drawing. It’s about Christmas. Should I show you?”

“Yes. Please go get it.”

Jakey rushed from the room and returned a minute later, handing Mammoth the artwork Jakey had spoken about. “I hope this helps.”

Mammoth stared at the drawing, and his shoulders eased a bit. “Operation Stop Santa?” he questioned with curiosity.

“There’s another drawing in your stocking.” Jakey looked at the ground. “Santa kissed my mama.”

Mammoth inhaled and exhaled twice before he answered. “I think you should know that it wasn’t the real Santa. That was me, Jakey. I was playing pretend with your mama.”

Jakey’s head jerked up. “You were?”

“Yeah, son. You know how there are mall Santas that help the real one? I was doing the same thing.”

Jakey looked relieved but then stiffened. “I’m sorry I was naughty.”

Mammoth hugged him. “It’s okay. You wanted to protect me and your family. Nothing wrong with that.” He cleared his throat. “Did Miles know about this?”

Jakey nodded. “He kept asking about reindeer. I think he heard my plan to steal one.”

A few audible reactions from the other Reapers filled the room.

“This drawing of a nativity,” Mammoth began as he pointed at it, “where is it?”

“It’s the live animals, Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus. The one by the old church.”

“Did you say you were going there, Jakey?” Chaos asked.

Jakey nodded. “I think Miles heard us because I told Noah I wanted to capture one of the reindeer and bring it home to hide it. They have a sleigh with Santa and Rudolph along with all the other reindeer.”

Jigsaw headed toward the door. “We’re going to there. Now.”

Chaos didn’t hesitate to follow.

Everyone else filed out after them except for me and Mammoth. He hugged Jakey again and sat back, ruffling his hair. “Next time, come to me. There’s nothing we can’t handle together. Okay?”

Jakey nodded. “Okay, Dad.”

A half-hour later, we all stood in front of the live nativity, and beside it, Santa yelled a jolly ho-ho-ho, leading all his reindeer in front of an enormous sleigh.

Jigsaw found Miles holding Zara’s hand. They watched baby Jesus in the manger, oblivious that everyone had been looking for them.

Chaos scooped up his daughter and held her against him, too choked up to say much. After losing Cindi, I knew how hard that hit him.

Jigsaw picked up his son, holding him in the crook of his arm. Miles yawned and rested his head on his dad’s shoulder.

Above us, shooting across the sky, a bright star twinkled.

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