Page 35 of Architect's Christmas Nanny

“Look at me,” Brad reminded them.

“Merry Christmas,” Josie yelled as Jillian turned to Brad.

There was a flash of light and then Brad was crawling back and Josie was slithering out of Santa’s lap to sit between Jillian and her father.

“Not cool, Williams,” Santa said in a less than jolly voice.

“Sorry about that,” Brad said, not sounding sorry at all. “It’s my daughter’s tradition.”

“Well, if you try it again you’re going to have a whole new tradition,” Santa warned him. “The tradition ofgetting off the firetruck early in front of the whole town.”

“Noted,” Brad said.

“Santa called himWilliams,” the little boy across from them whispered loudly to his grandmother. “Does he know him?”

“Santa knowsallthe boys and girls,” his grandma replied. “I think he might put Brad Williams on his naughty list.”

The boy’s eyes got really big, and Jillian had to try again not to smile.

“Don’t worry,” Santa told the boy. “I like to give people second chances.”

They all laughed at that, and Jillian did her best to soak in the joy of the moment.

11

BRAD

Brad stood in the lawn in front of the library as the sun sank below the horizon that evening, watching Josie chase one of her cousins around the fragrant, fresh-cut trees, along with a pack of other children in colorful coats.

The night air was cold enough that he could see his breath, but he felt warm inside as he watched Josie laughing with Lucas and the other kids. This was why they were here. It was all he’d ever wanted for her—a good old-fashioned childhood with family all around.

They even had what might possibly be the funniest picture with Santa that had ever been taken. Sure, it was a little blurry, Santa looked a little shocked, and Jillian looked a lot seasick. But Josie was laughing with her head thrown back, and Brad was pretty sure that it was going to make the best Christmas card ever.

Now, Jillian was looking much more herself as she chatted away with Winona, Lucas’s new stepmom, like she belonged in this town heart and soul.

But she’s leaving…

He tried not to think about that as he wrenched his eyes away and spotted his brother, Ansel, approaching.

“She’s really nice,” Ansel said, nodding to Jillian.

“We’re going to miss her,” Brad said, hoping he sounded like a fond employer and not some teenaged Romeo in mourning.

Ansel just nodded, his eyes moving to where Josie and Lucas were laughing and chatting between the trees. Was he not responding because he could sense that Brad wasn’t being honest, or was he just being his usual quiet self?

“I’m glad you’re home,” Ansel said simply after a moment.

There was a crowd-wide murmur of excitement and Brad looked over to see that the mayor had arrived. As people gathered near the big town tree, he could hear the sound of an acoustic guitar being tuned.

Josie and Jillian abandoned their companions and joined him again. They had a great spot staked out as part of the semicircle gathered around the tree.

Jillian stood beside him, and Josie stepped in front of them both, leaning back so that her little body formed a sort of link between the three of them.

The gentle guitar notes floated to them, transforming from the sounds of a warmup into the opening bars of “O, Christmas Tree,” and the gathered townsfolk began to sing as one.

Brad wasn’t much of a singer, but he went along with it, appreciating the way Josie’s sweet high notes blended with Jillian’s lovely alto harmonies. It was clear now thatshe certainly had sung in church choir, although she’d never mentioned it before this year.

What else don’t I know about her?

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