Page 58 of Sweet Home

“Santa has a little workshop out back,” West told Dulcie. “He visits with the kids this time of year.”

Dulcie nodded, realizing the random-seeming request hadn’t been random at all. It was such a nice idea for a country store. They went around the building, and came out to a sweetly decorated space in back where a man with a big, white beard sat on a comfy chair with a little boy on his lap who was listing out the names of various superheroes so quickly it seemed like he was afraid he had a time limit.

Santa looked up as they got in line and winked at Dulcie.

She recognized him right away as Kris from the post office, and she smiled back, thrilled that she knew who was standing in for Santa in Sugarville Grove. It made her feel like a real part of the little town.

The little boy finished up and scurried off, and a pair of girls sauntered up to the friendly saint as their mother watched.

“What are you going to ask for, Elizabeth?” West asked.

“I can’t tell,” she said. “Or it won’t come true.”

“I think that’s birthday candle wishes,” West said.

But Elizabeth shook her head, sending her ponytails dancing, and refused to say another word.

When it was her turn, she headed up to Santa bravely, only looking back once for reassurance. West nodded to her, giving her a thumbs-up, and she allowed herself to be coaxed onto Santa’s lap.

“What would you like for Christmas?” Santa asked.

“I want my princess to keep forever,”Elizabeth whispered loudly.

Dulcie thought about the castle inthe toy shop window, and the figures on top that always caught the little girl’s eye.

She glanced over at West. He wore a sad expression, and she knew he was probably worried about the princess toy, since it had been out of stock when he bought the castle. But Elizabeth came sprinting back to them before Dulcie could mention to him that he didn’t have to worry because she had it now.

“How was it?” West asked Elizabeth.

“I’m not sure,” Elizabeth said, grabbing Dulcie’s hand again. “I have to wait and see.”

At least she didn’t have too much longer to wait. It was hard to believe Christmas was coming in about a week and a half. With the visit to Santa complete, they headed inside and got in line to grab the bag of sweets the store was donating.

“Can I have strawberry milk?” Elizabeth asked hopefully, pointing to the refrigerators on the back wall of the shop.

“Sure,” West told her.

“I’ll take her,” Dulcie said.

“Come on,” Elizabeth said happily.

They walked toward the fridges and had almost made it when a huge figure jumped out from the other side of one of the aisles.

“Give me that naughty little girl,” a deep male voice intoned.

Dulcie didn’t have time to think before her instincts kicked in.

She immediately stepped in front of Elizabeth, andkneed the big man in his middle. When he bent over in reaction, she shoved him away as hard as she could.

It was only as he was falling into a rack of scenic Vermont postcards that she realized who her would-be attacker was.

The world seemed to stretch into slow motion as Tripp Lawrence crashed down, sending hundreds of postcards sailing into the air and fluttering back down on him like snow.

Please, God, let him be okay. I didn’t mean to hurt him…

“Whoa,” Tripp said, looking up at her with a lopsided grin. “I didn’t realize West hired a bodyguard for his daughter.”

“I’m so sorry,” she gasped. “I’m so, so sorry, Tripp.”

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