Page 14 of Home for Christmas

He still wanted her. That hadn’t changed. He still hurt. That hadn’t eased. But how did she feel? She’d told him the night before that she’d never loved another man. Did that mean shestill loved him? Jason dropped a bill on the counter and rose. There was only one way to find out. He’d ask her.

The Doll House was crowded with children. Noisy children. When Jason walked in, shouts and laughter bounced off the walls. Helium-filled balloons hugged the ceiling and cookie crumbs littered the floor. In the doorway of the workroom was a tall cardboard castle. Just in front of a shiny white curtain stood a puppet of Santa Claus and a green-suited elf. With a lot of chatter and exaggerated effort, they loaded a glittering golden sleigh with colorful boxes. Twice the elf fell on his face while lifting a box and sent the children into peals of laughter. After a great deal of confusion, all the presents were loaded. With a belly-burstingHo-ho-ho!Santa climbed into the sleigh. Bells jingling, it rocked its way through the curtain.

To the clatter of applause, a series of puppets crossed the stage for bows. Jason saw Mrs. Claus, two elves and a reindeer with a telltale red nose before Santa took the stage with a ringingMerry Christmas!He didn’t even realize he was leaning back against the door and grinning when Faith popped around the castle for a bow of her own.

But she saw him. Feeling foolish, she took another bow as the children clambered up. With the ease of a veteran kindergarten teacher, she maneuvered them toward the punch and cookies.

“Very impressive,” Jason murmured in her ear. “I’m sorry I missed most of the show.”

“It’s not much.” She combed her fingers through her hair. “I’ve been doing it for years now without much variation.” She glanced over at the group of children. “It doesn’t seem to matter.”

“I’d say it does.” He took her hand and brought it to his lips while a group of girls giggled. “Very much.”

“Mrs. Monroe.” A little boy with carrot-red hair and a face full of freckles tugged on her slacks. “When’s Santa coming?”

Faith crouched down and smoothed at his hair. “You know, Bobby, I heard he was awfully busy this year.”

His bottom lip poked out. “But he always comes.”

“Well, I’m sure he’ll find a way to get the presents here. I’m going to go in the back in a minute and see.”

“But I have to talk to him.”

The pout nearly did her in. “If he doesn’t make it, you can give me a letter for him. I’ll make sure he gets it.”

“Problem?” Jason murmured when she straightened up again.

“Jake always plays Santa after the puppet show. We give out a few little things, it’s nothing really, but the kids depend on it.”

“Jake can’t make it this year?”

“He caught the chicken pox from the Hennessy boy.”

“I see.” He hadn’t celebrated Christmas in years, not since… since he’d left Faith. “I’ll do it,” he told her and surprised himself.

“You?”

Something in her expression made him determined to be the best St. Nick since the original. “Yeah, me. Where’s the suit?”

“It’s in the little room off the back, but—”

“I hope you remembered the pillows,” he said before he sauntered away.

She didn’t think he’d pull it off. In fact, five minutes after he walked away, Faith was sure he’d changed his mind altogether and continued out the back door. No one, including the group of kids with mouths full of cookies was moreenchanted than she when Santa walked in the front door with a bag over his shoulder.

He had the chance for one boomingMerry Christmasbefore he was surrounded. Too stunned to move, she watched the children bounce and jump and tug.

“Santa needs a chair.” Jason sent her a long, intense look that had her swallowing before her feet could move. Dashing into the back room, she brought out a high-backed chair and set it in the center of the room.

“Now you have to line up,” she began, scooting children around. “Everyone gets a turn.” Grabbing a bowl of candy canes, she set them on a table beside the chair. One by one, the children climbed up on Jason’s knee. Faith needn’t have worried. She’d had to school Jake to make the right responses, and most importantly, not to promise and risk disappointing. After the third child had climbed down, Faith relaxed. Jason was wonderful.

And having the time of his life. He’d done it just to help her out, perhaps even to impress her, but he got a great deal more. He’d never had a child sit on his lap and look at him with complete faith and love. He listened to their wishes, their confessions and complaints. Each one was allowed to reach in the sack he carried and pull out one gift.

He was hugged, kissed with sticky mouths and poked. One enterprising boy had a good grip on his beard before Jason managed to distract him. Happy, they began to file out of the shop with their parents or in groups.

“You were great.” Faith turned her sign around after the last child had left to give herself a chance to catch her breath.

“Want to sit on my lap?”

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