Page 59 of Rebel Without a Claus
Might as well be two years.
“Oh, look, Santa!” Eve squeals beside me as the line shuffles forward. “One of our little elves has come to visit us today!” Eve beams at an adorable little girl in pigtails and a glittery green elf costume complete with pointy hat. There’s a little bit of chocolate smeared on her ruddy cheek along with some cookie crumbs clinging to her bottom lip. Even though she couldn’t weigh more than thirty pounds soaking wet, the little girl marches right up to me like she owns the place. Her shoes even jingle when she stops in front of the sleigh.
She crosses her arms and squints. “You’re not therealSanta.”
Well. Damn.
I tug at the fake beard itching against my chin. “Why’s that?”
Her little chin tips up, fierce as a drill sergeant. “The real Santa doesn’t look like he wants to run away.”
Eve muffles a laugh beside me, her shoulders shaking under her ridiculous-but-somehow-sexy Mrs. Claus dress. “Of course he’s the real Santa,” Eve says, bending down to her level. “He even brought all of his reindeer for you to meet.”
“Then where’s Rudolph?” she asks, crawling onto the sleigh with us and looking out over my eight reindeer who are strapped to the front. Jack gives me a shrug from where he’s managing the beasts for me.
I clear my throat and lean down to look at the little girl. “Well, Rudolph has to rest up for tonight. We need him at one hundred percent so he can guide the sleigh when it’s dark.”
She considers this for a long moment. “If you’re the real Santa, then what did you bring me last year?”
Momentary panic clutches my throat and I look up helplessly at where her mom is standing just a few feet from us. She scrambles briefly and pulls out a stuffed polar bear from her purse and holds it up for me to see.
“How could I forget the polar bear stuffed animal my elves made for you last year.”
The little girl gasps, her eyes going wide. “You reallyareSanta Claus!” she whispers with reverence.
“Of course I am,” I whisper back. “What did you end up naming that polar bear?”
“Cola!” she says, her whole face lighting up like she just got promoted to head elf at the North Pole. She beams, then scrambles onto my lap, throwing her little arms around my neck, jingling shoes and all.
I freeze. Then—slowly—pat her back. And something in my chest twists hard, because she’s so small, so trusting, and she looks at me like I’m not someone to be feared or avoided. She looks at me like I’m magical. Like I’m someone worth believing in.
Her mother waves from the front of the sleigh. “Olivia, look at Mommy and smile!”
I grunt and try to smile through the itchy beard for the picture.
Eve handsme a wrapped present from the bag beside us—all presents that had been donated from people in the town, and I hand one to Olivia.
“Thank you, Santa!” she says, climbing down off my lap. “And this year, I’d love a penguin to go with Cola!”
With another quick glance at her mom, she gives me a thumbs up. “I think I can arrange that.” I pause to touch my finger to Olivia’s nose. “Now be sure to save me at leastoneof those cookies tonight, okay Olivia?”
She nods eagerly and runs off toward her mom. “Bye, Santa! I love you!”
When I look back at Eve, still seated on the sleigh beside me, she’s staring at me. Not laughing this time. Just… watching.
“What? Did she get some of that chocolate on my suit?” I glance down to see if there are any chocolate handprints on the velvet but I don’t see any.
Eve shakes her head. Her smile is soft, almost too much for me to take. “You’re better at this than you think.”
And that’s the dangerous part. Because for one terrifying second, with Eve looking at me like that, I almost believe it.
Against all odds, I feel… okay. Like maybe I’ve got this Santa gig under control. I gave little Olivia the wrapped present, she gave me a look like I actually mattered. Not bad for a guy who hates Christmas.
I let out a slow breath. Maybe I can survive this.
Then the next kid crawls up, chubby fists waving. Before I can even get out a “Ho—” one tiny hand latches onto my beard.
Rip. Off comes the fake beard.
