Page 5 of Magic in Mistletoe
As he moved through the store, Martin continued to inquire about the various candies and chocolates. Sadie met each question with a brief and direct response. Yet, Martin remained undeterred by her reluctance to engage in conversation.
“Ooh, what are these little ones here?” he asked, pointing at a display of tiny, brightly colored candies.
“Jelly buttons,” Sadie answered, her tone slightly less frosty than before, humored by his child-like enthusiasm. “They’re fruit-flavored, quite popular with children.” Sadie picked up one with some tongs and dropped it into Martin’s hand.
“Delightful!” Martin beamed, popping it into his mouth. “Mmm, that’s delicious! You truly have a gift, Sadie.”
“Thanks, but as I said before, Rosie does all the candy making.”
“Well then, please pass on my compliments to your confectioner. Now, tell me about these chocolates,” Martin continued, gesturing towards a tray of elaborately decorated confections. “They look positively divine.”
“Handcrafted truffles,” Sadie explained, her interest growing, not only by his genuine fascination, but by his diction. He didn’t sound like a local. “Each one is filled with a different flavored ganache. It takes time to make them, but they’re worth it.”
“The attention to detail is extraordinary,” Martin said. “I can see why the Snowflake Sugar Shop has such a devoted following.”
“What do you mean?” Sadie questioned. “Our customers are mostly locals and the occasional tourist,” Sadie admitted. “But apparently, my grandmother was very proud of what she’d built.”
“As you should be,” Martin agreed, his sincere smile never leaving his face. “It’s not often you come across such a treasure trove of sweet delights.” Martin pulled out his phone and showed Sadie the social media pages. “You’ve never seen this?”
“Well, no. I mean, I knew Rosie was posting, but I steer clear of social media.”
Martin nodded as if he understood, then scrolled through the Snowflake Sugar Shop’s images.
“They’re amazing,” Sadie whispered. For the first time in what felt like ages, she smiled. Not only was Rosie a talented confectioner, her ability to photograph the candy was equally impressive, and their following was incredible.
“This caught our attention,” Martin said. “A small town with this kind of candy store was the place we wanted to set up shop.”
“You’re new here too?” Sadie asked.
“We are. I’m a toymaker. We’re the ones renovating the store across the town square. Our old one was outside of a town north of here, but it burned down in the forest fires last summer.”
“I’m so sorry to hear that.”
“No one was hurt, and we’ve moved many times before, so we’re used to it,” he replied with a hearty chuckle, his gap-toothed grin widening even further. “Now, let’s get down to business, shall we?”
Sadie and Martin sat at a small table near the back of the store, surrounded by the scent of sweet confections. Despite her usual reticence, she couldn’t help but be drawn to him, as this ruggedly handsome, unusually spoken toymaker was also an outsider in this close-knit town.
“Alright, Martin,” Sadie began, tugging at the hem of her apron, “tell me more about this large order.”
Martin rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, you see, I have an important event coming up, and I’d love to include your delightful confections as part of it.”
“An event?” Sadie asked, tilting her head. Her skepticism resurfacing at the vagueness of his reply.
“Indeed. You could say it’s a celebration of sorts.”
“This time of year is full of events.” She tapped her pen impatiently on the table. “All I need are the details. When and how much?”
He leaned back in his chair, studying her intently. “Well, I come from a long line of toymakers, and my family has always been involved in special events during the holiday season.”
“Ah,” Sadie said, raising an eyebrow suspiciously. “And this event...is it for charity or something?” If it was, he’d likely ask for a reduced rate, and Sadie wasn’t sure they could afford that. They were barely scraping by as it was.
“Something like that,” Martin answered, his grin widening. “It’s a tradition, you see, spreading joy and cheer to children who might not have much else to look forward to.”
Sadie eyed him warily, trying to piece together the puzzle that was Martin Kringle. He was undeniably warm and charismatic, yet there was a mysterious air about him that kept her on edge. “And let me guess, your workshop is full of Santa’s elves.”
He tilted his head back and let out a hearty laugh. “Grandfather said you were funny.”
“Grandfather? Who’s your grandfather?”
