Page 168 of The Holiday Fakers
“Ho, ho, ho-mazing!” he replies. “Right, off to your stations!”
Piper and I are posted outside the offices ofThe Almanac, and Marv’s set up on the opposite corner of the town square outside the bookstore. As soon as Piper and I get to the steps of theAlmanacbuilding, she turns to me.
“I really think I should tell Marv about the job and the fact that I’ve asked Jack to be my agent. I don’t want him finding out at the same time as everyone else.”
I nod. “We can tell him together later if you like?”
“I’d rather do it now. Are you okay for five minutes?”
“I’m a moderately famous actor, dressed as an elf, in the center of Hideaway Harbor on Christmas Eve,” I reply. “What could possibly go wrong?”
“You spend your whole time taking ‘elfies’ with fans?”
I laugh and pull her in for another quick kiss. “You’re adorable.”
She beams up at me. “So are you. Now have fun, and I’ll see you in a bit.”
My gaze follows her as she makes her way across the road and into the town square, love filling every part of me.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see a family slowing their pace as they approach. I smile, trying to place how I know them.
“Mr King?” the man says.
He’s pushing a stroller with a toddler wrapped up inside, and the woman holds the hands of two older children.
“I don’t know if you remember us,” he continues. “You gave us your rooms at the Hideaway Hotel.”
“Yes! Great to see you all again. How’s your stay been?”
“The best. We can’t thank you enough.”
“Absolutely,” his wife says, then turns to her older children. “Say thank you to Mr King.”
“Thank you, Mr King,” they dutifully parrot.
“Are you here for the treasure hunt?” I ask them.
They shyly hold out printed maps.
“You ready to solve my riddle?”
Two heads nod.
“Okay, here we go. I’m curved and sweet, with stripes of red, a treat for the season that’s often widespread. I hang on the tree or stick in your cup. What am I? Take a guess, don’t give up!”
“A candy cane!” the girl cries.
“That was quick!”
“It waseasy,” her younger brother says, then holds out his map.
I stamp both their maps, then give them one of the “magical tokens” Erica gave us to hand out.
“Good luck on the rest of the treasure hunt,” I say, then crouch down next to the kids for a photo as their mom holds up her phone.
“Thank you so much, Mr King,” she says. “You’re the best.”
I wave her words away. “It’s the least I could do. I’ll catch you folks again in the square at three for hot chocolate?”
