Page 166 of The Holiday Fakers
“Cross-hatch shading, to be precise.”
She pulls the comforter over her head and groans. “So embarrassing.”
I lift the covers and smooth her hair from her face. “It’s cute. I’m learning so much.”
Opening her eyes, she blinks at me. “How do you get to be so gorgeous this early in the morning?”
I grin. “Not as gorgeous as you. And it’s nearly nine.”
She lifts onto her elbows. “What? Seriously?”
“Yup.”
Flopping back onto the mattress, she lets out another groan. “Not enough time for snuggles.”
I trail a finger down her shoulder. “I don’t know about that. What else is planned for Christmas Eve?”
Piper gives me a look. “In less than five minutes, we’re going to have a visitor.”
“Santa?”
“Not this morning.”
My hand stops as a baby elephant runs up the stairs and along the corridor.
There’s a loud knock at our door, followed a millisecond later by Martha, who dashes up to the bed and throws a bag and a bundle of wood onto the comforter, right where my own wood was looking forward to some “snuggle time” with Piper.
“Fu—aghhh!” I cry, hands darting under the covers to protect my junk.
“The elf came to visit!” Martha shouts, ignoring me completely.
Piper shoots me a worried look. “You okay?”
I nod as stars dance in my eyes.
“The elf left this!” Martha repeats. “At the front door! Look, Aunt Piper!”
The bundle contains a few small branches, and a net bag containing pinecone fire-starters made with colored beeswax.
“Grandma says they’ll make pretty flames when they burn!” Martha continues excitedly. “And we can try them tonight!”
Everything is tied together with a festive ribbon, and a gift tag is attached.
“To the Locke family, from the Hideaway elf.”
“See?” Martha says. “The secret elf came tous!”
“Did you just arrive with Daddy?”
“No, he got called to work last night, so Nana and Papa came to look after me and bring me here this morning.”
“Do you think I’ll meet the Hideaway elf this afternoon?” Martha continues.
I raise an eyebrow at Piper in question.
“It’s the elf treasure hunt in town,” she says to me. “But it’s absolutely nothing to do with the secret do-gooder. And Mom said Martha was coming here this morning to bake cookies for Santa tonight.”
Martha frowns at us. “Why are you still in bed?”
