Page 31 of Mountain Man's Naughty Elf
The crowd erupted—murmurs became shouts, confused whispers turned to exclamations of outrage.
Mr. Tanner, the hardware store owner, pushed forward through the crowd, his face flushed with outrage. "I donated five hundred dollars to that toy drive!" he shouted. Several people joined him, pressing toward the stage.
"I trusted you with my money!" Mrs. Abernathy called out, her forefinger pointed accusingly at Nolan. Beside her, Mr. White from the bank adjusted his glasses, staring at the numbers on the screen with growing horror.
Through the shifting mass of people, I spotted Pax cutting through the crowd toward the stage, his focus unwavering. One of Nolan's men saw him too, his jacket falling open as his hand moved toward the weapon beneath. My breath caught in my throat. Pax's shoulders tensed, his stance shifting subtly. He murmured something to the man, his voice too low to hear, butthe effect was immediate—the goon backed away, suddenly very interested in his shoes.
"Arrest them!" Nolan shouted. "They're spreading lies and doctored files!"
The enforcers exchanged glances as uniformed police officers advanced toward the stage. Chief Alexis Gold stood among them, her close-cropped dark hair gleaming under the lights - according to Rudy, she'd been building her own case against the mayor, just waiting for concrete evidence.
Martha stepped forward, taking the microphone from my suddenly numb fingers. "I've been documenting financial discrepancies for months," she announced, her normally gentle voice cutting through the chaos. "As board chairwoman of North Pole Village, I demand an immediate investigation!" She pulled a folded sheet from her pocket—another damning document she'd apparently been saving. "And I want every penny returned to those children!"
The situation deteriorated rapidly for Nolan. His men, seeing the police approaching and the crowd turning hostile, began backing away. One made a move toward me, but Pax was faster, positioning himself between us with a silent warning in his stance.
Nolan, realizing he was losing control, attempted to flee the stage, only to find his path blocked by officers. His face paled as he saw his carefully constructed image crumbling before his eyes.
"This isn't over," he hissed as they escorted him past me.
Our eyes met briefly, and I was struck by the emptiness there. No remorse, no shame—just anger at being caught. How had I never seen it before?
Martha addressed the gathering again. "Citizens of Evergreen Falls, it appears we have been deceived. But the true goodwill cannot be stolen. The toy drive must continue—ourchildren deserve a joyful holiday regardless of these disturbing revelations."
Pax made his way to my side, his arm wrapping around my shoulders. "You did it," he said, his voice gruff with pride.
"Not quite yet," I said, mentally tallying what we'd need. "The charity fund has been completely wiped out, and we have less than twenty-four hours to raise enough money to buy those gifts."
I approached Martha, gesturing toward the crowd. "We can raise the money right now, with everyone already gathered. An emergency fundraiser."
Her eyes lit up as she pulled out her ever-present notebook. "A spontaneous fundraiser. Brilliant." She handed me the microphone without hesitation. "Go ahead."
"Friends and neighbors," I called, my voice carrying across the square. "We have just hours to save Christmas morning for hundreds of children. The stores are still open, but we need to raise the money now to purchase gifts tonight. Every dollar means another child finds something under their tree tomorrow. Please, help us make this Christmas miracle happen."
The response was immediate. People began pulling out wallets, writing checks, offering whatever they could. Volunteers rushed to set up collection points. Local business owners pledged donations. Mr. Harris promised a truckload of bicycles he'd been saving for post-holiday sales. Mrs. Abernathy emptied her purse of cash, saying her grandchildren had plenty and others should share the joy. The Flynn twins, only eight years old, solemnly handed over their allowance money, saying it was the right thing to do.
I watched the community rally together with growing amazement. This was exactly what I'd always believed in—people coming together to help those in need. This was why I'd dedicated my career to creating meaningful events.
Martha pulled me aside after twenty minutes of collecting.
"We've raised forty thousand," she said quietly. "But we need at least fifty to replace everything."
I looked over the thinning crowd with a sinking feeling. Most had already given what they could.
Pax approached the table, wrote a check, and handed it over without fanfare. Martha's expression changed as she read the amount.
"Are you sure?” She asked incredulously.
Pax nodded once. "Absolutely."
"We've reached our goal," Martha announced triumphantly to the waiting volunteers, who broke into applause.
As people began organizing shopping teams, Pax rejoined me.
"Ten thousand dollars?" I whispered, stunned by his generosity.
"A drop in the bucket," he said gruffly, clearly uncomfortable with my reaction. "Security consulting pays well, and it's not like I spend much."
I reached up, placing my palm against his cheek. "You're a good man, Paxton Forrester. Even if you try to hide it."
