Page 4 of Rescued By Santa

“Okay, something scary,” Harmony says with a growl.

“Nothing scary!” I call out and they both laugh.

I shake my head and roll my eyes.

It’s a blessing to have Harmony in my life. After Parker’s death she moved in. I work long and sometimes grueling shifts. I need to decompress when I come home and that’s why there’s a second entrance to the house, so I can slip into my bedroom, shower, and slip into bed before Nyck sees me. And Harmony is there. Always.

I worry that she put her life on hold to take care of me and Nyck and I should find someone and let her get back to her life. It’s not fair to her to keep her here.

Nothing is fair in the world right now.

Nyck sneezes in the back hallway and I pause at the front door.

It’s just a fever.

My phone buzzes with a text to put an exclamation on where I’m needed. No doubt they’re just as busy tonight as every night.

My phone buzzes again.

“Yeah, yeah, I heard you,” I say to the piece of irritating metal in my bag. I pull it out and it’s an unknown number. I don’t open the message.

It’ll wait until later.

The phone goes back where it came from and I’m out the door.

Time to make a difference in lives.

But is there a way to make a difference in my life.

CHAPTER2

JASPER

I stareat the address number. It’s the same as the slip of paper. The house is dark. That’s a good thing. No one home is the only way to do this.

I check my phone one more time. I texted the number to verify they still wanted their visit, but I never heard back.

Maybe they’re all out shopping. ‘Tis the season for things like that, even though I don’t have someone to shop for. Kind of miss that part of a relationship. I enjoy picking out the right gift for someone.

These Secret Santa Sightings are a quick doorbell ring, allowing the video to catch a sighting that the parent can share with their child Christmas morning. They’re done anonymously with no private information shared. The person wanting a visit donates to one of three charities a minimum amount and then the Doorbell Santa system sends a Santa out to show up in the video doorbell and say a few words. A little planned holiday cheer.

I adjust the long white beard and the leather belt. Might as well give it a try. If they don’t get it recorded, the parent or homeowner can ask for a follow-up visit.

The home is red brick ranch with a holiday green front door. It’s noticeably charming. But what’s most noticeable is what’s not present… decorations. Usually people who order these visits have it decorated to the hilt so that it looks like Christmas morning, and that worries me that they’ll decorate later and the child or children will notice the missing holiday accoutrement. Kids are very perceptive in my experience.

I make it to the front door and I still.

Was that someone inside?

We ask that no one be home to eliminate the potential for being caught. And knock on wood, I’ve never had that happen. I’m relatively sure it was just my reflection in the window.

I wait for the green light to engage my presence, pretending to adjust my bag of goodies over my back. The card said that child’s name is “Nyck,” so I’ve prepared my spiel in my head.

“Ho-ho-ho, Merry Christmas!” I lean back and laugh a little. I’m not the roundest Santa in the bunch, more… slightly fluffy… than portly. “I can’t wait to deliver these gifts. They’re for a Nycholas. Hey, that’s my name, too! I’m known as St. Nick, but most people call me Santa.”

The doorbell crackles to life and I freeze.

Crap.

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