Page 28 of Kissed By Her Fake Fiancé

“And you saw him at the Mexican restaurant?” Faith asked, trying to piece it together.

“We were having dinner there when he showed up with a bag full of toys. The bag was just big enough to hold exactly the number of toys he needed for the kids who were there.”

As Holden spoke, he stood with his back to her, scraping leftovers into storage containers. She couldn’t see his face, but he sounded serious.

“Seems like you think he’s the real Santa,” she said.

“No.” He set the bowl down and stepped back to stare straight ahead, lost in thought again. “It’s just that something’s not right with him. I can’t figure out what he’s up to.”

“Maybe he’s up to good.” She smiled. “There’s no such thing as a bad Santa, right?”

“I’m sure at some point in the history of humankind, there’s been a man who wore a Santa costume to do bad things, but this one seems like a good guy. I hear he tends to disappear mysteriously, though. Like, you’ll turn around and he’ll be gone, as though he vanished into thin air.”

“He’s a really fast runner,” Faith said. “With really quiet feet.” She laughed. “That’s the only explanation, right?”

He looked at her. “Has to be. Unless he’s the real Santa.”

They stared at each other a long time. But this stare wasn’t about attraction. It was about considering the idea that something really wacky might be happening in Misty Mountain.

Finally, Holden shook his head and returned his attention to his work on the island. Faith moved to the sink to rinse off some more plates and put them in the dishwasher.

“The guy came to town, made appearances all over the place, even handed out toys,” Holden said. “He didn’t take a dime of pay for any of it. He’s definitely up to something.”

“And you think that something has to do with you putting a ski resort at the top of the mountain?” she asked, trying to piece together where he was going with all this.

“I should have had all the investors I was pitching sign NDAs.”

“Non-disclosure agreements,” she blurted. “I’ve heard of those.”

“Exactly.” He nodded, snapping the lid on one of the containers. “Someone blabbed. Had to if it got out that there was a prime opportunity here in Misty Mountain, Tennessee.”

“And Santa jumped on it,” she said. “But why go undercover as a Santa?”

That made no sense to her. She opened the cabinet and grabbed one of the gel capsules for the dishwasher, continuing to speak as she worked to get the machine started.

“I mean, he could’ve just shown up as a normal tourist, right?” she asked.

“This way, he was able to get in the town’s good graces,” he said. “I’m sure our friend Matt has seen all the goodwill he’s been spreading, and Matt’s the mayor now. When our Santa guy goes in front of the commission with his proposal, they’re more likely to approve it because he’s likable.”

“You’re likable too,” she said. “In fact, in that area, I’d say you have an edge.”

No, he hadn’t been handing out Christmas presents to the town’s kids, but she knew the people around here. They were far more likely to support someone they saw as one of their own than some guy passing through town, Santa suit or not.

“I have to get on this,” he said. He put all the leftovers in the fridge and turned to face her. “Could you finish up here and maybe hang out with J.J. a little while so I can get some work done? I’ll be in the living room soon to join you guys.”

Faith nodded, but thoughts raced through her brain. J.J. would be disappointed that her dad wasn’t watching TV with them. Faith knew that much. But her job was to help him out, and that was exactly what she was going to do.

“I’ve got it.” She gave him a reassuring smile. “If she starts missing you, I’ll give you a nudge.”

His expression immediately relaxed. He was relieved. She was helping him in the exact way he needed right now. By the time she was done here, her goal was to help him learn to put J.J. first. Maybe by then, he’d work out the stuff with Santa stealing his business idea.

15

By lunchtime the next day, Holden had gotten to the bottom of the mystery. He knew exactly what was happening under his own nose in his own town.

“Dad! Youhaveto get ready.”

J.J.’s voice cut into the silence in the kitchen. He’d set up his laptop at the table—something he did whenever J.J. was practicing. His office was a little too close to her bedroom, making it impossible to concentrate.

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