Ah, Garrett McCree. Tall. Blond. Blue eyed. As handsome as the Arctic day was long, he seemed the ideal person to spend her prize winning week with. At least he would have been if he didn’t seem so pained at the idea of being her escort. “I’m afraid that poor Mr. McCree got saddled with me this week.”
Jolly giggled. “I’d say it was his lucky week.”
Angelique was sure the man in question wouldn’t agree. “Actually, Jolly, isn’t there someone else I could spend the week with instead? I hate to impose on Mr. McCree any more than I already have. Can you help me look into a switch?”
The elf shook her head. “Sorry, no can do. Santa’s orders are always standing. But don’t worry, it will work out. We may not always understand what Santa is thinking, but he’s always right.”
Another knock sounded, this one sharper than the first. Jolly motioned to the front door. “I’ll just be scooting along then. It was nice meeting you, Angelique.”
The elf opened the door and slipped out with a cheery wave. Garrett McCree stepped in and closed the door behind him. His cheerful expression was conspicuously absent.
It took Angelique only a split second to deduce that the man in front of her was not a morning person. She, however, adored mornings, the earlier the better. “Good morning, Garrett. I was wondering when you’d amble in.”
His eyebrows rose. “I thought perhaps you’d be having a lie in, after your long trip and all.”
The sound of his voice made her want to smile. It was solid and yet soft, like a favorite pillow that you’d snuggle with in front of a roaring fire. She kept her features carefully schooled, the last thing she needed to do was make Garrett any more uncomfortable than he already was. “Sleeping is overrated in my book. I’m always afraid I’m going to miss something.”
“Heaven forbid.”
Angelique refused to take the bait. “I’ve been up for hours.”
She watched as Garrett looked around the cottage appraisingly. His eyes settled on the towering piles of presents she’d neatly arranged the night before.
He crossed the room and examined each stack of gaily wrapped gifts. “What’s all this?”
Angelique couldn’t judge from his tone of voice if he was really curious or just making idle conversation. Either way, at least he was talking. “Gifts I brought from down below.”
“What makes you think we need gifts here?”
Really? Did she need to explain gift giving to someone who lived at the North Pole? “It’s almost Christmas. I love to give gifts.”
Garrett sat on the edge of the sofa. He studied her as if he were seeing her for the first time. “What else do you love?”
“Shopping. Parties. Any excuse to have a good time.” Once the words were out of her mouth, Angelique realized that she sounded like an empty headed socialite rather than the Ivy League educated professor of law that she was. But never mind, it was likely that the man watching already had his mind made up about her.
She grabbed her white parka from the coat rack. “I’m ready to go.”
Her companion didn’t move. “Where?”
Angelique pulled on a pair of fuchsia gloves and then wound a matching scarf around her neck. “I always run in the mornings.”
“Why ever would you do that?” His frown was more puzzled than disdainful.
“Ah, I can see you’ve never experienced the joy of an early morning workout.” Angelique opened the door and ushered her guest out. She twisted from side to side and did a few deep knee bends before she took off running. A hundred yards into her run she turned and called over her shoulder, “Try to keep up, won’t you, Mr. McCree?”
***
Five miles, four hours, three department tours, and two carrot cakes later, Garrett decided that Angelique Devereaux was a dangerous woman indeed. She moved like lightening, adored everything she saw, and she devoured carrot cake like it possessed a life giving force. In the space of a single morning, she had charmed every single solitary person at the North Pole. Not that she’d charmed him, Garrett corrected himself. He was immune to her charms, exhausted, but immune.
“I’d love to see the reindeer next.” Angelique smiled warmly. “Please.”
Garrett looked away. He was no expert on women but he knew enough to be wary of such a powerfully persuasive spirit such as Angelique possessed. They were sitting in the cafeteria, having just finished yet more carrot cake and warm apple cider. He kept his eyes carefully schooled on his mug. “I’m not sure that’s possible.”
“Of course it is. I just want a quick look.”
“Right, well, I’ll have to go have a wee word with the stable master then.” He got to his feet. “Make yourself comfortable here and I’ll be back-”
“I’ll come with you,” she interrupted him.
Before Garrett could protest, she was on her feet and headed toward the door. He shook his head. He was an astute enough man to know that arguing wasn’t going to accomplish anything. He could handle this. After all, there were only six and half days to go.
“They’re darling!” Angelique exclaimed when she first saw the reindeer. She looked up at Garrett, her green eyes shone brightly. “I adore them.”
“They’re shaggy beasts of burden.”
She laughed. “You’re so funny, burden indeed. These magnificent creatures carry Santa around the world in a single night. They’re flying miracles.”
She grabbed ahold of his hand and pulled him along the length of the stable. He followed, not bothering to pull his hand away from hers. There was no reason to be downright rude, was there?
“Which do you like best?” she asked after they walked up and down twice, pausing at every stall to inspect each reindeer in turn. “Because I think that Dasher is really distinguished.”
“Distinguished?” Garrett took his free hand and gently laid it across her forehead. “Are you all right, lass?”
She playfully pushed his hand aside. “You know that you find all of this as fascinating as I do. It’s just that you’ve gotten used to it so you’ve forgotten how miraculous the whole set up is.” She cocked her head to the side, suddenly serious. “How long have you lived here?”
Warning bells clanged loudly in Garrett’s mind. They were rapidly approaching a conversation he’d never had with anyone before. One he certainly didn’t plan on having with a woman he hardly knew. He needed to get the conversation on neutral ground. Stat. “Would you like to see Santa’s sleigh?”
Just as he’d hoped, the offer proved distraction enough for Angelique.
“I’d love to.” She held up a finger for him to wait. “Let me just go and say a quick goodbye to Rudy.” True to her word, she thanked the stable master effusively but briefly before returning to Garrett’s side. “I’m ready. Lead on.”
They didn’t have far to go. The sleigh loading area was adjacent to the stables. Aside from his office, the loading area was where Garrett spent most of his time. Santa’s sleigh was a point of personal pride to him. He’d spent the better part of ten years on its design and production, not to mention that convincing Santa to agree to actually fly it had taken more than a few extra years of persuasion. Garrett slid open the doors and gestured toward the sleigh with a quiet pride. “This is the jewel of Santa’s fleet.”
He watched as Angelique walked toward the sleigh and then around it. She carefully examined it but remained uncharacteristically silent. No ‘ooohhh’s’ and ‘aaahhh’s’ were forthcoming. The tiniest bit of indignation sparked within him. Why, the woman had raved about the toy workshop. She’d effusively praised the Christmas Central kitchens, and she hadn’t even tried to hide her delight when he’d shown her the central command satellite station. But now she apparently had nothing to say about the sleigh that he’d devoted an untold number of hours to creating. He began to pace impatiently, unsure who to be more upset with. Angelique for her lack of appreciation? Or himself for so badly wanting to hear her praise?
“Garrett?”
He st
opped pacing. “Aye?”
“Come here, please.”
Like a moth to the flame, he did as she bid.
She stared up into his eyes, her gaze intent. “This was you, wasn’t it?”
He nodded. “That it was, lass.” To his surprise, he found himself holding his breath while awaiting her verdict.
She laid a hand over her heart. “I knew it was you.” She turned once again to look at the sleigh. “Oh, Garrett, it’s the most magnificent creation I’ve ever seen.” She reached out and gently stroked the red lacquer finish. “I can hardly put into words how I feel when I look at this.”
“Try,” he was surprised to hear himself say.
Angelique’s smile was swift and sweet. Darn it all, he was holding his cursed breath again.
“You love Santa, don’t you?” She began to walk around the sleigh again, reverently tracing the engraved wood. “I mean, you must love him to create something so masterfully brilliant as this.” She pointed to the front of the sleigh. “This is the perfect example of what I mean. The aerodynamic design is cleverly masked by the traditional carving. And these lights, good heavens, I can’t imagine how powerful they are. But they’re hidden behind what look like old fashioned lanterns.”
“You noticed.” Garrett was glad they were alone so no one would witness how absurdly pleased he was by her praise. “I know how important tradition is to Santa but I wanted him to have the most modern, efficient, and safe sleigh ever built.”
“You wanted him to have the best of both worlds. I can see that.” Angelique nodded. “It’s pure genius, the way you’ve designed this.” She came back to stand beside him, linking her arm through his. She looked up at him, her expression unmistakably admiring. And curious. “When did you come to the North Pole?”
Garrett tore his eyes from hers and looked away. Angelique was venturing far too close to a painful subject. He shrugged. “Years ago.”
“How old were you?” she persisted. “Nine or ten perhaps?”
“Eight actually.” The words slipped out before he could catch himself.
“You came alone, didn’t you?”
A familiar sadness settled over Garrett and he nodded. “Aye.”
“Tell me about it,” Angelique prompted him. Her voice was low and soothing, her expression gentle and sincere. “Where did Santa find you?”
“Glasgow.” As if thirty years melted away, Garrett could see in his mind’s eye the lonely, frightened eight year old boy he’d been that rainy Christmas Eve that Santa found him. To hide from his foster parents, he’d been huddled under a bush in a dark corner of the housing project he’d been sent to live in when his father went to jail. His mother, well, she’d been long gone at that point. “Santa brought me here, just until he could find my family, he’d said. But try as he might, he couldn’t find anyone who wanted me.” He shook his head. “It’s no matter now. It was ages ago.”
Angelique wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly. “But there’s still a part of that little boy in your heart, isn’t there? The design was done by a talented man, but the idea of creating something that Santa would love and something that would keep him safe came from that little boy who wanted to say thank you. Am I right?”
Garrett didn’t trust himself to speak for a long moment. “Aye,” was all he could finally manage.
They stood in silence for several moments, a peaceful, quiet togetherness that unsettled Garrett more than anything he’d ever experienced. He pulled away. “I’ve got something I’ve got to do now, it’s urgent. You can find your way to the toy testing area, can’t you?” He backed toward the door without waiting for an answer. “Turn right outside the door, take two more right turns and it’s the third door on the left.”
He was already out the door before Angelique could respond. As he made his way down the corridor he knew it was wrong to so abruptly abandon her, but he needed to see Santa. Without bothering to knock, Garrett burst into Santa’s office.
Santa looked up, surprise etched on his features. “Garrett, what on earth is wrong?”
“Santa,” Garrett took a deep breath. “That woman…she’s…I can’t…I need your help.”
Chapter Three
“Get ahold of yourself, my boy.” Santa got up and came around his desk, a worried look on his face. “Sit down and tell me precisely what’s wrong.”
Garrett sank into the chair Santa pointed to. He looked up into Santa’s concerned blue eyes. “The lass is daft.”
“Daft?”
“Aye,” Garrett nodded. “She’s trouble.”
Hands on hips, Santa stared down at him. “Nonsense.”
“She is, I’m telling you. You don’t know what I just went through with her.”
“Are you referring to your run this morning? Or the tour after that?”
Garrett waved his hand dismissively. “Ach, that’s the least of it. No, it’s herself. Angelique. She’s right mad.”
Without replying, Santa crossed to the wet bar at the far end of his office. He splashed a small measure of Glenlevit into a crystal glass. “Just settle yourself down, lad.” He thrust the drink toward Garrett. “Drink this.”
Garrett tossed back the amber liquid.
“Better?” Santa asked.
Garrett nodded. He set the glass on the table to his right and then leaned back in the chair. With anyone other than Santa Claus he’d feel a fool, but he’d needed to break free of whatever it was that had been going on between Angelique and himself. “Aye.”
“Good, then let’s start over, shall we?”
“Right, it’s your prize winner, Santa. She’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
Santa’s face broke into a smile. He settled himself back behind his desk. “Go on. Tell me what your lovely companion has done.” He leaned back in his chair, looking as if he had not a care in the world. “Has she pinched something? Insulted someone? Made any Grinch-like comments?”
Garrett shook his head. Now that he was safely ensconced in Santa’s inner sanctum, he began to feel a bit foolish. But just a bit. He wasn’t wrong about needing space from his charge. Angelique Devereaux was getting way to close for his comfort.
“Then I’m sorry but I fail to see what the problem is. Where is Miss Devereaux now?”
“I gave her directions to the Toy Testing Area.”
Santa shook his head wordlessly. He reached out for the phone and gave instructions to an elf on the other end of the line before he hung up. “That’s settled then. Mrs. Claus will entertain our guest for the remainder of the afternoon. We’d planned to invite you and Miss Devereaux as our guests for dinner tonight so we’ll just amend that and leave you off.”
Relief washed over Garrett.
Santa held up his hand. “It’s only a one night reprieve.”
“But, Santa-”
“But nothing, I asked you to spend this week with the young lady in question for a reason. And do you know why?”
Garrett sighed. “Aye, because I’m the least busy person in Christmas Central this close to the twenty-fifth.”
“Wrong. I asked you because I knew Angelique had a special gift for you.”
A surge of defiance propelled Garrett to his feet. “She’s brought a gift for everyone here,” he protested. “You should see for yourself, her cottage has stacks of presents. Piles of them, towers, if truth be told.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about.” Santa picked up his favorite pen that was in the shape of a candy cane and tapped it on the desk. “Focus, Garrett. You’re an engineer. Apply some logic to this situation.”
Garrett sank back into his chair. “I’m lost.”
“Correction, you were lost. Granted it was many years ago, and you live here as part of our family now, but there is still a sadness and pain that you carry in your heart. Isn’t there?”
Lying to Santa Claus was futile. He didn’t even try. “Yes.”
“And you’ve never shared any of your story with another soul
in all this time, have you?”
“No.”
“Yet you opened your heart up just a bit to Miss Devereaux today, didn’t you?”
“I had to. She pried.”
Santa rolled his eyes. “Nonsense. Don’t carry on like the young lady took a crowbar to you. You don’t have to tell me, but ask yourself honestly if you don’t feel just a bit less sad for having shared something of yourself.”
Garrett nodded slowly. His heart did feel lighter. “Now what do I do?”
“Simple. Miss Devereaux gave you a gift today, a special one if you’d like my opinion. Now you,” he gestured to Garrett with a wave of his gloved hand, “reciprocate. Find something for her that is both lovely and that has a special meaning.”
Garrett got to his feet and began to pace the length of the office. What on earth was he going to give a woman he hardly knew? He bit his lip.
“You’ve got until this time tomorrow to find a suitable gift.” Santa went to open his office door and motioned for Garrett to follow him. “Come along, I want you to see what I’ve got in store for Miss Devereaux for tomorrow. The elves might need your help with the set up.”
Garrett simply nodded. If he was uncomfortable, that was his problem. He needed to man up and be the proper North Pole ambassador that Santa expected him to be. He could do this. One way or another. “What have you got planned?”
“We’re going to have a tree trimming party tomorrow.”
“But we’ve already trimmed the tree.”
Santa laughed merrily. “Well, we’re doing it again. It was Mrs. Claus’ idea and it’s a pretty good one if you ask me. Everyone is to come in formal attire so make yourself presentable, eh?”
“Certainly, Sir.”
“Good,” Santa smiled. “I can’t help but think that if you were to escort Miss Devereaux to the festivities it would make up for your rather abrupt departure today. Shall I tell her you’ll fetch her tomorrow?”
Garrett nodded his agreement. That gave him a good twenty hours to psych himself up.
“Splendid, splendid. You know, Garrett, it might even be a good idea if you were to arrive a few moments early and present your gift to Angelique then. I’m sure she’d be delighted.”
The North Pole Prize: A Christmas Romantic Comedy Short Story Page 2
