"What's this, Tinsel?"
"Kris wanted you to sample some of the appetizers she's working on for the reception." He pointed to the plate. "There's Kalua pulled pork tacos, luau ribs, coconut shrimp, and Salmon Poke."
Hunter took the proffered plated and stabbed a shrimp with a toothpick. One bite caused an explosion of flavor in his mouth. "Wow, Kyle wasn't exaggerating about his fiancée being a world class cook. This is unbelievable." He gestured to the plate. "You want some?"
The elf winced and put a protective hand over his stomach. "Thanks but no thanks. I'm still recovering from sampling my way through the drink menu."
Hunter's laugh was kind. "It's going to be a great wedding. Kris looks happy."
Tinsel nodded thoughtfully. "She certainly does. But I can't say the same for your girlfriend."
Hunter glanced over at Eve. The elf was right. Eve looked miserable. "Any idea what I can do to help her?" he asked. "I'm at a loss."
Tinsel didn't waste any time in answering. "You need to make some sort of grand gesture."
A grand gesture? "What exactly are we talking about here?"
Tinsel shrugged. "You know Eve better than any of us so you alone would know what would make her feel cherished. I think that's what makes a gesture grand, don't you?"
"That makes sense." Hunter watched as Eve knelt down to rearrange the coconuts around the base of the makeshift altar. Her attention to every last detail that made a wedding special wasn't because she was fussy or uptight, but because she cared about making sure that every bride and groom had a perfect start to their married life. She was an amazing friend, as well as a business woman. She'd been snapping pictures and constantly texting her business partner. Staci, despite her labor pains, had insisted in being kept up to date on every detail. Hunter turned back to Tinsel. "Thanks for the advice."
The elf gave a half bow. "Best of luck to you. If you can snag the lovely Eve as your bride, you'll be a fortunate man indeed."
Hunter nodded his agreement, truer words he'd never heard. Now all he had to do was come up with a grand gesture.
Chapter Nine
"Do you think he knows? About the luau, I mean?" Eve shot a worried glance in Hunter's direction. He sat beside her in one of two wing chairs drawn up in front of Santa's desk. They'd been brought to his inner office by an austere elf who would only say that Santa had requested their presence. That it was urgent, his tone and expression made clear. But, despite Hunter's relentless questioning on the walk to the office, the poker faced elf would say no more.
Hunter leaned toward her, looking far more relaxed than Eve felt. "There's nothing to worry about. It's not like we got caught breaking and entering. We're here as Santa's guests."
She shifted in her chair so she could look him straight in the eye. "Correction. I'm here as the wedding planner. You're here as Santa's guest. But still, I think we're about to get busted."
"Busted for what exactly?"
She threw up her hands. "Oh, gee, I don't know. Perhaps for directly disobeying my client's specific instructions to plan a traditional winter wedding? And we're not talking your regular run of the mill client either. We're talking Santa Claus. Santa. Claus."
Hunter nodded. "Yes, and he's been a gracious host and not the least bit unreasonable, right?"
"So far, he's been wonderful," Eve agreed. "But what if he finds out that I'm not planning the conventional holiday wedding of his dreams? Christmas could be ruined."
"Relax, it's not like Santa's going to put a hit out on us if he finds out. What's the worst thing he can do? Put coal in our stockings?"
But Eve wasn't in the mood for his attempt at levity, however well intentioned it was. "I'll tell you the worst that can happen. Santa can put a stop to Kris and Kyle's wedding. It would break his niece's heart."
Hunter didn't appear phased. "Not going to happen. Both Mr. and Mrs. Claus like Kyle. Kris' daughter is crazy about him. He's practically a member of the family already. You're worrying about nothing."
"I don't think I am." Eve stood and began to pace the space between her chair and the fireplace. "Santa sent for us, didn't he? That has to mean something is wrong."
"Not necessarily. Perhaps he wants an update on the reception plans, or to thank you for all of your hard work."
"Or perhaps he wants to rake me across the coals for disregarding his orders. One of the elves must have let it slip about the Hawaiian theme."
"Or maybe he happened to notice that a ton of sand arrived from down below. That can't be par for the course around here."
Eve sighed. "You're probably right. I overreached on that one. But I so want this wedding to be perfect."
To her surprise, instead of answering, Hunter got to his feet and came to stand beside her. His touch was gentle as he put his hands on her shoulders and turned her toward him. "Why does it have to be perfect, Eve? Why can't it just be wonderful?"
Eve squeezed her eyes shut to keep her tears at bay. She didn't want to do this. Not here. Not now. Not with Hunter watching her with such tenderness in his eyes.
"Eve," he whispered her name. "Oh, Eve." He pulled her toward him and wrapped his arms around her. Unable, or unwillingly, to resist the offer of comfort, she laid her head against his chest. "I wish you could see how amazing you are through my eyes." He dropped a gentle kiss on the top of her head. "Why don't we go back home?"
His words were like a bucket of ice cold water dumped over her head. She pulled back and looked up at him. "What? I can't leave now." She took a step back to create a safety zone between them. The closer she was to him, the harder it was to think straight.
"Why not?" he pressed. "Kris and Kyle can take things from here. Carol and Nick and the elves can carry out your instructions. You've built a bridge of compromise between Kris and Santa. Kris will have the style of wedding she wanted, and Santa has the wedding where and when he wanted. I think your work here is done."
He was asking the impossible. "I'm not leaving. Not until the wedding is over."
Hunter sat on the edge of Santa's desk. "Suit yourself. I recognize that stubborn tone of voice."
"You can go, if you think leaving is such a great idea." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Eve cursed them. Cursed herself. This was what she always did, pushed him away when she really wanted to hold him close.
"Is that what you think I should do?" His voice was gentle but his gaze was piercing.
This was it. This was the time to tell him what she wanted. She wanted Hunter. To love her. To stay with her. Forever. But she couldn't make herself say the words. That much honesty left her too vulnerable. She couldn't take the risk that she would give him her heart, only to watch him leave her again. "Hunter, I-" but her words were cut off by the arrival of Santa and an entourage of frenzied elves.
"Good, you're both here." Santa sank into his chair, weariness evident in his every move. He took off his glasses and ran his hands over his face before settling them back on the bridge of his nose. His blue eyes went from Eve to Hunter and back again. "We need to talk. About the wedding."
Eve drew in a deep, steadying breath. "Santa, I can explain."
He motioned toward the two chairs in front of his desk. "Sit down, Eve. You too, Hunter." The red phone on his desk rang. Santa waited for it to stop ringing before he reached behind it and yanked out the cord. "There, that ought to buy us a moment to talk."
Eve felt a stab of sympathy for Santa. She knew only too well the pressure that came with planning special events. But to plan Christmas? That was taking stress to a stratospheric level. The thought that she'd done anything to add to his already very full plate filled her with guilt. "There's a simple explanation, Santa, Sir."
His bushy white eyebrows rose. "Sir? Oh, dear. I much prefer being called Santa. Especially by you, Eve. It wasn't that many days ago that you didn't believe I even existed."
Guilty as charged. "Yes, well, about that, I'm sorry."
Santa's smile was genial. "Don't be. I alw
ays knew you couldn't believe because you wanted a perfect explanation as to how I could exist. It's hard for anyone to take a leap of faith when they're focused on perfection."
Eve glanced at Hunter. Perfection. There was that word again. How was it that everyone else had been able to so clearly see what she'd missed? How much time with Hunter had she missed because of her inability to step out on faith? She willed away tears as she turned back to Santa. "Thank you for understanding."
"Now, why don't we get down to business before someone interrupts us again?"
"Santa, if it's about the wedding plans, I can explain."
"Wedding plans? No, it's nothing like that. I'm not going to interfere, my dear. I know that you're doing exactly as you said you would. Kris is a fortunate bride to have you here to see to everything."
Eve wished she could disappear into thin air. Instantaneous vaporization would be far preferable to disappointing the man in front of her. Should she correct Santa's assumption that she was orchestrating the wedding he wanted? But if she disabused him of the notion now, that meant that Kris wouldn't get the wedding of her dreams. Should her loyalty be to the bride or to the person who hired her? Successful wedding planners learned early on how to diplomatically navigate between what the bride wanted and what, often, her mother thought was proper. But this situation was different. Deceiving Santa Claus? Who did that?
She glanced at Hunter. In answer to her unspoken plea, he reached over and squeezed her shoulder.
"Santa," he said, "Eve and I know you are busy so we don't want to take up any more of your time." He started to rise but Santa motioned for him to sit down.
"I called you both here to give you your Christmas presents."
Eve's eyes widened. That was the last thing she was expecting to hear. "But it isn't Christmas yet."
Santa's laughter filled his office. "And thank goodness for that, I have a million and a half things to do between now and then. This is probably our last chance to have a quiet moment before Christmas and the wedding, so I wanted to personally see that you received your gifts."
He reached into his right hand desk drawer and pulled out a small stack of papers. He handed them to Hunter. "Merry Christmas, my boy."
Eve watched as Hunter reached for his gift. He looked as curious as she felt. He unfolded the first sheet of paper and his eyes scanned it. As he skimmed through the pages, Eve noticed that his hands were trembling. She glanced at Santa for a clue but his face was impassive.
Finally she couldn't bear the suspense. "What is it, Hunter?"
He looked at her for a full moment before he answered. "A plane ticket." He held up the papers. "I don't understand, Santa."
"Well, it's all there in black and white, Hunter."
"But, this can't be. How did you, I mean, how could you arrange this? I don't even know what to say. Or to think."
That made two of them. Eve had never seen Hunter nonplused before, and the experience was unsettling. She bit her lip. He was leaving? An all too familiar void opened up in heart. "A ticket to where?" she asked, already sure she didn't want to hear the answer.
"Don't you think you'd better get packing?" Santa countered with a question of his own. "I can have a sleigh ready for you in ten minutes."
But Hunter seemed not to hear the offer. He shuffled through the papers again, his brow knit. It didn't escape Eve's notice that he didn't meet her eye. She settled against the back of her chair and took a deep steadying breath. There was no way she was going to let him see how upset she was. She steeled herself for the words she knew were coming.
"Eve, I have to go. This is the interview of a lifetime."
And there they were. The words were just as painful as the last time she'd heard them. And the time before. She forced herself to look at him. "Of course, it is. Where are you off to?"
"The Vatican. I'm going to interview the Pope."
Eve could hear the awe in his voice. Not that she blamed him, the opportunity to meet with the head of the Catholic Church was amazing. But still, Hunter's old familiar enthusiasm for rushing off and leaving her behind stung. She had been such a fool to believe that he would ever change. The assignment came first. Always.
"Say something, Eve."
But she couldn't speak, not without betraying her emotions.
"I can stay if you want."
The words were a knife straight through her heart. She could hear the sincerity in them, but just as much she could hear that he was thrilled to have the opportunity.
"No, you should go," she said, each word taking a herculean effort to utter. "This isn't something that comes around very often. I mean, we're talking His Holiness here. That's a coup."
An uneasy silence filled the office. Eve kept her gaze directed on the map over the fireplace. She was not going to cry. Or bolt. Although the urge to flee was tempting beyond belief. Without looking, she knew Hunter was studying his travel itinerary.
After a few very long, awkward moments, Santa coughed discretely. "Eve, I'd like to give you your gift now."
She met his gaze and the compassion she saw in his blue eyes was too much for her. She shook her head wordlessly.
Santa's expression was full of sympathy, which only served to make Eve feel worse. Near desperation to escape with her dignity intact, she struggled to find something to say. But she was saved when her cell phone beeped. She pulled it out of her pocket and tapped the incoming message. It was from Jolly. S.O.S. - Rapz set three of the palm trees on fire. Get here ASAP and convince him that he's not going to be able to give a fire eating demonstration during the reception. Hurry!
Eve issued a heartfelt prayer of gratitude for the fact that Rapz was a klutz. She stood and held up the phone with what she hoped was an apologetic expression. "Duty calls."
Both Santa and Hunter got to their feet.
"Do you need me?" Hunter asked.
Eve forced herself to look at him. Did she need him? Of course she did. As much as she needed oxygen but if he didn't already know that, she wasn't going to be the one to tell him. She shook her head. "I can handle this. But I really have to go." She waved a hand at the papers. "You do too."
Hunter took a step toward her. "Eve, wait, I-"
She held up a hand. "We can talk later."
"Don't go," his voice was low, husky, and raw with emotion.
Raw was also a good way to describe how her heart felt. She struggled to compose her features. "I have to." She leaned in and kissed Hunter's cheek. For the last time, because she wasn't going through this heartbreak ever again. "Have a safe trip."
And then, before either man tried to stop her, she made it to the office door and slipped out and into the hallway. She headed down the corridor and around the corner, just barely managing to hold back her tears until she was alone. The last thing Eve wanted was for anyone to witness her heart breaking.
Chapter Ten
"It's not like I burned the place down." Rapz frowned. "I don't know what all the fuss is about."
Eve opened her mouth to speak but was drowned out by a chorus of jeering elves. Under any other circumstances, she'd be able to stand back and find the humor in the situation. She was planning a Hawaiian themed wedding. For Santa's niece. At the North Pole. With elves as her helpers. Whoever would have thought? But even though her heartache made it impossible for her to smile, it wasn't going to stop her from doing the job she'd agreed to do.
She held her hands up over her head to signal that she wanted the floor. Although it took several moments, eventually the group grew quiet. "Now, that's quite enough dissent," she said. She made a point of looking at each elf directly before she spoke again. "This is about Kris. We all want her to have the most amazing wedding ceremony possible so let's make that happen. Agreed?"
The assembled elves nodded in unison.
"Good. Now, the first thing I'm going to need is this room aired out. The smell of smoke isn't helping to create the ambience we want."
Rapz opened his mouth to prote
st but Eve held up a hand. "Wait your turn, Rapz."
Eve asked six elves to bring in a set of fans, and six more to carry the scorched palm trees outside. A cursory inspection of the damage assured her that a bit of paint would cover any damage. After answering several questions, she consulted her clipboard. "I think we're on track," she told the group. "Let's call it a night. We'll meet back here in the morning, right after breakfast. Jolly, can you please stay here while I speak with Rapz?"
Jolly cast a disgruntled look at the elf in question. "Sure thing, Eve. I'm not convinced we should let him out of our sight anyway."
Rapz scowled. "Three little singe marks and everyone goes berserk? Not fair."
Eve directed the duo to a cluster of folding chairs. "Let's sit and discuss this like the professionals we are, shall we?" Once they were settled she focused her attention on Rapz. "Now, hear me carefully, Rapz. I simply cannot have you going rogue on me. I need your help to make this wedding happen. I know you hold Kris and Kyle in high regard, am I right?"
Rapz nodded.
"And I know they feel the same way about you," Eve continued. "So just the fact that you're involved in the wedding preparation is hugely important. We don't need to add fire eating to the agenda. That is a skill that takes years to master. I want you to promise me that we're done with the whole fire thing."
Rapz gasped. "No tiki torches?"
Jolly groaned. "Of course we're having tiki torches, you nut. It's just that you're not going to be allowed anywhere near them."
"Right, because I really need you to handle something else," Eve hastened to interject. "Something very important."
"Important how?" Rapz eyed her with suspicion. "You're not just trying to placate me?"
Eve lifted her hand. "On my honor, as a professional wedding planner, I am not. I need someone to be in charge of the music."
"Music?" The elf jumped to his feet. "That's the bone you're throwing me?"
"Just hold on a second, Rapz. Hear me out. We're trying to pull off the near impossible here. For Kris' sake we're bringing the tropics to the tundra. How can we do that without atmosphere? And what is atmosphere without the proper music? And who here at the North Pole knows more about music than you?"
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