Santa's Shopkeeper (River's End Ranch Book 18)

by Amelia C. Adams

  “I do.” Mark checked the settings. “Powered up, volume on high.”

  “All right, then. If we need you, we’ll call.”

  Mark wanted to protest one more time, but the look on Todd’s face kept him from it. Instead, he gave a nod. “Okay. But I won’t be gone late. See if she’ll go to bed early, all right?”

  “Already planning on it.”

  Mark had a hard time pulling his mind away from his family as he walked to the finish line for the races. He’d arranged to meet Heidi there so they could cheer on the winners, but when he got there, she looked at him with concern.

  “What’s the matter?” she asked, tucking her hand through the crook of his elbow.

  “Callie’s pretty tired tonight, and Todd looks stressed. He insisted that I come tonight, but I don’t know.” Mark passed a hand over his face. “I guess I don’t feel very festive.”

  Heidi gave his arm a little squeeze. “Why don’t we go back to the cabin and see what we can do to help? Maybe we can take care of the kids for a few hours and let Todd and Callie have a date.”

  Mark looked down into Heidi’s eyes, surprised at the suggestion. “Really? You’d like to do that?”

  “I’d love to. Those kids are great.” She grinned. “Let’s go.”

  “Okay, but let’s do this right.” Mark sent a quick text to Todd to tell him not to make dinner, then they popped into the dining room and got meals to go. Once they arrived at the Family Fun cabin, Mark told Todd the plan.

  “You and Callie are going to have a date-at-home tonight. We brought dinner, and we borrowed a few grown-up movies from the main house, and you can just curl up in the master bedroom and relax. Heidi and I have everything under control out here.”

  Todd looked back and forth between the two of them. “Are you sure? Heidi, I bet this wasn’t what you had in mind when my brother asked you out tonight.”

  “Well, not to toot my own horn or anything, but this was my idea,” Heidi replied. “Scram. Get outta here. Go hang out with your wife.”

  A grin spread across Todd’s face. “Thanks. I think I will.”

  Mark told the kids to hop up to the counter while Heidi unpacked the meals, then they all four ate chicken fingers and macaroni and cheese. Mark had fun teasing the kids, telling them they were really eating the fingers of a chicken, which gave them the giggles.

  “Okay, how about baths and pajamas, and then we can watch this Mickey Mouse Christmas movie I found on the shelf?” Heidi suggested.

  “Can we have popcorn?” Maisie asked.

  “If you get super, super clean in the bath,” Heidi said, and the kids ran down the hall, Mark following.

  He got the water temperature just right, avoided as much of Connor’s splashing as he could, helped the boy get dry and dressed, then called out that it was Maisie’s turn. By the time they were both finished, Mark was a little damp too, but that was part of the job of being the bath giver. At least Maisie was mostly self-sufficient.

  When they went back into the living room, Mark saw that Heidi had loaded the dishwasher and wiped everything down while they were gone, and a bowl of popcorn sat on the table in the middle of the room. The kids clambered up on one couch, and Mark and Heidi took the other one.

  “So, there’s this house, see, and it’s called the House of Mouse,” Mark explained, nodding toward the movie as it came up on the screen.

  “Really. That’s quite the name for a house,” she replied, acting as though this was total news to her. That was one of the things he really liked about her—she was willing to go along with him when he was in one of his weird moods.

  “Yes. But it’s quite fitting because it’s owned by Mickey Mouse.”

  “That does make sense.”

  He and Heidi ate their fair share of popcorn, and then he reached out and took her hand. It was a nice hand—smaller than his, but strong. He could tell that she worked hard with these hands. He traced each finger, suddenly very aware of everything about her, noticing that her eyes weren’t on the TV anymore.

  “I can’t wait for Christmas,” Maisie said, popping up in front of them and breaking the moment. Mark supposed that was just as well—they were supposed to be on babysitting duty, not flirting duty.

  “What’s your favorite part of Christmas?” Heidi asked, scooting over and making room for the little girl between them. Again, he supposed that was just as well. Kissing her, which was definitely on his mind, could wait until later.

  “I like the smells. Christmas smells good. And I like the presents, of course, because presents are awesome! And this year, I’m getting the very best one ever.”

  “You are? What are you getting?” Heidi looked at Maisie “with both eyes,” as Maisie always put it, giving her full attention. That was another thing Mark liked about Heidi.

  Maisie leaned forward and whispered, “A special dog that will help my mom. Santa said he’d take care of it.”

  Heidi’s eyes flew to Mark’s face just as he felt a jolt of panic. Maisie was really expecting the general store Santa to come through with that gift—that very expensive, hard-to-come-by gift. She’d gotten her hopes up for something that just wasn’t going to happen, and Mark didn’t want her heart broken, but how could they possibly make her Christmas wish come true?

  “That sounds wonderful,” Heidi said. “And do you know what else sounds wonderful? Hot chocolate.”

  Callie never gave the kids chocolate this time of night, but Mark didn’t say anything. The kids had jumped up and run into the kitchen without one more word about the dog, and that was how it needed to be. Mark sure didn’t know how to let Maisie down easy, and he doubted Heidi had any better ideas. For just a split second, he wished Maisie had never met Santa. That was sure to be one disappointed little girl on Christmas morning.

  ***

  Heidi had been a little sick to her stomach all day. She needed to talk to Santa, but confrontation wasn’t her thing, and she didn’t even know for sure what she’d say. She’d sent him a text and asked him to come in early, and then she put it from her mind. It was Wednesday, time for the Christmas Stroll, and she had a front window to decorate.

  It's not like there was any pressure or anything. Being the winner twice before didn’t create an expectation . . . She snorted. Of course it did. And she wanted to impress Mark, so that added another level of stress. Just what she needed.

  She cleared everything out of the front window, then laid down a layer of cotton batting for snow. Then she grabbed the reindeer statues she’d special ordered and arranged them as though they were pulling Santa’s sleigh. Last came the sleigh itself with its special motion-activated feature that made Santa crack his whip and say “Ho, ho, ho” each time someone walked past. She was sure that would drive her crazy before long, but it was impressive.

  After that was all set up, she roped white lights around the edge of the window and tacked them in place, then went to work with a can of flocking. Alicia was handling the customers while Heidi finished up, giving her a little more space to be creative.

  Santa arrived while she was setting the last snow-covered pine tree in the corner of the scene. “Very nice,” he said.

  “I was remembering that scene in Miracle on 34th Street when Santa tells the shopkeeper that he got the reindeer in the wrong order,” Heidi said with a chuckle. “I hope I did it right.”

  “It looks good to me,” Santa replied. “The main thing to remember is that this is a representation of the reindeer, and not the actual animals themselves.”

  “You’re right,” Heidi said, deciding to let that odd comment slide. She had more to worry about just then. “Would you step into the storeroom with me for a moment? It’s the closest thing I have to an office.”

  “Of course.”

  They went into the back, and Heidi closed the door halfway for privacy, leaving it halfway open for propriety. “There’s another similarity to that movie we need to discuss,” she said, hoping that was a decent transition into
what she had to say. “Did you tell Maisie that you’d get her a seizure-sensing dog for her mother? She’s very excited about it, and I couldn’t figure out a way to break it to her.”

  “Break what to her?” Santa asked.

  “The fact that she won’t be getting a dog.” Heidi was surprised that she even had to point this out. It was pretty obvious, wasn’t it?

  “Are you so sure that she won’t be? I have some connections, you know, and sometimes I put them to good use.”

  Heidi reached out and touched Santa’s arm. “You’re wonderful to want to help, but I think we both know that some things just can’t happen.”

  Santa shook his head. “If Kris Kringle can get Natalie Wood a house, don’t you think I can manage a little dog?”

  “Kris Kringle had access to Hollywood movie magic, and this isn’t a movie. Please help me fix this. Can you talk to her and explain that sometimes, nice men dress up and play Santa, and they aren’t the real thing?”

  He fixed her with a kindly look. “When did you stop believing, Heidi?”

  “I . . .” That wasn’t at all what she expected him to say. “I never really have believed. I mean, I love Christmas and all the traditions and what it represents, but I’ve never gotten behind the idea of a guy who comes down the chimney and whatnot. Chimneys are disgusting.”

  He laughed. “You’re right about that. But let me ask you a question. What if there really is a Santa, but the part about the chimneys is make believe? What if some aspects of the legend were misunderstood over time?”

  “So, how does he get into the houses?” Heidi asked, raising an eyebrow. Was this Santa going to end up in an asylum too? She wasn’t Maureen O’Hara, for crying out loud!

  “You just let me worry about that,” he said. “Now, I believe it’s time for me to go meet the children.”

  “Can you just . . . not make any outrageous promises today?” she asked, feeling a little desperate. She didn’t want to have to replace yet another Santa, and at this late date, she didn’t think she’d be able to find one. Plus, Wade probably wasn’t up for another stint in the red suit.

  “I’ll do my best.” He smiled at her, then reached out and touched her shoulder. “Everything will be all right. And that’s not an outrageous promise—that’s the truth.”

  Chapter Seven

  Heidi wasn’t sure what came over her. One minute, she was standing in the back storeroom, and the next, she was heading across the snow-covered ground toward Jaclyn’s house. The store was in good hands with Alicia and Reggie, and she needed some answers. Answers she felt Jaclyn could provide.

  The woman’s quaint house stood at the edge of the RV park and was decorated with all sorts of creatures—some alive and some as statues, some realistic and some mythical. The most curious of all the creatures was Jaclyn herself.

  “Well, come on in,” Jaclyn said when Heidi rapped on the door. “It’s too cold out there to be gallivanting around like you don’t have a care in the world. However, I think you do have a care—most people do when they come to see me. Hot tea? It’s chamomile—nothing to give you a buzz and keep you up all night. You’re already having a hard time sleeping.”

  Heidi didn’t stop to wonder how Jaclyn knew she’d been awake worried about Santa. The woman just knew things without being told.

  “So, what brings you by?” Jaclyn asked, handing over a cup of tea.

  “I’m not really sure. I just felt this sudden urge to come, and here I am.”

  “Well, now. This is quite a momentous day. We should discuss it at great length.” Jaclyn beamed, but then just as quickly, scowled. “Who’s taking care of the store?”

  “Alicia and Reggie.”

  “Good, good. Fine young people, both of them.” Jaclyn took a sip of her own tea.

  “What do you mean, this is a momentous day?” Heidi asked.

  “The fairies have started talking to you now.” Jaclyn smiled and nodded. “I believe that the ranch gathers her own to her, and that the fairies are calling out to those who can hear them. You remember that nice Judge Grant who came here and married Gwen? Well, of course you do. It wasn’t that long ago, and you’re not old enough to be losing your memory. Anyway, he was part Irish, and the fairies spoke to him and saved his life.”

  “I don’t think I’m Irish at all,” Heidi said.

  “Are you sure?” Jaclyn stood up and pulled a book from her shelf. “Says right here that the Davidsons are Scottish, and did you know that the Scottish intermarried with the Irish?” She held out the book, but then closed it and put it away before Heidi had a chance to reach for it. “Doesn’t really matter. You can be Irish by adoption just as much as by blood. And by adoption, I don’t mean signing paperwork and all that. I mean an adoption of the heart. But now I’m wandering too far afield. The fairies want me to get to the point.”

  “They are rather pushy, aren’t they,” Heidi commented with a smile.

  Jaclyn looked at her in surprise. “That’s exactly what I’ve been saying!” She sat back down and pushed a plate of snickerdoodles across the coffee table to Heidi. “Now, let me explain how this works. The fairies told you to come, and that means you need guidance of some kind. Hmmm. There are two men, one young and one old . . . oh, dear. One’s very old. What have you gotten yourself into?”

  Heidi laughed. “I’m not romantically involved with him, if that’s what you’re asking. He’s the Santa at the general store. Do the fairies know anything about him?”

  “Well, of course they do. Santa’s just a big fairy himself, after all.”

  Jaclyn said that casually, like it was the most obvious thing in the world, but Heidi had to fight to keep from smiling. “That he is. Well, this one in particular seems to think he’s the real McCoy, and he’s made a promise to a little girl that’s impossible to keep. Her heart’s going to be broken come Christmas morning.”

  “And how does the younger man in this story fit into the equation?”

  “He’s her uncle.”

  “His name’s not Bob, is it?”

  Heidi blinked. “No, his name’s Mark.”

  Jaclyn exhaled with relief. “Thank goodness. I think one Bob around here is plenty, don’t you?”

  Thinking about the grumpy chef at the café, Heidi nodded. “Yes. But why did you ask if Mark’s name was Bob?”

  “Because you said he was her uncle. You know—Bob’s your uncle?”

  Heidi grinned and took another cookie. “What do the fairies want me to know about him?”

  “About Mark? Or about Santa? Goodness, you don’t mean Bob, do you? I don’t think he’s for you, dear. There’s someone else in the offing for him.”

  “Believe me, I’m not interested in Bob at all.”

  Jaclyn fixed her with a look. “And just what’s wrong with Bob, might I ask?”

  “Nothing. You just said he wasn’t for me, and I’m agreeing with you.” Heidi was beginning to understand why Jaclyn was so generous with her cookies. A person needed sugar to make it through one of these conversations.

  “That’s true. And I wish I could tell you what the fairies have going on there, but it’s none of your business.” Jaclyn wagged a finger at Heidi. “So, Mark. Yes, he’s an awfully nice man, isn’t he? I just have a feeling about him.”

  “I do too.”

  “You aren’t implying that my feeling and your feeling are the same feeling, are you? Because I promise you, I don’t have a single lovey-dovey thought floating around in my head about that one.”

  “Oh? Do you have lovey-dovey thoughts about anyone in particular, Jaclyn?”

  The older woman’s cheeks turned pink. “Never you mind. We’re here to talk about you, not me. The fairies have no worries where Mark’s concerned. They just want you to take care of him.”

  Heidi frowned. “Take care of him? What do you mean?”

  “Don’t make such horrible faces, dear. What if you freeze that way? I mean just what I said. Take care of him.” Jaclyn took a bite of c
ookie and chewed. “Now, as far as Santa goes. You say he thinks he’s the real thing.”

  “That’s right.”

  “And is that so terrible?”

  Heidi thought about that for a second. “If he wants to believe he’s really Santa, I have no problem there. It’s just that when he can’t deliver what he promised, there are going to be some sad children, one in particular. You know. Mark’s her uncle.”

  “That joke’s only funny when I make it, dear. I don’t mean to hurt your feelings, but there’s something lacking in your delivery. Now, how do you know that he can’t make these Christmas dreams come true?”

  Heidi sat forward a little, astonished. “Because they’re impossible.”

  “Oh, come now. Do you know how many things are actually impossible? Thirty-seven. That’s all. Everything else? People just say they’re impossible because they don’t want to try.”

  “What are those thirty-seven things?” Heidi asked, totally curious.

  “I can’t tell you, dear. That’s one of the thirty-seven.”

  Heidi laughed. “Okay, but what am I supposed to do about Santa?”

  “Did it occur to you that this one might not be yours to fix?”

  “But I feel responsible. It happened in my store.”

  Jaclyn fixed her with another look. “So, if someone with a cold comes into your store and sneezes, and someone else gets a cold because of it, is that your fault?”

  “Well, no. I guess not.”

  “What about leprosy?”

  “I don’t think anyone with leprosy would come into my store.”

  “Why not? Are you anti-leper? I never would have guessed that about you.” Jaclyn gave her a most disapproving glare.

  “I’m not anti-leper! I’m just not aware of anyone with leprosy living in our area.” Time for another cookie—she needed the strength.

  “I didn’t know they had to announce themselves.” Jaclyn took a sip of her tea. That seemed to reset something in her brain because she was suddenly back on topic. “Just believe, dear. Everything will work out.”