“I should”—I point to the door—“get everyone ready for Santa’s arrival.”
“You mean you don’t want to stay and ogle me as I change?”
I do. God, do I want to stay, but no.
It’s not a good idea. I shake my head and make my escape, wrangling the kids and getting them amped up for Santa’s arrival.
They’re all jumping and cheering as Adam steps out in the full get up—the padded belly, velvet suit, and the fake white beard. God. How does he still look hot in that suit?
The kids cheer as he booms a loud,“Ho, ho, ho!”before they swarm him.
“He’s real!” a few of them cheer in echo of each other.
Adam stops to place a hand on a child’s head. “Timmy, you’ve grown two inches since last year!”
Timmy grins up at him with a gap-toothed smile. He’s missing one of his front two teeth, and it’s adorable.
Another girl runs up and wraps her arms around Adam’s leg on his way to the big chair we have set up for him.
He stops and smiles down at her. “Carla. Have you finished building that birdhouse with your father?”
Her eyes light up, and she hops without releasing her grip on him. “Yep.”
Why does the way he interacts with these kids not only warm my chest but hit me emotionally?
It’s like the kids can sense his goodness.
He finally makes it to his chair, the parents are already whispering,“That’s not our normal Santa.”But I don’t hear any complaints in their tones.
I distract kids with little trinkets as they wait in line, and many of them double fist sweet treats from the snack table.
One of the baristas from the bakery shows up with a shy little one on her hip.
And my heart swells when Adam reaches both arms out to take him and settle him on his lap.
Adam leans in to talk with him softly.
Small nods and a quiet exchange has the boy’s mom beaming when she lifts her son from Adam’s lap.
“Wow, you liked Santa, didn’t you?”
Her son’s nod is precious.
I watch as Adam talks to each child like they’re the only person in the room.
His eyes crinkle behind the fake beard, his laugh rolls through the space like warm cocoa, and I realize that this is what he looks like when he lets his guard down.
I also hear someooo’sandaah’sabout the decor, and my pride is at an all time high.
No gossipy whispers or veiled insults. All compliments, especially for Adam as Santa.
I’m not sure any of them know that it’s him, he’s pulled off the character so well.
The glint in his green eyes when he looks at me is the only telling trait, and Iknowit’s him.
I slip up to the chair in a small break of kids on his lap to hand him a sugar cookie.
His wink sends heat to my cheeks, and my heart absolutely melts. I might be falling in love a little bit.
