Katie smiled at her dad, then looked at the next group of people. Her heart gave a nervous flutter when she saw Peter standing with Willow and Zac.
Reaching into her bucket, she handed him a candy cane. “I like your elf hat and ears,” she yelled over the din of the band.
“Thanks. They were Zac’s idea.”
“Do you want to help us give away candy?”
Peter held his hand to his ear. “I can’t hear you.”
Judging by his mischievous grin, she could almost guarantee he’d heard her. Instead of repeating herself, she held onto his jacket and pulled him forward. “Santa will be forever grateful for your help. Just be careful around the float and only give one piece of candy to each person.”
“I’m not dressed like an elf.”
She reached up and touched his ears. “You look perfect.” The gleam in his eyes tempted her do something she would regret. So, instead of kissing his smiling lips, she handed him her candy bucket. “Good luck.”
Hurrying back to the float, she picked up another bucket and walked back to Peter. When she’d told him about the Santa parade, he had no idea she had an ulterior motive. But with Zac’s help, she’d managed to get him involved in one of the most enjoyable events in town.
Long after he returned to New York, she hoped he remembered tonight with fondness. Because, regardless of how weird it felt to become an honorary elf, he would make a lot of children’s dreams come true.
* * *
By the endof the night, the temperature had taken a serious nose-dive, leaving everyone who’d helped dismantle the elf float feeling like Popsicles. Even rushing around the Christmas market wasn’t enough to warm everyone’s hands and feet.
If it weren’t for Pastor John inviting them to the church for a hot drink, they would have filled a café to overflowing.
“I can’t believe we handed out so much candy,” Peter said as he sat beside Katie. “There must have been more than two thousand people at the parade.”
“Santa’s Secret Helpers outdid themselves,” Pastor John said proudly as he joined them.
Katie sipped her hot chocolate. “In more ways than one. I’ve seen the number of Christmas gift baskets waiting to be delivered. It must have taken a long time to call the people who donated the items.”
“It did, but the community was extremely generous.” Pastor John helped himself to a cookie. “The publicity we received from last year’s program helped motivate everyone. They could see the difference the gift baskets made in people’s lives.”
Peter frowned. “I’ve never heard of Santa’s Secret Helpers.”
“They’re a group of volunteers who organize all the Christmas events in Sapphire Bay,” Katie replied, “including the Christmas Wish Program and the gift baskets the church delivers. They do an amazing job.”
“An amazingsecretjob,” Pastor John told Peter. “Only a handful of people know who the helpers are.”
“Can I assume you and Katie are part of Santa’s Secret Helpers?” Peter asked.
Pastor John held his finger to his lips. “You can, but don’t say anything to anyone.”
Katie watched Peter’s surprised expression. “It must sound like we’re overreacting, but Sapphire Bay is so small that it’s hard to keep anything a secret. I only joined last month when Emma told me about it. She owns a marketing and advertising business based in town.” She looked around the room and pointed to a woman with long blond hair. “That’s Kylie. She’s one of the founding members along with Bailey who works with Zac at the medical clinic. Mom has helped with some of the programs and my sisters and Shelley, John’s wife, help, too.”
Pastor John sipped his hot drink. “We’re always looking for people to help run the programs. You wouldn’t be interested, would you?”
Peter didn’t think it was fair to volunteer when he was going home in January. “I’m not sure how much help I’ll be. I need to finish the report I’m writing as soon as possible. By the time that’s done, Christmas will be almost over. A few weeks later, I’ll be living in New York.”
“You could help me deliver some of the Christmas gift baskets,” Katie said. “We have more than fifty to take to homes where finances are a little tight.”
“If that’s too much, you could help with the Christmas wishes.” Pastor John handed him the plate of cookies. “Even though it’s called the Christmas Wish Program, we help people throughout the year.”
“What types of wishes do you make come true?”
“We consider almost anything. We’ve bought wheelchairs, new bicycles, an electric scooter, and work clothes for people starting their first job,” John said.
“Don’t forget the cell phone and the family day out on the steamboat in Polson,” Katie added. “It’s amazing to see a person’s reaction when we give them their wishes.”
