“Oh goodness.” She chuckles. “That whole family went all in, didn’t they?”
“They did.” I nod. “They really did. But that’s why they are so well-loved in this town. They’re the glue, the ones keeping this all together. So yeah, BKJ will be taking over when it’s time, and we’ve already been assured that he’ll be able to fill Bob’s boots.”
“You call him BKJ?”
“Everyone in town does. Even Bob and Sylvia.”
“Look at me learning all the different townie things. And here I thought you were a bit of a recluse and wouldn’t know much.” We head over into the vintage section of the store where the Dankworths resell antique Christmas items they’ve found at estate sales or have purchased for cheap off eBay.
“The only reason I know half the shit I do is because of Max. The guy never stops talking. He always comes into the barn in the morning when I’m feeding the reindeer and informs me of what he heard the day before.”
She presses her hand to her chest. “Is…is Atlas a town gossip?”
“One of the biggest,” I say as I pick up a doll. “This thing is creepy.”
“Oh my God.” She snags the doll from me and looks it over. “This is Felicity in her original blue holiday gown and pink stomacher. Holy shit.”
“Uh…what?”
Storee hands me the sweatshirt and candle she was holding and looks over the doll. “Pearl necklace, dainty shoes, and blue satin ribbon and pinner cap. This is it, Cole. This is really it.”
I swallow nervously. “Uh, what the hell are you talking about?”
She shows me the doll. “It’s Felicity in her holiday outfit.”
“I can somewhat see that, but who the hell is Felicity?”
“Are you really that dense?” she scoffs. Apparently I am. “She’s an American Girl, Cole. One of the originals, and Aunt Cindy doesn’t havethis doll. She has all of the rest, Addy in her plaid tartan, Molly in her velvet dress, even that bitch Samantha in her plaid taffeta. But this, this would complete her collection.”
I scratch the back of my neck. “Your aunt collects dolls?”
“Oh yeah, she collects them, has a whole room of them, and guess who’s been sleeping in that room?”
“You?”
She slowly nods. “Yup, I’ve been sleeping with them all staring at me.”
“But…you’ve gotten off in front of them,” I say, thinking about all the dirty things we’ve done over the phone.
“And I’ll be honest, Cole, I wasn’t proud of it.”
Storee
“You need to be more precise with your cutting,” Taran says. “They’ll pay attention to that.”
“To how I hold my scissors?” I ask. “Come on, Taran.”
“She’s right,” Aunt Cindy says. “They judge everything during the Super Santa Speed Round. Not only does this include your gift wrapping, your ability to create a joyous Christmas card, and your stocking-making capabilities, but they also look into how clean your workspace is, even the way you hold your scissors and smile while creating these masterpieces. They have eagle eyes and watch every little thing. Especially the Dankworths.”
“But this is paper cutting,” I protest.
“And it needs to be precise.” Taran hands me another roll of wrapping paper. “Do it again.”
I can’t believe I left Cole to come back here and be berated. I should have gone with him to the farm to check on the reindeer, but nooooo, I was trying to be a good sister and niece and practice.
The minute I stepped through the door, Taran took my bags, plopped them on the floor with a clunk, and dragged me into the dining room, where she had a practice station set up for the Super Santa Speed Round.
I was having so much fun walking around with Cole. After Baubles and Wrappings, we went back to the stalls since I didn’t find anything for Taran, and I wound up grabbing a wind chime I know she will love. It’s made of wood and makes a subtle sound when the pieces knock together rather than a high-pitched tone. And it’s easy to untangle when the high-speed Colorado winds come flying in.
