“I thought it might be fun, like they can have something to take home, and bonus points, it advertises your store.”
Derek looks like he wants to say something to me, but I can tell he’s holding back. Instead, he kneels in front of Rora and says, “It’s awesome. Why don’t you go hang up your coat and scarf, and then you can try one on?”
“Okay!”
Rora runs off, and I head over to the tables we set up last night. It takes up quite a bit of space and took some maneuvering to get them to fit right, but it will work for what we have planned.
“I can’t believe how much you’ve done for this,” Derek says behind me, his hands landing on my hips. I quickly get everything set on the table and spin in his arms, smiling at him. “You’re single-handedly changing my life, do you know that?”
My heart flutters in my chest. “I’m glad to hear that, because you’ve already changed ours.” There isn’t a day in our household that Rora doesn’t talk about Derek, or when we would see him next—which is nearly every day—or what Derek is doing when he isn’t with us. She’s obsessed, and I have to admit, I’m more than a little partial.
Derek leans closer. “How do you feel about kissing Santa?”
I laugh and lean forward, his mouth covered in a white beard. I tug the beard down and seal my lips to his, moaning softly when his arms wrap around me tighter and pull me in close.
After a moment, we pull away, and he whispers, “I missed you.”
I crinkle my nose, charmed by this man in front of me. “You saw me last night.”
“Yeah, well.” He shrugs, his cheeks pinking beneath his beard. Then he snaps his fingers and says, “Oh, I rented something for you.”
“Rented?”
“Yes, this is a rental. Twenty-four hours.” He gestures to the suit.
“Darn.” I bite my lip and force myself to say what I want to say. I’m not great at flirting, but I want to be. “I was hoping we could have it for a little bit longer.”
He lifts a brow, and with his beard and glasses on his face and his fist propped against his hip in a sassy fashion, it makes the vision of him something very, very unique. “You wanna get caught kissing me, huh?”
I blush and am saved by the bell when Rora comes rushing back in, her little apron over her neck but the waist strings untied. “All ready!”
“Look at my little elf!” Derek exclaims, deepening his voice. I giggle at the two of them and look in surprise when Derek hands me a garment bag he set on the tables. “Why doesn’t my second elf go get dressed?”
I’m sure there was never a time when I would have considered wearing an elf costume, but here I am, directing little kids with hammers on how to make a gingerbread house out of the kits I bought for them all. I’m decked out head to toe in red and green, each step I take leaving a jingle of bells in my wake.
Each kid who arrives is draped in a brown apron that readsFowler Hardware. Derek got a full-sized one I surprised him with and is wearing it over his Santa suit, walking around and acting like he’s inspecting each kid’s project.
The adults are all smiling, taking pictures of their kiddos, and trying to help when they can. They stop Derek and meat times and tell us what fun this is. Rora is doing her own gingerbread house, with Derek and I keeping a very close eye on her.
Halfway through, the bell on the door rings, and I’m surprised to see my folks walk into the store, a wide grin stretching over my mom’s lips. I head over to them and give them a hug.
“Birdie! My goodness. You look great.”
I smile at my mom and shake a foot at her, my bells jingling when I do.
“Thanks, Derek and I are trying to be festive.”
“Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas!” Santa Derek comes over and wraps my mom in a hug, lifting her off the ground, making her squeal in delight.
I rush off when someone calls for help, and as I’m going around, helping little kids with all their steps and smiling at parents, Derek is standing by, watching with a smile directed at me while my parents talk his ear off.
He endures every second of it with ease, like he’s happy to do it, and I stare at him in wonder. How I got so lucky for our paths to cross again, I’ll never know.
We finish up the day, and my parents offer to take Rora out for dinner, giving Derek and me some time together. After we’re all cleaned up and the store is closed for theday, we head into the little breakroom, and I start to gather my things.
“Do you want to change first or should I?” I ask, my eyes on my task, but then I turn and see Derek standing there, watching me intently.
“I think”—he steps closer, moving my body around until my butt hits the waist-high counter behind me—“we should have a little time together first,” he starts, pointing at me and then him. “Santa and his elf.”
