Page 44 of The Naughty List Agreement

“Would you let me and my team redesign it?” he asked her. The vision in his head was a replica of his own village in Hearthvale—which was the actual North Pole.

“It has to be done by Sunday. So in a day and a half at most.”

“I like a challenge.”

“Is that why you’re hanging around me?” she asked, the words slipping out without thought.

“You certainly keep me on my toes,” he admitted. “So am I doing this?”

“I’m not sure. What exactly are you thinking?”

For a split second, he almost used his magic to show her what he envisioned for this space, but he stopped himself by stepping behind her and putting his hands on her shoulders.

“You enter through frosted gates that transport you to Santa’s village. The scent of pine and sugar cookies fills the air.”

“Okay, the food court can provide the cookie scent. But I’ve already got that.”

“I’m not through yet. There are pathways that wind between mini timbered houses with steep roofs, each one lit with a soft amber light that glows on the snow-dusted cobblestones. Smoke curls lazily from the chimneys, giving the entire space a feeling of warmth and home. Icicles hang from the eaves and twinkle along in the fairy lights that are strung through the village.”

“That’s a lot of work. Are you sure you can do it?” she asked, looking over her shoulder at him.

“Definitely.” The world needed more magic in it and Cora needed it most of all. Coming here every day would enhance the work he was doing to show her a different way to live and be. He didn’t want to change who she was; he wanted to relax that wall she’d built around herself and show her that she could be part of a community instead of just observing it from the outside.

“The workers from the different toy shops will bustle along the paths, carrying parcels. In the center will be a giant Christmas tree with its branches heavy with ornaments that draw everyone’s eye.”

“If you can get a tree this late, I’ll be surprised, but I like it. It sounds enchanting. Maybe this is where we do your paperchain idea,” she suggested.

“That will work. We could do one of those wish trees as well. We used to have one⁠—”

“We still do,” she said smartly. “It’s near the food court. I wanted it some place where everyone would congregate but it gets very crowded in here so it’s good to spread people out.”

“Is there a maximum number of people allowed?”

“Yes. I have staff members dressed as elves at the front who will monitor it,” she told him. “Want to see the food court? Are you going to redo that as well?”

“Probably.”

She led the way to the back. It looked like any old food court in a mall and devoid of magic.

“Maybe we could install a few fireplaces with comfy seating areas grouped around them?”

“Sure,” she said, partly to humor his grand ambitions. “As long as you keep in mind the fact that you can’t have real fire in here and you only have a day and a half to pull this off and a limited budget. It’d have to be electric. I think we have a few large fireplaces in storage if you want to use them.”

“I do,” he said. “The wish trees are situated on both sides?”

“Yes. We usually try to fulfill as many of the wishes as we can from our budget, but it’s not always possible to get them all.”

“I’ll talk to the other vendors. I’m sure they’ll want to help,” Nick said.

“That involves a lot of paperwork and, believe it or not, trust. I prefer to make sure that we don’t promise more than we can actually deliver. Disappointment is the worst.”

He agreed, of course, and began to understand how her knot in the Yearweave had formed. There was nothing naughty about relying on herself, but accepting help was as important as offering it, especially when it came to spreading joy.

“Okay. So what’s next on this tour?” he asked her.

“The entertainment venue. We have a new group this year who are doing an exciting acrobatic display. It’s so different to what we had last year. I’m hoping it will wow everyone.”

As he followed her through the rest of the park, it was obvious how much love and attention she’d put into the festival. Effort was a big part of who she was, but she was directing it toward the wrong things. The spectacle was important and Cora was brilliant at that, but what was missing was heart, those magical details that he wanted to show her how to add. It wasn’t enough to make her good for one year; this had to be a change at her core and he was beginning to see how it might be accomplished, but would it be in time?