Christmas in Bayberry

For a moment, he thought she was going to jump over the table and give him a hug. But when she settled back in her chair, he was surprised at how disappointed he felt. The thought of pulling her into his arms teased and tempted his mind. He resisted the urge to go to her and give her that hug.

He knew he should look away, but he was drawn to her. Her smile remained, and it caused a funny warm feeling in his chest, knowing he was responsible for her happiness.

“What’s going on here?” Carrie asked, as she came to a stop at their table to take their order.

Kate glanced around to see who was listening. No one was seated close by. She motioned for Carrie to lean closer. “Wes agreed to be our Santa this year.”

Carrie turned her attention to him. “That’s wonderful. The whole town thanks you.”

Growing uncomfortable with the way they were fussing over him, he said, “It’s not that big a deal.”

Kate’s expression grew serious. “It’s a huge deal. You can’t have Christmas without Santa.”

“That’s right,” Carrie chimed in. “And to thank you, dinner is on me.”

“What?” Wes couldn’t believe what a big fuss they were making about his wearing a red suit and a cap. “I can pay.”

Carrie waved him off. “No argument. Would you like some more of that stew you had the other day? I think there’s a little bit back there.”

“That sounds perfect.” He intended to leave her a really big tip.

Chapter Eleven

“How’s it going?”

The following afternoon, Wes sat behind his assigned desk at the candle company. He pressed his cell phone to his ear and swallowed hard. He hadn’t expected to hear from Mr. Summers requesting a progress report. That never happened with any of his other assignments. It appeared his boss was taking a personal interest in him. That had to be a good sign, right?

Eager to make a good impression, he started with a rundown of what he’d done so far. “But I still have a lot to look at before I can make a preliminary a

ssessment.”

“And you’ll have that done before Christmas, right?”

That gave him two weeks to get his work done. He was usually given three to four weeks for an in-depth analysis like this.

He softly cleared his throat. “That might be pushing it. They don’t have much of their information automated. I’m having to pull data runs and file folders every time I need information.”

“I’m sure you can handle it. I’ll be looking forward to your report in time for the holidays. And then we’ll discuss your recommendation as far as selling.”

What? Wes hadn’t said anything about Kate’s aunt selling the company. He thought back through his conversation with Mr. Summers. No, he definitely hadn’t given his boss that impression.

“Sir, I don’t think—”

“Hold on,” Mr. Summers covered the phone but his muffled voice could still be heard. “Chad, come in. I’ll be right with you.” Mr. Summers spoke directly into the phone. “I’ve got to run. We’ll talk more soon.” And with that the line went dead.

Wes sat there staring at his phone, wondering what in the world had happened. The next time he spoke to the boss, he’d clarify that he wasn’t leaning one way or the other about the company’s future. That was a big part of his job—staying impartial until the data told him what would be best for the company and the owners.

Maybe Mr. Summers was just anxious to announce the promotion. The usual rush of excitement Wes felt when he thought about receiving the promotion didn’t hit him. He assured himself that he just had a lot of other things on his mind. After all, it wasn’t every day he played Santa. In fact, he’d never done it before. He wasn’t even sure he could do a good job.

He checked outside his office to see if anyone was around. And then, deciding to be cautious, he closed the door. Walking back to his chair, he tried out his Santa imitation.

“Ho. Ho. Ho.” A smile pulled at his lips. He lowered his voice another octave. “Ho. Ho. Ho.”

That was better. Maybe he could pull this off. He knew how much Kate was counting on him. And he didn’t want to let her—or the town—down.

“Ho. Ho. Ho. And how are you? Have you been naughty or nice?”

Knock knock.