Holly and Ivar (Kringle Cousin Romance #4)

Chapter 1

ho, ho, hold the espresso

Holly

She knew better than to have another espresso, but that wasn’t going to stop her.

Holly Kringle returned to her desk, liquid gold in hand, and once again analyzed the spreadsheets before her. Production was down from where it was at this point last year, only by a narrow margin, but still, they should be doing better.

Her monthly report was due in a few hours, and she didn’t want it to be late.

This was her father’s first year as Chief Executive Santa, and she didn’t want to disappoint him.

Some people might think that having your father run the family business made your job easier, but not so.

At least not in this family—the Kringle family—with the weight of generations to live up to.

Not that she had much to worry about. Holly was darn good at her job.

Running the Northeast Division of America (or NED as everyone called it) was no easy feat.

As one of ten regional Santas serving North America, her territory spanned nearly 60 million people, ranging from remote rural towns to the heart of New York City.

And she’d managed the region for the past seven years with success.

She had to excel. Her goal was to get her father’s job after he retired.

The next rung on the ladder was Lead Santa for all of America, though she’d happily take the European division if it meant living in Italy again.

After that, Chief Executive Santa. The job title wasn’t exactly something she could list on a resume or LinkedIn profile, but within the Kringle network, it was everything.

That’s why this production issue had to be her top priority. It was a small blip, but a blip nonetheless. Holly buzzed her assistant with the intercom. “Hi Rita, could you come in here for a moment, please?”

Several minutes later, Rita entered the room.

The black-haired, neatly styled woman sat down across from Holly.

She wore a black pencil skirt and white blouse embellished with what appeared to be black dots—no, make that tiny snowflakes.

Rita had worked at NED for twenty years and knew everything there was to know about the operation. Holly would be lost without her.

“All right, then,” Rita said, opening her tablet. “What are we working on?”

“It’s the monthly report,” Holly began. “I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but our production is slightly below where we were at this point last year.”

Rita put her glasses on and tapped on her tablet. “Oh yes, I see. It’s not too bad, all things considered.”

All things considered? Holly laced her fingers together and leaned forward on her desk. “I’m not sure what you mean by that.”

“Well,” Rita began, removing her reading glasses, “we’ve had unusually high turnover this year, even for us.”

“I guess that’s understandable. A lot has changed this year, what with my grandfather retiring and my father taking over.”

“I don’t think that’s the issue,” Rita said.

“While our turnover rates are lower than in the real world, our division is always the highest in North America at about 2%. Now it’s climbed to 3.

5%. Unheard of until now. People are transferring to other divisions, but no one is transferring in.

Have you looked at last year’s employee satisfaction survey? ”

“No, I’ve been too busy.”

“Holly, we have the same conversation every year—”

“Yes, yes, yes,” Holly interrupted. “I’m well aware of that, but there is so much to do.”

Rita sighed. “Nicola and Finn are apprenticing under you. Not only should they be learning that managing human resources is part of being a Santa, you can delegate this to one of them. They’re both bright and eager to learn. Teach them and use their talents.”

Okay, so maybe Holly had a few control issues on top of her caffeine addiction.

Holly drummed her fingers on her desk, then went for another espresso. “Want one?” she asked Rita.

“No thank you,” Rita replied. “And how many is that for you today? I already see three empty cups on your desk.”

“That is not your concern.” Holly’s voice was light, knowing that Rita cared about her. “How many hot cocoas have you had today?”

Rita laughed. “Well, if you want to keep your consumption hidden, at least reuse the cups or put them in the lunchroom dishwasher like I do.”

Holly made her espresso, then sat down. “You’re right about Nicola and Finn.

I’ve been letting their training slide.” She adored her young cousins and knew they would make good Santas one day if that’s what they wanted.

Nicola had studied engineering and loved the production aspect.

Finn, on the other hand, was Mr. Social.

Yes, she’d dropped the ball not having Finn focus on HR.

The problem was that she didn’t know what the problem was.

Her team was compensated fairly, had great healthcare, plenty of time off, a solid retirement plan, and the same benefits as any other division.

So why was NED’s turnover so high? Give her quantitative data over qualitative any day.

How could she fix things if they couldn’t be quantified?

Just thinking about it made her heart race.

“I don’t understand. Our employee benefits outshine those of any other company out there.”

“Except that we aren’t any other company,” Rita said.

“Our team members, myself included, are from families that have been with the Kringles for generation after generation. We live in a world hidden away from the rest of society. Our existence is a secret. And yes, while our benefits are wonderful and we can travel across our world or the outside one, being here is a choice. One that is made because of what we do here, the foundation upon which the entire Santa universe rests: the spirit of giving, joy, kindness.”

Holly’s heart thumped in her chest. “And your point?”

Rita raised her eyebrows and scanned the room.

So what if Holly’s office wasn’t like her grandfather’s old one?

He liked Christmas trinkets and traditions and dark wood.

Her office was all sharp lines and muted tones, with gray walls, a black desk with chrome legs, and black-and-white photographs of the major cities in her delivery zone.

She preferred it that way. No distractions helped her focus. “I like it like this,” Holly said.

“I know. You have your own style, and I’m not suggesting you change, but a small touch of Christmas in here wouldn’t hurt.

A snow globe, a picture, a Santa hat on a hook.

Or Christmas cookies in the lunchroom, a tree in the lobby.

Do you see where I’m going with this? Our people need to believe in the magic of Christmas. ”

“They work for Santa. They don’t have to believe because it’s true.”

Rita sighed. “Yes, but we’re not just making toys here. Anyone can make toys. It’s about what Santa represents. Forget about magic. I should have said the spirit of Christmas. Efficiency should not replace joy.”

“So if I wear an ugly Christmas sweater once a week, all will be okay? Because if that’s what it takes, I’ll do it.

” She’d add it to her list. One more thing to do.

Sure, it would be nice to celebrate the wonder of Christmas, but she didn’t have the time.

Wonder and joy didn’t deliver presents on time or fix the daily problems that arose.

That was her job. And a job she had to do well if she wanted to get promoted.

But would she get promoted if she couldn’t solve this morale problem? There was so much to do, and Christmas was only two months away. Two months! Panic gripped her, sending a cold rush through her body. Her heart pounded, and each breath felt harder to catch.

“Are you okay?” Rita asked, standing, her voice full of concern.

“Fine, but could you please get me a glass of water?”

Rita returned quickly and placed the water on Holly’s desk. Holly closed her eyes and drank it down. It helped, but not enough.

“I’m paging the medic on call,” Rita said.

“No, it’s fine. I’ll be okay in a minute.”

“Holly. Don’t be a stubborn fool. I’m getting them.” And with that, Rita rushed out of the office.

Alone, Holly attempted to take some deep breaths, but her heart continued to race. Was this a heart attack?

Minutes later, Rita returned, followed by Sanjay the medic along with Nicola and Finn. Great. Now she had an audience.

“Holly, are you okay?” asked Nicola.

“I’m fine,” she said.

“I’ll be the one to determine that,” said Sanjay, motioning to Nicola and Finn to step back.

“Nicola, Finn, let’s wait in my office and give Holly some privacy.” Rita ushered them out, for which Holly was eternally grateful.

Sanjay nodded and took Holly’s vitals.

“Well, the good news is that you’re not having a heart attack,” Sanjay said. “I do believe, however, that this is the result of stress and lifestyle choices. You were warned about your blood pressure at your last physical.”

She was. And she’d done nothing. “Can’t I take some medication for it?”

“You can, but you still need some lifestyle changes. Diet, exercise, less stress. They’re all contributing factors.”

“Thank you, Sanjay. I’ll take it into consideration. Perhaps I’ll take a vacation after Christmas.” Unlikely. What would she even do on a vacation? Lie in the sun?

“Your health is important. It’s not something you can put off until you go on holiday. I’ll have my office reach out to you for an appointment and we can come up with a health plan.”

“Thank you,” Holly said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to work. And please tell Rita that I’m fine and don’t want to be disturbed for the next hour.”

Sanjay nodded and exited her office, leaving her in peace. Needing to clear her mind, she walked to the window and gazed out at the vast wilderness to the north, and then to the east, where the village rooftops dotted the landscape.

Holly prided herself on being well-organized and a problem solver. If she weren’t, she’d never have been able to manage NED. Her blood pressure, the production decline, and the HR issues were simply problems she had to fix. Nothing more than that.