Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
“That was the best Christmas stew I’ve ever had in my life.”
Honestly, I’ve never had Christmas stew before but I’m going to take a wild guess and bet that this is probably the best anyone could ever had.
And made by St. Nick himself.
Stetson has been oddly quiet, or maybe just reflective. I don’t know if it’s the stew that’s subdued him or if he’s still thinking about his father’s intrusive question.
“I’m glad you loved it,” the man of the hour says in pleasure as he leans back in his chair. “This was Stetson’s favorite meal as a child. There was a long period he ate it for breakfast, lunch and dinner.”
I smile at Stetson.
“Breakfast too?” I tease. “I’d expect only donuts for you.”
His dad thinks this is vastly amusing.
“He was salty until he turned thirteen.”
“Salty?” I ask.
His dad shrugs and rubs his beard.
“His sweet tooth didn’t kick in until then.”
I stare at him with wide eyes. “I find this very hard to believe.”
“Oh no, my dear,” Santa shakes his head. “He was quite the precocious child. Rebellious in every way. There was nothing sweet about him.”
“Nothing?” I smile at Stetson who’s staring down at his beer in silence. “I find that hard to believe.”
“Believe it,” He declares quickly. “He was not always this well-mannered, docile man you see before you. He drove us all crazy with his wild antics. Sometimes I thought he had to be Scrooge’s offspring and not mine.”
I laugh.
“So he just turned a leaf at thirteen?” I prod, wanting to know as much about Stetson as I can.
I can totally picture him as a wild child… even if he was salty, I’d bet anything he was still adorable.
“Thirteen is a pivotal year for us,” his father tells me. “That’s when the shift happens and it’s as though you were never anything but this.”
I allow his words to settle in.
What a legacy. I can’t even imagine the weight of it— because I know there must be a ton of that.
“Now enough about the unruly Stetson,” he says with a wink. “My perfect boy in every way.”
He takes off his spectacles—I’m guessing there’s only one optical shop in the village because he too has a pair that look like they were made in the sixteenth century—and wipes them clean.
“I hope you saved room for dessert,” he says. “I have so many treats from Star and they’re all delicious.”
“I can’t eat another bite,” I tell him as I hold onto my stomach and lean back in the chair.
The feast before us is insane, especially for three people.
Stetson and his father impressed me with how much they can eat. I’ve never seen anything like it, seriously. Like they have some bottomless pit of a stomach that can fit food for an army.
I look over at Stetson and clock his mood again.
Since we’ve been here with his father the energy between us has shifted. He’s aloof and closed off, very different from what he was before. I didn’t give it much thought until now. I assumed it’s because we ran into his father when we were about to fool around.
I mean, I don’t blame him for feeing awkward.
His dad is Santa Claus.
“So what do you kids have planned for the rest of the night?”
Awkward.
Silence.
“I was going to show Charlie more of the village.”
“Ahhh,” his dad rubs his beard like he’s thinking. “Maybe a sleigh ride?”
Stetson has a sip of the Claus Lager and shrugs.
“She gets cold,” he says this like I’m not sitting there listening in. Why is he suddenly pushing me away?
“There are warm blankets and hot cocoa and I’m sure she will find it as magical as we do,” he tells his son.
“I’m okay with the cold,” I lie easily.
Both men pin me with their gaze.
“Okay. Maybe I’m not one hundred percent okay with it, but I’m fine. A sleigh ride sounds amazing.” I add trying to sound more convincing. Does the sleigh ride mean something? Am I missing something?
Plus, it sounds romantic.
And if it comes with more kissing and touching, I’m all for it.
“I know we won’t have Rudolph and the rest of the gang pulling us along, but I’m for it,” I try to make a joke.
“Why wouldn’t you have Rudolph pulling the sleigh?” St. Nick looks perplexed.
“He’s back on the yacht,” I explain.
Is this really a conversation I’m having right now? Rudolph is back on the yacht… let’s file this under things you never ever thought you’d say in your life.
“They’re back,” Stetson says quietly.
I look over at him in surprise.
“They’re all back?” I question.
“Yes,” he says it like transferring reindeer off a yacht in a fjord and transporting them to Santa’s Christmas Village is the most natural thing in the world and I shouldn’t be surprised at all by this.
Seriously.
That’s how he says it.
“Should I even ask how you got them here?” I shake my head and pick up my ale and take a long sip.
Everything about this is just… unreal.
Like I’m Charlie in the Chocolate Factory except this is Santa’s Village and this is all actually happening in real time and not on a movie screen.
“I’ll save the story for another time,” Stetson says quietly.
Seriously, what the hell is going on?
“Well then, that’s settled,” his dad says as he claps his hands together. “You two kids go on your sleigh ride, and I’ll have two rooms made up for you tonight in the house. I’m assuming you’ll be spending the night here?”
Two rooms?
This is getting interesting.
Stetson tenses up even more, his mood going from something strange to something even stranger. He leans back and studies his father.
“Two rooms…” he repeats.
“Two,” he says quietly. “The rules of the house when we have unmarried people here. You know that.”
My gaze whips to Stetson.
He knows that?
I thought I was the first person he brought here?
Crap. Did I just catch him in his first lie?
“As you wish, Fa?ir,” he sighs.
“Perfect!” St. Nick couldn’t look happier. “I’ll have breakfast ready for you in the morning.”
Stetson stands up pushes his chair back from the table. He looks over at me with an indecipherable look on his face.
“Ready Charlie?” He asks me.
Suddenly, everything feels more serious, like there’s a weird tension in the air and I don’t understand why.
“Sure,” I say but look at the mess on the table. “Shouldn’t we help your dad clean up?”
Stetson finally smiles.
“He’s got this,” he tells me and looks over at his father.
I wonder what other superpowers he has that I’m about to be introduced to.
“Have a wonderful time, Charlie,” his dad says with a sweet smile. “You’re going to just love the aurora borealis here. There’s nothing like the light show… it’s another piece of Christmas magic.”
“I can’t wait to see,” I smile back at him and don’t understand why I want to throw myself in his arms and again and hug the shit out of him.
“Okay, big guy,” Stetson says breaking the moment. “Don’t wait up for us.”