Chapter 12
Pete had shown up without being asked and simply folded himself into the build alongside Nick and the elves. He had as much at stake in this as Nick did—maybe more, if the mantle passed to him—but they’d both grown too accustomed to running their own domains to work easily side by side.
Once Cora settled into the break area, Nick jerked his chin toward the kitchen and pulled Pete with him.
“You should go,” Nick said as Pete ladled his Krampus Nog into cups. Krampus Nog had some Krampus liquor in it—a herbal, hazelnut liqueur that added a kick and was strictly for grownups. Normally it was made in a cocktail shaker but Pete had mixed up a big pitcher of it.
“Not happening, dude. If you fuck this up, I’m going to have to step up. Our objectives are the same: every mortal on the Nice List. But I think she responds better to consequences and rules, and that’s my domain.”
“The Nice List isn’t about obedience,” Nick said quietly. “It’s about choice. If she chooses generosity on her own, it strengthens the whole weave.”
“Right now, she’s still written in red ink. You’re getting attached.”
“I’m investing. There’s a difference.” He really hoped there was because he’d bet everything on Cora.
Which was precisely why he wanted Pete to leave. There was a glow around Cora right now that Nick planned to nurture like a dying ember. He would protect her, come what may.
Nick accepted a mug of Pete’s eggnog, but Cora insisted on the non-alcoholic version.
Nick sat down in a leather armchair by Cora. “What are you up to today?”
“Going over every detail and praying it keeps on snowing. Snow helps bring everyone out to the opening day of the festival. The more Christmasy it feels the better,” she admitted.
“Snow isn’t necessarily part of Christmas.
In the Southern Hemisphere, it’s a tropical holiday.
” Jack and Finn both did their best to ensure the weather was ideal each year, but Nick silently promised that Cora would have the snow she needed tomorrow.
“The tradition of Santa Claus started in Turkey. Just a good Samaritan delivering gifts to spread joy.”
“Goodwill isn’t enough to get people out to the festival. Our biggest attendance days are always the wintery ones. This place looks really good. I don’t know why I’m so surprised. You always deliver.”
“I do.” He winked at her. “What were you expecting?”
“I try not to have expectations because they always get disappointed.”
Nick was offended at first, but this was Cora whom experience had taught to only rely on herself.
He understood that much about her. Gaining her trust was hard, but he’d do it day-by-day.
He’d abandoned the True North app and hadn’t thought about any woman but Cora since Thanksgiving.
Last night he’d stared at the Yearweave for hours, searching for answers, but the only thing that came back to him was Cora.
She consumed his thoughts.
Whether that was a good or bad thing only time would tell.
“I’m glad you like it. I thought we’d go and start the paperchain so there would be a few links ready to go before Monday. I’ve reached out to the other toy vendors and they’re all on board.”
“Every official email should go through my office. From now on you need to speak to me before you do that,” she said tartly.
Pete chimed in suddenly.
“What’d Nick do? He used to be such a troublemaker.”
Nick flipped Pete the finger. “Lies. Pete used to get caught and I never did so he’s bitter.”
Cora laughed. “He was the instigator?”
“All the time. Though there was the time he got trapped in the chimney,” Pete said. “So much fun watching you try to escape.”
Nick flushed. It was funny now, but at the time he’d been terrified.
He’d been expressly forbidden from attempting to morph down a chimney before he’d mastered control of the ability, whereas Pete had already been granted use of Krampus’s authority.
The old power had evolved over centuries—from physical punishment into something far more precise.
Pete could enter the mind of anyone who’d crossed a line and confront them with the full weight of their choices.
He’d done it to Nick once, and Nick had never forgotten the feeling of being forced to face himself.
That was the last thing he wanted for Cora.
“Thanks to you,” he muttered. “Did you get into trouble as a kid? Any annoying cousins?”
“Not really.” Cora stared down into her eggnog mug and Pete leaned closer. Nick reached out with his booted foot to stop Pete from probing into Cora’s mind. He wanted to hear the story from her, given willingly.
“Not really?”
“My dad has two other daughters but we’re not close. I only saw them for two weeks in the summer and then half a day on Christmas and other holidays. It’s not like we grew up together.”
She took a sip of the eggnog. “This is good. I should probably let you two get back to what you were doing. I need to go and inspect the entertainment venue. Thanks for the drink, Pete. See you on Monday, Nick.”
With that, she left the break room. Damn.
Nick downed the rest of his drink and went after Cora.
Cora exited the toy castle and walked aimlessly through the park.
Rarely did she think about her dad’s daughters.
Sure, Candace and Mica were technically her half-sisters, but she’d never bonded with them.
It had been hard to when she never saw them.
As an adult, she’d cut all ties with her parents and now her life was less emotionally chaotic but also … lonelier.
Family didn’t mean the same thing to her that it did to other people. For her it was painful and everything she truly hated about holidays. The rawness that came from thinking about those old Christmases made her feel mean.
She hadn’t wanted to be at her dad’s house and he hadn’t wanted her there.
He had his dream life with his new family.
The house had always been decorated and there were piles of presents—even for Cora—under the tree, but none of that had made her feel welcome.
In a way, those long-ago holidays had contributed to her success here because she wanted to prove that anyone could make their own happy holidays from scratch.
“Cora? Wait up,” Nick said as he caught her arm.
“What’s up?” she asked him, really wanting to be alone so she could shove the feelings back into the box she kept them locked in. “I have places to be. We also need to talk about a schedule for next week. I have two commitments I cannot miss.”
“You gave me your word.”
“You’re welcome to come with me. One is at a nursing home on the other side of town. The residents always buy toys for us to give to underprivileged children. I take over some cookies for them to say thank you.”
“I’d love to go with you,” Nick said. “We can accommodate that. What’s the other one?”
“Dentist. I have a toothache,” she said. “The only time they could get me in was on Wednesday.”
“Probably too many of those sweet mochas you peddle.”
“No doubt. Want to tag along on that one?”
“I’ll pass. On Monday I’m going to open and close the booth.
You’ll be free from lunchtime until after dinner.
I’ll have Buddy send you my schedule for the entire festival.
Let him know any appointments you have and we will work to accommodate you,” he said.
“If there are more community outreach events, I’d love to tag along. ”
“We usually send the different entertainment acts to the local schools to perform,” she said.
“That’s really nice, Cora. I didn’t realize how many events you put on in town,” he admitted.
“Of course. Without Pine Falls, the festival wouldn’t have survived the first year I took over. They’re crucial to my success. We give locals a coupon for twenty percent off,” she told him.
“Is that why you do the other things? Because you need their cooperation?”
“Of course. Everything is for the festival. It does us no good if we aren’t full every day. You need people in here seeing your toys and talking about them at school the next day. We even have a half-price day for the local schools that’s on the last Wednesday before their Christmas break.”
“Oh,” he said, falling into step beside her.
She’d been walking aimlessly but now that Nick was here she needed to get herself together.
No more letting the past overshadow where she was.
The sun tried hard to break through the heavy clouds as they headed toward the entertainment venue.
There was an outdoor bandshell where local choirs and musicians came to perform over the month in either an afternoon or evening spot.
Talking about the events that were coming steadied her. This was the only Christmas worth thinking about. The one she was currently in.
“You do a lot with the locals. I think it’s more than just getting them to show up at your event and buy your special drinks and cookies.”
Cora paused to lean against the railing around the seating area near the bandshell. “Maybe. I don’t overanalyze it. Some kids don’t have a great home life.”
“Like you.”
“Yeah,” she shrugged. “But it’s really not about me. When I took over, everything was geared to small children, some of whom grow up to dread this time of year. I just wanted to make sure those people feel seen. Give them something to do to make their own version of the holiday.”
But it was all about her. It was about that sulky teenager with acne who’d been forced to spend half of every holiday as an interloper in this perfect little family that wasn’t hers.
Meeting her elderly neighbor Sarah had been a blessing.
Sarah had been forgotten by her family, too, as everyone got older and busier, so Cora had made sure older visitors were as important to her attendance numbers as families.
“Christmas is for everyone.”
“It is,” Nick said, surprising her because she hadn’t realized she’d spoken out loud.