Once Upon a Christmas by Pamela Tracy

Author:Pamela Tracy
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2012-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Maggie stood on the stage of Roanoke Elementary and watched as the children who’d won the coveted lead roles practiced. Ryan McCreedy, without his handheld, was actually a pretty animated kid. Cassidy had been of two minds about trying out. She thought it would be great fun to be on stage but a great amount of work to memorize her lines.

In the end, Cassidy had won the role of lead elf, which is how Maggie wound up making fifty elf hats. Cassidy had no lines but got to stay by the giant Santa bag and hand out presents to all the elves who then went into the audience and distributed them randomly.

Each present contained a candy cane.

“We really appreciate you helping out with the costumes,” Cassidy’s teacher said. Mrs. Youst was older, almost retirement age, and had been teaching second grade longer than Maggie had been alive. She had the patience of Job.

“I like to help.”

“Used to be all the mothers knew how to sew. Now, there’s just a handful. You’re the best thing to come along since Mandy McCreedy.”

Maggie bristled about being compared to Mandy. From what everyone was saying, Maggie knew she was about as different from Mandy as different could be.

“My job is sewing. Beth said she’d help.” Maggie nodded toward Beth, who was in front of the four students playing the leads. She had a script in one hand. Her other hand was like a conductor, up and down, as she gave instructions.

Maggie studied the students. Ryan’s Santa costume was finished. Good thing because he looked to be in a grumpy mood lately. Maggie wasn’t quite sure why, but whenever she came near him, to adjust a seam or check on a hem, he practically tripped over himself to get away. Mrs. Santa was a little lost in her costume. The pillow needed to be adjusted. The two Claus children were fine.

Glued to Beth’s side was Matt. He wasn’t a lead character, but an elf. Still, he liked to be where Beth was.

Caleb had shown up after rehearsal started. He followed behind his dad, waved at everybody like they were waiting for him and even managed to drive in a nail or two. Jared was standing right beside him, guiding every move. It looked like Jared was guiding everyone’s moves. He barked orders, looking stressed the whole time and didn’t give even a little encouragement to the crew he directed.

Okay, Maggie could cut him some slack. The scenery should have been finished a week ago, but the other dad who’d volunteered had wound up working overtime, so Jared and a few others had taken over and were now behind.

Jared looked up at one point, found her staring and gave her a smile. Then, just as quickly, he went back to what he was doing, leaving Maggie to wonder what the smile meant.

“Nothing, it meant nothing,” she muttered.

“What did you say?” Mrs. Youst asked.

“I didn’t say anything,” Maggie said. After all, if she didn’t say anything, that meant she’d said nothing which is exactly what she’d said.

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