Santa's Little Helper by Lisa Chalmers

Author:Lisa Chalmers [Chalmers, Lisa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Rebel Heart Ink
Published: 2020-11-27T16:00:00+00:00

13

Emma

“Why are you doing all of this?”

“What do you mean?” Noah looked confused by the question.

I put the oversized mug of steaming coffee in his hands, our fingers brushing as they wrapped around the ceramic and that slightest spark danced across my fingertips. I pulled my hand away the second I was sure he had a good hold on it so it wouldn’t crash to the floor. I caught his gaze and felt the blush race from my toes to my fingertips.

For the second morning in a row, he’d been there to help us. Meg had even teased about giving him his own apron and nametag.

“You have a business to run and an empire to build…”

Now I swore he blushed a little as he put the mug to his lips and took a lengthy sip of the coffee. I could see him thinking as he put the mug back down, cradling it in his hands.

“Some days, it runs itself.”

The corner of my mouth lifted in a smile as I tried not to laugh. “I doubt that. Or if it really does, you need to give me some tips so I can get this place running better.”

“More staff, for one.” He smiled behind the edge of the mug.

“Where would I put them? We’re already feeling the pinch.” That was another wonderful growing pain. We needed more seating; we needed a bigger kitchen; we needed a bigger counter.

All things I’d hoped for one day to be a problem.

Just maybe not this soon. But hopefully, the remedy to that was on its way.

“Things happen in their own time.”

“Yeah...” I leaned against the counter, watching the various mall and store staff walk by through the gates. A few familiar faces waved, and I waved back.

Suddenly, I was hit with an idea.

I leaned forward, grabbed a plate, and loaded it up with cookies.

Noah watched me, leaning forward to grab a gingerbread. I raised an eyebrow and giggled.

“Do me a favor. Open the gate and set a chair out?” I grabbed a stack of napkins and followed him to the door, which he opened wide enough for us to slip through. He set the chair down a few feet away, and I put the plate down, the napkins beside it on the chair.

I closed the glass doors and dimmed the lights a little. We still had almost two hours ’til the mall fully opened.

I came back in, and Noah smiled at me. “That was nice of you.”

“A little Christmas cheer, that’s all.”

We opened the small bag of takeout breakfast he’d picked up, this time fresh croissants. I took one out of the bag, tore a piece off, and popped the fluffy pastry into my mouth. “You have really good taste in food.”

“I have great taste in a lot of things,” he murmured, leaning forward with a sly smile.

I giggled, ducking my head down.

***

Meg leaned on the edge of the kitchen counter as I waited for the dishwasher to finish the last load of trays. She pulled

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