Do You Believe in Santa? by Donovan Sierra

Author:Donovan, Sierra [Donovan, Sierra]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2015-07-31T07:00:00+00:00

“I usually stick with the reds and greens,” Mandy admitted. “But I’m pretty traditional. There’s nothing wrong with thinking outside the box.”

Across the table from her, Renee was fast finishing the first project of The North Pole’s new Tuesday-night Christmas craft class: a hand-painted wooden ornament. Mandy had started with the simplest project she could think of, something that would be easy for someone of any skill level to complete and take home. She’d been especially pleased when Renee, the mother of the two girls she’d met with Jake, had shown up.

Now the four other women in the class peered over the table with murmurs of admiration at Renee’s Christmas stocking, painted in purples and golds, with striking results.

“I had to use purple,” Renee said. “It’s Bailey’s favorite color.”

Mandy glanced at the clock. “You’ve got time for at least one more. Maybe two.”

In the center of the table, along with the paints, Mandy had laid out a selection of precut shapes in neat stacks: candy canes, Christmas trees, stockings, gingerbread men.

Renee reached for another stocking. “This one’s for Rosie. It’s going to be worse.”

“Pink?” Mandy and the other women said in unison.

Renee grinned and nodded. “I think every little girl goes through the pink stage.”

Mandy wondered if Emily, the niece Jake talked about, liked pink.

She glanced at the clock again and tried to calculate how long she’d gone without thinking about Jake. He’d been gone a week, and he called her regularly, but their quick catch-up phone conversations were no substitute for his presence.

The craft class had been a good idea, one she should have thought of years ago. It was a perfect way to bring people into the store during the off-season. Still, her reason for starting the class had been entirely selfish. It gave her one more way to stay busy.

Debra looked over the assortment of shapes on the cookie sheet and reached for a gingerbread man. “I’m surprised,” she said. “You don’t have any Santa Clauses.”

Mandy decided to skip her it’s-so-hard-to-get-Santa-right spiel. Debra had known her in elementary school. She knew all about Mandy and Santa.

“You’re right,” Mandy said. “I’ll have to remember that next time.”

Debra persisted. “Do you still believe in Santa Claus?”

Mandy didn’t hesitate. “Sure,” she said. “Doesn’t everyone?”

It had become her standard answer, and people usually didn’t have a follow-up question. Mandy brushed some darker green shading onto the Christmas tree ornament she’d been painting.

“Bailey told me your story about seeing Santa Claus,” Renee said. “She loved it.”

Mandy kept concentrating on her work, aware of a few more eyes on her. Renee was the only person at the table who hadn’t grown up here.

Tish asked, “Did you ever stop believing it?”

Five heads turned expectantly in Mandy’s direction, Renee’s expression more curious than the rest.

Mandy did what she’d learned to do way back in grade school. She played it light.

“Three things I never argue about,” she said. “Religion, politics, and Santa Claus.”

“You mean it really happened?” Renee asked.

All five of them waited.

“I saw him,” Mandy said cheerfully.

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