She wanted to laugh, but her heart tightened at the thought of this little sweetie worrying about things like that. “Yes, you probably can. But I want you to promise me something.”
He gave the sleigh a decent shove. “What?”’
“All you are going to think about from now until Christmas is…well, Christmas. You know, presents and decorations and carols and presents and…did I mention presents?”
He gave her that “wise beyond his years” expression he wore so well. “Christmas isn’t just about presents,” he said, so serious she had to bite her lip to keep from chuckling. “I want to help with…the not moving thing.”
“Oh, Benny.” She took her hands off the sleigh to hug him. “You’re so awesome. And you know how you can help? Decorate this sleigh for me. Just get some empty boxes and wrap them in Christmas paper and then find a few sets of extra lights and drape them all over. Could you do that?”
“Of course!” he exclaimed. “It’s like I have a mission!”
“Operation Sleigh Bells,” she teased.
Practically vibrating with excitement, Benny helped her with the sleigh, the two of them getting it nicely situated outside the ski shed. He took off to accomplish his mission just as she spotted some customers pulling into the lot.
“I’ll be right with you!” she called, then hustled to get Copper blanketed and back inside. As she guided him into the stables, the big horse slowed at the sight of the sleigh, neighing noisily and kicking one of his white-stockinged legs.
“Still your nemesis, eh?” Nicole teased, giving his mane a rub. “No worries, big guy. It’s just there for decoration. Kind of like you.”
Business was steady all morning, but during a break in the flow, she heard the motor of the shuttle van, some voices outside, and then Brianna’s boots in the back office.
“Hey, Nic,” Brianna called. “How are our Black Friday sales?”
“Dark gray,” she replied, turning to see her closest friend step into the store, unzipping her puffer jacket.
Brianna’s long, nearly platinum blonde hair tumbled out from a knit headband, her hazel eyes sparking with joy. “What is that sleigh doing out there?”
“Waiting for lights,” Nicole said. “I thought it might bring in customers.”
“Always the marketing queen,” her friend quipped. “You know what else will attract customers? All that glorious, beautiful, white, fluffy, dusty, delicious pow-der. Woot!”
Nicole laughed at that, expecting nothing less from this snow bunny.
The daughter of Swedish immigrants who’d moved to the Salt Lake area when Bri was a baby, she lived for a good black diamond run on a day as sunny as her personality.
Nicole met Brianna Larsson their freshman year at the University of Utah and the two of them had stuck together eversince. Over their college years, Brianna had come to Snowberry Lodge many times and fell in love with the place.
Since then, they’d shared several apartments and now a townhouse twenty minutes away.
“How were the new guests?” Nicole asked as she headed toward the pole wall to straighten one a customer had moved.
“Guest,” she corrected. “Just one old guy all alone.”
“That’s weird.” Nicole kneeled on the display and reached up, fiddling with the pole. “Is this straight?”
“It’s fine. You’re a perfectionist.” Brianna pulled some drawers behind the register. “Where are my gummy worms?”
“In the trash, where they belong.”
“Say it ain’t so.”
“It ain’t. Top drawer, on the right.” Nicole climbed down and started on the boots. “Who comes to a resort alone?”
“Same weirdo who pays cash,” she said over the rustle of her candy bag. “I don’t care how old you are—use a credit card or Venmo, for crying out loud.”
“How old was…What was his name?”
“Mr. Walker. And he might need one—a walker, I mean. He’s gotta be…sixty-five.”
