Page 10 of Sleigh My Heart

“They said if… If the storm hit. It didn’t.” He squeezed her shoulder. “Sorry, honey, but that’s why it’s called a weather prediction.”

“I know.” Her lower lip stuck out a little more.

“Hey, maybe tomorrow.”

“Maybe.” She leaned in and gave him a quick hug before jumping from the truck.

That’s his girl. Nothing keeps her down for long.

Nick checked the time as he pulled out of the school lot. He had five minutes.

He made it in four.

Snowflakes lightly fell as he crossed the courtyard. He unlocked the office, dropped his coat and bag on his chair, and crossed the hall to Silver’s.

Nick sucked in a deep inhale and rapped his knuckles on the wooden frame twice before he stuck his head inside. “Boss.”

“Nicholas. Come in. Shut the door.” Horace Silver looked up from his work, blue squares from his monitor reflected in his glasses. With a weathered hand, he gestured to the straight-backed chair in front of his desk.

Once Nick’s butt touched the chair, Silver spoke. “Detective Swenson left me a message yesterday afternoon, something about the sleigh. Did you know it was stolen?”

He straightened his shoulders and nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“And you didn’t tell me?”

“No, sir.” At first, Nick’s mind was too full of a curvy cop. Then, he hoped to get it back or at least come up with a plan.

Silver dropped his glasses to the desk and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Fill me in.”

“I noticed the sleigh was missing yesterday morning. I called the authorities and they are investigating.” Nick debated internally how much to tell him. “The good news is the police have found the sleigh.”

Silver’s face scrunched up. “And the bad news?”

“It’s in evidence.”

Silver tapped a pen on his lips. “What are the odds we’ll have it back by the festival?”

“Honestly? Slim to none. They won’t release it until the case is complete.” When had a homicide case been closed in a week? Never.

“Well, that’s fucking great,” Silver said in a deadpan voice before dropping his head into his hands.

This is bad. Silver never swore, so to come out of the gate with the F-bomb. It’s bad.

His boss pushed up from his desk and paced the office. “You know this isn’t just a sleigh, but it sets the feel for the whole festival. It’s tradition.”

“Yes, sir.” In his short time working at Silver Industries, Nick learned that traditions were of high importance to the owner.

“The festival weekend is our largest grossing weekend behind Black Friday. It will make or break many of the stores in this mall.”

Including his father’s. Nick was well aware of the fiscal atmosphere for physical stores. It sucked.

“Maybe I should sell to the developers. I was hoping to keep it until Junior was ready to take over.” He snorted. “That may never happen.”

“Developers?” Nick tipped his head.

“Oh yeah, I get at least three offers a year to buy the mall. But, it’s not for sale. And I’d like to keep it that way.”

Made sense. The land the mall sat on was prime real estate.