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“You’re not watching?” she asked.
I checked the time. “I can’t. I have a prior engagement.”
“Oh, come on, Silver. It’s Christmas Eve.”
Exactly. It was Christmas Eve, and Santa had a job to do.
CHAPTER 9
LAURA
December twenty-fourth was officially the longest and most confusing day of my life. It was also a day I would never forget, for all the right and wrong reasons.
I changed my spot from the armchair near the fireplace to the barstool and took another swig of Hunter’s special. The alcohol rushed through my veins, setting me on alert and on fire, close to overheated winter jacket strength, border-lining hell. I couldn’t believe James left, just like that, in the middle of his daughter’s performance. I swigged harder, taking in the buzz that soothed my soul.
Until then, tonight was one of the best nights of my life. The intimate family dinner we’d shared, the good wishes we’d exchanged, and all the wonderful stories I’d heard from Kensi about her dad filled me with all the Christmas joy I could contain. The evening would have been better if he’d stayed.
Emma stepped forward as the narrator. Her infectious enthusiasm brought an instant smile to my face.
“Once upon a time, in the magical land of Snowflake Valley...”
Tuning her out, I convinced myself the warmth in my chest wasn't related to the chocolate rum eggnog in my hand.
Julia stopped by and clinked her glass with mine. “I see you’re as interested in this as I am. Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas. Did you hear anything from Allie? She didn’t answer my texts.”
“Turns out she had salmonella, but she’s stable. Sleeping a lot.”
“What?”
“She's in good hands, but she'll need a few weeks to recover.”
“Okay. I guess that’s good. Thanks for checking in on her,” I said.
“Of course. Let me know if I can help," she said before leaving to be with her boyfriend.
The family room was crowded with family and friends—the Silver brothers, their cousins, parents, and the Wagners filled the couches right by the fireplace. Handmade paper snowflakes suspended from the ceiling by thread, floated in the air. Lights wrapped around windows and beams, and evergreen branches decorated the mantel with ribbons and ornaments.
The room carried the scent of pine and cinnamon. The Silvers laughed and embraced, their cheeks rosy from the warmth of the fire and the subtle buzz of spiked eggnog. There were so many of them. The kids finally finished their skit and happily waited for Santa’s arrival by the Christmas tree.
Hunter removed the empty glass from my hand. Seconds later, someone handed me a new one. The brothers talked about skiing and safety as I sipped on my drink. When I’d finished half of the cup, and the eggnog had finally made its way to my bladder, I politely excused myself to the bathroom. I freshened up and when I returned to the group, Emma came up and tugged on my arm.“Are you looking for James?”
“Yes.”
She let out a short giggle.
“What’s so funny?”
Emma covered her mouth with one hand and gestured to the lounge entrance with the other, where an effervescent Santa Claus stood with a red sack of presents hanging over his shoulder.
“Is that him?”
The noise died down and Emma rushed closer to the hearth near Santa’s chair, where James was sporting a complete costume, including a silver beard, silver hair and a faux belly he gripped with pride.
The plush red suit was trimmed with luxurious white fur, and a matching hat sat atop his head. The bushy white beard and mustache completely obscured his face, but his piercing blue eyes still shone through, adding intensity to the jolly character.
In his other hand, he gripped the handle of a prop lantern, wrapped in a candy cane pattern. It cast a warm, flickering glow over the scene.
