Mistletoe Magic by Sydney Logan

Mistletoe Magic
    Last-minute shopping on Christmas Eve always struck fear in Melanie Taylor’s heart. The frantic customers. The exhausted cashiers. The long lines. All of it was mayhem, and the last thing she needed was more chaos in her life.
    In an attempt to avoid the crowds, Melanie had chosen a high-end department store to do the last of her shopping. There was only one gift left on her list, and it had to be special. And in her world, special was just another word for expensive .
    Melanie stood at a glass case, looking down at the selection of designer watches. The one that caught her eye was undeniably gorgeous, made of titanium ceramic, and equipped with enough functions to pilot a small plane.
    “May I help you?” The man behind the counter beamed. It was impossible to ignore the excitement in his voice.
    Melanie pointed at the silver watch. “I’d like to see that one, please.”
    “Oh, that’s a fine choice,” he said as he reached for his keys. The man lifted the watch out of the case and handed it to her. She didn’t bother looking at the expensive price tag. Instead, she gazed at the band, and then at the watch’s face, hoping either would trigger some recollection.
    Nothing.
    The man noticed her reluctance.
    “Shopping for your husband?”
    “Yes, I am.”
    “What a wonderful Christmas gift! Your husband would be proud to wear a watch so beautiful and well-crafted . . .”
    The man continued his sales pitch, but it was easy to ignore. He had no way of knowing that the price of the watch wasn’t the cause of Melanie’s hesitation. It was the fact that, just last year, in this same department store, she had bought a watch for her husband for Christmas.
    And she couldn’t remember what it looked like.
    A desperate Melanie glanced at the man behind the counter. He didn’t look familiar, either, but that was hardly helpful. Still, she decided to ask.
    “Were you working last Christmas Eve, as well?”
    It was a long shot, she knew. But perhaps he remembered her, and if he did, maybe he could recall if she’d bought this exact watch.
    The manager looked confused.
    “No, ma’am.  I just recently moved from . . . up north.”
    She smiled sheepishly. This nice man probably had a family and wished he could be with them on Christmas Eve instead of dealing with privileged customers like her— especially ones who couldn’t recall if they had bought their spouse this same twenty-thousand dollar watch just last year.
    With a sigh, Melanie glanced down at her own watch. The store closed in twenty minutes.
    “I’ll take it,” Melanie decided. “I just hope I have time to gift-wrap it.”
    The manager smiled brightly as she placed the platinum card in his hand. Of course, he was ecstatic. The commission from this sale would probably ensure that his family had a very merry Christmas.
    “Do you have children?” Melanie asked.
    The manager handed her the receipt to sign. “Yes, I do. Two girls. Both blondes, just like their beautiful mother.”
    The pride in his voice made Melanie smile as she scribbled her name on the slip.
    “Well, I hope you, and they, have a lovely holiday . . .”
    “Nick,” the man said. “My name is Nick, and I wish you and your husband a Merry Christmas.”
    “Thank you, Nick. I wish for that, too.”
    He had no idea how much she wished for that.
    Nick handed Melanie a pretty gift bag. It was red and silver, and festive enough that she wouldn’t have to bother with gift wrapping at all.
    Her mission complete, she took a few moments to browse through the rest of the store. At one of the counters, she overheard a man and his son, trying to decide between a leather handbag and a bottle of designer perfume for the mom. Unlike Melanie, the two of them had smiles on their faces. They were happy customers, excited to find something that would brighten the eyes of someone they loved.
    Melanie, on the other hand, had just hoped to find something that would make her husband