“I … had a little talk with him and told him Bay would cry for days if he didn’t do it. You’d be surprised how easily he gave in.”
“That was extremely manipulative.”
“So what? He’ll have a great time doing it, and you and your sisters will fall all over yourselves thanking him. This is a win-win-win situation for him.”
“Still, it doesn’t quite seem fair to him,” Winnie said. “He doesn’t have children. He shouldn’t have to go out of his way for ours.”
“He might not have children of his own,” I countered. “He does have the best interests of ours in his heart most of the time, though. Trust me. He’ll enjoy this.”
Winnie smiled, watching as the sleigh stopped and Bay took a tentative step forward. Terry stared at her, his eyes bright as she closed the distance between them.
“You must be Bay,” Terry said, his fake voice deep. “I hear you think Christmas is ruined this year.”
Bay stilled. “I … who are you?” She had trouble putting a real face with the voice and beard. “I know you.”
“Of course you know me,” Terry said. “I’m Santa Claus! You don’t believe in Santa Claus, though, do you?”
“No … yes … maybe … .” Bay didn’t know how to answer. “If you’re Santa Claus, does that mean you brought me a gift?” She was testing the big man.
“I did.”
“What is it?”
“You can’t have it until I’m sure you believe in me,” Terry replied. “Those are the rules.”
Bay narrowed her eyes. “Who makes these rules?”
“My elves.”
“Aren’t you the boss of your elves?”
“I’m not the boss of anyone,” Terry replied, his eyes landing on me for a moment and then returning to Bay’s. “It seems everyone tells me what to do and I do it.”
“That doesn’t seem like a very good job,” Bay said.
“It’s the best job in the world,” Terry countered. “I’m Santa Claus. I get to bring joy to the world, even if you don’t believe in me.”
“Maybe I do believe in you,” Bay said. “I … .”
“If you believe in me, you have to say it,” Terry prodded.
“I believe in you,” Bay mumbled.
“I can’t hear you.”
“She said she believes in you,” Clove yelled.
“Thank you, Clove,” Terry said. “I know you believe. Your present will be coming as soon as Bay tells me she believes.”
It was the moment of truth. Bay knew it. Everyone in town knew it. Now she only had to admit it.
“Fine,” Bay said, crossing her arms over her chest. “I believe in Santa Claus.”
“I still can’t hear you,” Terry said, staring her down. “You need to say it louder!”
“I believe in Santa Claus!” Bay practically screamed the words and Terry broke out in a huge grin.
“That’s better,” Terry said, leaning over and rummaging in the bag at his feet. When he turned around, he held a puppy. The black menace had a huge bow tied around its neck and it wriggled crazily.
Bay’s eyes widened as she took another step forward. “Is that for me?”
“That’s for you, Clove and Thistle,” Terry replied.
Bay took the puppy, her eyes filling with tears. “Thank you.”
“You have to take care of him,” Terry said. “You girls have to feed him and walk him and love him. Do you think you’re up to the task?”
“You bet we are,” Clove said, rushing to Bay’s side so she could pet the puppy. “Wow.”
“How did you know to get us a puppy?” Bay asked.
“One of my elves told me.”
“How did the elf know?”
“Your Aunt Tillie has a huge mouth,” Terry replied, smiling at Bay one more time before turning his attention to the rest of the children. “Who wants presents?”
The squeals were deafening as the surged in around him. Terry didn’t put up a fight as they started climbing on his lap and telling him their most fervent wishes.
Off to the side, my great-nieces were enamored with their gift. They didn’t even glance at the other kids as they raced around in the snow with the
“That was extremely manipulative.”
“So what? He’ll have a great time doing it, and you and your sisters will fall all over yourselves thanking him. This is a win-win-win situation for him.”
“Still, it doesn’t quite seem fair to him,” Winnie said. “He doesn’t have children. He shouldn’t have to go out of his way for ours.”
“He might not have children of his own,” I countered. “He does have the best interests of ours in his heart most of the time, though. Trust me. He’ll enjoy this.”
Winnie smiled, watching as the sleigh stopped and Bay took a tentative step forward. Terry stared at her, his eyes bright as she closed the distance between them.
“You must be Bay,” Terry said, his fake voice deep. “I hear you think Christmas is ruined this year.”
Bay stilled. “I … who are you?” She had trouble putting a real face with the voice and beard. “I know you.”
“Of course you know me,” Terry said. “I’m Santa Claus! You don’t believe in Santa Claus, though, do you?”
“No … yes … maybe … .” Bay didn’t know how to answer. “If you’re Santa Claus, does that mean you brought me a gift?” She was testing the big man.
“I did.”
“What is it?”
“You can’t have it until I’m sure you believe in me,” Terry replied. “Those are the rules.”
Bay narrowed her eyes. “Who makes these rules?”
“My elves.”
“Aren’t you the boss of your elves?”
“I’m not the boss of anyone,” Terry replied, his eyes landing on me for a moment and then returning to Bay’s. “It seems everyone tells me what to do and I do it.”
“That doesn’t seem like a very good job,” Bay said.
“It’s the best job in the world,” Terry countered. “I’m Santa Claus. I get to bring joy to the world, even if you don’t believe in me.”
“Maybe I do believe in you,” Bay said. “I … .”
“If you believe in me, you have to say it,” Terry prodded.
“I believe in you,” Bay mumbled.
“I can’t hear you.”
“She said she believes in you,” Clove yelled.
“Thank you, Clove,” Terry said. “I know you believe. Your present will be coming as soon as Bay tells me she believes.”
It was the moment of truth. Bay knew it. Everyone in town knew it. Now she only had to admit it.
“Fine,” Bay said, crossing her arms over her chest. “I believe in Santa Claus.”
“I still can’t hear you,” Terry said, staring her down. “You need to say it louder!”
“I believe in Santa Claus!” Bay practically screamed the words and Terry broke out in a huge grin.
“That’s better,” Terry said, leaning over and rummaging in the bag at his feet. When he turned around, he held a puppy. The black menace had a huge bow tied around its neck and it wriggled crazily.
Bay’s eyes widened as she took another step forward. “Is that for me?”
“That’s for you, Clove and Thistle,” Terry replied.
Bay took the puppy, her eyes filling with tears. “Thank you.”
“You have to take care of him,” Terry said. “You girls have to feed him and walk him and love him. Do you think you’re up to the task?”
“You bet we are,” Clove said, rushing to Bay’s side so she could pet the puppy. “Wow.”
“How did you know to get us a puppy?” Bay asked.
“One of my elves told me.”
“How did the elf know?”
“Your Aunt Tillie has a huge mouth,” Terry replied, smiling at Bay one more time before turning his attention to the rest of the children. “Who wants presents?”
The squeals were deafening as the surged in around him. Terry didn’t put up a fight as they started climbing on his lap and telling him their most fervent wishes.
Off to the side, my great-nieces were enamored with their gift. They didn’t even glance at the other kids as they raced around in the snow with the
Similar Books
