Merry Kisses (Riverbend Romance 5) (5 page)

Sonya turned to the open kitchen where Kelly mixed something in a Depression-era glass bowl. “Can I help with anything?”

Kelly grinned. “Sure. As soon as Ian adds the leaves to the table, you can give me a hand setting it.” She scraped the yellow batter into a muffin pan and deposited it in the oven.

“Sounds good.” Meanwhile, Sonya hardly knew where to stand and not be in the way. The other visitors drifted past her into the sitting area of the open plan. Looked like Sarah and Carly had plenty to talk about. Weddings to discuss, no doubt.

Sonya wanted one of her own someday. Heath’s smiling face drifted across her mind.

“So.” Kelly glanced into the living room then back at Sonya. “You never told me why you won’t date Santa Claus.”

Yeah, Sonya should have stayed home with her cat. “That reminds me. Is the church seriously having Santa at a kids’ Christmas party? That really bothers me.”

“Why?”

Sonya shook her head. “I just don’t get it, I guess. I wasn’t raised believing in Santa. It all seems so commercial. Don’t you think the church should be a safe place from all that? It’s like Christians saying
yes
to lies and greed.”

“Whoa.” Kelly studied her. “So that’s what you have against Heath Collins?”

“Basically.” Sonya couldn’t get Dad out of her mind. Everything was so black and white in his world. It’d been easy when she lived at home, but she’d discovered a few other colors since moving out. Where to draw the line when it was up to her?

Kelly set the bowl in the sink and turned on the tap. “I don’t see Santa as representing lies and greed. I see little faces lighting up with the magic of the season.”

“But it’s Jesus’ birthday. What other magic do we need?”

“Saint Nicholas is like an object lesson. He shows us how to celebrate.”

Sonya shook her head. “What do you mean?”

“I’m not saying it well, am I?” Kelly leaned back against the counter. “All I know is, I’ve always taught Elena that we give gifts to others to extend Jesus’ love to them. And where there is giving, there’s also receiving, so we have thankful hearts and appreciate the blessings we’ve been given.”

Hmm.

“It’s a bit more complicated this year with Ian and Sophie. Their traditions were different from ours, so we are all negotiating and blending. But the main idea hasn’t changed. We use Santa and gifts to teach God’s love.” Kelly spread her hands. “I doubt we are doing it perfectly, but we have to work within the parameters of our Canadian culture. You should hear some of Sarah’s stories. The things kids in first grade tell each other would curl your hair.”

“I hear my name.” Sarah appeared from nowhere. “Where are your linens, Kelly? I’ll get started on the table.”

“Me, too. How can I help?” asked Carly.

“You can help me convince Sonya that Heath Collins is one of the good guys. Even if he plays Santa.” Kelly tossed a festive tablecloth at Sarah

Sonya felt a flush rise in her cheeks. “No fair ganging up on me.”

“Ooh!” Sarah grinned at Sonya. “I’ve been wondering when someone would get Heath’s attention. He’s a friend of Corbin’s and a really great guy.”

Yeah, he seemed to be. And the protest of
but he’s Santa
seemed like it would forever fall on deaf ears. Was everyone else right? Maybe it didn’t matter as much as she thought. If only Dad would stay out of her head.

CHAPTER 5

Sonya paused in the doorway, bright smile in place. “Thanks for inviting me in for an interview.”

The middle-aged woman glanced up from her paperwork with a slight frown. “Come on in and have a seat. Please give me a moment.”

That didn’t sound promising. Sonya sat on the edge of the orange plastic chair facing the desk. One minute slipped into two, maybe three. Keeping her smile in place was starting to become a challenge, no matter how badly she needed this job.

Finally the woman closed the file and dropped her glasses to the length of their beaded chain. She folded her hands and met Sonya’s gaze. “I’m Ms. Zurich, the manager here at the Riverbend Shopper’s Drug Mart.”

“Pleased to meet you. I’m Sonya Simmons.”

“Ms. Simmons. You’re here about the opening behind our cosmetics counter, I believe.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Sonya nodded. “I’ve been a loyal customer for several years, purchasing all my makeup and personal supplies here. I’m familiar with the lines you carry.”

“Do you have any experience working in this environment?”

“I have several years of retail experience.”

The woman glanced at the paper on her desk. “Most recently at Toy Treehouse, I see. Which is not exactly cosmetics.”

If there was a question in there, Sonya couldn’t find it. She waited.

“I’ll be honest, Ms. Simmons. The previous interviewee worked at the Shopper’s location in Castlebrook for fifteen years, eight of those in cosmetics. She has exactly the credentials we’re looking for and the references to back them up. Someone who can step in with no training and simply take over that department.”

Sonya’s head swam. “I see.” The perfect applicant probably hadn’t ever been fired, either.

“I would have called to cancel the interview, but she left only five minutes ago, and you were already here.”

Like punctuality was a negative. Sonya rose. “Thank you for your time. Perhaps you’ll have another opening soon for which you might consider me.”

“Maybe.” Ms. Zurich looked her up and down. “To be honest, most of our girls go to part-time hours over the winter until things pick up again in spring. If anyone leaves in the meanwhile, I’m sure the hours will be snapped up internally.” She moved the paper off to the side. “I’ll keep your résumé on file for six months.”

Dismissed. Sonya managed to blurt out, “Thank you,” one last time before turning and fleeing. She was halfway down the mall before she stopped for breath.

She blinked away tears and straightened her back. She’d known it was a long shot to find a full-time job with Christmas less than four weeks away. Somehow she’d allowed herself to build a ton of hope since the interview request this morning. Why should it surprise her that someone with perfect qualifications was ready to swoop in and nab the prize?

She’d put off finalizing things at Toy Treehouse. Somewhere in the back of her mind she’d hoped to be able to casually drop the news that she had a new job, a better job, when she handed over her uniforms and picked up her record of employment and final pay.

How much worse could today get? She looked through the toy store window. Only two tills were open, and lines of buggies snaked back into the display aisles. Would she go back if Deborah asked her? Just put on that stupid giraffe uniform and smile at customers and say
Merry Crystals
instead of
Merry Christmas
?

Sonya took a deep breath. She couldn’t do it. Not even for a raise, which Deborah would never offer. Why ruin a different day dealing with Deborah? It wasn’t like today could get any worse.

She strode down the aisle past trucks, cars, and construction toys. Past more couples looking at toys and a child who didn’t seem accompanied. Not her problem. She pushed open the Employees Only door at the back. The receiving area was stacked with boxes of toys leaning over the staff lunch table. The office door to the right stood ajar.

Sonya tapped on it. “Deborah? It’s Sonya.”

“Just a minute.”

She heard a couple of drawers open and shut then the sound of a blowing nose. Uh oh. “If this is a bad time, I can come back later.”

“No, come on in.”

Deborah didn’t look as confident as usual. In fact, she looked very small and worn down behind that mammoth desk.

Sonya set the bag containing her uniform tops on the corner of the desk. “Are you okay?” She didn’t want to care, but even Deborah shouldn’t look so depressed just before Christmas. Or any time of year, of course.

Deborah sniffed and picked up an envelope from a tray on her desk. “I’m fine. Here’s your cheque and paperwork.”

“Thanks.” Sort of thanks. “So everything is all right? Did you find another cashier?”

The woman surged to her feet. “Everything is just dandy, okay? I hope you cleaned those uniforms.”

Sonya backed up a step, clutching the envelope. “Of course I did.”

“Good then. Have a nice day.”

Another step backward, and Sonya’s hand found the doorknob behind her. “I hope you have a Merry Christmas.”

She was definitely not waiting for a response to that one. In seconds she was out of Toy Treehouse and down the mall corridor, where she stopped to stuff the envelope inside her purse.

Sonya glanced up and groaned. This stupid mall wasn’t big enough. Now she was beside the North Pole exhibit with a side view of Santa’s throne and the guy who sat on it. A line of expectant faces waited. A woman in a green velvet elf suit roved the line. See, someone like that would swoop in and gain Heath’s love. They’d deserve each other, too.

The elf turned away from the children and coughed into the crook of her arm, a deep wracking cough that had Sonya’s insides clenching in sympathy. Sounded like someone — especially someone who worked with children — should have called in sick.

* * *

Heath cast a worried glance at Destiny. He’d had his phone turned off while plowing last night’s huge dump of snow from the mall’s parking lot then half a dozen smaller lots downtown. When he got in the door at nine-thirty after six hours in the cab of his Bobcat, he’d set the alarm and collapsed for a three-hour nap.
 

If only she’d been able to reach him, he’d have told her to stay home. But who would have filled in as his elf? There wasn’t really a backup Santa either, though he could probably bully Corbin into subbing if necessary. The farm was quiet this time of year. But Corbin would make a lousy elf.

Destiny coughed again, doubled over as the spasms wracked her body. Two moms took their youngsters by the hand and dragged them out of the line. He couldn’t blame them, though the toddlers yelled and screamed.

Would anyone fault him for simply shutting down the North Pole today? But it was going to take more than twenty-four hours for Destiny to recover.

Something moved in his periphery. Someone. Sonya, peering inside her pink folder.
 

She hated Santa and everything he stood for. But... she needed a job, and managing the line didn’t require significant training.

Heath whispered Santa-like responses — he hoped — to the little boy on his lap then set the kiddo down. He stood then jumped over the piles of silvery gifts that kept the line contained and strode toward Sonya before she could dash away.

Her eyes widened as she took in his quick strides. A glance darting down the corridor showed she would’ve bolted given a few seconds longer.

“Hi, Sonya.”

“Um. Hi.”

“How’s the job hunt going?”

She straightened and looked him in the eye. “You broke rank to ask me that? You should get back to your adoring audience. They’re waiting.”

“I’d like to offer you a few hours of work.” In the background, another coughing fit exploded. “Hear that? Destiny can’t work. She needs to go home, but if I send her home, I have to close down the North Pole.”

“I see that’s a problem.”

“It pays minimum wage and it’s only ten hours a week through Christmas Eve. She’ll need at least a few days off to recover, so this is temp. A cash job.” He hesitated. Why even bother? She’d never do it. But still. “Please?”

“You must be kidding me.”

“Not even a little bit.” Heath scrambled for something more convincing and came up empty.

“You’re desperate.”

“Yes. But I wouldn’t ask just anyone, even so. Give it a chance, Sonya? You’ll help a lot of families get into the Christmas spirit.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Do I get to tell all the little kids you’re a fake Santa?”

He managed a lopsided smile. “I doubt it will come as a surprise to most of them.”

That got her attention. After a few seconds she looked past him. “I sure wouldn’t fit that uniform. She must be a size two.”

Heath’s heart leaped. She was actually considering it? “There’s no need for the elf suit. It belongs to Destiny, and she loves wearing it. What you’ve got on right now is perfect.”

More than perfect, really. She wore the same dark green slacks as she had at church last Sunday, but paired with a dark red sweater with bits of gold glitter on it. Very festive. But the best part was how attractive she was, no matter what she wore.

He quirked a grin. “So much better than a Toy Treehouse uniform with a giraffe looking over your shoulder.”

That got a little smile from her. Behind him, he heard the kids’ restless questions getting louder. He was out of time for this personal mission.

“Please, Sonya? Try it until five o’clock and let Destiny get some rest? Please give me a chance.”

As the words came out, he recognized the double meaning. Yes, he needed someone to help at the North Pole, but he wanted her to give him a chance as well. To see if the attraction he knew she’d felt, too, could turn into something. Should he tell her Kelly would never forgive her for turning down this chance? No, better not push his luck that far. Still...

He leaned a little closer, filling his senses with her presence. “You can say Merry Christmas all you want.”

CHAPTER 6

If she hadn’t met the poor elf’s gaze through yet another coughing fit, Sonya would be at home right now, curled up under a quilt with a purring cat, a mug of homemade cocoa, and a good book.

Instead, she hoped the camera really did auto-focus and that the little kids wouldn’t ask her if Santa was real. Heath Collins was real enough in his padded red suit, shiny black boots, and preposterous fake facial hair. Real enough to make her heart speed up every time she glanced his way and met his gaze, which was often as children clambered up into his lap and then back down to be replaced by the next one. She hadn’t realized there were this many kids in Riverbend.

The first break in the line didn’t come until nearly the end of the posted time. Heath rose and stretched to one side then the other.
 

He had no right to look so attractive in that ridiculous suit. “Hard work sitting on your gilded throne for hours?” Sonya wouldn’t know if he flashed her a grin from behind that white beard.