The Christmas Gift. Darlene Gardner

decided not to use the nursery’s retail space,” Alex said, then indicated the expansive structure that was just past it. “The Christmas Shoppe is in the old storage building.”

      The revelation drove all other thoughts from Krista’s mind. Though sizeable, the storage building was dank and dark. It had been her least favorite place whenever she worked at the nursery, which was saying something.

      “Both your mom and grandma are proud of the job they’ve done with the place,” Alex said.

      Was he warning her not to hurt their feelings by making a tactless remark? As though she’d do such a thing. Krista schooled her features while he opened the door to the strains of the Christmas song about grandma getting run over by a reindeer.

      Alex chuckled, and Krista felt the warmth of his breath on her neck as she preceded him into the shop. “Grandma Novak plays that song at least a couple times a day,” he said.

      Krista stopped dead. She’d expected the place to be lit up like a candelabra. She hadn’t anticipated the place to be tasteful. The ceiling was gold, the walls red. Gaily bedecked artificial trees competed for space with shelves neatly packed with colorful ornaments and holiday decorations.

      “Krista! Alex!” Grandma Novak must have been watching for them. She rushed to their side, wearing a long red skirt and a matching jacket trimmed with white fur. “What do you think of the store, Krista?”

      “It’s fantastic,” Krista said truthfully. “Really impressive.”

      “Grandma Novak drew up the plans herself.” Alex sounded like a proud grandson. “She knew exactly how she wanted it.”

      “Today I’m not Grandma Novak.” She pushed her glasses up her nose. “I’m Grandma Claus.”

      “You look the part,” Krista said. “Love the outfit.”

      “I’ve sold four of these getups this week.” Grandma lowered her voice. “You wouldn’t believe the kinds of things customers buy. Get a load of this.”

      She led them to the end of a nearby aisle and picked up one of an identical stack of boxes. It contained a mechanical Santa holding together the edges of a fur-trimmed red cape. Grandma pressed a button, and Santa gyrated to the tune of “Santa, Baby.” He opened the cape wide. Underneath he wore nothing but green boxer shorts adorned with twinkling Christmas lights.

      “It’s a flashing Santa!” Grandma exclaimed. “It’s a bestseller!”

      A deep, inviting laugh bubbled up from Alex that Krista felt reverberate down to her toes.

      “Are you going to buy one of those for Charlie?” Alex asked in a teasing voice.

      “No! Never!” Grandma exclaimed. “But I can’t think about Charlie. Not when Burton’s stopping by the store.”

      “Burton?” Krista said. “I thought you were interested in Charlie?”

      “I am.” Grandma threw up her hands. “But what was I supposed to say to Burton when he saw my profile and asked to meet me?”

      “No,” Krista suggested. Her grandmother really did not have the hang of online dating.

      “On that note,” Alex said, “I’m gonna change.”

      Change into what? Krista wondered. Before she could ask the question, she got distracted watching Alex leave them with his sexy, hip-rolling walk. The attraction was still going strong, she admitted.

      Her grandmother grabbed Krista by the hand. “I’ll give you a quick tour before I put you to work.”

      Talking so fast her words nearly ran into each other, Grandma showed Krista sections of the store that contained lighted yard art, personalized ornaments, collectibles and Nativity scenes. The biggest surprise was the ball crawl tucked away in a far corner, its pit filled with green and red balls.

      “What a good idea!” Krista exclaimed. “If you get children into the store, you’ll make sales to their parents.”

      “It was Alex’s idea,” Grandma said. “He got us to make up flyers and post them around town. I don’t know what we’d do without him.”

      Even when Alex was out of sight, Krista thought, someone brought him to mind.

      “We’re starting the children’s activities soon,” Grandma said. “Do me a favor and try to convince your mother to run the ball crawl. We’ve got a chair over there.”

      Krista’s mother was at the cashier’s desk, fur-trimmed reindeer antlers sticking from her head. She didn’t have much color in her face aside from the splotches of rouge on her cheeks, but her eyes were bright.

      “Darling, you made it!” her mother cried. “We can use the extra hands today. I’ve got a feeling our Santa Claus is going to be very popular.”

      She indicated a point over Krista’s shoulder. The tall man in the red suit heading their way was lean and muscular instead of soft and round. His posture and manner of walking were familiar. Krista squinted to see past the white beard.

      “Is that Alex?” Krista asked.

      “Isn’t he a dear?” Grandma replied. “Milo was already booked at the mall so Alex said he’d step in.”

      “After you begged him,” her mother said.

      “I didn’t beg. I bribed him with Christmas cookies.”

      Her grandmother went to meet Alex, who was already gathering a small group of children in his wake. Taking him by the arm, she led him to a thronelike chair that hadn’t been on Krista’s tour of the shop. The children talked excitedly and jostled for better positions in the line that was forming.

      “Time for me to switch places with your grandmother. I’m on crowd control.” Krista’s mother emerged from behind the cash register, preparing to enter the fray.

      Krista laid a hand on her mother’s arm, waylaying her. “Let’s trade jobs, Mom. If you run the ball crawl, you’ll be able to sit down.”

      “I don’t need to sit down.”

      “Yes, you do,” Krista said firmly. “You just got out of the hospital, and you promised Rayna you’d take it easy.”

      “That snitch!” Her mother crossed her arms over her chest, gnawing thoughtfully at her lower lip as she openly surveyed Krista. “If I let you manage the line, you can’t do it looking like that.”

      Krista sighed and stuck out her hand. “I’ll put on the antler ears.”

      “I’ve got a better idea.” Krista’s mother crossed to a nearby display, plucked a package from the shelf and held it up. The illustration on the front showed a curvaceous model wearing green tights and a short red dress. “You can be Santa’s elf. Won’t that be fun?”

      CHAPTER THREE

      THE BABY WAITING IN LINE to see Santa Claus was seriously lacking in Christmas spirit.

      No more than six months old, she was an adorable little thing with wisps of dark hair and big brown eyes that dominated her face. She’d be cuter if her fists weren’t clenched and her wails weren’t loud enough to drown out the holiday music.

      “That baby has an excellent set of lungs.” The speaker was a beautiful blonde in an eye-catching burgundy coat who Krista had noticed browsing the store aisles.

      “Good stamina, too,” Krista said.

      The little girl refused to be soothed no matter how much her mother cooed to her and bounced her. With a start, Krista recognized the mother as an acquaintance from high school. Once upon a time, before Krista had lost touch with everybody in Jarrell, she and Tracy Timmons had served on the high-school-yearbook committee together.

      “I’m sorry.” Tracy apologized to the children in line and their waiting