Christmas Trio B. Debbie Macomber

      Gabe frowned and then tilted his chin at a thoughtful angle. “Can Santa bring my dad home?”

      Holly’s heart sank. “Not this year, sweetheart.”

      “Then all I really want is my robot.”

      She’d been afraid of that.

      They entered the toy department and were met by a grandmotherly woman with a name badge that identified her as Mrs. Emily Miracle.

      “Why, hello there,” the woman greeted Gabe with a smile.

      Gabe immediately smiled back at her. “Hello.”

      “I see you’ve been to visit Santa.” She nodded at the photo Holly was holding.

      “Yup,” Gabe said happily. “He was nice.”

      “Did you tell Santa what you want for Christmas?”

      “Intellytron the SuperRobot,” he replied.

      “Telly is a wonderful toy. Let me show you one.”

      “Please,” Holly said, hoping against hope that the robot was reasonably priced. If fate was truly with her, it would also be on sale.

      Mrs. Miracle took them to a display on the other side of the department, directly across from the elevator. The robots would be the first toys seen by those stepping off. She wondered why they weren’t by the escalator, but then it dawned on her. Mothers with young children usually came up via elevator. The manager of this department was no dummy.

      “Look!” Gabe said, his eyes huge. “It’s Telly! He’s here. I told you he would be. Isn’t he the best ever?”

      “Would you like to see how he works?” the grandmotherly saleswoman asked.

      “Yes, please.”

      Holly was impressed by Gabe’s politeness, which she’d never seen to quite this degree. Well, it was December, and this was the one toy he wanted more than any other. The saleswoman took down the display model and started to demonstrate it when a male voice caught Holly’s attention.

      “Hello again.”

      She turned to face Jake, the man she’d met in Starbucks that morning. For a moment she couldn’t speak. Eventually she croaked out a subdued hello.

      He looked curiously at Gabe. “Your son?”

      “My nephew,” she said, recovering her voice. “Gabe’s living with me for the next year while his father’s in

      Afghanistan.”

      “Nephew,” he repeated, and his eyes sparked with renewed interest.

      “I brought Gabe here to visit Santa and he said that what he wants for Christmas is Intellytron the SuperRobot.” “An excellent choice. Would you like me to wrap one for you now?”

      “Ah …” Holly paused. “I need to know how much they are first.” Just looking at the toy told her she wasn’t getting off cheap.

      “Two hundred and fifty dollars.”

      Holly’s hand flew to her heart. “How much?”

      “Two hundred and fifty dollars.”

      “Oh.” She swallowed. “Will there be a sale on these later? A big sale?”

      Jake shook his head. “I doubt it.”

      “Oh,” she said again.

      Jake seemed disappointed, too.

      Holly bit her lip. This was the only gift Gabe had requested. He’d indicated mild interest in a train set, but that was more at her instigation. Watching his eyes light up as the robot maneuvered itself down the aisle filled her with a sense of delight. He loved this toy and it would mean so much to him. “I get my Christmas bonus at the end of next week. Will you still have the robot then?” Never mind that Lindy Lee might be less than generous this year….

      “We should have plenty,” Jake told her.

      “Thank goodness,” Holly said gratefully.

      “We’ve sold a number today, but I brought in a large supply so you shouldn’t have anything to worry about.”

      “Wonderful.” She could hardly wait for Gabe to unwrap this special gift Christmas morning. Tonight, the spirit of Christmas had finally begun to take root in her own heart. Seeing the joy of the season in Gabe’s eyes helped her accept that this year would be different but could still be good. Although she and Gabe were separated from their family, she intended to make it a Christmas the two of them would always remember.

      “I want to thank you again for buying my latte this morning,” she said to Jake. She was about to suggest she pay him back, because she had the cash now, but hesitated, hoping for the opportunity to return the favor and spend more time with him.

      “Like I said, it was my good deed for the day.”

      “Do you often purchase a complete stranger a cup of coffee?”

      “You’re the first.”

      She laughed. “Then I’m doubly honored.”

      “Aunt Holly, did you see? Did you see Telly move?” Gabe asked, dashing to her side. “He can talk, too!”

      She’d been so involved in chatting with Jake that she’d missed most of the demonstration. Other children had come over to the aisle, drawn by the robot’s activities; in fact, a small crowd had formed to watch. Several boys Gabe’s age were tugging at their parents’ arms.

      “We’ll have to see what Santa brings,” Holly told him.

      “He’ll bring me Telly, won’t he?”

      Holly shrugged, pretending nonchalance. “We’ll have to wait and see.”

      “How many days until Christmas?” Gabe asked eagerly.

      “Today’s the tenth, so … fifteen days.”

      “That long?” He dragged out the words as if he could barely hang on all those weeks.

      “The time will fly by, Gabe. I promise.”

      “Excuse me,” Jake said as he turned to answer a customer’s question. Her query was about the price of the robot, and the woman had nearly the same reaction as Holly. Two hundred and fifty dollars! A lot of money for a toy. Still, in Gabe’s case it would be worth it.

      Mrs. Miracle brought out the display robot to demonstrate again, and Gabe and a second youngster watched with rapt attention. The older woman was a marvel, a natural with children.

      “So, you’re the manager here,” Holly said once Jake was free.

      He nodded. “How’d you guess?” he asked with a grin.

      “Your badge, among other things.” She smiled back at him. “I was just thinking how smart you were to place Santa next to the toy section.”

      “That wasn’t my idea,” Jake said. “Santa’s been in that location for years.”

      “What about the Intellytron display across from the elevator?”

      “Now, that was my idea.”

      “I thought as much.”

      Jake seemed pleased that she’d noticed. “I’m hoping it really takes off.”

      “Well, if Gabe’s interest is any indication, I’m sure it will.”

      He seemed to appreciate her vote of confidence.

      “Look!” Gabe said, grabbing Holly’s hand. He pointed to a couple who were removing a boxed unit of Intellytron from the display. “My robot will still be here by Christmas, won’t he?”

      “Absolutely,”