Page 2 of The Christmas Cookie Crush

Taking a deep breath, I quickly unpack my suitcase and store it in the closet before heading out to the kitchen where Nana putters around. She smiles when I walk into the room. “All settled?”

“All settled. What should I make for dinner?”

She swats a hand in my direction. “Oh, you. I know you think you’re here to rescue us from our feebleness, but I can still make dinner, thank you very much. We just need help at the bakery. You know how it is at ChristmasFest. We always need extra hands, and that’s with your Grampy at full strength.” She shakes her head. “It’ll take you plus three other seasonal workers to make up for him.”

I grin. “It won’t be the same without him, but I’ll make sure we don’t take too much of a hit this year. But even if that’s the main reason I’m here, I want to help around the house too.”

She lets out a soft chuckle. “You say that now. Talk to me again after you’ve been working ChristmasFest all week. By then you’ll be glad I made a casserole for you to come home and shovel into your mouth before you fall into bed.”

“I’m sure you’re right. But for now, at least, let me help?”

“I never turn down help,” she quips. “I was thinking stew and sandwiches. It seems good on a blustery day like today. Why don’t you get the pot out for me.”

We bustle around the kitchen—me getting out the pot and unloading the dishwasher while she gets a container of stew out of the freezer and plunks it into the pot on the stove, turning the burner on to slowly warm it up.

“What are you two doing in there?” Grampy calls from the living room.

“Fixin’ to poison you!” Nana calls back, the southern expression from her youth creeping in.

“I knew it!” Grampy shouts, and I can’t help grinning at their antics.

I’ve missed it here. Why have I stayed away for so long?

CHAPTER TWO

Nora

With my handson my hips, I let out a big sigh, grateful it’s the lunch break. I took my last final yesterday morning, drove home in the afternoon, and Mom put me right to work at ChristmasFest. She’s made me Lead Elf this year, which is more responsibility, and that means I can’t whine and plead to get out of working the first weekend of December, no matter how much I’d love at least a day to relax.

Sandra, one of the new additions to the elf team this year, put up the cables to close the lines about fifteen minutes ago, and Dad—I meanSanta—finished up with the last group of kids—a set of two-year-old twin boys and their four-year-old sister dressed in matching Christmas outfits—while I showed the frazzled parents the photos. All things considered, I think it turned out well. There was only one where all three kids were looking at the camera, but they’re all smiling in all of them, which is a win in my book. Some kids are hard to keep engaged.

Fortunately, these parents were understanding of the realities of their children and were thrilled at how much fun the kids looked like they were having, even if they weren’t all looking at the camera. “You can really see their personalities,” the mom said as she made her selections and beamed at me. “These are perfect. Thank you.”

“My pleasure.” It helps that Dad’s a fantastic Santa, drawing out the shy kids and playing off the energy of the more rambunctious ones, making my job of capturing good photos way easier than it could be.

My big sister Sarah was always the best at it, though. Between her and Dad, the Santa photos while she was Lead Elf were always the amazing. She’s running the Christmas Emporium these days. Has been for the last few years, leaving just my brother Dylan and me as elves, since my oldest brother Ty moved away years ago.

Of course, now that Dylan’s graduated from college and working in Seattle while his girlfriend Lydia—who was an elf last year—finishes school, he’s not obligated to come home and work the ChristmasFest anymore.

Which just leaves me. And the seasonal help Mom hires every year, though this year she included me in the interviews when I was home at Thanksgiving. That was unexpected, but nice.

Speaking of Mom, she bustles over in her Mrs. Claus outfit and wraps me in a hug.

“Mo-om!” I protest, even though I hug her back without hesitation. I need a hug. “I thought we weren’t supposed to do this where the kids can see.”

She releases me, but scoffs. “Don’t you think elves and Mrs. Claus give each other hugs? It’s fine.” She lowers her voice. “But you probably shouldn’t call me Mom so loud. I’m pretty sure the elves aren’t supposed to be Santa and Mrs. Claus’s kids in any iteration of the legend.”

Chuckling, I follow her to the back room, where she rubs my back before passing me the lunch stashed in the big family cooler and sitting down at the table. It’s a lot more empty than it used to be, both the cooler and the table.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” Mom asks when I sigh again after I sit down as well.

I shrug, opening the container of grapes and popping one into my mouth. “I dunno. It just feels weird this year. Not as magical as it used to, even though everything seems basically the same.”

She gives me a sympathetic look over the rim of her glasses. “It’s not, though, is it? You’re the only one left. And this is probably your last year as an elf. Sarah’s the only one of the four of you who did it after graduating from college, after all.”

“And that was only to help me out,” I point out, grumbling.

Mom nods, taking a bite of her sandwich. “That’s true. She always did have a soft spot for you. You know you can work at the shop after you graduate, if you want. I’m sure Sarah’d love to have you.”

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