Page 62 of Santa Maybe
“No worries,” the man replied. “Between us, we have five teens who can make themselves useful.”
“Take some cookies, at least,” Charlie said.
Rosie brought out their last tray of Christmas cookies and handed it to the girl. “Here. You can share these with your group.”
“Awesome, thanks.” She took them over to the rest of her family, who set upon them like a pack of hungry wolves. By the time the group had loaded their luggage on the carts and headed toward the elevator, they were smiling and joking with each other.
As she watched them leave, Rosie reminded herself thatthiswas why she’d gotten into hospitality. To help travelers make the most of their time in Victoria. To do what she could to improve their stay. Tonight, she felt as though she and Charlie had just given these families a truly memorable Christmas gift.
Once they were gone, Charlie ran to the front entrance of the hotel. “Come look! It’s really snowing…and…Santa’s here!”
Rosie went to join her, looking out in awe at the soft, white flakes cascading from the sky. Unlike the rest of Canada, Victoria rarely experienced the joy of a white Christmas. She could recall two or three of them. This time of year, they were more likely to get rain.
But the biggest surprise wasn’t the snow. It was Santa, who was headed right for their hotel.
Could it be Drew? Or was it a guy dressed like Santa, looking for directions to an event?
Or—Holy Mary, Mother of God—was it therealSanta?
Get a grip. This isn’t a movie. Santa isn’t real.
Clearly, she’d been working way too hard.
But when Santa entered the hotel, she was ready to believe in Christmas magic. Even with a full white beard covering most of his face, Drew’s twinkling brown eyes gave him away.
He placed a gloved hand over his heart. “The name is Claus. Santa Claus, to be exact. I’ve had a mishap with Rudolph. His nose is on the fritz, and I need a room for the night.”
Rosie didn’t know why he’d come to the hotel or what it meant, but the sight of him filled her with an unexpected burst of happiness. She shook her head in mock solemnity. “Sorry, there’s no room at the inn.”
Charlie snorted. “Now you sound like the innkeeper in a nativity play.”
“Wait. Seriously?” Drew asked. “You’re full?”
“Yes! Can you believe it?” When he pulled her into his arms for a hug, she pressed her body against his thick Santa suit. His lips nuzzled the top of her head, and she all but melted. She wanted to bask in the warmth of his embrace, but she forced herself to pull away. Even if she was thrilled he’d shown up, she couldn’t forget their conversation at Evelyn’s wedding.
An anxious flutter rolled through her stomach. She wished he didn’t look so sexy in his Santa outfit. “So…what’s with the suit? Did you get roped into a last-minute gig?”
He took off his hat and raked his hand through his hair, which was adorably mussed. “No. I was hoping to talk to my favorite helper elf. If she’ll listen to me.”
Rosie’s shoulders sagged. She didn’t want him to reinforce what she already knew. Not when she was starting to enjoy this mixed-up Christmas Eve.
But Charlie spoke first. “Rosie, why don’t you take Drew into your office? I can handle this crowd.” With a chuckle, she waved her hand around the empty lobby.
“Okay.” The fact that Drew had shown up dressed like Santa had to mean something. At the very least, she could hear him out. “Let’s go.”
Once they reached her office, she unlocked the door and ushered him inside. As her eye caught the piles of paperwork on her desk, she remembered his naughty suggestion from before. A bloom of heat warmed her cheeks, but she forced herself to cast the memory aside. Now wasn’t the time to fantasize about having sex in her office.
She leaned against her desk, placing her hands on the edge of it for support. “How did you know I was here?”
“I didn’t. I was going to show up at your parents’ house, but I texted Isabella first to make sure you were there. She told me that you got called into work. That’s not fair.”
“It’s not, but I don’t want to talk about it now.” She was already dealing with enough guilt over abandoning Nochebuena. The last thing she wanted was another lecture about her work-life balance.
Drew twisted the Santa hat between his hands. “Right. So…I’m sorry about Evelyn’s wedding.”
Not this again.“Like I said before—you don’t have to apologize. I’m the one who broke the rules. Three times, as a matter of fact.”
“Three times?” He cocked his head to the side. “How do you figure?”
