Page 95 of Under the Mistletoe
Logan struggled to keep the smile from his face. He loved the way Easton watched out for the other two. They had all been hurt by the Barlows, and he had no doubt just wanted to protect them. But Luke would prove to Easton that he was trustworthy. Might even let him help make a few of the decisions on the house.
“We’re back.” Tyce ran into the room, followed by Alani. “What did we miss?”
“Logan was just about to tell me his plan to fix things with Devin.” Easton stared him down. “Right?”
Right.
Alani walked up to him much like she had done when he was Santa. He pulled her up on his lap, and she cuddled into his shoulder.
Logan placed a soft kiss on the top of her head. “I was going to apologize.”
Easton lifted one eyebrow. “I think you need to do better than that.”
The kid was more right than he knew. But Logan had spent the day rewriting the last chapter of his story, and he hadn’t had time to plan some huge gesture. “I also have a gift for her.”
“Now we’re talking.” Tyce clapped his hands, then held up a finger with an impish smile. “And I know the perfect gift we should give her.”
Logan bit back a smile. So it looked like the next part of his plan was changing. But Tyce was right. It would be the perfect gift becausehewas now awe. And they needed to go get Devin together.
seventeen
Devin had made it to the final event in the season. Not only had she failed to save her position, she’d completely lost her job. She took in her first Christmas Adam dance, and Austin was right. Definitely a quirk of the town, but she loved it.
The overhead fluorescent lights of the community center were off, and white Christmas lights had been draped across the ceiling, creating a starlike or snowy effect. A ten-foot tree had been set up next to a stage where a small local band belted out Christmas classics. And a table stretching the length of one wall contained more sugar than all the North Pole. And it was home…at least until she decided what to do next. A sinking sensation filled her gut.
She had told Logan if he needed answers he needed to go to the source. Maybe she should start there too.Okay, God, what’s next?
“Devin?” The deep voice came from behind her.
She turned toward the voice. Not God, just Pastor Nate. He wore a dark suit and held his eighteen-month-old daughter Talia, dressed in a white, sparkling dress, in his arms, her finger tracing the tattoo poking out of his collar. “Good evening, Pastor Nate.”
“How are you doing?” With that concerned look, there was no doubt that Greyson had given him a rundown of Wednesday night’s events.
“I’m doing all right.” No job, Logan gone, her parents hadn’t returned her call, but somehow in the midst of it all, she was still okay. She fingered the Nativity charm on her wrist. Hannah had been right, Jesus was big enough to handle it all.
“I heard you might be out of a job.” Did he look hopeful? Odd.
“That is the case. Know anyone hiring?”
“Yeah. Me.” A full smile spread across his face now, his gray eyes shining. “I’ve been so impressed with everything you were doing, and we’ve been wanting to develop a community and family ministry at the church. It would be doing a lot of what you were doing before, only it would include all families in the area.”
“I would actually love that.” That was her dream job. Talk about a quick answer to prayer.
“Good. After the New Year, we’ll set up an interview and start the process.” His daughter began to wiggle. “I need to go find Olivia, but have a Merry Christmas.”
He shook her hand, then disappeared into the crowd.
“What was that about?” Jess appeared next to her, stunning in her dress of black velvet. But the way she kept scanning the crowd probably meant Greyson wasn’t here yet. But Piper’s brother Cam was, and he hadn’t taken his eyes off Jess. Interesting.
“Devin.” The deep voice had echoed over the microphone. “Devin Hendrixson. If you are here, someone has left a gift for you under the tree.”
Jess met her gaze, but her cousin shrugged, completely guilty. Devin wove her way through the dancing couples toward the tree as the band burst into a rendition of “Santa Baby.” When she knelt down, there wasn’t just one gift. There were dozens. “I wonder which one it is?”
“I think they’re all for you.” Now Jess wasn’t even trying to hide the fact she knew what this was about.
Devin flipped open one of the tags and sure enough.To Devin, from your Secret Santawas scrawled out in a childlike script.
She picked up another, then another. They were really all for her.
