Once he’d gotten the box open he could see that it was his mother’s version of a care package, complete with loads of Christmas candy and a framed photo of both his mother and father dressed in their usual Mr. and Mrs. Claus attire. He shook his head. They never gave up on trying to give him some of their excessive holiday spirit.
He found a letter, the envelope red and sparkly. There was a bright green sticker in the shape of a Christmas tree keeping it sealed. With a sigh at the unnecessary waste of it all, he slid open the letter and read.
Dear Nicky,
We miss you as always. Here is a little care package to get you through the holidays since I know you'll be working hard. Your father and I will be off to Florida for the next week, but we'll be back home in time for Christmas. I'm so looking forward to being warm for a few days!
As usual, we’ll see you on the other side of New Year’s Eve in New York. We know how much you like to work on Christmas (you get that from your father). As always, you are welcome to join us on Christmas if you change your mind.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy the candy. The sweets were always your favorite part of Christmas growing up.
I love you, forever and always, always and forever,
Mom
Nicholas folded the letter back int
o the box before he took an unnerved seat beside the package itself. Something about the letter made him uncomfortable. It wasn't the festive wrapping or the treats. It was the vacation. Over the holidays.
His parents had told him about their planned Christmas vacation weeks and weeks ago. He'd smiled and nodded when his mother spoke about it, but now that it was happening, it felt very odd.
Nicholas’ parents rarely went on vacation. And they never left their beloved Christmas store during their busiest time. The entire reason they visited him after New Years was so that the shop could be safely closed. Their Santa-related duties ended after New Years.
So traveling now, the week before Christmas, was incredibly odd.
Nicholas grew nervous as an unpleasant thought crossed his mind.
Maybe his parents were calling it a vacation.
Maybe it was more of a glimpse into retirement. Maybe they were testing out what it would be like to leave the store. They were getting older after all.
If his parents wanted to retire from Christmas Wishes, that would leave Nicholas’ life somewhere between unpleasant and inconvenient.
Five years ago, Howard Kerstman handed Nicholas the deed to the store, ensuring that it would stay in his family’s name. Nicholas didn’t mind being the legal owner of Christmas Wishes as long as his parents still ran the day to day operation. He trusted them when it came to their business, and he never took a cent from their profits. The store’s existence was background noise in Nicholas’ life, never interfering with his work. He never had to worry about the store or anything Christmas related.
However, if his parents intended to leave the company soon, Nicholas would find himself needing to run the store. His parents didn't want to sell it, but they wouldn't want to see it closed down either.
He would be expected to keep it running. To keep it in the family.
He cringed at the thought.
He vaguely remembered his parents speaking of some trusted employee. A man? A woman? Someone they referred to as Head Elf. Someone with the job title Head Elf couldn't be trusted to manage a store profitably.
His parents’ retirement would call for his own involvement at Christmas Wishes.
And the mere thought of having to manage a Christmas-themed store sent forceful chills down Nicholas’ spine.
Nicholas realized with a start that he wouldn’t be getting any rest tonight. He moved away from the package and headed for his trusty espresso machine. He had work to do.
There had to be a way to make sure that he would never have to deal with Christmas, ever again.
Chapter 3
Molly
Molly was making her last rounds through Christmas Wishes, wanting the store to be perfect for the day's opening. She'd finally gotten the trees the way she wanted and they'd sold twice as fast. The Kerstmans had been gone for a few days, and to Mrs. Kerstman’s surprise, the place hadn’t burned down without her there. In fact, Christmas Wishes was flowing better than ever with Molly’s expert guidance keeping the shop up and running. With a free reign, Molly was selling more trees and ornaments than ever.
“Christmas ornaments unboxed?” Liam asked.