The second I bit through the chocolate, I moaned in delight. “Holiday hexes, that’s so good,” I mumbled, trying not to chew with my mouth open. “That might be the best thing I’ve ever tasted.”

  Vale’s cheeks darkened from light pink to bright red like Rudolph’s nose. “Thanks,” she whispered.

  “I’m not kidding,” I reassured her. “And I’m a tough customer since I typically don’t like anything sweet. But this is like the perfect combination of a little bitterness plus the tartness of some sort of fruit.”

  “It’s a dark chocolate and raspberry truffle,” she explained, closing the bag and tying the ribbon around the top again. “You might as well keep this bag for yourself.”

  I glanced down at my silly costume and patted it all over. “Where would I put it?”

  We both giggled at my predicament. She placed the bag by the sled. “You can have more when we’re done here. But first, we’ve got to get you out there so you can have a first good day at work.” Vale picked up the loaded tray of samples to hand to me.

  I accepted the platter but hesitated. “Do I really have to say all those things our boss wrote down?”

  My cohort widened her eyes in shock. “What, you think you can’t ho-ho-handle it?”

  With a groan, I rolled my eyes. “Not you, too.”

  Vale pushed me from behind out the back of the tent. For such a short lady, she had a lot of strength. “Come on, you can do it. I believe in you.”

  As soon as I exited our stall, I stood for a moment in the shining sun. Not once in all my life had anybody said those words to me with such sincerity. It took me a second to tamp down the wave of emotions rising inside of me. With a big sniff, I took on the challenge of being someone worthy of her faith.

  Moseying through the crowd in my ridiculous costume, it didn’t escape my notice how a little bit of happiness filled my heart and squeezed out my usually morose mood. It became easier and easier not to wince when repeating the silly puns to advertise Yuletide Yummies as the day progressed.

  I had to return several times to the tent to reload samples of the other two baked goods—but never more fruitcake. And each time, Vale made sure to keep my spirits up with encouragement and kind words.

  At the end of the day, I returned to the store stall, and exhaustion settled over me. I rubbed my jaw. “I swear, I don’t think I’ve ever forced myself to smile as much as I have today.”

  Vale counted up the money she’d collected, pulling out a small amount and setting it aside. “I hope at least one of those smiles was genuine. Did you have a good day?”

  I gave her question some thought. “You know, it wasn’t half bad.” I set the tray of leftover samples down. “Except I couldn’t get rid of all of the fruitcake. And I really tried.”

  The smaller woman picked up one of the sample squares and popped it in her mouth. “There,” she said through her full mouth. “That’s at least one less piece. And believe me, Ms. Wren will definitely count all the leftovers.”

  Without hesitating, I popped one in my mouth. The second I bit into the thick cake, I regretted it. It took me several chews to get to the point where I could talk. “She wants to enter this into some contest?”

  Vale swallowed her bite with a grimace. “The Seasonal Spirit Awards. They’re an annual event, and each of the towns that make up the entire district of the North Pole compete to see who has the most spirit.”

  “And she thinks her fruitcake will win?” I asked, accepting a gulp of offered cocoa to wash down the last of my bite. All the flavors combined caused me to shiver in disgust.

  “Oh, Wren Warbler takes the SSAs very seriously,” Vale exclaimed with wide eyes. “She’s been the head of Holiday Haven’s committee for several years now.”

  “Has the town ever won?” I asked, helping to load the last of the containers on the sled.

  Vale sighed. “Not once. We’ve come close, but that’s not good enough for Ms. Wren. She’s determined for our town to win this year. Once you’re around her long enough, you’ll see how scary she can get about it. If I were you, I would avoid tonight’s SSA meeting.”

  “Oh, I doubt she’d want me there anyway.” Considering how the owner of the bakery had reacted to my current probational status, I didn’t think she’d like a known criminal to take part in whatever she was in charge of.

  The shorter girl picked up the bag of chocolates from wherever she’d stashed it and handed it to me. “You’ve definitely earned these. I hope you like them.”

  Wanting to get rid of the fruitcake and cocoa taste in my mouth, I unwrapped the crinkly package and picked out one of the truffles. I moaned in absolute pleasure. “Not that I’m an expert, but I think these are fantastic. Why are you working at the bakery and not in your own shop? If that’s just a sample of your talents, then I’ll bet you’d have tons of customers lined up for your chocolates.”

  “Renting space costs money, and I’ve almost got enough saved to qualify for a loan,” she said, her brows furrowing. “Mama and Papa offered to help, but this is something that’s all mine. I wanted to do this on my own.”

  I tipped my head to the side. “I get that.”

  “I’ve been saving every penny from working at Yuletide Yummies, but Ms. Wren keeps me so busy that it’s hard to find the energy at the end of the day to work on my own stuff,” Vale confessed. “I’ve been half wondering if I should ask her to sell some of my stuff on commission rather than trying for my own place.”

  “And let her take some of your profits?” I scoffed, wondering if the haughty owner would try to take the credit for the delicious candies, too.

  She shrugged and pushed the sleigh out of the back of the tent. “At least it would be something. And maybe she could help me build my reputation. But thanks for the compliment. It’s nice to have someone believe in my work.”

  “Ditto,” I declared, offering her a sincere grin.

  Vale handed me the stack of money she’d kept off to the side. “Come on, Aurora. You can help me donate this for the reindeer sanctuary.”

  “I’d be happy to.” A warm sensation spread throughout my body, and I reveled in the unfamiliar but welcomed glow. “And Vale?”

  The half elf stopped walking and looked up at me. “Yes?”

  “My friends call me Rory.”

  Her face brightened with genuine joy. “Excellent. Let’s go, Rory.”

  Chapter Three

  The best thing to come out of my first week at Yuletide Yummies was a friendship with Vale and the fact that I hadn’t lost the job…yet. Because Christmas was fast approaching, the hustle and bustle of the market kept both of us busy and out of the bakery almost every day. Except today.

  When I arrived, I found the kitchen devolved into a mass of chaos. I almost got knocked over by Buttons again as he scurried around the kitchen carrying ingredients. Instead of the usual elves manning the mixer, Wren stood over the industrial machine, supervising every ingredient going into it.

  “Everything has to be perfect,” she shouted. “Today is not the day to mess anything up.”

  “Why?” I asked, stepping out of the way of Pepper carrying a tray of cookies fresh out of the oven.

  Wren gawked at me as if I’d grown a second head from my neck. “Santa’s sleigh. It’s arriving today to help kick off the beginning of the Seasonal Spirit Awards.”

  I snickered at the thought of everyone getting excited about a simple sleigh until I felt the weight of everyone in the kitchen staring at me with disapproval.

  “It’s a big event that we all look forward to. And it’s the reason you’re getting a free afternoon off, missy,” the owner scolded. “You would be best to respect our traditions if you want to fit in at all.”

  The door from the front of the store swung open with a bang, and Vale entered the kitchen with a frantic expression. “Clarence over at the pub just called. With the increase of traffic today, he wants to add to his typical order for more mince pies, plum puddings, and shortbread cookies.”

  Wren stopped monitoring the mixer. “Well, he should have thought of that before the last moment.” She shook her head before returning to her position of control. “I swear, I would think a vampire who’s been around as long as he has would know better.”

  “There’s a vampire living in the North Pole?” I asked in total confusion.

  Vale waved at me. “Several, actually. All types of supernatural beings are welcome to live and work here. But Clarence runs Whet Your Wassail at the end of the next block. It’s a typical British pub with all the usual fixings. Plus, he brews some really good beer.”

  “Does he call it Holid-ale?” I joked.

  Several of the elves snickered, and Wren cleared her throat to get everyone back on task. “Could we please stay focused? With the big arrival today, we’re going to be busier than Santa on Christmas Eve.”

  “Actually, that’s the other reason I came back here. I’m getting slammed up front. Can Rory help me?” the half elf asked.

  The owner scowled at her employee over the glasses set at the end of her nose. “Who’s Rory?”

  “That’s me.” I raised my hand and waved it at her.

  Wren looked me up and down. “If it were any other day, I wouldn’t allow it. But since we’ve got to sell as much as possible before we close down for the big event, then I don’t really have a choice. Change out of your dour clothes and wear one of the clean aprons.”

  I bounded up the stairs to the room above, happy to shed my leather jacket and black hoodie as long as I didn’t have to wear another silly costume. Rushing back down to join Vale, I skirted the edges of the kitchen and pushed my way through the swinging door to the front.

  A large group of customers crowded the place, and a line extended from the counter almost out the door. All eyes fell on me, and I ignored the heat rising in my cheeks from all the extra attention.

  “Rory, thank goodness,” Vale exclaimed, handing me a white box. “Fill this with four snowballs, a hot chocolate, and a half a dozen of the Santa’s hats.”

  Panic froze me in place. “I don’t know what any of those things are.”

  My friend reassured me with a quick grin. “Here, I’ll show you.” She pointed at all the different trays of goods. “These cookies dusted with powdered sugar are the snowballs. The hot chocolate isn’t a drink—it’s a dark chocolate brownie with a little chili to spice it up and a toasted marshmallow topping. And these are cheesecake bites.”

  Using some tongs, I picked one up. “Oh, I get it! The strawberry on top with the whipped frosting around the edge makes it look like Santa’s hat.”

  It took me several orders to figure out the names of all the baked goodies, but I finally hit my stride, glad to be able to do something that didn’t require my humiliation and wouldn’t result in my magic going haywire.

  When we came to a lull in customers, Vale pulled out several empty trays from the display case. “I’ll go get more and bring them out. Do you think you can handle things on your own?”

  I flexed my hands, hoping my magic wouldn’t misfire under pressure. “Sure.”

  The bells hanging from the door jingled, and a tall man with brown hair and the greenest eyes I’d ever seen walked in. My breath caught at the sight of him, and his eyes flashed to mine as if he heard me. A different kind of heat rose in my cheeks, and I picked up a nearby towel to wipe down the top of the counter. My entire being hummed in awareness of his slow approach, but I kept my gaze down.

  The man stood for a quiet moment at the front, watching my manic cleaning of a few crumbs. When I dared to glance up at him, he smiled, and it took considerable effort to keep my legs from shaking.

  “Hey there,” his deep voice rumbled. “I don’t think I’ve ever met you before.” He stuck out his large hand. “I’m Wyatt.”

  My mouth opened but no sound came out. I attempted to shake his hand but realized I was wearing gloves to serve the food. Jerking my hand away, I knocked over the stand of flyers with this month’s specials on them. They scattered all over the floor.

  Flustered, I drew in a deep breath and walked around the edge of the counter. The nice guy was already picking some of them up, and I crouched down to retrieve the rest. When I stood up, he handed the sheets of paper back to me, and his fingers brushed over mine. A crackle of energy pulsed between us, and I yanked away from him, afraid I was about to ruin the moment by burning or freezing him.

  “Rory,” I spit out, clutching the flyers to my chest. “I mean, Aurora. My name is Aurora.” I blew a strand of hair out of my face.

  Instead of backing away from the crazy lady in front of him, Wyatt stood his ground. The corners of his perfect lips curled up. “Well, which is it?”

  I got lost focusing on his Southern gentleman accent and manners as well as how my fingers longed to run through his hair and play with the curls at the nape of his neck and missed his question until he chuckled.

  “Hmm? Which is what?”

  “Is your name Rory or Aurora?” he clarified.

  My cheeks flamed, and I scooted around the counter again to put a little distance between me and Mr. McHottie so my brain could function. “Aurora. My name’s Aurora. Hart,” I finished while stacking the flyers back together.

  He tapped his finger over the left side of his chest. “As in heart?”

  “No E,” I explained.

  His grin widened. “Ah, like a deer, then.”

  The bells on the door tinkled again, and an older woman wearing a bulky coat with a matching hat and scarf entered. When she caught sight of me talking to Wyatt, she winked and busied herself with browsing.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Aurora Hart,” the man said, his accent growing just a little deeper. “Looks like you’ve already done a lot of business today.” He tapped the glass of the display case.

  “Oh, there’s definitely more coming out.” I glanced back at the swinging door, wishing for Vale to return with more stuff to give the guy more choices.

  “That’s okay, what I want is right here.” Wyatt stepped a little closer.

  My mouth dropped open again, and I failed to find anything to say. My flirt was definitely broken…if it ever existed in the first place.

  With an expression that mixed mirth with trouble, he tapped his finger on the front of the case. “I’ll definitely take a bear claw.”

  It took me a second to gather my wits. “Oh, right. You want one of the pastries.” I snatched a clean pair of tongs and a piece of parchment paper from the shelf beside me.

  He chuckled, and the rumble of it reverberated through me. “Unless there’s something else you’re offering?”

  Leaning down, I slid the back of the case open. “Which one’s a bear claw?”

  Wyatt crouched down and gazed at me through the window. He pointed at the second shelf. “Those there.”

  I chose the largest one with the most glaze dripping off of it and placed it in a paper bag. Standing straight again, I asked, “Anything else for you?”

  He opened his mouth to say something, but Vale interrupted us when she bumped the swinging door open and dragged a cart with several loaded trays behind her.

  “Oh, hey Wyatt!” she exclaimed with glee when she caught sight of the man at the counter. “I see you’ve met my friend Rory.”

  His left eyebrow raised. “So, it’s Rory, is it?”

  I experienced yet another level of embarrassment heating my cheeks. “Only close friends call me that,” I uttered, handing him the bag.

  Wyatt handed me some money. “Then maybe someday I’ll earn that privilege. It’s good to see you, Vale. Will I be seeing you again soon?”

  “You going to see Santa’s sleigh today?” she asked as she refilled the display case with baked goods.

  He shook his head. “You know where I’ll be. Why don’t you stop by afterwards? And bring your friend so I can get to know her better.” With a quick wink, he took his leave.

  I watched him exit, admiring his backside, still a little flustered. The other customer finally approached the counter, cackling. “Don’t worry, honey. There are plenty of us in town who think Wyatt Berenger’s a tall drink of water. If I were several decades younger and not totally in love with my husband, I might have made some moves on that hunk myself.”

  Vale stopped restocking the shelves. “Ooh, are you interested in Wyatt? I could totally see you two together.” She clapped her hands together with enthusiasm.

  I looked between the two ladies, unable to express the mix of emotions roiling inside of me. “I’m gonna go take a break,” I declared and hightailed it out of there.

  When I entered the kitchen, I found most of the other employees gone. Wren stood at the mixer alone with her back to me. She must not have heard me enter, so I crept around the sides towards the staircase, keeping an eye on her.

  Just when I made it to the first step, I witnessed the owner pull out a small pouch from her pocket. She opened it and slipped her hand inside. After a brief moment, she pulled out some of the contents and sprinkled them into the batter she was mixing. I leaned forward to try to find out what she was adding, but the change in my weight caused the first stair to creak, and she jolted at my presence.

  “Oh, I didn’t hear you come in,” Wren said, closing the pouch and stuffing it back into her pocket.

  I held up my hands, a bad habit from all the times I’d been caught doing something I wasn’t supposed to. “I didn’t mean to intrude. I was just going to take a break. Where’s everybody else?”

  “We’re done with most of the baking today, so I told them they could go ahead and head to the town square for the big event early,” she replied. “I’ll be closing down the front of the shop in about an hour. We’ll sell what we have left out there and call it a day.”

  “Sounds good.” Instead of bolting up the stairs, I changed my mind about taking a break and headed back out to join Vale.

  I couldn’t get what I’d just seen out of my head. What in the world was Wren adding to her mixture?