I glanced up at her, guilt eating my insides raw. “You don’t know everything about my past.”

  “But I know who you are right now. And my friend Rory isn’t someone who would steal the sleigh.” She nodded with more confidence. “Besides, even if you had, what would you have done with it? It’s not exactly something that’s easy to hide.”

  That little tidbit did cheer me up a tiny bit. “True. It’s not like I could park it out back of our cabin and pass it off as a recent purchase.”

  “Right?” Vale glanced at the customers lingering at the table of the stall. “Listen, why don’t you head back to the bakery and tell Ms. Wren that you need the rest of the day off?”

  I didn’t think going back home and stewing by myself would do me any good. “No. I think I can muster enough strength to make it, even in this ridiculous outfit.”

  My friend giggled. “Yeah, the new costumes Ms. Wren picked up on her trip to the North Pole city center didn’t get any better.”

  I loaded the tray with more samples and headed back out to face the curious crowds. Even though I still needed the holes in my memory filled in, I no longer worried about my involvement in the sleigh’s disappearance. And although I noticed more than a few glances and stares in my direction, I ignored the whispers and kept my head held high.

  Vale insisted I accompany her home for dinner after the end of an exhausting workday. We walked past the last of the storefronts towards a large red structure looming ahead. On the right side of the building stood a Christmas tree lot with lights strung above it and wreaths hung on the small fence that encircled the area.

  My friend waved at the short young man with pointy ears tying a tree to a customer’s sled. “Hiya, Crispy.” She leaned in closer to me and whispered, “Crispin’s my cousin on my mom’s side.”

  After ensuring that the tree was secure, Vale’s cousin stood up straight, and I noticed the considerable height difference between the two family members. “Hey, Valey Girl,” Crispin joked, straightening his knitted green-and-red cap on his head. “Who’s the newbie?”

  Vale tugged me closer to her and wrapped an arm around my waist. “This is Rory, my friend. So, you have to be nice to her.”

  The young man smiled in earnest. “Any friend of my cousin is okay with me.” He shook my hand in his strong grip.

  “I thought I saw trees being sold at St. Nick-Nacks,” I observed.

  Crispin nodded. “Mr. Cratchit gets his supply of real trees from me and then decorates them before they’re delivered. But if people want to do things on their own, they come straight to the source.”

  I nodded in appreciation of his enthusiasm. “So, did you sell many trees today?”

  Crispin perked up. “Business has been pretty brisk, but then again, around here, people decorate their trees all year round. Just sold a gorgeous six-footer balsam fir. That baby’s gonna smell so good once they set it up.”

  I chuckled at his description. “Sounds like you love what you do.”

  “Oh, you have no idea.” Vale’s cousin practically danced as he waxed lyrically. “Being the one who gets to help others bring a little joy into their homes is a true privilege.” He narrowed his eyes at me. “Speaking of, what kind do you have at your place?”

  “Um…none?” I cringed a little when his mouth gaped at my answer.

  Crispin perked up and crooked a finger at me. “Have no fear, I’m sure I’ve got exactly what you need. And since you’re my cousin’s friend, I’ll give you the family discount.”

  I hesitated. “Well, you see, I’ve got this roommate, and it’s really not fair for me to go and get a tree without him having a say,” I rambled, hoping not to have to break the guy’s heart.

  Vale came to my rescue. “Crispy, leave Rory alone. She’ll get one when she wants to. You coming to dinner with us?”

  Her cousin shook his head. “Not tonight. Gotta finish up here and then I’ve got to cover a shift at the Merry Mart.”

  “Tell you what, I’ll pack you some food to go. Wouldn’t want you to go hungry.” Vale poked Crispin in his stomach before giving him a hug.

  Vale turned to face the red building of the Gingerbread General Store. The white-framed windows featured tiny wreaths hung in the middle with candles flickering from inside. Greenery hung from the white porch railing with red bows tied around every pillar.

  “Come on, let’s go upstairs,” my friend said, climbing the stairs and holding open the door for some exiting customers.

  I followed Vale’s lead and stomped on the doormat to remove as much snow as possible before stepping in all the way. Rows of stocked goods filled the expansive room on either side of the main thoroughfare. I expected most of the items to be food, but found clothing, tools, and other non-edible stuff displayed on the shelves.

  “Papa? You here?” Vale called out.

  A short man with a long white beard appeared at the end of the row. “There’s my girl! How was your day?” He rushed over and gave her a big squeeze.

  I smiled at their familial greeting, my heart squeezing a little at what I’d missed out on in my life.

  “Everyone’s been focused on the disappearance of Santa’s sleigh,” his daughter replied.

  He nodded. “Here, too. It’s all anyone can talk about.” Her father rubbed his hands together. “Now, this must be the famous Rory Hart you’ve been telling us about.”

  My cheeks heated a little. “Oh no.”

  Vale’s father put an arm around his daughter. “Don’t worry, everything she’s told us has been good. And I’m glad to see her smile more now and actually look forward to her job rather than dreading it.”

  “She does?” I asked, glancing at my embarrassed friend. “Well, at least she’s spared the burden of wearing the costumes.”

  “What costumes?” he asked.

  Vale grabbed my hand and dragged me away. “We’ll tell you at dinner, Papa.”

  She navigated through the rows of goods and led me to a stairway at the back of the building. I tried to read all the labels and take in the different items as we passed.

  “There’s a lot of stuff here,” I said.

  My friend walked up the staircase. “Papa’s motto is if you see it, get it. If we don’t have it, we can get it. I meant to tell you that we’re the ones who supply Wyatt with his coffee grounds.”

  I stopped moving right before we reached a red door. “No way.”

  Vale giggled. “I’ll have him double his order next time. Or maybe I shouldn’t so that you have to go to the Break Room and let Wyatt make you some.” She opened the door wide. “Welcome to our home.”

  A fire roared in the nearby fireplace giving off a warm glow over the comfortable furniture set around the hearth. A tree, no doubt from Crispy’s lot, stood in the corner with strings of popcorn and cranberries crisscrossing over the dark green surface. Multiple colored lights twinkled all over, sparkling off of the shiny ornaments hung from the branches.

  A woman taller than me and wearing an apron exited the kitchen. “Aw, Vale, I was wondering when you would get here.” She hugged her before giving me an embrace as well. “You are more than welcome in our home, Rory.”

  I stiffened in her embrace, unsure of what to do. “Thank you,” I muttered, my hands still at my sides.

  She let me go. “I assume my daughter has introduced you to my husband, Jingle. I’m Aster Sugarplum. I got a little behind with all the extra attention our town is getting right now, so I hope you’re okay with some simple spaghetti and meatballs.”

  “Oh, I’ll be happy with whatever you serve. Thank you for having me over,” I gushed.

  Vale’s mother invited both of us into the kitchen to watch as she finished prepping the meal. “I barely had time to throw the sauce in the slow cooker. I swear, nothing brings in more people than a scandal.”

  “The market was packed with people today wanting to look at the spot where it disappeared,” added my friend. “Rory heard lots of different theories.”

  Aster stirred the sauce and started adding in the meatballs. “Ooh, like what?”

  I kept the thinly veiled contempt of that Pearl woman to myself. “That someone sold it and stripped it for parts. That some kids must have gotten it and taken it for a joyride. But mostly, everyone wanted to know how in the world whoever did it got past the security team.”

  My friend’s mother lifted her eyebrows. “I’ve been wondering that myself. Makes me think that some form of magic had to have been involved. Because that vehicle would have been warded beyond belief to keep it safe.”

  “Someone who has magic.” Vale tapped her finger against her lips as if deep in thought. “Well, that only leaves…just about everyone in Holiday Haven.”

  “Not necessarily,” her mother countered. “Whoever did it had to be able to wield pretty big magic.”

  That left me out of the running. At best, my broken magic might have only set the sleigh on fire or cast it in a block of ice. Relieved, I allowed myself to relax a little.

  “I don’t know about you two, but I’ve had enough talk about the sleigh. Vale, why don’t you and Rory set the table? Your father will come up when he can, but he wouldn’t want you to go hungry waiting for him,” Aster instructed.

  I stuffed my face with the delicious food, observing the banter between my friend and her parents. As a child, I had dreamed about what a family must be like, even spying through windows at some of my lowest points. To be included with Vale’s family gave me a taste of something I’d longed for all my life.

  I willed the tears welling in my eyes to stay put and focused on eating rather than the brokenhearted kid inside of me. I couldn’t fix my past, but I could enjoy my present.

  “I’m afraid I don’t have anything to offer for dessert other than some leftover white chocolate and raspberry cheesecake,” Aster said as she finished taking the dishes into the kitchen at the end of the meal.

  “That’s okay, Rory doesn’t like a whole lot of sweets,” Vale explained.

  “Except your chocolate and raspberry truffles. Those are amazing, and I bet you have other combinations I’d like,” I said, glad I could brag about my friend to her parents.

  “Our Vale has always had a gift with candy making. I told her we could sell it here for her,” Jingle said, stroking his long beard.

  “Papa, I told you before, if I’m going to do it properly, I want to do it on my own.” Vale sat back in her chair and crossed her arms. “I don’t want to be seen as just your daughter anymore.”

  Her mother approached her daughter from behind and kissed the top of her head. “Your father and I just want to see you doing something you love. The whole world should have a chance to buy what you make.”

  A loud banging on the door interrupted the conversation, and Vale’s father pushed his chair back and stood. “I wonder if there’s a problem downstairs. I left Winkle in charge.”

  Loud voices echoed from the living room, and we all got up from the table to see the cause of the commotion. I followed Vale and her mother but stopped moving when Aster held up her hand in warning. Sneaking closer, I peeked around the edge of the room to spy on things.

  “Mr. Sugarplum, I’m sure you’re aware that harboring a fugitive is against the law,” the elf in charge stated.

  Vale’s father stood as straight as possible, towering a full inch taller than the unpleasant outsider. “And I’d like to know who you’re accusing of being a fugitive. Buzzy, surely you’re not cooperating with this nonsense.”

  A tall, thin man wearing a dark green uniform took off his cap and scratched his bald head. “Well, I don’t rightly know, to be honest. It’s not like I get a lot of business down at the station. We’ve never had this kind of action in Holiday Haven before.”

  “Which is why I’m taking charge,” the angry elf stated, stepping forward. He barked out, “Aurora Hart, you have been seen entering the premises. It will go better for you if you come quietly. Otherwise, we will assume everyone here is an accomplice and will also be charged.”

  “Wait now, Topper, nobody said anything about bringing formal charges. You said all you wanted to do was round up all those in town who are serving or have served probation in town to question them,” the local lawman said.

  “Deputy Buzz—” The authoritative elf took off his sunglasses, folded them, and put them in the front pocket of his crisp shirt. “I’m afraid you are not equipped to comprehend the serious nature of the crime that happened on your watch. Santa’s sleigh is gone. And it didn’t just poof out of existence. Someone must have done something with it, and as head of security, it’s my duty to find out who as head of security.”

  I stepped out into view. “I’m here,” I volunteered. “There’s no need to do anything to the Sugarplums.”

  Topper grinned, high on his victory. “Please step forward, Ms. Hart.”

  “Mama, do something,” Vale hissed, tugging on her mother’s sleeve.

  “Oh, I intend to. Nothing about how you have conducted yourself here nor what you are doing will be tolerated,” Aster said in a firm tone that sent shivers down my spine.

  With my head hung down in abject shame, I presented myself to the authorities. I held my wrists up for them to bind.

  “If you’re coming peacefully, then I see no reason to handcuff you, miss,” Deputy Buzz said, offering me a weak smile.

  “She’s a known criminal,” Topper countered. “I wouldn’t trust her not to try something.”

  Vale’s father stepped forward to intervene. “That’s enough talk like that. Unless you have definitive proof of wrongdoings, I suggest you treat her with respect. Especially when you’re standing in my home and store.”

  I turned to face my friend and her family. “I’m sorry for causing you any trouble.”

  Vale sniffed as tears rolled down her cheeks, and her mother placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, Rory. I will make some calls, and we’ll get this straightened out in a jiffy.”

  Without another word, I let the kinder of the two authority figures lead the way. My heart sank like an anchor in the ocean. I realized that no matter how many positive steps I took forward, my past would always drag me back down.

  Chapter Six

  “I’m sorry, we don’t have any other places to put you all,” Deputy Buzzy apologized as he unlocked the single jail cell. He gestured for me to enter.

  Instead of a drab, dank hole of a room with minimal furnishings, I found Wyatt and Amos sitting in rocking chairs with their legs crossed, drinking something hot out of steaming mugs.

  The older man snorted and smacked the bar owner on his arm. “Told you they’d drag her into this mess. You owe me a case of moonshine.”

  Wyatt got out of his chair. “Glad to see they didn’t put you in handcuffs. Buzzy, how about a drink for the lady.”

  The confused deputy closed the door behind me and locked it. “Well, I don’t know about that. The head elf of security is pretty unhappy already that we don’t have a starker environment for you to stew in.”

  I turned to face him. “I don’t get it. Why are we all here? Are we actually under arrest?”

  Deputy Buzzy whipped off his hat again and held it under his arm while he ran his hand over his bare head. “Hard to say. All I was told was that you were the first suspects in the theft of the sleigh.”

  Amos rocked harder in his chair. “Doesn’t matter that they don’t have a lick of evidence that any of us had anything to do with it. No, we’re judged by our past alone.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” Nutty agreed, hopping down from the window filled with bars. He scampered over and climbed to the top of Wyatt’s chair, balancing on top of it. “We can’t catch a break.”

  I stared back at the other three. “At least you’ve been here long enough for others to vouch for your character. I’ve been here less than a month. And I’m serving probation for charges of larceny.”

  “Ah, so that was your flavor of crime.” Amos smiled. “Looks like we have a few things in common. If my Mabel were alive, you better believe my bitter behind wouldn’t be sitting here now. Because I would have been nowhere near the rest of you last night.”

  I turned to face him. “What exactly did happen? I mean, they must have a reason as to why they think we did this.”

  “Well, we did go down to the town square to take a closer look at the sleigh,” Wyatt said, grimacing.

  “We did?” I didn’t remember anything past falling off one of the stools at the Break Room.

  Nutty jumped down into Wyatt’s lap and stood on the big guy’s knee. “Uh-huh, and we traded them some moonshine for a picture.”

  I smacked my face. “Of course, only we stupid few would create our own evidence against us.”

  “Not evidence.” My roommate frowned. “All it proves is that we were by the sleigh. Doesn’t mean we took it.”

  Wyatt pulled out his spell phone and pulled up the pictures. “Here. This is about as wild as we got.”

  I looked through a couple of the photos. It took me a second to recognize the absolute joy on my face as I found myself surrounded by an odd ragtag group of reprobates posing with silly faces and fingers pointing in a V behind each other’s heads. All except Vale, who stood in front with the biggest grin on her face in every single shot, especially when she was squished next to me.

  I zoomed in on my face, a little jealous that I couldn’t remember feeling the happiness the picture had captured. Of course, we could all have been influenced by whatever spirit the sleigh exuded, so maybe it wasn’t authentic anyway.

  “Nutty, I don’t see you in all of these. Where did you end up?” I asked.

  The squirrel’s whiskers twitched. “Sitting in the driver’s seat. Man, that baby’s cushy.” He twirled around and stuck out his little behind, shaking his booty and tail at me for all it was worth.

  Amos snorted again. “Those nutshells they found didn’t help our case when we tried to convince the head elf of security that we didn’t do anything else.”