As they followed the sign pointing to the administration office, Krista didn’t see any visible security. There’d been no guard at the door, no one checking bags.

  “I’m surprised you don’t have more security,” Krista said to the receptionist as she signed in at the front desk.

  The receptionist laughed. “In a town this small? Trust me, everyone knows everyone here. If I noticed anything out of order, we’d have the police here in two minutes. The station is only four blocks away.”

  “Oh.” Krista nodded. “That sounds pretty secure.”

  The receptionist directed Krista and Emily to Principal Richards’ office, where they were met by a gray-haired woman with kind gray eyes.

  “Welcome to Roosevelt,” she told Emily. “Miss Willis is our third grade teacher. I think you’ll like her.” Then, as an office helper escorted Emily to her classroom, Krista filled out the necessary paperwork and signed some forms.

  “Emily’s records are already in our system,” Mrs. Richards said as Krista handed her the paperwork. “I hope you and Emily will like our little town.”

  “We only arrived yesterday, but we already like it.” Krista explained about watching the house moving last night. “It was a charming snippet of small-town life.”

  “Wasn’t that exciting!” Mrs. Richards’ eyes lit up. “My husband and I watched the whole thing.”

  Krista suddenly remembered something. “Isn’t the mayor’s name Richards too? Is he related to you?”

  “Yes. That’s my husband, Barry. You’ll probably meet him today.”

  “So it was your family that donated the lot for the Christmas House.”

  She nodded. “It’s such a fun little project. We all love Christmasville, and the house contest makes it even more exciting this year.”

  “I’ve been hearing a lot about Christmasville. It sounds like a big event.”

  “Oh, yes. The biggest event of the year.” She chuckled. “And don’t tell Emily this, but Barry and I have a special role during Christmasville.” She lowered her voice. “Mr. and Mrs. Claus.”

  “Really?” Krista feigned enthusiasm. “That must be fun.”

  “We’re not the only ones playing Santa. Several of us old-timers don the costumes. But Barry and I have the privilege of performing our roles during the parade as well as opening night of Christmasville.”

  “Opening night?”

  “Yes. It’s always on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The parade is early in the day and the opening night is the same evening. Then Christmasville is open right up until Christmas Eve, when we have another big celebration. Oh, it’s a busy time, but so worthwhile. The children absolutely love it. Well, everyone does.”

  Krista glanced at the calendar behind Mrs. Richards’ desk. “So . . . the Christmasville opening is less than two weeks away.”

  “A very busy two weeks. Which probably means you’ll have a lot to do as our new city manager.” Mrs. Richards checked her watch. “Now, don’t let me keep you from getting over to City Hall. I’m sure everyone there is excitedly awaiting your arrival.” She patted Krista on the shoulder. “And don’t worry about Emily, I’m sure she’ll be just fine. We’ve already assigned her an elf buddy.”

  “An elf buddy?”

  “That’s a classmate who will help Emily find her way around the school and fit into our routines.” Mrs. Richards winked. “Laurel Myers is an absolute darling.”

  “Oh, that’s nice to hear.” Krista thanked her and, feeling assured of Emily’s welfare, excused herself. Hopefully she’d fare as well at City Hall. Maybe they would assign her an elf buddy too.

  As Krista walked the few blocks to City Hall, she was impressed by the quaint town. Old-fashioned buildings, iron lampposts, sidewalks paved like cobblestones. It was absolutely charming. Like Emily had said earlier, it was similar to a picture book. And she could see how this town would easily lend itself to a celebration like Christmasville. Naturally, this only made her earlier apprehensions return. Perhaps she really was the wrong choice for this job.

  And if Principal Richards’ insinuations were correct about Krista’s role as city manager, some other things were starting to make sense. After the position had been offered to her in late October, Krista had suggested she step into the position after the New Year. But the committee had insisted she give her notice to the City of Phoenix and make the transition as quickly as possible. The eagerness of the committee now suggested Krista might have responsibilities for Christmasville. But was that fair? Was it ethical to expect a city manager to deal with an event that obviously took place in off-hours and outside of the workplace?

  The first thing Krista noticed on the City Hall building was how the windows of the first floor were covered in red and green paper with colorful signs stating FUTURE HOME OF CHRISTMASVILLE. Of course, there was also a smaller sign saying OFFICE SPACE FOR LEASE. It appeared the city had their priorities firmly set. Christmasville was more important than potential city revenue. Interesting.

  As she rode the elevator to the third floor, Krista considered the contract she’d signed a few weeks ago. Nothing had appeared out of the ordinary. In fact, it had been a rather simple and straightforward agreement. According to her job description, she’d be doing the usual things—supervising day-to-day operations of city departments, overseeing staff and department heads. She’d have some responsibilities over the city budget and act as advisor to the city council and mayor, as well as a liaison with Winter Hill citizens. Normal expectations for a small-town city manager. Nothing in the contract had assigned, described, or attached any city managerial responsibilities to Christmasville. She would have noticed that!

  As Krista stepped out of the elevator, an older woman greeted her. “You must be Krista Galloway.” She stuck out her hand with a wide smile. “I’m Pauline Harris—your assistant.”

  Krista shook her hand, unsure how she felt about having an older woman for an assistant. “I’m pleased to meet you, Ms. Harris.”

  “Oh, please, call me Pauline. After all, we’ll be working closely together.”

  “Thank you.” Krista resisted the urge to have Pauline call her by her first name. Not yet anyway. Not until she established herself here.

  “Did you get moved in okay?” Pauline led her over to the reception area.

  “Yes. Thank you for sending your son and granddaughter to help us. We couldn’t have done it without them. They took us to see the house moving. Quite an evening.” She unbuttoned her coat and unwound her scarf.

  “Oh, wasn’t that fun? I was there too. For part of it anyway. But it got so cold, I left early. I assume it all got put into place okay. Otherwise, I’m sure we’d have heard something by now.”

  “Hello, hello.” A round-faced man with curly gray hair approached them.

  “This is Mayor Richards,” Pauline told Krista.

  “Pleased to meet you, Ms. Galloway.” The mayor frowned ever so slightly as he shook her hand. “But . . . you’re younger than I recalled.”

  She forced a smile, giving him a brief yet impressive description of her experience. “Although I suspect the City of Phoenix’s challenges are more complicated than Winter Hill’s, I believe working side by side with a city manager of such a large cosmopolitan metropolis was excellent training ground for me. Besides my work experience, my bachelor’s degree is in business management and my master’s is in public administration—and I don’t like to brag, but I graduated in the top ten percent of my class.”

  “Well, then I’m sure we’re fortunate to have you, Ms. Galloway. Welcome aboard.” He turned to Pauline. “Are we still meeting at ten?”

  She nodded. “Yes. I was just printing out the agenda. Would you like to give Ms. Galloway the two-bit tour?”

  “Be glad to.”

  “Why don’t I take your coat and things,” Pauline offered.

  Krista handed them off to her.

  “And we’ll catch up with you in the conference room.” He nodded toward a nearby hall. “How about if we get some coffee first?” He led her to the staff room where she met a couple of employees and the mayor presented her with a cup of coffee in a Christmasville mug—of course!

  As they strolled along, the mayor slowed down to point out various photos and posters displayed along the walls. Most were related to Christmasville. He also paused to introduce her to various city employees, including a custodian and a pair of outdoor maintenance men. Then he took her down to the second floor. As he showed her a large display outside the library, depicting the history of Christmasville, which was celebrating its tenth year, she told him about meeting his wife at the school. “She was a lovely person. I know my little girl is in good hands.”

  “Yes, Lydia is a saint. Never saw anyone who loves kids like her.” He winked at her. “Probably why she makes such a good Mrs. Claus.”

  “And I hear you are Mr. Claus,” Krista said.

  “Yes. Lydia had to twist my arm at first. But we’ve been doing it for the past ten years and it’s turned into a most enjoyable privilege.”

  “It sounds as if the whole town gets into the act.”

  “Oh, yes. It takes a village to raise a Christmasville.” He chortled as they rode the elevator back up. “But it’s a lot of fun.” As they emerged on the third floor, he paused to introduce her to a man in a sharp-looking dark suit. “This is Byron Peters, our city attorney. His office is down on the first floor. That’s where the police station used to be, but they just relocated to a new building over on Fifth Street.”

  “So far, it’s only me down in the lonely, deserted dungeon,” the attorney told her.

  “I noticed it appeared primarily vacant,” she said.

  “Not for long,” the mayor assured her. “Santa and all his associates will soon fill those spaces.”

  “I don’t imagine the city charges them rent.” She tried to sound light.

  “Maybe they could pay in cookies and toys,” the mayor teased.

  “Pleased to meet you, Ms. Galloway.” Mr. Peters politely tipped his head. “I’ll see you both at the meeting later.”

  “What is this morning’s meeting about?” Krista asked the mayor as they continued along. She assumed it was to introduce her but wanted to be sure.

  “Christmasville, of course. It’s right around the corner.”

  “Oh? I’m surprised the city attorney needs to attend a meeting like that.” She frowned. “Is it because there are legal issues involved? Concerns of lawsuit?”

  “No, no.” He laughed. “It’s because Byron runs Santa’s toy shop. Naturally, he has to be at the meeting.”

  Krista had to bite her tongue. Was the mayor actually suggesting that the city paid their attorney to run Santa’s toy shop? What on earth was going on here? It looked like everyone in this town was obsessed with Christmasville. Still, she knew it was premature to question them on this. Observation first, determination later. A good city manager knows when to keep quiet and when to speak. A good city manager is diplomatic, optimistic, and a good team player. Her job was not to take over, but to help others to succeed. She could do this. She could.

  4

  The mayor was just winding up Krista’s two-bit tour and about to take her to her new office when he suddenly appeared nervous. “Uh-oh,” he muttered under his breath. “I guess it’s too late now.”

  “Too late for what?” she quietly asked.

  “To avoid something unpleasant.” He lowered his voice. “That, uh, that’s Winston Palmer down the hall.”

  She studied the slight man in the gray suit, walking toward them. He appeared harmless enough.

  “He was the other applicant for the city manager position,” the mayor whispered.

  “Oh.” As Winston Palmer got closer, she could see he was older. Perhaps in his fifties, or perhaps just prematurely bald. And he wasn’t much taller than her.

  Mayor Richards smiled as he greeted him, politely introducing them. “And Winston is the city’s chief financial officer.”

  Winston’s lips curved slightly, but his eyes looked chilly as he limply shook her hand. “Pleased to meet you, Ms. Galloway.”

  “And you too. How long have you worked for the city?” she asked pleasantly.

  “Twenty-nine years,” he answered stiffly.

  “That’s very impressive.” She nodded, her smile fixed.

  “Yes, and I’ve been around long enough to know the ins and outs of our town.” His eyes narrowed slightly. “Long enough to know that Winter Hill does not need a city manager.”

  “Oh?” She felt her brows arch and regretted it.

  “It’s nothing personal, Ms. Galloway. But it’s no secret that I opposed the idea of hiring a city manager. I had even offered to act as manager myself, meanwhile continuing as CFO—without a raise.” He scowled at the mayor. “But the committee turned me down. I guess they don’t care about fiscal savings or keeping the city out of the red.”

  “Or perhaps they didn’t want to impose on your generosity, Mr. Palmer. The chief financial officer has enough responsibilities without adding the pressures of general management to his load. I should think you’d be relieved.”

  He made a noise that sounded like “harrumph,” then mumbled something about the ten o’clock meeting and continued on his way.

  “Well said,” the mayor quietly told her. “Looks like you really do have what it takes to be city manager.” He glanced over his shoulder. “But be forewarned, Ms. Galloway. Winston Palmer will be your biggest adversary here. If I had my way, we’d send him packing. But I’m only the mayor. And Winston’s roots in this town are deep.”

  “Does Mr. Palmer perform his job well?” she asked.

  “Apparently he balances the budget. At least he claims to.” The mayor rubbed his chin. “Truth be told, I sometimes wonder if anyone is really paying that much attention. When I get my copy of the yearly budget, I attempt to decipher it, but the fact is I can hardly make heads or tails of all those pages of columns and figures. Frankly it puts me to sleep faster than a hot toddy on a cold winter night.”

  She chuckled as she pulled out her phone, opening the notepad. “Well, that’s just one more reason for a city manager. I’ll add this to my to-do list and make it a priority to review last year’s budget. Thank you for your insight, Mayor Richards.”

  “Good for you, Ms. Galloway. I suspect we really do need you here.” He peered closely at her. “Do you prefer to be addressed formally? Because I don’t mind if you just call me Barry. Or Mayor Barry if you prefer. Or Santa, when the time is right.” He chuckled loudly and Krista could almost imagine him dressed up as the jolly old Saint Nick.

  She considered his question. So far, the mayor appeared genuine, friendly, and helpful. “I don’t mind if you call me Krista,” she quietly confessed. “Although I’m not ready for everyone to take such liberties. Not just yet.”

  “I understand. And I suspect the staffers will mind their manners, attempting to be on their best behavior for our new city manager.”

  “I do have a question about one staffer.” She glanced around to be sure no one could hear her. “About the CFO . . . I’m curious—what sort of role does Mr. Palmer play in Christmasville?”

  Mayor Barry’s cheery countenance faded. “Between you and me, he’d make an excellent Scrooge. He hates Christmasville.”

  She repressed the urge to chuckle at the idea of Winston Palmer dressed like Ebenezer Scrooge. And then she realized that she could probably relate to the CFO’s disapproval of Christmasville . . . and it did not feel good.

  “I’m surprised Winston doesn’t go around saying bah humbug all the time.” The mayor shook his head. “Winston is convinced that Christmasville is a complete waste of time and energy, and worst of all, a waste of city funds. But you’ll be hearing all about that before long. Fortunately Winston is a minority. A minority of one.”

  “Interesting.” Hopefully she wouldn’t make that two.

  “Well, it’s nearly ten,” Mayor Barry announced as he pointed her toward a pair of double doors. “This is your office. Pauline gave me a sneak peek last week. They fixed it up really nice for you.” He pointed down the hall. “And you saw where the conference room is located. So I’ll leave you to it.”

  She thanked him and then, with her Christmasville coffee mug still in hand, went into the office. To her pleasant surprise, it was a corner office with windows looking out over what appeared to be the city park. The pale carpet felt new and the walls and wainscot appeared freshly painted. Her desk was large and attractive, the leather guest chairs looked comfortable, and there was even a console complete with a coffee station and a mini fridge stocked with water, soda, and juice. But the fly in the ointment was the décor. Nine large colorful posters of the previous Christmasville celebrations adorned most of the wall space. Oh, they were handsomely matted and framed, but she assumed they were expected to hang there year-round. Would she ever be able to escape Christmasville?

  She refilled her green-and-red coffee mug. Then, with a notepad and pen in hand, she proceeded to the conference room. She hoped they didn’t expect her to chair today’s meeting, but she braced herself for this possibility. She would simply lead by asking questions and gleaning information. Hopefully they had another plan.

  As everyone got settled in the conference room, which not surprisingly was decorated with yet more Christmasville memorabilia, Krista was grateful that Mayor Barry appeared to be chairing this meeting. She knew different cities handled responsibilities and leadership in various ways, and she also knew that Mayor Barry’s position was unpaid, but as he called the room to order, he was clearly the respected leader here.

  First on his agenda was to introduce the new city manager. And either he’d carefully listened to her earlier or he’d done some independent research, because it was a decent introduction. So much so that she felt no need to mention any of her professional accomplishments or add to his summary. Instead, she simply thanked them for hiring her and told them how impressed she was with Winter Hill.