I gazed at Sarah through the window. She was so smart, hard-working, determined to succeed no matter what it took.
She deserved to keep this store far more than dad deserved the land it sat on. He fought me on this marriage ordeal, and he'd deny our family secrets until his dying breath, but I didn't care.
I would not let him have this shop. I refused to let him hurt Sarah.
“You're a clever guy,” Lana said, albeit begrudgingly. “Isn't there anything we can do?”
I glanced at the passed-out drunk. He was a big man, but that suit looked about my size. Were I to try on his clothes, they'd probably fit me.
“...Asher?”
The solution was all too clear and yet utterly horrifying. Kids were awful, loud and dirty creatures with no manners. The thought of interacting with a horde of them nearly gave me a panic attack.
But if it would save Sarah, then I guessed I'd better get over it.
“Help me undress this idiot,” I said, hurrying to untie his boots.
“What?”
“He's not getting up to play Santa for the kids. You see anyone else around here who could do it?”
It dawned on her what I was up to. She smiled and pulled off his fake beard.
“Y'know, could be I was wrong about you all this time. Maybe you're not as much a dick as I thought.”
“No, I'm a pretty big dick, all right. Not even gonna deny that.”
Especially when it came to protecting the people and things that mattered most. For years, the only thing that truly meant anything to me was building up Slicker Image, then throwing it in dad's face that I could do it better than him.
Now there was Sarah.
It took a lot of effort to get the outfit off, but we finally managed. Lana left me alone to change and went to go find Sarah. I'd told her to keep this a surprise and couldn't wait to see the look on her face.
“I'm about to go through hell,” I said to myself as I strapped on the itchy, smelly beard. “Sure hope she appreciates it.”
Maybe she'd even reward me with another night between the sheets. Mm, yes, totally worth it. With that juicy carrot dangling before me, I gathered my courage and emerged to face the world.
“I'm really sorry, everyone,” Sarah squeaked as she addressed the crowd. “But there's been, um, a little mixup.”
“Where's Santa?” howled a girl.
“Yeah, we want Santa!”
Sarah looked about to cry. Time for me to swoop in for the rescue and be her knight in shining armor.
“Ho, ho, ho!” I used my best deep old-man voice. “Merry Christmas, kids!”
There was an explosion of cheers and a chorus of excited voices as the children plowed past Sarah into the store. She gaped at me, so stunned that she didn't even move when they nearly trampled her beneath their tiny feet.
“Asher?” she mouthed silently.
I just winked and took my seat in Santa's chair. Lana managed to corral the kids into a semblance of a line, and at last, everything looked to be going right.
Except for one thing – I was scared as hell. My only ever interaction with children was dealing with the brats at Slicker Image on hot new toy release day. If I screwed this up...
“It's your turn, darling,” said a mother with a girl no older than five clinging to her leg. “Go on, get in Santa's lap and I'll take your picture.”
The shy girl looked about as terrified as I was. I made myself smile and patted my knee.
“It's okay. Santa doesn't bite,” I assured her. “Why don't you tell me what you'd like for Christmas? I'm sure you've been a very good girl, hmm?”
She nodded and finally climbed into my lap. Her mother proceeded to blind me with her camera's flash.
“I want...” She paused and looked down, speaking so softly I could barely hear her over the crappy DJ. “I just want daddy to come back home.”
Oh, shit.
The mom hadn't heard. She was too busy gossiping with the woman in line behind her. Now what? What did you say to something like that?
“Uh, I'm sure daddy loves you very much. He'll be there on Christmas morning,” I said with a lump in my throat.
She looked up at me hopefully. “You promise?”
Shiiiit.
“Of course I do. Santa knows everything. Now, how about you write daddy a nice letter and ask him to come visit?”
“He doesn't care. He has a new family now.”
Mercifully, the mom whipped around before I had to think of something else to say. She glared at the poor girl and wrenched her away from me.
“That's quite enough of that, Jamie. Let's go.”
“But I didn't get to tell Santa what else I wanted!”
“I said let's go.”
Sarah, bewildered, watched the two of them head out into the parking lot. She looked at me as though I'd chased them off myself.
Didn't have the heart to tell her the truth.
The next one who got in my lap was a belligerent boy who yanked hard on my beard.
“This doesn't feel real,” he said with a sneer.
“Oh yeah? Santa doesn't deliver presents to kids who don't believe, you know.”
He grumbled and pulled a list out of his pocket with dozens of items on it.
“Whatever. This is what I want. Drop it off at one-zero-three Minstrel Street, and don't be late.”
He thrust the scrap into my hand. Before I could admonish the kid for being a little shit, he hopped off my lap and was gone.
If it hadn't been for Sarah watching me, I would have quit right then. But she was smiling. Happy. Had I made her happy?
I ignored the feelings swelling in me as yet another child was put on
