Shaking my head, I walk over to the door before we find ourselves with our lips locked and pawing at each other. “I’ll come get you when we’re ready for you. All you have to do is ask each child their name, what they want for Christmas, whether they’ve been good or not… you know the drill. Then I’ll pass you a present to give to them as an early Christmas gift and that’s it.”

He pushes a hand through his hair. “All right, I can handle that.”

“If you have any problems with the suit, text me. I’ll come in here as soon as I can step away.”

He nods. “Got it.”

“And thank you. I really appreciate it.”

His face softens, and I hope that’s because he sees how appreciative I am to him for stepping in to help. A soft smile creases the corner of his lips. “Anything for you.”

I give him a smile of my own and leave the room in disbelief at how lucky I am to have found this man and have him in my life. It’s a Christmas miracle.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Andrew

I cannot believe I’m going through with this. I look beyond ridiculous. There’s no way these kids are going to believe I’m Santa. I feel like a phony.

There’s a soft knock on the door, then Kenzie peeks her head in. I can tell she’s trying not to laugh. Her blue eyes flicker with amusement and she presses her lips together as though she’s trying not to lose it.

I point at her. “Not a word.”

She raises her hands as though she would never, but it’s so obvious she’s about three seconds away from busting a gut. “We’re ready for you, Santa. The kids are very excited.”

I point at her. “Elf costume. Don’t forget.”

“I wouldn’t dare.”

She leads me out of the room and back into the enormous living area the owner, Enzo, led me through earlier. I do a quick survey of the room and find six adults a little older than me, who I assume are the parents of all the dressed-up kids running around like maniacs. There are also some older people who must be the grandparents of the little ones.

The entire group turns their attention to me and looks at me expectantly. Showtime.

I place my hand on my fake belly and lower my voice. “Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas.”

“Santa!” one of the kids screams, and they all rush over to me, circling my legs.

I sneak a glance at Kenzie, who’s standing off to the side with a smile.

“Santa! I want to talk to you first,” one of the little boys says.

“Let’s let Santa take his seat first, Mateo, then we can figure out who goes first,” the pregnant woman says.