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CHAPTER 1

Gads! How did she ever let her father talk her into playing an elf for his lodge's breakfast with Santa? Dressing like a tiny elf at her age was just going outside her comfort zone.

Katelyn Sullivan sat at her old dressing table at her mother's house. She leaned in toward the mirror and applied the final touches of heavy makeup. Santa's elves needed to be bright, colorful, and chipper at Christmastime. And this was a well-attended, annual occasion the Lobster Cove Lodge put on the first Sunday in December. Breakfast with Santa was one of the big hits of the season. She sighed, leaned in closer to the mirror to check for flaws. The big splash of deep rose-tinted rouge was perfect. She'd lined her eyes in black, and swiped her lashes with a darker shade of mascara, which made them look two times longer than they really were. Her hair was too thick for a ponytail, so she wound it up into a top-knot and plopped the green felt elf cap on top of her head. Great! The ridiculous outfit with red tights they had given her to wear made her legs look too long and too skinny. She tugged at the hemline. Thankfully, the tights covered her bottom sufficiently, because the green skirt was so short there was no bending over without revealing everything. The tassels on her pointed olive colored shoes were also a joke. Her five-five stature was simply too tall to pull it off. She was definitely going outside her comfort zone, even though it was for a worthy cause.

Way outside that particular comfort zone.

It was a good thing her fiancé, Sven Olson, had flown to Norway with his parents to attend his grandparent's fiftieth wedding anniversary celebration. He wouldn't see her dressed like a ridiculous grown elf that looked more like a circus clown. She could only imagine his reactions, not being one who liked to draw attention to himself. She crossed her fingers no one would snap pictures of her and show them to him when he returned. She'd be mortified. It was one thing to entertain the kids in the community, another to be ridiculed by her fiancé.

"Gads! I do look more like a twenty-six-year-old clown," Katelyn told the elf staring back in the mirror. She sighed, hung her head, twirled around on her toes, and headed out the door. If her mother laughed just once, she was going to run back upstairs and hide in her childhood closet for the rest of the day — she didn't care how childish she acted.

"Oh, Katelyn, honey. Don't you look cute? The children will love you dressed in that adorable costume. Why, I bet you'll be the best dressed elf there."

Her mother's words didn't appease her doubts one bit. She didn't look cute. She certainly wouldn't have used the word adorable to describe this getup.

"I look like a moron at one of those old-time carnivals where everyone pays to peek at the freak."

"You do not. Honey, you'll have fun with the kids, as usual, and before you know it, you'll forget you're dressed as an elf."

"How do you know? Did Dad ever make you dress like an elf?"

"That's beside the point, my dear." Her mother waved her hands in the air, then reached for Katelyn's arm and dragged her toward the kitchen. "Now, listen. I've made two blueberry pies for the pie sale. Be sure to give them to Mrs. Rauch. She'll need to price them along with the other pies. This is always the lodge's auxiliary's biggest sale of the year. I've put them in the pie carrier so it will be easier to transport. Be sure to bring it back home at the end of the day."

Her mom was always baking something for one function or another, not to mention just to have something on hand if friends stopped by for tea, someone died, or if someone was in need. As busy as owning Mariner's Fish Fry restaurant kept her mother, Katelyn didn't know when she had time to bake. Dawn Sullivan spent more time in the kitchen than bakers at the local bakery, especially during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season. Katelyn sighed as her mother took her reindeer apron off and hung it over the chair.

"I'm going to the restaurant early this morning and start baking for the Sunday crowd."

If she didn't hold back eating her mother's baked goods and watch her calorie intake, she was going to have to enroll in an exercise program in order to keep the pounds off. She needed to keep in shape for when Sven finally agreed on a wedding date. She wanted to look spectacular in her wedding gown — the one she hadn't bought yet. She'd drooled over the lovely display Kelly Andrews always had in the window at Wedded Bliss every time she passed by. One day soon she was going to stop in and try on gowns, maybe even have Kelly plan her wedding.

Katelyn had always enjoyed participating in community projects when she was a teenager, especially if they involved children. Part of the high school's community credit curriculum was to volunteer at a local food pantry, children's programs, or various other outreach programs. This year, her father had roped her into working at his lodge's annual Breakfast with Santa event — a special event where children got to enjoy a free breakfast with Santa. Her mother was right — she enjoyed watching the young and young-at-heart sit on Santa's lap while they told him what they wanted for Christmas. It gave her pleasure to watch their eyes open in awe and sparkle with merriment. Santa had gifts for everyone brave enough to sit on his lap. She remembered the first time her parents had taken her to Breakfast with Santa. She was three and she had screamed bloody murder the entire time. She wouldn't sit on his lap, didn't dare get near him, and cried when she left because she wanted to go back and give him a hug. The only thing different today? She wasn't going to be the one screaming when she locked eyes on Santa — whoever he was. It would be part of her job to help calm the panicked children when they spotted him and cried. She commiserated with them. Santa was bigger than life and a bit intimidating. Her own experiences at that age had been scary, to say the least.

Thankfully she wouldn't be the only elf there. Blanca and Cara Cruz, twins who both were attending U.C. Berkeley, were home for winter break, and had also been volunteered to help. But unlike her, they were excited to don their outfits and spice up their act.

An inch of snow had fallen during the night — it sparkled magically in the bright morning sun that was in the process of lifting the fog from the ground. Not a breeze stirred, not a cloud scarred the clear blue sky over Frenchman Bay. In fact, it was almost sweater weather — unusual for a Lobster Cove winter, along Maine's eastern coast. Katelyn threw a red lamb's wool cape around her shoulders. She smiled despite herself as she realized it matched her outfit perfectly. She scuffed out of her pointy slippers and slipped into a pair of black furry ankle-high boots, and then drew the cape hood over her head for the walk to the lodge.

"I'm leaving now," she called to her mother.

"Have a good time, dear. Don't forget to take the pies."

"Got 'em. Bye." She caught one last look in the hall mirror before she went out the door. Now she looked like Little Red Riding Hood with a basket of goodies.

Katelyn walked the two blocks to the lodge. At seven a.m. the sidewalks had already been cleared of snow. She kept her eyes straight ahead hoping no one would recognize her in her get-up. As much as she was glad Sven wouldn't see her in this god-awful outfit, she was disappointed he was missing one of Lobster Cove's annual events for children of all ages. Which made her think of her best friend, Juelle McClintock, who was now married and living in Oahu, Hawaii, for the winter. She missed their talks, and especially Juelle's daughter Makenzie who she had babysat for many times during Juelle's first husband's accident and subsequent death. After finding out he'd been having an affair, her friend deserved to find love again, even if it was in the form of another McClintock — the real heir to the McClintock and McClintock Lobster business. Only this time the McClintock and McClintock stood for Hunter and Juelle McClintock. She chuckled. Juelle so deserved love and happiness. Juelle's ex-mother-in-law Eugenia hadn't made her life easy. But that was all in the past.

Katelyn stopped at the intersection to check for traffic. A car pulled up, honked at her. She looked up to see one of the Scout leaders wave, give her a big smile, and a thumbs up. He waited for her to cross before he continued. She waved as she crossed the street. So much for not being recognized. She dragged her feet as she made her way up the front steps to the lodge. She took a moment to put a smile on her face to prepare to go inside and play elf. Before she turned the doorknob, the door opened to the small, but imposing lodge.

"Hi, Katelyn. Glad you could make it." Carl Claussen stood inside to welcome everyone. "Miss Red, I presume. Don't you look fun?"

"Thanks, Mr. Claussen. Looking forward to working with the children." No lie. She was actually looking forward to interacting with all the little ones, despite her angst over the costume. She loved kids, and had chosen to major in child development, and was finishing her master's degree and her teaching certificate. The only dark cloud hanging over her shoulders was the loss of her own child years ago. Still able to have children, she hoped someday soon she and Sven would have a little girl or boy of their own to love. But first, she had to tie Sven down to a wedding date — he'd been dragging his feet the past year.

"Here, let me take those pies for you," Carl said, holding his hands out for them. "I'll see Maude gets them. Why don't you join the other elves so you can plan your strategy? Cara and Blanca are already suited up and in the kitchen. The Boy Scouts will be here soon to cover clearing tables and dishwashing duties. Santa will be coming down the stairs any minute."

Katelyn ducked through the side door into the kitchen. Cara and Blanca, a few years younger, were in the midst of pointing fingers at each other and laughing at their ridiculous outfits. In truth, she looked a smidge better than they did, which wasn't saying much.

"Katelyn," the two chorused at the same time.

"Hi. How are things going at Berkeley, ladies?"

"Awesome."

"Great. Do you feel as stupid as we do in these getups?" Blanca asked, clearly enjoying the whole experience.

Blanca's smile, however, was contagious. Their bubbly company lifted Katelyn's spirits. She smiled at the two elves, even though butterflies were doing a wicked dance inside her stomach at having to wear this getup in a room full of people she knew.

"Worse than stupid. But, hey, it's for the kids, right? I'm sure we won't look stupid to them." Katelyn's mother's words slipped out of her mouth, which gave them meaning, and an attitude adjustment that she so badly needed. "Do you know who's playing Santa this year?"

"No." Cara glanced at Blanca, silently asking her sister.

"No idea," Blanca responded. "But I hear it's some new guy in town who recently joined the lodge. Or the Boy Scout Troop. Mr. Claussen didn't say for sure."

"Probably a good thing, seeing as we might spill the beans to one of the kids," Cara said.

"Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho," a deep voice rang out from the hallway. "Merry Christmas. Ho, ho, ho." Bells jingled at his approach, drawing everyone's attention.

Katelyn joined the two girls in the main dining room as Santa took his seat in the far corner next to the pine-scented Christmas tree covered in multicolored blinking lights, the star on top a bit lopsided. The only visible feature of the tall, somewhat hefty man was Santa's eyes, and even they were hidden behind a pair of glasses with hazy lenses. And from a distance, there was no way to tell their color. Outfitted in the traditional red and white suit, beard, hat, and a pair of black boots, not an inch of skin or hair was left uncovered. The man was big, or else he was sufficiently padded. From where she stood across the room, his right hand held a set of gold jingle bells, and his left was hooked in his wide black belt. He looked like the real deal. The kids were sure to enjoy sitting on his lap. She hoped whoever it was liked kids and had a great sense of humor.

As soon as the first family arrived with two small boys between the ages of three and five, Santa proceeded to shake his fist full of bells, again — the musical tone filled the big hall, and immediately drew their attention. They ran to Santa, stopped just short of jumping onto his lap, and stood stock still, staring in awe. Santa leaned over to talk to them, and then lifted them both on to his lap, on opposite knees. The room began to fill, and Katelyn, Blanca, and Cara began working the room, making sure everyone had a chance to visit with the big guy in the red suit.

Things slowed down two hours later. The aroma of pancakes, eggs, and sausage had Katelyn's stomach crying out for food. Cara and Blanca had taken a break earlier, and she waved to them, indicating she was about to escape. She made her way past the Boy Scouts snapping towels and splashing water from their fingers at each other. Two elderly lodge members wearing red Santa caps with large white pompoms, filled plates to those lined up on the other side of the counter. She smiled at them, grabbed a plate, filled it with pancakes, covered them with fresh, homemade maple syrup, and made her way to the kitchen. Keeping out of the way of the men flipping pancakes and scrambling eggs at the old-fashioned black gas stove, she found a seat at the far end of an empty table. She set her plate on the table, pulled up a chair, and quickly ate her pancakes so she could get back to helping Blanca and Cara assist Santa. A Santa who kept staring at her as if he recognized her. Or couldn't get past the horrible image she presented in her pathetic outfit. She stood, pulled at the hem of her miniskirt, and then carted her plate out to the Scouts to be cleaned. She washed the sticky syrup off her hands, applied a fresh coat of lipstick, took a deep breath, plopped her cap back on her head, and pasted a smile on her face. The dining hall was bursting at the seams with holiday cheer and kids hyped up on Santa and syrup when she walked back in.

"Katelyn, don't you look cute dressed as an elf. What a great idea."

Katelyn groaned as one of the Scout leaders cornered her on her way past the Scouts. Two of the Boy Scouts stopped fooling around and looked her way. Really looked at her for the first time, and grinned.

"Looking hot," one of the older Scouts said before they both turned back to washing dishes.

Crap! More attention than she wanted.

Katelyn dashed past them only to have Santa look her way when she walked in. He was doing it again. Nodding and smiling. And unnerving her. She was going to have words with her father after today's event ended. At twenty-six, she was just too old to be parading around as an elf. The darn outfit was drawing too much attention. She tugged at her miniskirt. Good Lord, he was watching her again. Was the man a pervert?

"Watch out, Katelyn," Cara shouted, stepping in front of her, leaning forward to rescue yet another frantic frightened child running away from Santa, screaming and heading hell-bent-for-election right at Katelyn's knees.

Gads! It was going to be a long morning.

*
Mark had all he could do to keep his eyes and mind on the kids all morning. Carrying on a conversation while watching Katelyn Sullivan out of the corner of his eyes was driving him nuts. She was more beautiful now than she had been six years ago. And hot damn, the elf outfit was just about the sexiest getup he'd seen in a long time. On her, it was like a beacon sending out come-hither signals, like the lighthouse next to her parent's restaurant. And he had no trouble receiving those signals — loud and clear. They had drifted apart after high school when she went off to attend college and he joined the military. Was she in a relationship now? There'd been rumors, but folks in town weren't being very forthcoming with details. Lobster Cove's rumor mill tended to be part myth, part truth, and all wrong sometimes, if he remembered correctly. Hell, he could only imagine what they'd been spreading about him — where he had disappeared to, and why he was back with a two-year-old son in tow. Secret missions for the military left little room for confiding in family or sharing secrets with loved ones. Not sure what his parents had told anyone, but he did know they'd kept his career and his wife's death to themselves. Of course, they didn't know the entire story, either.

Dammit! He was tired of guarding secrets.

Katelyn herded a pair of twin boys in his direction. His heart raced as she drew near enough for him to touch her. Instead, he lifted the two four-year-olds on to his knees.

"Ho, ho, ho, Miss Elf. Who do we have here?" He looked directly into her eyes instead of the boys', hoping she'd recognize him.

She didn't.

"This is Ryan and Ethan Holmes, Santa. They have a list for you to take back to the North Pole."

(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "Breakfast with Santa"
by .
Copyright © 2015 Carol Henry.
Excerpted by permission of The Wild Rose Press, Inc..
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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