The Secret of Santa

by Liz Isaacson

  He turned around and headed back to the supermarket. Ward texted a few times on the way there, and when Ace pulled up, he had quite the list of groceries to get for tomorrow night’s dinner at Bull House.

  Ward apologized, saying he thought Ida would be engaged by then, and he wanted to make it a special dinner for her and Brady. Ace responded to say it was fine, and he pushed a cart around to get the items Ward had requested.

  He’d gone grocery shopping so many times before that he didn’t have to think to find anything. That gave his mind plenty of room to revolve around Holly Ann, and he decided to do what Bishop had advised.

  He needed to ask her. Just flat-out. Ask her.

  After drawing a deep breath, he called Holly Ann right there in the produce section. She answered with a, “Hey, babe. I have maybe thirty seconds.”

  “Oh, sorry,” he said, his voice definitely more wooden than normal. Maybe she’d been too distracted to notice. “Listen, just really quick, you’re coming on Sunday for lunch, right?”

  “Yep.”

  “Okay,” he said. “How are things over there? Anything I can do to help?”

  “No,” she said. “Rachel just needed some help with moving things indoors due to the storm. How did things go at the cider mill?”

  “Good,” Ace said. “They were moving the tables inside when I left.”

  “Okay,” she said. “Sorry, Ace. I have to go so I can help Rachel get everything labeled for tomorrow’s Nutcracker class.”

  “Sure.” Ace couldn’t bring himself to ask her if she was Santa Claus right now. “I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Bye,” she said, and the call ended.

  Ace finished his shopping, and he decided to stop by the mall. If he could just get positive proof that she was Santa, then he could ask her and see what she said. Bishop’s question ran through his mind: Is the secret hurting anyone?

  No, it really wasn’t.

  It was the lying Ace didn’t like. It made him question everything else Holly Ann had told him, including the stories about her mother and father, the way she said she felt about him. Just everything.

  He pulled up to the mall amidst a drizzle. Glad the rain had tapered, he zipped up his jacket and hurried into the mall. He walked past all the stores to the main hub, where Santa’s throne had been moved indoors. The fountain bubbled nearby, and the ropes separating the jolly old elf from the public barely left enough room for two people to pass.

  Ace didn’t stand anywhere that would call attention to himself, and he took a minute to get himself a cup of coffee. The hot liquid helped calm his mind and give him focus. He sat at a tiny round table in view of Santa Claus and watched him…her…someone lift child after child onto their lap.

  He could see the shape of Holly Ann’s smile on Santa’s face, but was he imagining it because he wanted her to be Santa?

  Did he want to find out she was lying to him?

  “Why would anyone want that?” he muttered to himself.

  He caught sight of Rachel Bloom, Holly Ann’s assistant, walking by, her phone at her ear and a fresh cup of coffee in her hand. Swiftly, before he could lose sight of her in the bulging crowd at the mall, Ace got to his feet and followed Rachel.

  She stopped talking on the phone after only a few seconds, and she turned down a hall that led to the restrooms. He hurried to the corner just in time to see her going through a door about halfway down the hall.

  He jogged after her, catching the door before it slammed closed. He wasn’t sure if it would lock or not, and he had a question to ask. Instead of staying in the shadows now, he called, “Rachel?”

  Her footsteps came back down the steps and stood at the top of the staircase. “Ace,” she said.

  “Hey.” He smiled at her and took a couple of steps forward.

  “If you’re looking for Holly Ann, I don’t know where she is.” Her heels clicked as she came down the steps, the sounds echoing in the stairwell.

  Alarms wailed in his head. “Oh, I—”

  “She was here, and then she was just gone. She’s been doing that for the whole festival. Normally, it’s fine, but we’re dealing with a truck that won’t arrive in time for the craft class tomorrow, and a high wind advisory that impacts all of our outdoor events for the next two days.” Rachel arrived at the bottom of the steps, her blonde hair falling over her shoulders as she looked at him with displeasure in her eyes. “Do you know where she is?”

  I have to go so I can help Rachel get everything labeled for tomorrow’s Nutcracker class.

  “Sorry, I don’t,” he said, and that was the absolute truth. He did not want to believe that Holly Ann had lied to him.

  And for what?

  Santa Claus?

  If she was willing to lie for something so insignificant, what else would she lie about?

  Rachel narrowed her eyes at him. “She hasn’t been sneaking off with you, has she? She disappears every Friday and Saturday night. Saturday right after lunch. Every Tuesday.”

  Ace held up both hands as if in surrender. “I’ve hardly seen her during the festival, I swear.”

  Rachel nodded and then shook her head. “Fine. If you see her, tell her we have a real problem with the nutcrackers tomorrow.”

  “I will.”

  Rachel turned and went back upstairs, and Ace practically ran the other way. He dropped the rest of his coffee in the trash can and walked past Santa’s spot again, staring at Santa, desperate to see dark hair among the white.

  It was impossible to tell if the person in the red suit was Holly Ann or not. He retraced his steps and went behind the throne and around to where the parents queued up with their children. There, posted on the podium where the helper elf took the children’s names, was the hours Santa would be available.

  Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday evenings, along with a couple of hours right after lunchtime on Saturday.

  A cold feeling filled Ace’s chest, and he got out of the mall before he stomped right up to Santa Claus and accused him of being Holly Ann…and of lying to him.

  Bishop would’ve been so proud.

  He woke with dark eyes in his mind, and he sat up straight. “Holly Ann has dark brown eyes. Santa has blue eyes.”

  It wasn’t her. It couldn’t be her.

  He worked in the stables that morning, and he texted Holly Ann fifteen minutes after Santa should’ve been sitting on his throne, listening to children tell him what they wanted for Christmas.

  She responded immediately with, I can be there a little after eight.

  He looked up from his phone, standing on the side of the barn to protect himself from the wind. “A little after eight?” There was no way she could be at Shiloh Ridge Ranch to participate in their family dinner a little after eight, not when Santa was supposed to be in his workshop until eight and then the changing and then the drive….

  “Unless ‘a little after eight’ means almost nine.”

  Okay, he sent to her. See you then. I’ll save you some pie.

  She sent him a smiley face, and Ace returned to Bull House to help Ward get the place cleaned up and get the food in the oven in time for their family dinner.

  Mister caught Ace’s eye, and he waved to him. He always cleared out during the family dinners, and Ace wasn’t sure why. Both he and Ward had told him he could stay, but he didn’t want to “intrude” on their core family traditions.

  Ida and Brady arrived first, and she immediately stole Ward from the kitchen. Etta walked in next, and only two minutes later Ranger and Oakley entered the kitchen hand-in-hand.

  “Ward,” Ace called, and he and Ida returned.

  “Something smells amazing,” Ranger said, looking at the countertop. “You guys made pie?”

  “It’s the holidays,” Ward said, grinning. “There should be pie every single day in December, don’t you think?”

  Everyone agreed, and Ace grinned around at his family. He didn’t have a significant other there, and neither did Ward or Etta. He caught
her eye, and she lifted her right eyebrow. He simply nodded, because her secret was safe with him.

  It wasn’t hurting anyone that she wanted to keep her new relationship with Noah Johnson to herself for a little while. The Glovers could be a lot to handle, and he hadn’t brought Holly Ann to the ranch for a while.

  They all knew he was dating her, though.

  Doesn’t matter, he told himself as dinner got underway. Etta could tell people when she was ready.

  He’d barely finished eating his pizza when his phone chimed. A text from Holly Ann: I’m here, but I’m not exactly sure where your house is.

  “Holly Ann is here,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”

  “You invited Holly Ann?” Etta asked.

  Ace didn’t answer as he jogged toward the front door and outside. She was here before eight, and there was no way she could be Santa on that throne and at his house.

  Outside, he strode down the sidewalk and onto the dirt road. “You turn right at the homestead,” he said. “And just come down that road past it. There’s a shed, and then you’ll see me. I’m in the road.”

  “Okay,” she said.

  “Did you get everything done tonight?” he asked.

  “Enough,” she said with a sigh. “I’m just tired of it all. I wasn’t this tired last year.”

  “I’ll bet,” he said, his heart booming in his chest. “Do you see me?” He lifted his hand above his head.

  “Yep,” she said. “I just pull in anywhere?”

  “We have a driveway. Pull in beside Etta’s gray SUV.”

  Holly Ann did, and the outdoor flood lights switched on with the movement. He met her at the car, smiling for all he was worth. He didn’t have to ask her about Santa Claus now.

  “Well, someone’s happy tonight,” she said as she emerged from the car.

  “Yeah.” Ace took her into his arms, enjoying the giggle and squeal that came from her mouth as he swung her around. When he set her down, they’d traded positions, and he faced the back of the car while she faced the house.

  He leaned down and kissed her, the cool night suddenly steaming hot. He felt something switch inside him, and he slowed the kiss so she would know it wasn’t just that he liked her.

  He was in love with her.

  “I brought some leftover cookies from our meeting this afternoon,” she said as he dripped kisses from her mouth down to her collarbone.

  “Mm.”

  “And I think we have an audience,” she whispered.

  That got Ace to mind his manners, and he straightened and looked behind him. The curtains in the window definitely fluttered, and he hadn’t left the front door open.

  He chuckled as Holly Ann giggled again, and he said, “I’ll get the cookies.”

  “They’re right there on the back seat.”

  She moved out of the way, and Ace opened the back door and ducked into the car to reach across to the other side of the seat. He’d just grabbed the tray of frosted sugar cookies when he caught sight of the bottle of contact solution.

  He sucked in a breath and dropped the cookies. After picking up the bottle from the passenger-side floor in the back seat, another package fell down.

  Ace frowned at it and picked it up too, his back starting to pinch.

  “Ace?” Holly Ann called.

  He stared at the box of colored contact lenses. Blue colored contact lenses.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Ward laughed at something Ranger had said. It was so good to see his brother start to emerge from the shell of a man he’d been the past couple of months. The more Ward thought about it, the more he realized Ranger had been distant and different for a lot longer than just two months. Maybe six or seven now.

  He wasn’t sure, because time at the ranch was fluid. It moved by, and Ward didn’t keep track of it.

  He was going to have to start doing a better job of that, though, if he wanted to be foreman. He’d been talking to Ranger and Bear about it for a few weeks now, and they were planning to make the announcement to the family in the New Year.

  Ward’s chest puffed up at the thought, and he worked to stuff back the pride. He wasn’t better than anyone else out here at Shiloh Ridge. Just willing to do the work. Willing to admit he didn’t have anything else going on in his life. Willing to release control of some things in order to have loose control over a lot more responsibilities.

  Brady Burton reached for another biscuit, saying, “Ward, my sister wanted me to ask you something.”

  The entire table hushed, and Ward looked around, feeling very much like they’d all been talking about him behind his back. He put a bite of pizza in his mouth and looked at Ranger, dozens of questions getting hurled at his older brother.

  “Don’t look at me,” Ranger said. “I’ve been out of the loop for weeks now.”

  Ward switched his gaze to Brady, wishing the man’s face wasn’t blurry from only ten feet away. Ward really needed to swallow his pride and go get glasses. “Your sister?”

  “Yeah. Her name’s Edith.”

  “Yeah, and she’s what? Five years younger than you?” Ward shook his head, unable to glance down to Mother. She’d encourage him to go out with anyone, even someone a decade younger than him. He may need glasses, but he could see what was happening here. “And didn’t she go out with Bishop?”

  “No,” Brady said quickly. “Not my younger sister—and she never did go out with Bishop. He met Montana first.”

  “Mm.” Ward looked down at his plate, his chest vibrating. He’d been out with a few women this year, but nothing serious. He didn’t perpetuate a relationship if it wasn’t going to be serious, and when one did get to that point and then didn’t work out, Ward needed a long time to recover.

  He honestly couldn’t handle starting the journey again. Dating and women were exhausting. “I think I’m good,” he said, looking up.

  “Come on, Ward,” Etta said, looking from Mother to Ward. “Hear him out.” She nodded at Brady. Ida watched Ward but said nothing, and he wished they’d taken the few minutes they’d had before everyone else had showed up to talk about this.

  “Did you know?” he asked. He sure didn’t appreciate being ganged up on.

  “She’s really great,” Ida said. “Older than you, Ward.” She cut a look at Brady, her bright eyes telling him to drop it now. Why, he didn’t know. Maybe they’d just talk about it later, when everyone wasn’t listening.

  Instant regret filled Ward. He’d do anything for his sisters, especially Ida, and he sighed. “What’s her name?” He didn’t mean to sound so disgusted, but he couldn’t pull the words back now.

  “Cora,” Brady said. “You know, now that I think about it, I don’t know.”

  “What don’t you know?” he asked.

  “She’s kinda…crazy.”

  “She is not,” Ida said as Mother said, “I’m sure she’s not crazy.”

  “Brady. She is not.” Ida looked at Ward, an earnest look on her face. “She’s been through some hard things. That’s all.”

  “Yeah?” Ward asked, looking back and forth between the two of them. “What kind of hard things?”

  When Brady wouldn’t say, and Ida stayed quiet, Ward said again, “I think I’m good.” He didn’t need more crazy in his life. It was all he could do to keep some semblance of joy in his life, keep up with his work, and help Ranger with Two Cents. He already didn’t get down to see Mother as often as he should, and guilt gutted Ward just by looking at her. On top of all of that, Ace had gone quiet the past week or so, and Ward hated that he didn’t know every single detail of his brother’s relationship with Holly Ann.

  Speak of the devil, the couple walked into the kitchen, and Ace looked like he was about to be sick. He covered it with a smile and introduced Holly Ann around again, though they’d all met her before.

  She got some food, and Ace took his spot down at the end of the table by her. The conversation picked up again, and Ward kept one ear on it, throwing something in when h
e had to, while watching Ace.

  His brother didn’t say much, but Holly Ann participated as if everything was fine. He perked up near the end of the meal when Ida brought out the pecan brownies, and Ward thought maybe he’d just needed a minute to acclimate to having his girlfriend at the family party.

  It was new for them—Ace had been taking things with Holly Ann one step farther every single day—and perhaps he’d just needed some time to settle into the idea that they were now a serious couple.

  Real serious.

  Ward couldn’t remember the last woman he’d brought home. Probably Angela, five years ago. He kept everyone he dated on the down-low for at least the first two months. Sometimes longer. Sometimes he just needed to commit to taking things from casual to kissing, and once he did that, he really had to like the woman.

  “Brady and I have some news,” Ida said, holding the pan of brownies away from everyone’s greedy hands. She beamed at her boyfriend, who was about to become her fiancé. She put the treats down and held out her left hand. “He asked me to marry him, and I said yes!”

  Etta shrieked, and both Holly Ann and Oakley swarmed Ida. They all laughed and hugged, and Ward had enough good sense to get the heck out of the way.

  He stood back by Ranger and Ace, the three of them watching the women in their lives. “It’s amazing how excited they get about being engaged,” Ward said. “I don’t get it. Is it that exciting, Range?”

  “I mean, it’s exciting,” Ranger said. “I think I was just more relieved than anything. That alone makes you kind of excited, but it’s because she didn’t say no, not because you’re going to get married.”

  Ace laughed, and Ward wasn’t sure why. He cast his brother a look, but Ace just shook his head. “Look at Brady. The poor man needs to be saved from himself.”

  Ward waved at him to come join them, but before the cop could take a single step, Etta grabbed onto him and hugged him, still jumping up and down a little. The shocked look on Brady’s face set Ward laughing, and that got Ace and Ranger laughing too.