Mrs. Claus

by Amanda Lanclos

  Losing Control

  Worth The Battle

  Dirty Little Secret

  Second Chance Love

  Rough Patch

  Beginning of Forever

  Home Free

  Shield My Heart

  A Heaven Hill Christmas

  Heaven Hill Generations (Spin-off Series)

  Hurricane

  Rockin’ Country Series

  Only The Beginning

  One Day at a Time

  The Price of Love

  Full Circle

  Reaper’s Girl

  The Red Bird Trail Trilogy

  Flagger

  In-Tune

  Collision

  Stand Alone

  Sketch

  Sass

  Trick

  Moonshine Task Force Series

  Renegade

  Tank

  Havoc

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  By:

  Skye Turner ©2017

  All rights reserved.

  This e-book is the sole property of the author and may not be reproduced or transmitted without the permission of the author. Please help prevent the piracy of e-books. If you are reading this book and you did NOT PURCHASE IT, you have an illegal copy! I like to eat and I like to feed my children, so please support myself and other authors by acquiring our work the LEGAL way. Don’t be a douche and steal our hard work.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead, places, events, or occurrences is purely coincidental unless otherwise noted below.

  The author acknowledges the real people or places and copyrighted or trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction: Baton Rouge, Burgersmith, Christmas, Coca-Cola, Downtown Baton Rouge, Fabio, FitBit, Goodwill, GQ, Grinch, Grumpy Cat, Hammond, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Houston, Howard Stern, Hustler, Jingle Bells, Lebanese, Little Drummer Boy, LSU, Mrs. Claus, Naughty List, North Pole, Playboy Bunny, Post-It, Prince John, Robin Hood, Santa, Scrooge, Silent Night, Sloane Nicole, Styrofoam, Texas, and Thanksgiving,

  Cover Design: Skye Turner

  Betas: Kristin Blay, Lindsey Lawson, Louise Rogers-Thomas, and Summer Bliss.

  Editing by: Indie Edits by Skye

  Formatting: Paul Salvette/ BB e-books and Gaming

  Author Bio Photography: James Turner

  *Due to graphic sex scenes and strong language, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

  Books by Skye Turner

  **All books by Skye Turner are/ can be Standalones with the exception of the Bayou Stix Novella.

  BAYOU STIX SERIES (Rocker Romance)

  Alluring Turmoil, Book 1 Bayou Stix

  Alluring Seduction, Book 2 Bayou Stix

  Alluring Ties, A Bayou Stix Novella, Book 2.5 Bayou Stix

  Alluring Temptation, Book 3 Bayou Stix

  Alluring Infatuation, Book 4 Bayou Stix

  Alluring Surrender, Book 5 Bayou Stix

  JAMES BLACK SERIES (Romantic Suspense)

  James Black, Book 1 James Black

  Becoming James Black, Book 2 James Black

  DEAR DIARY SHORT STORIES (Erotic Romance)

  January

  February

  March

  April

  May

  June

  July

  August

  September

  October

  November

  December

  DEAR DIARY COMPLETE SERIES Box Set

  SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY

  Unwanted Desire (Contemporary Romance)

  With Gratitude and Love (Military/ Holiday*ish Romance)

  His Only Salvation (Dark Romance)

  A LIL BIT COUNTRY A LIL BIT ROCK & ROLL (Adult Romance)

  Riff, Book 1 A Lil Bit Country A Lil Bit Rock & Roll

  Harmony, Book 2 A Lil Bit Country A Lil Bit Rock & Roll

  Interlude, Book 3 A Lil Bit Country A Lil Bit Rock & Roll (COMING LATE 2017)

  Crescendo, Book 4 A Lil Bit Country A Lil Bit Rock & Roll (COMING in 2018)

  Rookie Love (Baseball Romance)

  Behind My Charade, A Legacy Falls Romance (Military Romance)

  GEMSTONE BURLESQUE (Erotic Romance)

  Amethyst

  Ruby

  Jade

  Onyx

  Tungsten

  Topaz

  Sapphire

  Emerald

  Smoke

  Coral

  Amber

  Pearl

  Opal

  Diamond

  GEMSTONE BURLESQUE COMPLETE SERIES Box Set

  THE POTHOS CHRONICLES (Erotic Romance Serial)

  Volume 1: The Limo Driver

  Volume 2: The Masquerade

  Nutt Cracker, A Hilariously Crude Love Story (Rom Com. Male POV)

  Love Bites Co-Authored with Amanda Lanclos (Romantic Comedy)

  Mission: Christmas - Part of the Mrs. Claus Anthology (Christmas Romance)

  ************************************************

  Books by Skye Turner writing as Sloane Nicole

  Antoinette’s Fall (Paranormal Adult Romance)

  Dedication:

  For everyone who needs a little boost to get into the “Christmas Spirit”.

  Chapter One

  Noelle

  “Oh, Becks. What are we going to do? Where the hell are we supposed to get the money to fill the wish lists of everyone here this year? We’ve always been able to give one thing from everyone’s lists.” I sigh as I stare at the worn desk top, covered with the paperwork from the shelter, and the miniscule balance on the books stares back at me. “Unless Santa drops a sack full of cold, hard cash at the door, we’re screwed.”

  Things have been tight before, but never like this. This is catastrophic. What am I going to do?!

  I’m scared.

  Becky, my assistant and baby sister, looks at me with a determined expression. “You could always hit the corner and work those legs of yours…” She smirks. “Nah, I don’t think even those dancer gams could save us, sis.” She stares at me and then smiles. “You’ll think of something, Noelle. You always do. Or… you could just call Dad and tell him you need funds…”

  Absolutely not! I will never call him for anything I need for this place.

  Becks is right though. I always find a way to provide for the people who find themselves under the roof of my shelter. But it’s almost Christmas and donations are scarce this year. I know everyone is pinching pennies, but a lot of people count on me…

  This is just unacceptable.

  I need to come up with a solution.

  I need a brilliant plan… like months ago.

  Calling our father is the last thing I’d do…

  The less than $3000 in the shelter’s account glares at me from the column in the offensive book in front of me.

  Leaning back in my maroon leather chair, a fantastic find from the Goodwill store up the street, I stare at the ceiling and groan before looking at Becks. “No. You know I won’t call him.”

  She nods. “I know. It was just a suggestion. You said things were bad, so…”

  “Yeah, they are, but there is no way in hell I’m calling him.” I moan again and stare at the worn ceiling and the water stains from a previous leak. “Ugh… why are you doing this to me? Why are you testing me now? This isn’t even about me, God. It’s about all the people in this shelter who are counting on us.” My eyes flit over the mess spread before me before settling on my baby sister. I mutter, “If you have any pull with the fat man in the red plush, I need you to bat those baby blues, fluff your tits, and wrangle out some magic, Becks.”

  Becky grins and says, “I would totally get a Santa sugar daddy
if I thought it would help, Noelle.”

  Crumpling a pink post-it with scribble on it from in front of me, I toss it at her while rolling my eyes. “No. There is no need to get a sugar daddy. Lord, Momma would kill me.

  “I just need to brainstorm.”

  She laughs but then her face sobers. “You’ll come up with a brilliant plan that simply cannot fail and save the day, sis. That’s what you do. I have faith in you!”

  Thanks, Becks.

  I know you do. But this time, I need to really have faith in myself.

  And a miracle.

  Mason

  Oh, dear lord. Can I just go one freaking place without Jingle Bells and Silent Night blaring through speakers or tinsel slapping me in the damn face?!

  Christmas is six weeks away and I’m already so incredibly over it!

  Bah humbug!

  Brad, my cameraman and friend, whistles in tune with the holiday jingle as we set up for the live shot. I snap, “Dude, can you stop? It’s bad enough I’m force-fed Christmas cheer everywhere I go. Can you just not?” Extending my arms, I mutter, “Within ten feet of me is a Christmas-Free zone.”

  He laughs and grins at me, flashing his perfect teeth. With his charming smile, good looks, skin the color of my favorite café au lait, and witty personality, I have no idea why he’s a cameraman. He should be on the cover of those books that women buy and drool over. “Good luck with that, friend. Mason, your last name is Christmas and yet, you hate Christmas… Something is wrong with you, man. It’s the most wonderful time of the year, you know.”

  I grimace and shake my head. “No, it’s really not. Do you know how many people lose their jobs at Christmas? Kill themselves? Ruin their lives by driving under the influence?

  “Yet, here people are, pretending to care about each other. Singing about a white Christmas when it’s eighty damn degrees here in Louisiana.” I chuckle harshly. “I mean, really? When is the last time you could actually wear long sleeves on Christmas without broiling? From October first through the New Year, people lose their damn minds all the while singing overplayed songs and slapping you in the face with red, green, silver, and gold. And a fat man, who should die of a heart attack or diabetes and be in jail for pedophilia, is celebrated.

  “No, it’s the most annoying time of the year. Not the most wonderful.”

  Brad shakes his head at me wryly and murmurs, “Man, you need some holiday cheer in a bad way. I’ve met Scrooges before, but you take the cake. Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. It’s the season of joy, goodwill, and faith in believing in things you can’t see. Why do you hate Christmas so much? I don’t understand you. What has Christmas ever done to you anyway?”

  Plenty. But that’s my business. As close as we are, there are some things that I do not want to share… or re-live.

  Ignoring his questions, I take my position and look into the camera as he sets it on his shoulder. “We came to get this story. So, let’s do that. How’s my lighting?”

  He looks at me and nods. “Fine, ignore me. But, my Christmas wish for you, brother, is that you find the joy in Christmas again. I don’t know what happened or why you lost it, but this year, I pray you find it again. You’re missing out on so much.” His head disappears behind the camera again and he says, “You’re good. But, let’s do a test run so I can make sure we’re golden.”

  You can keep your wish and give it to someone who needs it. I don’t want or need Christmas in my life.

  Christmas is the time for shattered illusions and broken dreams. Eventually the shine wears off and you’re left dull and heartbroken when you realize that Santa is just a grossly obese man in a sweaty red suit.

  No thank you.

  I can’t wait until January 3rd when the insanity is over!

  “Now, Joy, I’m trusting you with this mission. Mason is a tough nut and he’s going to take a lot of work to crack. He’s so cynical and disillusioned that the normal protocol won’t work.

  “Noelle is filled with love for the holiday and her fellow man, but isn’t certain that she needs the love of a man in her life.

  “I need the best of the best to take on this sensitive case. Are you certain that you can handle it?”

  I nod and dance on my toes as I eagerly listen to Santa explain the mission to me. “Yes, Sir. I’m up for the challenge. I promise to give this my all and by Christmas Eve, Mason will have his joy in Christmas restored while he and Noelle will both be forever changed by the greatest gift of all… love. I won’t let you down.”

  His eyes crinkle and his jolly chuckle fills the room. “I know that you won’t, Joy.” His chubby hand holds out the folder and I laugh as take it and see the words scrawled across the top in Santa’s handwriting. Mission: Christmas

  Closing my hand around the folder, I smile once more at Santa and tuck it close to my chest. “Mission: Christmas… Challenge accepted, Sir.”

  He laughs again and waves his hands in the air. As he does, the air sparkles and I feel myself changing. “Ok then, let’s get you transitioned and on your way!” My ears shorten and my chin rounds out. I feel myself growing taller. When he smiles at me, I glance in the mirror on the wall of Santa’s office and laugh as I hold out my hands and feel my face. He looks me over and nods. “Perfect. Next stop, Baton Rouge. Good luck, Joy!”

  “Thank you, Sir. I’m ready.”

  Oh, I’m so ready. I won’t let you or myself down, Santa.

  Mason and Noelle, prepare for the best Christmas of your lives!

  Chapter Two

  Noelle

  I’ve been wracking my brain since yesterday for a solution to my dilemma. Sleep was impossible last night as my brain refused to shut down. The idea came to me around 1AM and it was so good I had to jump out of bed and race to the kitchen to write it all down and get the ball rolling.

  This could work! I just need to call in some favors and play on people’s generosity and willingness to help people around the holidays.

  Yes, this will work!

  And if it takes off like I know it will, it can be an annual thing and be something that people in Baton Rouge look forward to all year long.

  I’m humming Christmas carols along with the radio (nonstop Christmas carols are already on my favorite local station) and sipping my third cup of ice cold coffee while I outline everything I need to do today to get this ball rolling when a grumpy voice fills the kitchen. “Seriously?! It’s barely 7AM, Noelle. Stop it. I can’t handle your jolly self until my second cup of coffee… you know that.”

  Smirking, I turn to face a Becks that could rival Grumpy Cat. “I drank the pot. Sorry. You’ll have to brew more. Make enough for me, ok.”

  Her blue eyes widen and she mutters, “How the hell long have you been up, you crazy person?! It’s the ass crack of dawn…”

  Laughing, I gesture to the mess covering the table. The papers with my brilliant plan jotted all over them are spread everywhere. “Um, pretty much all night. But, I think I’ve found the answer to raising money for the shelter.”

  Becks cracks a grin. “Damn, you’ve been a busy girl. I knew you would,” but it fades into a groan as she looks at the empty coffee maker. She sighs. “Ok, well, wait to tell me about this brilliance until I get this shit on. I need java running through my veins to have any sort of intelligent conversation.” She mutters again. “I cannot believe you drank all of the coffee. Santa needs to leave dog poop in your stocking!”

  I laugh at her and lean back to stretch the kinks out of my back. I’ve been hunched over this table for longer than I thought. “Yeah, well, I made it so I can drink it. And Santa doesn’t leave dog shit, sis. That would be something you’d do. You Grinch!”

  She pauses from scooping the dark roast into the filter to stick her tongue out at me. As she turns back to finish, she groans again. “Don’t be mean to me. I’m not even awake yet. You’ll go onto the Naughty List!” I hear the gurgle of the coffee maker as it wakes up and lifting my cup to my lips, I drain the last of t
he stale, cold brew in my cup while Becks leans against the counter with her mug in her hand and stares at the coffee as if willing the dark liquid to drip faster.

  I bet she doesn’t even let it finish brewing before she swipes some coffee.

  The scent of fresh coffee permeates the air and I inhale. Becks does too and sets her cup down to fill it.

  I laugh and she looks over in question with her brow raised.

  Shaking my head, I retort, “I knew you were going to do that. You have a problem. Can’t even wait until it’s finished.”

  She glares at me while she raises the cup to her lips and takes her first sip. Her pleased moan has me rolling my eyes at her. She’s still staring at me over the rim of her Sloane Nicole cup when she says sarcastically. “My relationship with coffee is none of your concern.”

  I laugh again and point to the chair beside me. “You’re hilarious. But I guess a relationship with coffee is better than no relationship at all.” Standing, I fill my cup and inhale the scent that makes me smile.

  Ok, maybe a relationship with coffee isn’t a bad thing.

  Well, since that’s the only kind of relationship the Holley girls have, I suppose we’ll take it.

  Becks raises her brow again and nods at my cup. “I have a problem, huh? Says the woman who’s already drank a pot of coffee before 7AM.”

  My cheeks burn and I laugh at her. “I only made six cups, smart ass.”

  She laughs and pulls her blonde curls into a messy bun on top of her head. “Yeah, but you’re only one person.” Leaning back, she looks at me pointedly. “So, what is this brilliant plan and when do we get started? Enlighten me with your brilliance, sis. I’m ready to hear it now that my blood is flowing.”

  With sudden excitement, I sit back in my chair and pull the papers I’ve been working on all morning toward us, forgetting all about my coffee.

  Becks see’s the wording I’ve sketched in my art tablet and she grins. “I told you, you were brilliant, Noelle!” She claps excitedly. “Give me the details!”

  As I point to the rough sketch on the paper, I explain. “Ok, so a Christmas concert. I figured we could recruit choirs and individuals from around the area and try to have it Downtown. I can get in touch with the city officials and see when they have a date available. Christmas is in six weeks, so we’re really going to have to market the shit out of this thing. I can also call in to my radio and television contacts to get them on board. We can add them as sponsors.