Page 40 of Big Santa
Brilliant. Twenty-eight days of marriage, and that’s what I’ve got. Hi.
“Hi,” she says. Her voice is softer in person too. A little breathless too.
She wipes her hands on the front of her apron.
Somehow I hadn’t noticed the apron. Likely because my eyes got stuck on that swath of creamy skin exposed on her shoulder. The apron is red. There are white letters across the front.
Santa’s Favorite Ho.
I read it twice.
Noelle follows my gaze.
Her face turns bright red.
“Oh my God.”
Dottie makes a choking noise behind her.
“I forgot I was wearing this,” Noelle says.
I look at Dottie who is suddenly very interested in a tray of cookies.
“Did you buy her that?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You absolutely do.”
“It was on sale,” Dottie says.
Noelle unties the apron so fast she nearly strangles herself. “I swear I have normal clothes.”
“I’ve seen your Christmas pajamas.”
She freezes.
I shouldn’t have said that. I definitely shouldn’t be thinking about those pajamas right now. Or what she looked like wearing them.
Her cheeks somehow get even pinker.
“You have?”
Shiloh pats my leg.
“Noelle has lots of pajamas.”
“Thank you, Shiloh,” she says quickly.
“With Christmas trees and Santas and candy canes and Buddy the Elf, and the red ones have—”
“How about you show your dad your snowman cookie?”
Noelle points frantically at the counter.
It works. Shiloh pulls on my hand, dragging me to the island.
I still can’t take my eyes off my wife. Her gaze seems locked on me as well. Noelle and I stare at each other.
