Christmas Wishes: A Small Town Christmas Love Story

  Christmas Wishes

  Krista Lakes

  Contents

  About This Book

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Epilogue

  If you liked this book…

  About the Author

  Further reading

  About This Book

  Molly absolutely loves Christmas. Candy canes, egg nog, mistletoe, the works. She can't get enough of it. And so it's only natural that she works at the local Christmas store, Christmas Wishes.

  But when the Scrooge-like Nicholas comes to town, looking to sell his father's business out from under him, it looks like Molly's dream job is disappearing. Worse yet, she's starting to fall for Nicholas, despite everything telling her not to.

  With one last chance to save the store, Molly appeals to the power of Christmas itself, attempting to convert Nicholas to seeing the beauty of the holiday. Can Christmas magic really make Christmas Wishes come true?

  Fans of Hallmark Christmas movies will be swept away by Christmas Wishes, a small-town standalone holiday romance with mistletoe and magic. Grab a glass of eggnog, sit by a warm fire, and enjoy!

  To my Trouble,

  Thanks for having my back.

  You’re the best Christmas present.

  Chapter 1

  Molly

  This was going to be the best Christmas ever.

  Molly grinned as she pulled out her master key for the shop, slid it into the lock, and opened the door. The scents of pine and cinnamon filled her nose as the Christmas spirit washed over her. It was time to open up the shop for the day. Every day since Thanksgiving seemed to get better when she was in the store.

  Christmas Wishes was the best Christmas store in town and possibly in the entire United States. Molly would even guess it ranked in the top five best Christmas stores in the world. The only one that could possibly beat them might be a Christmas store in Alaska that was actually near the North Pole.

  As she closed the door behind her, she spotted Mrs. Kerstman, the store owner, up on a tall ladder. She was putting the finishing touches on a display Christmas tree. Mrs. Kerstman was a thin woman with auburn hair, her warm nature matching the reddish warmth in her curls. She played Mrs. Claus every year for the children in the town and Molly couldn't imagine anyone better suited to it. Mrs. Kerstman took a moment to wave down at Molly before going back to adjusting the ornaments on the tree.

  “Mrs. Kerstman? Why are you still here? Shouldn’t you be getting on an airplane?” Molly’s tone was accusatory yet good-natured as she stared up at Mrs. Claus. “I thought you, Santa, and my parents were all flying south for the winter. I was supposed to open the shop today. That's why you planned for the trip this week. I'm on break from teaching, so I can be here full time while you frolic in the sun.”

  “We're leaving! I promise!” Mr. Kerstman replied, appearing from the back of the shop with an overstuffed suitcase. “We were supposed to leave with your parents earlier, but Mrs. Claus insisted on finishing up decorations around the store.”

  Mr. Kerstman was tall and broad, and Molly suspected that he’d been an athlete in his youth. He loved playing Santa for all the local kids. He had a fluffy white beard that made him perfect for the part. Today, with his Hawaiian shirt and sunglasses, he looked like Santa about to go on vacation.

  “It’s not that I don’t trust you, Molly!” Ms. Kerstman called down from the store’s ladder. “It’s just that I always have so much trouble with these tree displays. I just wanted to save you some time.”

  “I fear that Mrs. Claus has forgotten how to take a vacation,” Mr. Kerstman whispered loudly to Molly. “Hopefully she remembers how much she used to love the beach. I think twelve Christmases back to back has turned her into a snow person.”

  “Hey! I'm a snow person. There’s nothing wrong with being a snow person. Snow people rock,” Molly said with a laugh. “So, are you two going to go over the list of rules and a few emergency numbers to call again?”

  The Kertmans ran the store while Molly taught second grade during the weeks after Thanksgiving, but come winter break, Molly worked full time at the store. However, this was the first time the Kerstmans had left their store during the holiday period. Despite the fact that Molly had worked at the store for years, they'd been nervous to go out of town. This store was their pride and joy, so Molly didn't take it too personally that they were a little anxious about leaving it.

  “No rules. No numbers. You're are Head Elf. You know this store just as well as we do. Heck, maybe even a little bit more,” Mr. Kerstman said with a fatherly smile. “We trust you, 100%. Well, I trust you 100%. Mrs. Claus may be hovering around 76%.”

  “No, I trust Molly 100%, too!” Ms. Kerstman replied, making her way down the ladder. “But I certainly do not trust these difficult trees.”

  “Thank you for believing in me. I’m not going to let you down,” Molly said. She loved that instead of being “store manager” she was called “Head Elf.” It just sounded so much better to her ears. “I promise. This is going to be the best Christmas ever.”

  Molly was excited to have the store to herself for a week. She had some ideas for decorating that Mrs. Kerstman would love when she got back. Those difficult trees had a future in Molly's mind.

  “And maybe with your parents out of your hair for a week, you could go on a date. I heard that Mr. Williams nephew is coming to town. Maybe you two could go see that new superhero movie?” Mrs. Kerstman asked in an innocent voice. She stepped off the ladder and put her hand on Molly's shoulder. “It just doesn’t make any sense for you to be a single woman, dear. Look at you.”

  Molly took a moment to look down at her rather comical outfit, noting the shiny black shoes, the bright green stockings, the red and green skirt and its matching top. She wore a very shiny red and green Elf hat, none of which screamed “date me” to sane men.

  “No, I’m not talking about your outfit. You know what I mean,” Mrs. Kerstman said, rolling her eyes and then wrapping an arm behind her husband’s back. “You’re a beautiful young woman, Molly, inside and out. Men should be throwing engagement rings at you in the street.”

  “That sounds painful,” Molly told her, keeping a straight face. “And trust me, I’ve looked and looked and looked. I've tried. You do not want to open any dating apps in this town. It's downright scary.”

  “But Mr. William's nephew? I hear he's single,” Mrs. Kerstman pressed.

  “I also hear he's gay,” Mr. Kerstman replied. He moved the suitcases a little bit closer to the door, in an attempt to slowly keep his wife heading toward their flight.

  Mrs. Kerstman gave him a dirty look.

  “Have you tried wishing for a goo
d man?” Mrs. Kerstman asked, nodding towards Mr. Kerstman, but not moving toward the door like he wanted her to. “This Santa has a pretty good record for wishes coming true, but only if—”

  “Only if I believe. I know, I know.” Molly shrugged. She didn't have anything to lose, so she stepped closer to Mr. Kerstman. “Hey, Santa, got enough time for an elf to make a wish?”

  Mr. Kerstman nudged the suitcases just a little bit closer to the door before he grinning at Molly. “Anything for my favorite elf on the planet. Tell Santa what you most desire for Christmas. Give me your Christmas wish.”

  “I want... a boyfriend?” Molly looked over at Mrs. Kerstman, who shook her head no. “Okay. Um... I want a good man?”

  “She wants a sweet, loving man with good, upstanding morals who’s undoubtedly single and has a reasonable job and who wants to have lots of babies so we can have lots of little elves to help us around the shop,” Mrs. Kerstman said, finishing Molly’s wish for her. She patted her husband on the shoulder. “You got all that Santa? Are we good for this year?”

  “All that depends on Molly and how much she believes in me this Christmas season,” Mr. Kerstman replied. He grabbed his suitcase as he gave Molly a wink. “Although, Christmas wishes are a very powerful thing. You should always be careful about what you wish for. You just might get it.”

  “Yeah? Bring it on, Santa Claus,” Molly replied, adjusting her green and red checkered elf hat. “What could be so bad about finally finding the right guy?”

  Chapter 2

  Nicholas

  “Merry Christmas!” shouted a smiling street performer, handing out small candy canes.

  “No, thank you,” Nicholas Kerstman said, shaking his head as he walked past.

  “But it's Christmas time! Take one,” the performer urged. “Embrace the season.”

  Nicholas sighed. Why did Christmas have to come every year?

  “Sure. Why not?” Nicholas said with a shrug as he took the candy cane into his hand. When he thought the street performer couldn't see him, he threw the candy cane into the nearest trashcan.

  However, it turned out the street performer had decided to keep his eyes on Nicholas, and saw him toss it.

  “Jerk,” the street performer yelled out. Nicholas frowned, but he didn't feel too bad. He had told the performer he didn't want it in the first place.

  Nicholas shook his head and kept walking. Just holding the candy cane made him want to go brush his teeth. He hated this time of year with a passion. Just once, he'd like to go through a December without having to deal with candy canes.

  He sighed deeply, and continued hurrying through the New York cold to his condo’s building.

  And he sighed once more when he noticed that it had been decorated for the Christmas season with paper snowflakes hanging from the lobby’s ceiling and yellow-lit stars lining the path to the elevators. Soft Christmas music played overhead. Even the staff had gotten in on the holiday. The doorman wore a Santa hat.

  Christmas was just so...

  Everywhere.

  He’d never understood why New York City celebrated the holiday at all. When he was a child, he’d imagined that NYC was the least sentimental place in the world. It was one of the reasons he’d decided to move there as soon as he turned eighteen. At the time, he thought that the city would be the perfect match for his personality. Busy, fast, and not sentimental. He was happy when he discovered that his peers were as focused as he was, not seeming interested in anything outside of their textbooks and GPA standing.

  And yet, when it came to Christmas, all bets were off.

  His rational, logical classmates would transform into holiday enthusiasts, forcing Nicholas to tag along as they visited the famous tourist hangouts: The Rockettes’ performance, The Rockefeller Tree, The Macy’s window in Herald Square.

  Now, at thirty years old, Nicholas felt that he’d had enough Christmas for a thousand lifetimes.

  When he’d tried to explain his nonchalant approach to the holiday, he was often met with scowls and gasps, as if he was some kind of monster. The word Grinch was often used in his presence.

  He’d even had a woman leave him in the middle of a dinner date once he’d mentioned that he wouldn’t be interested in going to The Rink at Rockefeller Center during the holiday season.

  Truthfully, he’d been trying to avoid the legions of tourists at The Rink. Every tourist who ever saw a Christmas movie wanted to go there and the place was always incredibly crowded in addition to being incredibly holiday focused. However, his short-lived dinner date assumed that he was trying to avoid Christmas altogether.

  And maybe he was.

  And what if he was? What was so awful about wanting a break from a holiday that was so...

  Everywhere?

  “Good evening, Mr. Kerstman!” A security guard greeted Nicholas at the door with a smile. “Another late night at the office?”

  “Another late night at the office and another early morning in... a few hours?” Nicholas replied, groaning as he looked down at his pricey wristwatch. “You wouldn’t happen to have any tips for getting out of a 7AM meeting would you?”

  “Just say you’re sick,” the guard said, laughing as he peered down at Nicholas. “I’m not sure anybody would believe it, though. Nicholas Kerstman never gets sick.”

  “No. I get sick. I just don’t make a big deal out of it.” Nicholas tapped his fingers along his side, before giving the guard a wave. “Alright. I’ll see you in a few hours. Tell the wife I said hello and give her my condolences. Working at Macy’s? At this time of year? That my worst nightmare.”

  “Sure, it can be a pain sometimes, but my wife has always loved the rush of the holidays,” the guard replied with a shrug. “Not everyone hates Christmas so much, Mr. Kerstman. Some people actually like it.”

  “I don’t hate it,” Nicholas grumbled. He stopped himself from saying more, not in the mood to explain his relationship with the holiday season. “Goodnight.”

  Nicholas then zipped right past the elevator, opting to take the empty staircase up to his condo as he hoped to avoid enduring another Christmas related conversation with his neighbors.

  * * *

  Nicholas almost tripped over the large box left directly inside the door of his condo.

  He’d signed off on allowing large deliveries to be dropped off inside to save time. He swore slightly as he tried to maneuver around the giant box taking up all his walking space.

  He could immediately tell who the sender was by the Christmas-themed wrapping. The package glittered with shiny paper despite needing to be shipped. His mother had never been one for subtlety, but a smile warmed his expression as he tore tape away from the package’s ends.

  Once he’d gotten the box open he could see that it was his mother’s version of a care package, complete with loads of Christmas candy and a framed photo of both his mother and father dressed in their usual Mr. and Mrs. Claus attire. He shook his head. They never gave up on trying to give him some of their excessive holiday spirit.

  He found a letter, the envelope red and sparkly. There was a bright green sticker in the shape of a Christmas tree keeping it sealed. With a sigh at the unnecessary waste of it all, he slid open the letter and read.

  Dear Nicky,

  We miss you as always. Here is a little care package to get you through the holidays since I know you'll be working hard. Your father and I will be off to Florida for the next week, but we'll be back home in time for Christmas. I'm so looking forward to being warm for a few days!

  As usual, we’ll see you on the other side of New Year’s Eve in New York. We know how much you like to work on Christmas (you get that from your father). As always, you are welcome to join us on Christmas if you change your mind.

  Anyway, I hope you enjoy the candy. The sweets were always your favorite part of Christmas growing up.

  I love you, forever and always, always and forever,

  Mom

  Nicholas folded the letter back int
o the box before he took an unnerved seat beside the package itself. Something about the letter made him uncomfortable. It wasn't the festive wrapping or the treats. It was the vacation. Over the holidays.

  His parents had told him about their planned Christmas vacation weeks and weeks ago. He'd smiled and nodded when his mother spoke about it, but now that it was happening, it felt very odd.

  Nicholas’ parents rarely went on vacation. And they never left their beloved Christmas store during their busiest time. The entire reason they visited him after New Years was so that the shop could be safely closed. Their Santa-related duties ended after New Years.

  So traveling now, the week before Christmas, was incredibly odd.

  Nicholas grew nervous as an unpleasant thought crossed his mind.

  Maybe his parents were calling it a vacation.

  Maybe it was more of a glimpse into retirement. Maybe they were testing out what it would be like to leave the store. They were getting older after all.

  If his parents wanted to retire from Christmas Wishes, that would leave Nicholas’ life somewhere between unpleasant and inconvenient.

  Five years ago, Howard Kerstman handed Nicholas the deed to the store, ensuring that it would stay in his family’s name. Nicholas didn’t mind being the legal owner of Christmas Wishes as long as his parents still ran the day to day operation. He trusted them when it came to their business, and he never took a cent from their profits. The store’s existence was background noise in Nicholas’ life, never interfering with his work. He never had to worry about the store or anything Christmas related.