Page 96 of Arresting the Hockey Player

Was this part of the park district plans they forgot to tell me about, or some prank set up by one of the kid's parents?

As Santa skates closer, I get a better look at him, and he’s definitely not therealSanta Claus.

My mouth drops when I see who is behind the beard and hat.

Noah Reece.

“Don’t forget your sled!” Abbi shouts.

“Or the presents!” Lotti cheers, gaining a lot of laughs from the other kids.

Noah pulls a sled onto the ice. In the front is Zayn, wearing an elf costume, while there are heaps of presents in the back. “I thought I’d bring you some holiday cheer.”

My mouth drops, surprised by the grand gesture. “Wow, you shouldn’t have.”

“Don’t say that. He brought us presents!” Georgia skates over to the sled, her blonde pigtails coming slightly undone. She sizes Santa up, folding her arms across her chest. “Oh my gosh!” The squeal from her high-pitched eight-year-old lips is almost too much.

Noah waits for her to finish because we’re sure Georgia has something else to add.

“You’re not Santa! It’s Noah Reece.” Her mouth drops, and she stares up at him in awe. “You play hockey.”

He bends down and places his finger to his lips. “You can’t tell anyone. It has to be our secret.”

The other kids all giggle and skate forward, heading for Noah and the giant sled of presents that he brought for the kids.

“I can’t believe you did all this,” I say, dumbfounded by the surprise. I didn’t see it coming.

“I love you. Of course, I’d want to make their holidays extra special,” Noah says.

“I love you,” I whisper, yanking on his Santa coat and tugging his beard out of the way as I pull him down for a kiss.

“Not into the beard, huh?”

“That white scruffy fluff? No, thank you.”

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