Page 11 of Christmas at Wolf Creek
Ella considers this, then nods slowly. “Well, there’s Pinecrest Hardware for lights. They usually have a decent selection. And Mountain Mercantile carries handcrafted ornaments made by local artisans. But for the really good stuff...” She pauses dramatically.
“Yes?” Kat leans forward, eyes wide.
“We’d need to drive to Evergreen. It’s about forty minutes north. They have this incredible Christmas store that’s open year-round. Three floors of nothing but holiday decorations.”
“A Christmas mecca,” Mia whispers reverently. “We have to go.”
“Wait,” Kori interjects, “what about Nora? Doesn’t she get out of school soon?”
Ella checks her watch and winces. “In an hour. I usually pick her up when I have afternoons off.”
“Perfect!” Kat claps her hands. “We’ll get Nora,then head to Evergreen. Christmas shopping is always better with a kid’s perspective anyway.”
“I don’t know...” Ella hesitates, that familiar wariness creeping back into her expression.
“Please?” I ask softly.
She grins and nods. “Nora will love it.”
Chapter 6
Kat
Idrum my fingers against the passenger-side window as we pull up to Pinecrest Elementary. It’s a cute little school—all brick and expansive windows with children’s artwork taped up inside—nothing like the stuffy private academy my grandfather sent me to when I was Nora’s age.
“There she is,” Ella says, pointing toward a group of kids spilling out of the front doors.
Nora spots the SUV immediately,her face lighting up when she realizes it’s not just her mom waiting. She races over, blonde braids bouncing.
“Auntie Kat!” she squeals as I roll down the window. “And everybody else! Why are you all here?”
“We’re kidnapping you and your mom for a super-secret Christmas mission,” I announce dramatically. “Think you’re up for it, squirt?”
Her eyes widen to saucers. “A Christmas mission? Like Santa’s helpers?”
“Exactly like that,” Wren confirms from the driver’s seat. “We need an expert kid consultant.”
Nora practically throws herself into the SUV, buckled in and ready before Ella can even ask about homework.
“It’s Friday, Mom,” she says, anticipating the question. “Ms. Peterson says weekends are for family time.”
“Smart teacher,” I wink at her. “And we’re family, so this definitely counts.”
As we drive toward Evergreen, I turn around in my seat to face Nora. “So, what’s your professional opinion on Christmas trees? Real or fake?”
“Real!” she declares without hesitation. “They smell like the forest, and that’s how Christmas is supposed to smell.”
“The kid is wise beyond her years,” I say solemnly to Ella. “We’re definitely getting a real tree. Possiblyseveral.”
Ella rolls her eyes but doesn’t protest, which I count as a win. She’s been so tense since we showed up at the bakery, constantly scanning our surroundings like she’s expecting trouble. I know there’s more to her story than she’s told us—something beyond the Russian baby daddy she mentioned. Something that keeps her looking over her shoulder.
But today, she seems to be relaxing by increments. By the time we reach Evergreen, she’s actually laughing at Lana’s terrible rendition of “Jingle Bells.”
The Christmas store, aptly named ‘Holly Jolly’, is exactly as magical as Ella promised. The Victorian-style building is lit enough to be visible from space, with animatronic reindeer on the roof and a life-sized Santa waving from the porch.
“It’s like the North Pole threw up,” Lana murmurs as we park.
“It’s AMAZING,” Nora breathes, her face pressed against the window.