“So. That was a disaster.” Lana dropped her face in her hands.
He wrapped his arm around her green-velvet clad shoulders. “If it helps, I think they missed out. I took a picture of the gingerbread town. Never seen something like it.”
“We could go eat it if you want,” she offered.
“Nah, I’ve had my body weight in sugar cookies today.”
“You and me both. I’m sorry, Rick. You wasted a lot of time today for nothing.”
“I wouldn’t call it nothing,” Rick said.
He ordered her scotch and a beer for himself. The bartender raised an eyebrow at their outfits but otherwise stayed silent.
“You’d think he’d never seen a sexy Santa before,” Lana said.
Groaning, Rick unfastened the top button of his suit, a massive white shiny button that matched the fluffy white trim on the cuffs of his skintight sleeves.
“This is not sexy.”
Now, her elf number…that was sexy. Maybe it was her mile-long legs, but even the garishly bright red-and-green-striped tights and a pointy green hat with a bell on the end of it couldn’t hide how gorgeous she was.
He flicked the bell on her head to hear it jingle.
“That has been driving me nuts all day,” Lana said. “Is Christmas over yet?”
“No, but we’re making good progress.”
“Are you sure?” Lana tugged the fluffy white Santa beard he’d forgotten was still on his face.
Rick pulled off his beard, dropping it on the bar next to him. “That thing should be burned. It itched like crazy.”
“And yet you couldn’t take it off.” A sparkle in her eye as she teased him. “Beards look good on you.”
His own facial hair was a short stubble, and there wasn’t anything to pull when she reached over and touched his jaw with gentle fingertips. He didn’t know how to tell her that elf suits were an amazing look on her without sounding like a complete idiot. Instead, Rick allowed himself the pleasure of leaning into that smallest of touches.
The bartender returned with their drinks.
“We promise not to tip you in candy canes,” Lana told the bartender cheerfully. She twisted on her barstool and held up her glass in a toast. “To nice men who buy you a drink after an absolutely abysmal party.”
“To perverted women who make you wear spandex Santa suits against your will.”
Lana burst out laughing, a real one that made her eyes sparkle. There, that was worth whatever her scotch had cost and then some. He clinked his beer bottle to her scotch, then they took a drink in solidarity.
“I know you have the tournament to get ready for,” Lana told him. “I’ll help you set up.”
She was sweet to offer, especially when she’d had a tough day so far. Rick kissed her, a long slow kiss. “Relax. Take the rest of the afternoon off. If you don’t want to show later, I understand, but I hope you do.”
She leaned into him, nodding. “If you want me to be there, I will.”
“Always, sweetheart.” An idea suddenly occurred to him. “Hey. Do me a favor?”
“Since I did make you wear an indecent Santa suit all afternoon for only my own enjoyment, I suppose I owe you.”
“There are always kids at the pool tournament. Do you mind if I take the gingerbread town with me?”
“I’d rather someone get some use out of it than it ending up in the trash.”
So they loaded up the town as best they could in his car. The gingerbread town was large enough that he had to put half of it in his trunk. Then Rick turned to the Christmas elf at his side, drawing her into his arms.
“Lana?”
“Hmm?” She’d all but buried herself in the hug, so Rick made sure to squeeze her a little tighter.
“They’ll warm up to you.” Leaning in, he murmured into her ear, “You’re worth warming up for.”
For the first time that afternoon, her composure slipped. A brave, watery smile was the closest to tears she was going to let him see.
“Maybe not yet. But I will be.”
* * *
The Christmas party at Moose Springs Resort had been a flop. Rick’s pool tournament was anything but that.
“Wow, this place is packed.” From her shorter height, Zoey had to go up on her tiptoes, craning her head as she looked for Graham. “His truck’s outside, but I don’t see him.”
“He’s talking with Rick by the bar.”
Linking her arm through Lana’s, Zoey adjusted the glasses on her nose and led the way through the crowd. Warm greetings met her, including many chin nods and cheerful hellos. Even though Zoey had only been living there since July, she was already one of them.
Not for the first time, Lana checked the rising smudge of jealousy she felt for her friend. Zoey was able to fit into her environment in a relaxed, easy way Lana never could. Her time in Moose Springs had only made Zoey shine.
Today, Lana was feeling the lack of polish on herself keenly.
“Hey.” Rick’s solemn expression shifted into a small smile when he saw her. “Look.”
When he nodded his head to the side, Lana followed Rick’s gaze to a single pool table that wasn’t being used for the tournament. Instead, a large piece of plywood had been laid on top of the table, draped in a piece of white cloth, with her gingerbread town set in the middle. He’d put a miniature train track around the town, complete with the most adorable miniature train chugging along.
Children gathered on benches set around the table, leaning over the track and giggling when the train bumped their arms as they decorated the parts they could easily reach. One father held his son over the table so he could add a candy cane to the front of the gingerbread police building.
“You did good,” Rick told her quietly, coming up behind her. “They might not have realized it earlier, but they know who did this for their kids.”
Moved beyond the ability to speak, Lana nodded. A warm hand rested on her shoulder, squeezing it gently.
“Are you playing?” she asked him, turning.
“Naw. It’s too much to run the bar and run the tables.”
“Do you want some help?”
Rick had all the help he needed in Diego, but Lana decided to keep him company at the bar. Designating herself the pizza mistress, Lana contentedly kept the oven full and the slices coming for those who needed a snack as they played. More than once, Rick stole a moment he didn’t have to snug an arm around her, pressing a kiss to her neck.