2. Teddy

2

teddy

30 days until christmas

A nd that’s the end of our tour.” Jeremy, the head of operations for Santa’s Christmasland, gave me a firm nod. We were standing in the middle of the North Pole area, each side lined with small shops and food locations, the entire place decked out in decorations.

The Christmas themed amusement park was a part of my family’s business holdings. Claus Family Enterprises was all I’d ever known, since my father had groomed me to take over my whole life. I’d gone to business school, getting a degree in Finance while learning all I could about corporate management. Now, here I was, attempting to understand each facet of the company. I’d started with the toy manufacturing branch, and now I was moving on to the theme park division.

We both looked out of place in the middle of the park, surrounded by all things Christmas, while wearing business suits, but luckily, it hadn’t opened yet for the day.

It was still quiet. They’d turned the lights on but left the music loop off, a glorious break from the endless Christmas music. I was pretty sure if I never heard I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus again, it would still be too soon. I resisted making a face, given that Jeremy was still standing in front of me. He wouldn’t understand my aversion to the song.

“Thanks, man.” I stuck out my hand for a handshake. “I appreciate it.”

“Of course. If there’s anything I can get you while you’re here, just let me know.”

I nodded. “Will do.”

They’d set up a temporary office for me for the few weeks I was here to study the business operations and evaluate the budget. I had some ideas about expansions and improvements—ways we could grow the park into a bigger tourist destination to keep people coming back year after year—but there was only so much a spreadsheet could tell me. And now that I was the Chief Operating Officer for the company, it was all in my purview.

Though I enjoyed being on the road, I also didn’t mind being here, cooped up in an office. At least I was useful here. Back home, well… I wasn’t the same as my jolly old man. I couldn’t be the figurehead the way he could.

Especially when my dad was a big picture kinda guy. He preferred to focus on the smiling looks on kids’ faces versus how we could cut costs or increase efficiency. But that didn’t put food on the table, either. At least I could put my degree to use, keeping the business going. Our family might have been running a successful toy enterprise for the last few hundred years, which had turned into countless other investments. However, that was even more of a reason that it needed meticulous organization.

Wandering through the park on my own after bidding Jeremy goodbye, I grabbed a cup of coffee from the giant gingerbread house shaped bakery and a gingerbread muffin that melted in my mouth. A flash of reddish-blonde hair caught my attention, but the woman was gone in a flurry of green before I could take proper notice of her.

Maybe this place wouldn’t be so bad. It was kitschy and cliché, but there was a charm in it as well. Plus, the park was highly profitable, and I planned to keep it that way.

My phone rang as I headed back into the office, and I waited until the office door closed before I hit the answer button. “Hey, Mom.”

“Teddy.” I could practically hear her smile, even though I couldn’t see her face. “How’s Florida?”

I looked around me. “It’s fine. Hot, but expected.” Even if this place looked like Christmas threw up all over it, it still didn’t feel the same as it did this time of year back home. I missed the cold and the snow. “Dad’s got nothing to worry about. I’m going to make sure everything here is running perfectly before I leave.”

“That’s good.” She made a non-committal sound with her throat before adding, “You always do such a wonderful job, honey.”

“Mom,” I said, feeling like there was something she wasn’t saying. “What is it?”

“Are you going to make it home for Christmas?”

I pinched between my brows. The big day was still a month away, but could I finish here in time to head back? “I don’t know. You know how crazy it is this time of year. And I have a lot of work to do here?—”

“Still.” She cut me off. “I know your father would love to have you up here before he leaves for his rounds. It’s not the same without you.”

With a sigh, I spun my office chair around to look at the singular framed photo I’d placed in my new office. “I know. I’ve never spent Christmas anywhere else.”

It was strange to think about spending it somewhere other than with my parents. Especially when the hotel room I was sleeping in for the next few weeks was cold and empty. No Christmas decorations, no endless stream of my mom’s delicious sugar cookies and hot chocolate.

Maybe I was a little homesick. That was what months of being on the road would do to you. But that’s what it had always been like, ever since I was little.

One downside of Christmas being the family business. Not that anyone around me would understand that.

“Listen, Mom, I should go. I’m still settling in here and want to make a good impression on the employees.” Plus, I had a lot to do to get my proposals ready to show the board. “I’ll let you know about Christmas, alright?”

“Okay, Teddy. We’ll talk soon?”

“Of course. Love you, Mom.”

“Love you too.”

We finished saying our goodbyes, and then I leaned back in my chair, running my hands through my hair.

Was this really all my life was going to be? Jet-setting across the world, checking in on our families’ businesses, but never really living ? I sighed. Twenty-seven years old and I still hadn’t figured it out.

Maybe it was time to open myself up to the possibilities.

Sitting on a bench surrounded by giant candy canes, I couldn’t stop thinking about my mother’s call. For the last hour, I’d been wandering the park on my own. The Candy Cane Forest where I currently sat was a newer addition: a walk-through area filled with sweets, peppermint hot chocolate, and candy cane stands. It led you to Santa's Workshop if you kept walking along the path. Not the real one, of course. No actual toys were made in the park, despite a dark ride that went through a toy factory, but it all made me strangely homesick.

Of course, I hadn’t exactly had a normal childhood, though my parents had always made sure I knew how loved I was. Still, I sometimes wondered what it would be like to grow up here. To spend Christmas together, gathered around our tree, opening presents on Christmas morning.

Sighing, I heaved myself off the bench. It had been a few hours since I’d had that muffin and coffee, and I wouldn’t get anything else done by sitting here and staring off into space.

A loud noise drew my attention to the area outside Santa’s Workshop, and I noticed a crowd had formed. What was going on? It sounded like an angry guest yelling at one of our employees.

This was one reason I hated it down here. People were so entitled. They thought they could complain about every little thing just because they’d paid to be here. Parades getting postponed because of rain. Lightning closing the outdoor rides. You name it, and it ruined their day . Of course, they wanted a full refund. But it never stopped there.

We were in the business of making people happy, and creating magical Christmas memories for our attendees, but that didn’t mean I would tolerate someone treating any of our staff poorly. We had great employee retention at the park because we took care of our workers and made them feel valuable. It was one cornerstone of my family’s business.

Thankfully, because of the weather, I’d left my suit coat in the office when I’d left for my walk earlier, though I was still wearing my forest green tie. There was no chance of blending in around here.

An angry parent was practically red in the face, yelling at a young woman dressed in green velvet. Though I hadn’t met her during my tour, she must have been an elf who worked in this area.

I definitely would have remembered if we’d met before, though. Her long, strawberry blonde hair was enough to capture my attention, not to mention her delicate facial features and slight frame. Not that it was important right now when she was getting berated. Dammit .

“Well, that woman’s definitely getting coal this year,” I muttered out loud. A child’s eyes grew wide, looking over at me. Oops . It hadn’t occurred to me that anyone would be listening.

“Don’t worry, Peter,” I promised the kid with a wink. “Santa told me you definitely made it on the Nice List.” He gaped at me, tugging on his parents’ sleeve as they walked away, further from the confrontation that was still happening.

I needed to put a stop to this. There were too many people around, and cellphones pointed at the situation. Still, the employee looked completely unfazed—a smile on her face, a pretty pink blush on her cheeks.

“I’m sorry, Ma’am,” she said. “I understand that you’re unsatisfied, but that’s the policy here in Santa’s Workshop.”

This girl. Damn. She was fearless. The way she stood tall, even though she had to be close to five feet when she took off her heels, the tilt of her jaw that said she wouldn’t back down…

I glanced at her nametag. Ivy . I definitely wouldn’t be forgetting that name.

“Excuse me,” I said, coming to stand next to the employee, who just gaped at me. “What seems to be the problem here?”