After she dressed, she slipped into her coat, grabbed her purse, and headed out the door. When the elevator doors opened on the first floor, an attractive older woman stood behind the front desk, her hair in a bob that stopped just above her shoulders. A broad smile spread across her face when she saw Kiki."Good afternoon, Ms. Long." The woman placed her car keys on the counter and slid them across to her. "A friend of yours asked me to give these to you when you came down."Kiki smiled as she picked them up off the counter. "You're a mind reader. Thank you miss-.""Ms. Bennet.""Like the fictitious character Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen?" The woman's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Not fictitious. I have you know that I am a direct descendant of Elizabeth Bennet herself."It was all Kiki could do to keep from smiling, but the woman's face was so serious that she dared not. "The character Elizabeth Bennet is one of the most complex fictitious characters ev

She laughed, letting him drag her along. "So, you suddenly turned into a hillbilly?"He shrugged. "Sure! Why not?"Kiki raised her eyebrows. "Okay. Just checking.""What's that supposed to mean?""Oh no you don't!" Kiki laughed. "Let's go shopping."By the time they were finished, they had collected a chemistry set, a Teddy Bear, an old-fashioned set of Jacks, pick-up sticks, a sled, a Trouble game, and a few other things."Would you like anything else?" Mr. Cummings asked, smiling like the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland. Speaking of which-."Yes. Do you have the book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland?" Taren asked."Sure do." Mr. Cummings moved from behind the counter and approached a shelf filled with books. "It's in here somewhere-." He browsed through the books and then he jumped in surprise. "Ah ha! Here it is!" He pulled a book off the shelf and then headed back behind the counter. "Your daughter will really like this when you read it to her."Taren laughed as he p

"Hello! Welcome to Santa's Café!" a friendly waitress asked as they walked in. "Two for dinner?"Taren shook his head. "Just hot cocoa for me. We came in to warm up."A friendly smile spread across her lips. "Well, then. You came to the right place! Mrs. Claus just finished baking a fresh batch of her cookies, too, so you're in luck!" Taren could tell that the waitress took her job to heart. Her name tag read Angela."Thanks, Angela." It was obvious that Kiki knew her. After all, the jewelry store was close by. Taren assumed that Kiki and her coworkers frequently came in for lunch. "My pleasure." Angela walked over to a table, expecting them to follow, and laid two menus down. "I'm glad to see you're back. Sorry to hear about- what happened."Kiki nodded. "Thanks." She and Taren slid into the booth across from each other."So, what can I get you?" Angela asked, her voice spritely once again."Just hot cocoa for me." Kiki slipped off her coat and laid it on the seat beside her.

In the Jeep, he turned on the windshield wipers and turned up the heat. After putting on the snow chains, he had left the car running and the cab was warm, at least. He took it slow, but the snow had let up enough for him to see while driving. The snowplow must have already come through, forming piles of snow along the side of the road, but, luckily, the roads weren't too slick. Or maybe it was the snow chains that helped. Either way, there weren't many cars on the road and after a few turns, he was driving down the long, winding road leading to The North Pole Lodge. He parked the car and left it running, but locked the door, knowing he wouldn't be gone long.Inside, he waved to Ms. Bennet, her white hair swaying just over her shoulders as she smiled and returned the wave. Lately, she was becoming more and more eccentric, but he knew that Liam would always have a job for her, for as long as she could still work.Not wanting to leave the Jeep running for long, he hurried to the elevat

After dinner was over and the dishes put away, they headed into the living room where the Christmas tree took center stage. During the course of the meal, Taren had excused himself and had placed presents under the tree. And from the look of it, Kiki had, too."Wow! Presents!" Abby clapped her hands excitedly."Kiki, would you like some hot cocoa before we get started?" Evelyn asked, smiling.Kiki chuckled. "I couldn't eat another bite if I tried. But thank you." She placed a hand on her stomach and sat down on the end of the couch, slipped off her high heels, and curled her feet under her. Prissy quickly made her way to her and curled up on her lap. Kiki started petting her, both appearing content.The room was aglow, bathed in candlelight and the colorful lights from the tree. Taren slid a wooden chair over beside the tree and Abby sat down on her legs in front of the tree, bouncing on her knees, and Evelyn perched on the loveseat, smiling."Look! Presents!" Abby clapped her han