Mistletoe Mischief (10 page)

She nodded, her smile more beautiful than he’d ever seen. Pulling her to her feet with a loud whoop that echoed off the mall ceiling, he swung her around in his arms. The girls crowded around the moment he stopped, so Eric stooped to lift both of them up for a family hug.

“Eric…”

Eric glanced over his shoulder at Butch. Santa winked, his white-gloved hand pointing above their heads. Familiar leaves and holly berries adorned an elaborately decorated arch. Eric gave a hearty laugh and met Marissa’s twinkling eyes.

Then, because mistletoe ruled in their house, he gave each one of his girls an early Christmas kiss.

~~~

Thank you for reading!

Want more of Santa Butch, Judy, and the Riley family? Check out the next book in the Romancing Wisconsin Series for a little bit of...

Mistletoe Magic

Major Mark Riley plays Court Jester to Janelle Walsh's Snow Queen at the Christmas Parade and is instantly captivated by the cute redhead whose grandpa just happens to be Santa. When Mark learns she's the tenant he evicted from his newly purchased property, it's going to take a little bit of Santa's mistletoe magic to save their romance.

and then stick around for a...

Mistletoe Match-up

When Lisa Riley comes home for Mark's Christmas Eve wedding, her high school rivalry with Janelle's cousin, Derek Walsh, picks up right where it left off, only this time Derek's got the upper hand. Santa bides his time as they battle it out because he's waited a whole year for this mistletoe match-up.

Mistletoe Magic

Chapter One

Mark Riley kicked the flat front left tire of his old Jeep and shoved his hands into the pockets of his desert camouflage military field jacket. Three miles from town, and the Christmas parade was set to start in half an hour. He squinted down the deserted road toward Pulaski, and then swung around, walking backward to survey the direction he’d come from.

Where was all the traffic? Had the seventeen degrees and imminent hazard of the first significant snow of the season convinced people to stay home? Really? Wisconsin residents should be used to weather like that, not hide from it. Granted, six to ten inches was nothing to scoff at once the wind began whipping it around later, but
man
, he had rotten luck this morning!

The distant sound of ringing bells caught his attention. Mark spun around and located the source—a horse-drawn wagon turning onto St. Augustine’s from a side road about a quarter mile ahead. Headed toward town.

“Hey!”

He started jogging, then broke into a run when the small figure in the driver’s seat didn’t slow the team of horses. Probably some kid with music blaring in their ears. From about twenty yards away, he cupped his hands to his mouth, hoping the driver would hear him.

“Hey, hold up!”

The horses bolted forward, jerking the kid holding the reins straight up in the seat. The wagon lurched and a discordant jangle of bells assaulted his ears.

“Whoa! Easy, easy.”

Mark cringed and ran faster, hoping to catch the animals before the kid got hurt because of his mistake. Relief flooded in when the wagon slowed and rolled to a stop. A soft feminine tone worked to calm the spooked animals.

That’s no kid’s voice.

He sucked cold air into his burning lungs and eased around the back of the wagon. After a brief glance for the matched team of reddish-brown horses with black manes and tails, he lifted his gaze to the driver.

Whoa.
A very cute redheaded elf gripped the reins in her small, white-gloved hands. Hold the dead cell phone—his luck appeared to be changing. Then he noticed the elf’s frown and his moment of hope nosedived.

He summoned an apologetic smile. “I am so sorry about that.”

“Where did you even come from?” She glanced around as if he’d appeared out of nowhere.

He jerked his head toward his jeep, parked a half-mile down the road. “I got a flat tire back that way.”

“So you decided to chase me down and scare the hell out of my horses?”

The team still shifted restlessly in their harnesses, the silver bells adorning their necks jingled softly with each movement. Red blankets with green and white tassels covered their backs.

Mark sighed. “Yeah, I know, it was stupid and I’m really sorry. I didn’t think past catching a ride to the parade.” His gaze shifted up to her hat, then down again. “You are headed to the parade, right?”

“No. I drive around dressed like this all the time.”

Her sarcasm caught him off guard until he noticed a twinkle of merriment brighten her green eyes. Her unexpected teasing enchanted almost as much as the elf ears sticking out over the white trim on her emerald velvet hat. He gave what he hoped was a charming smile and adopted a more formal tone. “In the spirit of the season, can you find it in your heart to forgive me?”

One gloved hand lifted to tap fingers against her unglossed lips. She shrugged. “Considering it’s only three weeks until Christmas, I suppose I can let it slide.”

He held back a laugh. “So generous—thank you. Now about that ride…”

“You’re pushing your luck, Major.”

Her use of his rank surprised him. He didn’t run across many civilians who could identify military insignias, and especially not women.

“Come on,” he coaxed. “Surely Santa would want his helper to offer a guy a ride so he’s not late for the parade. He might even consider it your civic duty.”

That green gaze of hers took stock of him with a downward sweep of long, dark lashes. Finally, she scooted over with a small smile. “Fine. Hop on.”

Mark grasped the edges of the wagon and pulled himself up to sit alongside her before she changed her mind. “Someone knows their military ranks.”

She gave the reins a light snap and the wagon lurched forward. “I was an Army brat the first thirteen years of my life.”

“And then what, your father retired?”

“He and my mother were killed in a plane crash,” she replied quietly.

“Oh. God, I’m so sorry.”
Yeah, luck had completely deserted him today.

Her shoulder lifted, but she kept her attention on the road. “It’s okay. I’ve had another thirteen years to adjust.”

Mark still felt like a jerk. She was an itty-bitty thing, even wrapped up in a long, rich velvet cloak with white fur trim to match her dark green elf hat. If he hadn’t stopped believing in Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny back in the fourth grade, he might actually think she was the real deal. Though he hadn’t ever expected elves to be so cute.

“So, are you in the parade or just going to it?” she asked before he could think of anything more to say.

Relieved to skip the awkward silence, he said, “I’m meeting my brother Eric to collect Toys for Tots with the Reserves unit.”

“Eric Riley?”

Mark met her glance of surprise with one of his own. “You know him?”

“I’ve met him and his wife a couple times.”

Considering Eric and Marissa had only married two months ago, Mark hesitantly asked, “Nina or Marissa?”

Her eyebrows rose and her gaze swung to his once more. “He has two wives?”

“Nina’s the ex,” he clarified.

“Oh, good, because I met Marissa.”

Thank heavens she wasn’t a friend of Nina’s. He might have to not like her on principle. She reined the horses around the last corner and the parade headquarters at the high school was in sight. The parking lot overflowed with floats, fire trucks, the Pulaski High School Marching Band, plus numerous other parade entries.

“Their girls are adorable,” the elf beside him added.

Mark nodded, surveying the mass chaos at T minus thirty seconds and counting.

“You must be the
Uncle Mark
Reese goes on and on about.”

Mark grinned. “Guilty as charged.”

“Don’t worry, it was all good.”

“At her age, I’d hope so.” They shared a laugh, and then Mark shifted in his seat to get a better look at her face. Something about her appealed to him—even with the elf ears. “You have me at a disadvantage.”

After another quick glance that gave him no chance to figure out if those were gold flecks in her eyes or his imagination, she said, “Sorry, I’m Janelle Walsh.”

“Elf Extraordinaire?”

She touched one of her pointy ears with a chuckle. “Something like that.”

They’d reached the school parking lot and Mark caught sight of Santa Claus in the seat of a red sleigh-wagon harnessed to real reindeer near the buildings.
Wow.
He took a closer look around at the elaborate decorations on some of the floats.

The parade committee had really gone to town this year. Then again, he hadn’t made it home for Christmas in almost eight years, so this could be normal compared to a couple of fire trucks, the high school marching band, a tractor, a police cruiser, and Santa waving from the back of a red convertible driven by the local auto dealer. He’d have to ask Eric. Or Reese—the bright little imp would remember better than his brother.

Speak of the devil, Eric and a couple of soldiers from the area Reserves unit marched out of the high school gymnasium dressed in full BDUs, just like Mark.

“Janelle—over here!”

Mark followed her gaze toward a blond guy up in the sleigh with Santa, waving in their direction. Disappointment rose up, surprising him. “That your boyfriend?”

She pulled back on the reins to halt the team of bay horses with a laugh. “Good God, no. Derek’s my cousin.”

Good.
He leapt down from the wagon and turned to face her. His gaze skimmed her gloved hands, and he silently cursed the cold. Then again, he could just ask outright. He wasn’t shy, and her boyfriend denial had been pretty definitive. “Thanks for the ride.”

“No problem.” She lifted the reins.

“Listen, are you—”

A hand clamped on his shoulder. “Mark, where’ve you been? You’re late.”

Mark turned toward his brother. “I know, sorry. I had a flat tire.”

“That’s what spares are for.”

“Unless the spare is already on the vehicle.”

“I don’t know why you still drive that hunk of junk,” Eric said.

“A flat tire has nothing to do with how my Jeep runs—which happens to be just fine.”

“Sure—until you have four new tires,
and
a spare, then your alternator will conk out. And then, when you don’t keep your cell phone charged—”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Mark interrupted with a chuckle. His brother knew him too well. The horses shifted, and the bells made their music.

Eric smiled up at the elf Mark had been about to ask out. “Hey, Janelle.”

“Morning, Eric. You guys all ready to go?”

Eric snapped to attention and saluted her. “Just waiting on your orders, General.”

Janelle laughed. “At ease, Sergeant.”

Mark frowned when she gave his brother a smile similar to the one she’d bestowed upon him just a few minutes earlier.

Eric relaxed his stance and explained, “Janelle’s head of the parade committee—she’s in charge of all this.”

Well, that covered the General remark, but not Eric’s flirting with her. Where was his new sister-in-law when Mark needed her to keep his little brother in line?

“And I’m late, too, so I’d better get in place,” Janelle said. She turned that beguiling smile back on Mark as he fought to keep from glaring at Eric. “It was mostly nice to meet you, Major.”

She clicked her tongue and the horses lurched forward before he could ask if she was available.

“What was that?” Eric asked.

Mark held back a sigh. “Nothing. Where’re Marissa and the girls?”

Eric led the way to their place in line and pointed across the parking lot to a float at the front. “Reese and Heather are all set for their parade debut. It was crazy at the house getting them ready this morning.”

“I’ll bet.” Mark remembered Eric saying they’d been asked to play miniature ice princesses on the Snow Queen’s float. “I don’t know how you handle all those females under one roof.”

Eric pretended to take offense. “Hey, I love my girls…”

“Yeah.”

“...and I’m also praying Marissa has a boy.”

Mark clapped him on the shoulder. “Me, too. For your sake.”

“Thanks.”

They took their place in front of Janelle’s parked wagon and when Mark turned to face Eric, he caught sight of Janelle’s slim figure making her way toward the front of the line. She’d removed her heavy winter cloak, but her red curls and ears peeking out from beneath her green elf hat were unmistakable. The dark green costume outlined her female curves to perfection, and the sway of her hips sparked all kinds of wicked thoughts that would surely land him on Santa’s naughty list.