Dear Santa(19)

    Lindy’s mother greeted Billy at the front door while Lindy gathered her coat and purse. “My goodness, Billy,” Ellen said, shaking her head as she looked at him. “You’ve grown so tall.”

“Mom, the last time you saw Billy he was ten. It’s only natural he’d grow.”

“But to over six feet?”

“Height runs in the family,” Billy said, sharing an amused look with Lindy.

“I think it’s time we go,” Lindy suggested, before her mother said something that would embarrass her or mentioned that infamous letter to Santa.

Her mother appeared highly entertained by the two of them. “Off with you, then. Have fun, you two, and don’t worry about the time.”

“Yes, Mom.” From the way her mother acted, one would think Lindy was still in high school and needed to be home before her curfew.

To her surprise, Billy reached for her hand as they walked toward his car. Not that she objected. The warm feelings that ran through her at the simple gesture could be described only as welcoming.

Once inside his four-door truck, Lindy noticed that Billy had turned on the heated seats. Snow had been predicted at the higher elevations, which meant it was likely to snow in Leavenworth, as well as in Wenatchee.

    Billy headed through town to U.S. Highway 2 for the thirty-minute drive to the German town. “I was able to get us dinner reservations at Berghoff’s,” he mentioned, as if all that was required was a phone call.

“No way.” The German restaurant was often booked months in advance, especially at this time of year. The food was legendary.

“The owner is a friend of mine,” Billy explained. “He moved a few things around to fit us in. The reservations are for six, which should work perfectly for the day I have planned.”

Billy had made other arrangements, or so it appeared. “And pray tell, what do you have scheduled?”

He briefly took his eyes off the road to glance her way. “The usual. A sleigh ride, a visit to Santa.”

“A visit to Santa? You’re kidding, right?”

“Nope. It seemed appropriate, seeing how you appear to be on his list, and how often you wrote him as a kid. I figured you’d welcome sitting on his lap again and telling him what you’d like for Christmas.”

“Very funny,” she chided, with more than a hint of sarcasm. “I’m too old to be chumming up with Santa,” she said, and then she remembered her most recent letter to the jolly old fellow, where she’d asked for a new best friend. The ink was barely dry on the page when she’d reconnected with Peggy. And that wasn’t all. She’d run into Billy, too, when she’d asked Santa to introduce her to a worthy man.

    “Too old for Santa?” Billy teased. “Is anyone really too old for Santa?”

“You’re right,” she agreed. “Maybe visiting Santa isn’t such a bad idea after all.” Impulsively, she leaned her head against his shoulder. She knew this day was in appreciation of the work she’d done on the website for the Wine Press and nothing more. A relationship with Billy wouldn’t really work beyond these two weeks, which was unfortunate. She had her life in Seattle, and he was a restaurant owner in Wenatchee. Weekends, when she was off work, were his busiest days of the week. He couldn’t drive to Seattle to be with her. Furthermore, his attention had to be on his business, if she were to come to spend time with him.

Far better for her to tone down the attraction she felt for him. Even Billy seemed to understand this time could be for only these two weeks; anything beyond Christmas would be problematic. Nevertheless, a short holiday romance would certainly lift her spirits. Being with Billy helped relight the smoldering flame of hope in her heart. That was all this attraction could ever be. Keeping it light and fun would work best for both of them.

    When Billy pulled into the alleyway behind the German restaurant, she had to acknowledge he had great connections in town. He parked behind Berghoff’s in a space his friend had saved for him. The small town had precious little parking available, and people who drove often had to walk several blocks to the center of town, where many of the activities took place.

Just as he turned off the engine, the snow started to fall in light flakes, drifting down from a flat gray sky. Climbing out of the truck, Lindy looked up and caught several fluffy flakes on her nose.

“Remember as kids how we used to catch the snowflakes on our tongues?” Billy asked.

“I do.” Snow in Seattle, a city on the water, didn’t often get the experience. Snow, three days before Christmas, was a treat to be treasured.

When they made it onto the main thoroughfare, it came as no surprise to be caught up in the thick crowds of tourists. Several of the stores on the main street had hired someone to stand outside to count the number inside the business. It was essential because of the fire codes. The requirement to wait before shopping certainly didn’t seem to dampen the holiday spirit. Street vendors loudly peddled roasted chestnuts, fancy coffee drinks, steaming cups of hot chocolate, and homemade doughnuts.

The train from Seattle whistled as it drew near town. Many tourists from the west side of the mountains opted to take the train rather than risk driving over the mountain pass that led to Leavenworth. These family adventures were highly popular for those coming from the metropolitan area. The train arrived at various times and then returned to Seattle, making it a perfect day trip.