Believe Read Online Free PDF Page B

drives down the street toward us. Standing in the back is Santa waving to the crowd.
    This is too much for me. I start to laugh and I can't stop. I laugh so hard my sides ache and tears run down my cheeks.
    Gran shushes me. "What on earth is so funny?"
    I take a gulpy, gaspy breath. "Are you kidding me? Santa arriving on a snowplow? Is the town afraid of a freak blizzard stopping this little shindig?"
    The look Gran levels at me stops my laughter mid-guffaw. Realization dawns on me with all the ferocity of a lightning bolt to my head. Of course that's what they are afraid of, even if they don't know it. My eyes swing back to Santa, who is much closer now. Even behind his costume I can see the youthful glint in his eyes. Nick is playing Santa. If his father, his real father, knew about this setup, this town would get the blizzard to end all blizzards. Suddenly the snowplow seems like the best idea anyone ever had.
    The crowd swarms around the truck as Nick climbs down. He greets the children jovially, making his giant belly (probably a pillow held in place by his belt, at least I hope that's not his regular physique) shake as he does the requisite "ho ho ho."
    I strain to get a better look at Nick now that he’s mere feet from me, but my view is blocked by a swarm of eager kids. Nick waves to the crowd one last time before disappearing into the little Santa house on the other side of the town square. Teenage girls dressed as elves start to organize the mob into a neat line so everyone gets a turn to see Santa. My stomach knots at the thought of the real elves back home and poor Ebrillwen. I try to focus on what to do next.
    â€œNow how am I supposed to meet him?” I murmur to Gran, planting my hands on my hips and fully expecting her to give me a good answer.
    Gran smiles at me. “Get in line.”
    I gape at her. “You’re joking, right? I’m not getting in that line like some star-struck little kid.”
    â€œWell, then I suppose that means you won’t be meeting Nick this evening. Shall we go home?” Gran looks me square in the eye. She’s calling my bluff. Of course I’m getting in line. I need to meet Nick, convince him he’s my betrothed, and take him home to be the next Santa.
    Groaning, I narrow my eyes at Gran. “Fine, I’ll go get in line. But, he’s going to think I’m the world’s most major freak.”
    Gran just keeps smiling at me so I spin around and stomp off to the line.
    â€œAren’t you a little old to be visiting Santa?” The teenage elf girl frowns at me in disgust as I step into line behind a little girl.
    I smile as sweetly as I can. “I need to talk to Santa about an urgent, personal family matter.”
    The teenage elf rolls her eyes and moves on to work crowd control further back in the line. I’m puzzling over what on earth to say to Nick when the little girl in front of me turns around. Our eyes meet and I notice she’s shivering, almost violently. Her coat seems a little threadbare and she doesn’t have a hat or scarf. She’s wrapped her mittened hands around herself to keep warm.
    On impulse I pull off my scarf and kneel down in front of her. “Here,” I say, winding the scarf around her head and neck. “I don’t need this. It’ll keep you extra warm.”
    My scarf was made by the elf master knitters. The material is uber soft and the thing really is amazingly warm. I’ll just get another one when I go home.
    â€œThank you,” the little girl says softly. She pulls off a mitten to stroke the scarf, pressing it almost reverently to her cheek. “No one ever does stuff like this in real life.”
    Her eyes find mine again, and I’m appalled to see them shiny with unshed tears. Questions about her life flood my mind, and I can’t focus on why I’m in this line to begin with. Whatever happens, I need to help this girl. The thought stops me. I don’t