The Hector Clause

 

 

Blurb:

The last thing Brie Dalgleish expected her boss to do was ask her to play an elf in the toy store grotto. She's even less enthusiastic when she discovers Santa is the same bloke who drove his car through a puddle the previous evening, completely soaking her.

Hector Clause is playing Santa in the family owned toy store under sufferance as a favor to his grandfather. He'd rather be in a nice safe office, using his law degree, than playing Santa in a shop full of squealing kids. Even if the chief elf is on the cute side.

With the store's centenary fast approaching, the anniversary party is abruptly cancelled. Hector resolves to celebrate anyway, but isn't prepared for the curveball he finds headed his way.

Extract:

Hector scrunched up the paper. “Well, thank you for joining me. Perhaps we’ll bump into each other again.” He dumped the rubbish into the bin and held the door open for her. “Good night, Brie.”

“G’night, Hector.” Brie pulled her hood over her hair and headed down the street. The rain was cold, but inside she was warm. She wouldn’t mind seeing him again. His warm eyes and cheeky smile, the brown mop of hair that seemed to go in seventy different directions at once, all made him completely different from anyone she’d ever met.

It occurred to her as she sidestepped a large puddle, that he was the first bloke in a year she’d actually paid any mind to. The first man since John, she’d even given a second glance, never mind eaten a meal with. A car drove through the puddle at speed, sending cold water cascading over her, soaking her, shattering her train of thought. She cried out in annoyance, recognizing the car as it vanished.
Hector.

Maybe she didn’t want to see him again; because if she did, Christian or no, she’d be giving him a piece of her mind.

Part of the Frosting and Flurries box set.