The Lodge on Holly Road. Sheila Roberts

about spoiled,” Vera muttered as the two women walked past Brooke. “That cat’s better treated than most children.”

      “That’s because he’s better behaved than most children.”

      And so the bickering continued as the two women towed their suitcases toward the elevator.

      Well, fa-la-la, Brooke thought as she approached the reception desk. The man behind it looked more attractive the closer she got, and she realized he was younger than she’d originally thought. Maybe early thirties. He was well built and had a strong jaw and brown eyes behind those glasses. No wedding ring on his left hand. Not that she was actively looking. Okay, she was. Sort of.

      “Hi,” he greeted her. “May I help you?”

      “I hope so,” she said. “My father and brother and I all have adjoining rooms on the third floor.”

      “Is there a problem with your rooms?” he asked, his voice incredulous.

      “No, no. They’re great. But we do have a problem.”

      Now he seemed mildly suspicious.

      At that moment Olivia reappeared from a door behind the reception desk. “Oh, hello,” she said to Brooke. “How is Santa settling in?”

      Her son looked at her, brows knit.

      “I kidnapped my father from his Santa gig,” Brooke explained, and the man nodded and smiled. He had a pretty darned sexy smile. Let’s get back to why you came down here, she told her wandering thoughts. To Olivia she said, “I’m afraid Santa’s not doing very well. My brother forgot to bring up my father’s clothes and he’s got nothing except his Santa costume.”

      That made the man behind the counter snicker.

      Brooke decided his smile wasn’t so sexy, after all. She supposed her father’s predicament sounded funny, but it wasn’t. He wasn’t going to go strolling around the streets of Icicle Falls in his Santa suit, and that meant there’d be no getting him out and lifting his spirits. She frowned, and Mr. No Longer Sexy coughed and cleared his throat, then donned a more serious expression.

      “Of course, he’d fit right in if he did go out in it,” Olivia said. “I’m sure you got a glimpse of how the town is decorated when you arrived.”

      “Yes, it’s lovely,” Brooke said. “But the problem is, well, he’s not in much of a Santa mood this year.”

      “Oh, dear.”

      “I was hoping you could tell me if there’s someplace in town where we might find him some clothes.”

      Olivia shook her head and bit her lip. “We’ve got Manly Man, but I’m afraid they closed for the holidays yesterday. It’s a family-run business and they’re on their way to Florida to be with family.”