Sweet Inspiration (9 page)

80

Sweet Inspiration

by Penny Watson

Nicholas smiled at Lucy. "Mr. Klaus? I thought we had moved onto a first-name basis."

"It's funny. We spent a lot of time together in Eston.

Baking, enjoying a delicious meal and, well,
you know
..." she whispered the end of the sentence as she glanced at Markus heading out the door.

"Making love, Lucy? Is that what you're referring to? Yes, I remember every second you were naked in my arms, love..."

"Oh, no you don't! Don't distract me, Nicholas Klaus! We talked about our families and our lives, but I think you neglected to mention a rather important fact, didn't you?"

Nicholas sat on the back of a leather sofa. "And what might that be, Lucy Anne?"

"You know exactly what I mean! Let's see, you live in the North Pole, I mean Glasdorf. You ride around in a sleigh. Your assistant is an elf! And, oh yeah, your dad is the Weihn...the Weihn..."

"The Weihnachtsmann, Santa Claus."

"Yeah! Santa Claus. Hmmm, did I leave anything out?"

Lucy cocked her head and raised an eyebrow accusingly at Nicholas.

"And what, pray tell, do you think would have happened if I had enlightened you of these facts when we were in Eston?

You would have dialed 9-1-1 and had me carted off to a psychiatric facility."

"That's not true. You didn't even give me a chance, did you?"

"Lucy, did Markus tell you what happened yesterday?"

Nicholas asked softly. He reached for Lucy's hand and 81

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squeezed it, bringing her fist up to his mouth as he started to nibble on her knuckles. He needed to touch her, to taste her.

"You understand that no one is supposed to know that Glasdorf exists. My brothers and I are very careful not to reveal its existence to anyone in the Sudenwelt."

"I can understand that, but I thought you trusted me more than the average person."

"I do. Eventually I would have gotten around to telling you, but we were just getting to know each other. I wasn't going to screw up my chances with the most incredible woman I've ever met by telling her Santa is alive and well and living in the North Pole. And he's my dad!"

Lucy's pale blue eyes blinked up at Nicholas. "You think I'm the most incredible woman you've ever met?"

"Absolutely. Not to mention impressed that you're so calmly accepting where you are and what's going on around here."

Lucy wrapped her arms around Nicholas and tilted her head back to gaze up at him. "It's hard not to accept when it's right in front of my eyes. I just played scrabble with an elf, for goodness sake. By the way, I really like Markus. He's a very nice elf."

"Yes, he is. He is as loyal as they come. Did he tell you what happened yesterday?"

Lucy nodded. "Joe McCracken hit me with his truck.

Markus said I would have died if you hadn't brought me here to be healed." Her brow furrowed in worry. "He also told me you broke some really important rules and that now you're going to be in big trouble with the council. What is that 82

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exactly? And why do you call the rest of the world the Sudenwelt? And..."

Nicholas laughed and pulled Lucy down onto the sofa, lifting her easily onto his lap. "I guess Markus didn't explain everything. The Elfin Council of Seven governs Glasdorf. They are seven crusty old elves, including Hector, the healer who saved your life."

"How did he save my life? Markus said I was dying."

"Hector is our master healer; he uses a combination of modern medicine, herbal folk remedies, and magic. I watched with my own two eyes when he saved you, but I can't explain how he did it. A lot of things in Glasdorf are altered by the elf's magic. They control the weather inside the castle; it's cold, but not 40 degrees below Fahrenheit like the rest of the polar cap. And the sleigh that we use to travel around the Sudenwelt is controlled by elf magic, too. It's sort of like flying in an airplane, but once it's airborne, it's invisible to all Sudlanders."

"Why do you call this place Glasdorf, instead of the North Pole?" Lucy stroked Nicholas' beard and rested her head on his shoulder. He welcomed the distraction.

"Glasdorf is 'village of glass'; from the atmosphere, the ice castle looks like glass, hence the name. The elves' magic keeps it invisible to anyone but the inhabitants of our village.

The Sudenwelt literally means 'the southern world' in German. And Sudlanders, or Suddies as we sometimes call them, are 'southerners.'"

"I remember the ice castle, Nicholas. When you brought me here. I think I was fading in and out of consciousness at 83

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the time, but I remember this incredible castle. It was so beautiful." Lucy looked at Nicholas with tears in her eyes. "I thought I was dreaming, that I was dying. That I would never see you again."

Nicholas hugged Lucy tightly against him. "Forgive me?"

"Yes, I forgive you. How can I ever thank you for saving my life? I can't believe what you've done for me." Lucy stroked Nicholas' face. "I hope you trust me enough to tell me the truth from now on."

"There's nothing left to hide. I knowingly disobeyed several crucial laws of Glasdorf yesterday. You were going to die, and I simply could not allow that to happen. The council will call a special meeting called the Tag der Rache, and I'll be asked to defend myself."

"I want to go with you. And talk to the council. What's going to happen when you meet with them?"

Nicholas shook his head. "I don't know. I guess it's possible I'll be expelled from Glasdorf..."

"What! They wouldn't do that! You'd be separated from your family, Nicholas. I won't let them. I'll talk to them..."

Nicholas cupped Lucy's cheeks in his giant hands. "Don't worry, sweet. Whatever happens, I'll be okay. I can make it in the Sudenwelt as a chef, right? Nothing is as important as your well-being, Lucy. That means everything to me."

Lucy buried her face in Nicholas' chest.

Damn. I don't want her to feel guilty. I don't have any
regrets for what I've done.
"How about a tour of Glasdorf?

There's so much I want to show you. And I can't wait for you 84

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to meet my family. We might run into my brothers around town and I'll introduce you."

Lucy turned her face up to Nicholas. "I saw the photo in your bedroom. You and your brothers are all giants. The elves must think you guys are Paul Bunyan, or something."

Nick laughed. "Not all the elves are like Markus and Hector. Some of them are rather...how should I put this...a little rough around the edges?"

Lucy looked intrigued. "How rough?"

"Well, if we stop by Dag's Pub you'll get the idea.

Sometimes they get a little stir crazy living up here. My youngest brother Oskar has a difficult job keeping all of the workers in line. And things tend to get pretty crazy as Christmas approaches. As you can imagine, it's a very frantic time in Glasdorf."

Lucy kissed the tip of his nose. "I can't wait to see the rest of the village! Let's go...but, I don't have any clothes."

"Actually, you do. Oda, Markus' wife, sent me home with lots of packages for you. Let's go take a look."

Lucy dragged Nicholas into the bedroom, chattering and practically bouncing up and down. Most people would have reacted with disbelief, even scorn, to the news that Santa was not just a children's legend, but a reality. Lucy was bursting with excitement, eagerly opening all of the boxes from Oda, as thrilled as a child on Christmas morning.

Nicholas had to swallow a groan as she started to model her new outfits. Each one seemed more alluring than the last, clinging to every curve, highlighting the sexy swing of her hips. She spun around in front of the full-length mirror, and 85

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he was treated to a sweat-inducing view of her gorgeous arse and a wild mane of copper curls. It certainly was not helping that his sleigh bed was just a few steps away. He could just imagine pushing her down on the silky sheets, rubbing his aching erection between her legs, showing her just how primed he was...

"Oda has very good taste. I love this dress. It's feminine, but really comfortable. I could even bake in this!" Lucy smoothed her hands down the sides of a rich blue dress that set off her reddish curls and sparkling eyes.

Nicholas instantly snapped out of his wayward reverie.
Pull
it together, man

"Baking...Speaking of baking, how would you like to see my kitchen, Klaus Kuche? I need to check in with my workers and see how the Christmas orders are coming along."

Lucy stopped suddenly, her face ashen. "Oh my God, Nicholas, I can't believe I've forgotten about Sweet Inspiration. I have orders, and employees counting on me.

Mrs. Henderson's party. How could I have forgotten?"

"I guess almost dying, being abducted by Santa's son, and waking up at the North Pole may have been a bit of a distraction. Never fear, I've sent a friend to your cafe, and he's filling in for you until...well, until you've recovered. He told your customers and the police that you were injured in the accident and I brought you to a special medical facility to save you."

"Who's this friend? Someone you trust? Does he know anything about baking?"

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Nicholas chuckled. "He is a very close friend from the Sudenwelt, not to mention a master chef. He owes me lots of favors, and I called them in. Mrs. Henderson and all of your orders will be taken care of."

Lucy's forehead crinkled. "I don't know, Nicholas. This is my busiest time of year...I've never been away from my shop before. There are a lot of people counting on me. Amy Chandler's birthday party is coming up. And my oven sometimes gets a little finicky...I'm the only one who knows how to coax it into gear..."

Nicholas pulled Lucy into his arms and kissed her forehead.

"I promise you that your cafe is in good hands. I know how important Sweet Inspiration is to you."

Lucy smiled sheepishly. "Thank you for being so thoughtful. I hope Joe wasn't too worried."

"He was very much relieved to hear you're okay."

"This is actually the first vacation I've had...well, ever. I've worked in my cafe every single day since it opened."

"Well then, I have to ensure that you are properly pampered on your vacation. In every way."

Lucy's blush was too rosy to hide. "I can't wait," she whispered and slipped her hand into his. Nicholas swallowed a lump in his throat. He was determined to make this a vacation she would never forget.
And maybe if I'm lucky, she
won't want to leave.

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87

Sweet Inspiration

by Penny Watson

Lucy had fallen totally in love—with a village. Glasdorf was the most enchanting, festive town she could ever imagine.

Every street was lined with charming shops and restaurants, singing elves enjoying the Christmas season, and sleighs gliding by on the snowy roadways. She and Nicholas sipped mugs of hot chocolate as they meandered through the streets. Lucy eagerly explored the shops, amazed by the cheerful elves who greeted her. There were clock stores and bell stores and toy stores and candy stores. Shops filled with antiques, music shops with every imaginable instrument, stores filled with beautiful linens and hand-knit items...and bakeries. Some had stacks of cookies in the frosted windows; some were filled with trays of chocolates and petit fours. One shop was literally made completely out of gingerbread...the entire thing! When Lucy expressed her disbelief, Nicholas leaned over and took a bite out of the doorframe. A little old woman shooed him away with a broom, but she was laughing, her eyes crinkled with mischief.

"How would you like to see my kitchen, Lucy Anne? It's right down this street."

"Oh, I would love to."

"Here we are. Klaus Kuche." Nicholas beamed as they turned the corner and came to a gigantic building.

"Oh Nicholas! It's wonderful..." Lucy gazed in awe at the enormous shop. A seemingly endless line of windows framed by peppermint-striped awnings stretched down the entire 88

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block. Inside she could see hundreds of elves in baker's whites scurrying around the kitchen. The delicious scent of baking cookies filled the air around her. Mothers with their children hustled in and out of the shop, baskets of goodies in their arms.

"Umm, that smells so good. What kind of cookies are you baking today?" Lucy grabbed Nicholas' hand and pulled him toward the front door.

"Snicker doodles. They're my father's favorite."

"So it's true that Santa loves cookies and milk!"

Nicholas nodded. "There's nothing my father likes better than a plate of fresh, hot cookies right out of the oven, and a big glass of milk."

Lucy laughed. "Does he really eat all those cookies children leave for him on Christmas Eve?"

"He shares them with the elves. There's actually a ton of sleighs in action on delivery night. But the reindeer are a myth, sorry."

"No Rudolph?" Lucy pouted. "I don't believe it."

"The sleighs are powered by elfin magic. We don't have reindeer, but we do have a lot of other animals. My father has a fantastic pack of malamutes. And my mother loves birds.

She has a room filled with finches at their house."

Lucy entered the foyer to Klaus Kuche and gasped.

"Oh...my...God. This is incredible." Rows and rows of stainless steel tables filled an enormous workroom crawling with elves.

One wall was covered with ovens, stacked three high. Elves stood on stepladders to reach the upper level, as baking sheets were quickly unloaded and replaced with new ones.

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Another wall was lined with shelves, covered with transparent glass canisters. Lucy could see candies and colored sugars, dried fruits and nuts. There were packages of flour, sugar and salt, as well as countless bottles of flavorings. The elves occupied different stations; some mixing, some cleaning, some packaging, and some in charge of the ovens.