Holiday Second Chance Romance (Clarice and Trevor) novel Chapter 32

32 She Wasn’t Worthy

Nick POV

I can’t believe she is here. As much as I I was teasing my mother about using us to not kill my father for his incessant nagging this time of year, I love seeing her in the place I grew up. I was a little shocked she wanted to know about Morgan, but I guess I should understand. Despite hating the thought of her with Trevor, I still wanted every detail of how he broke her heart. I smile when we thought of her with Trevor, I still wanted every d

step into the large dining room. Winny smiles when she sees me.

Winny has been with my father since he took over as Santa. She is an Elf and Fairy hybrid. Despite her age, she looks like she is in her fifties. “Nick, I’ve missed you,” she says as she steps toward me. She takes my face in her hands before she looks at Clarice. “Who is this beautiful young lady,” she asks. “This is Clarice. Clarice this is Winny. She was like a second mother to me and Chrissy. She and mom would often tag in and out when we were driving them crazy.”

She slaps at my chest before she moves to stand in front of Clarice. She cups her cheeks in her hands just like she had done to me. I know what she is doing even though she thinks I don’t. One of her powers is not only to feel someone’s burdens but to offer calming. She can’t take away pain, but she can ease it. My mother must have talked to her about what happened to Clarice. A smile spreads across her face before she looks at me.

I return the smile, knowing that she is letting me know Clarice’s spirit isn’t burdened. She really has let go of the pain that ba**ard caused her. “It is a pleasure to meet you Clarice. I hope we will be seeing more of the two of you and that little one,” she says with a wink. “I hope so too,” she says, a little startled that Winny knew about the baby. When she steps away, Clarice looks at me. I lean close to her ear. “She is of fairy blood. She can sense the baby.”

“Elves and faeries. What other fantasy creatures exist,” she asks. My parents both chuckle. I lead her to the chair next to my father and across from my mother. “We are considered supernatural and probably every type you could imagine. The supernatural world keeps to itself because human adults tend to be narrow minded,” my father says. “So werewolves, vampires, and witches all exist,” Clarice asks. She is practically bouncing with excitement at the possibility.

“Yes, to all three,” my mom says. “I can’t believe this. I wish I knew that you were real. I would never have stopped waiting up to see you,” she says, and my dad smiles. She looks toward me expectantly. “So you want to know what happened between me and Morgan.” “Unless it bothers you to talk about her. If it still hurts you to think about her, then I don’t need to know,” she says. I reach out and take her hand in mine again. “Not in the least. You are the only one in my heart,

Clarice.”

Her cheeks pink, and I place a kiss on the back of her hand. “Morgan was from the Elven kingdom.

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1/3

32 She Wasn’t Worthy

+25 Points

Her uncle works here in my father’s factory, but he is not in a position to know who is next in

line. Only a few elves know who I am. They know that Santa has a son and daughter, but I won’t

be introduced to the masses until it’s my time. There isn’t just evil in the human world.”

“When Morgan arrived I thought she was beautiful and funny. She seemed kind, and we seemed to hit it off.” Her eyes darken and I chuckle. I can see she is jealous, but she has nothing to be jealous about. Morgan couldn’t hold a candle to her. “I started spending a lot of time at home and spending it with her. We were together for a year and my feelings were definitely leaning toward love. My only issue was that mom and Chrissy never really warmed up to her. They were civil,

but that’s where it ended.”

“You know, we couldn’t tell you Nick. It needed to happen so you could get over her,” my mother says. “I know mom. At the time, I was angry, but now I’ve made peace with the fact you and Chrissy knew.” Clarice squeezes my hand in silent support. “I had decided that I was going to reveal that I was the son of Santa Claus. I had planned this elaborate date with a beautiful ring. I was just getting ready to call her when Chrissy sent me to the barn where the reindeer are housed under the guise that my father needed me.”

I can see her eyes light up when I mention the reindeer. I chuckle, but keep going. “When I stepped into the barn I could hear sounds that were definitely not the reindeer. As I walked farther into the barn, my steps faltered when I heard the woman I thought I loved screaming for me, Nick, to pound her. Although, in her defense, I had told her my middle name.” My mother makes a gagging sound and Clarice giggles this time.

“When I finally reached the empty stall, I saw one of dad’s elves, Gerald, naked from the waist down balls deep in Morgan. I cleared my throat, and she threw him off of her. She looked like a deer in the headlights until a smug smile spread across her face. She pretty much told me that she was meant to be more than the daughter of an ordinary elf. She deserved to be the next Mrs. Claus and Nick had chosen her, she said, pointing to the man scrambling for his pants.”

“If I wasn’t so pissed I would have laughed my a** off. I called dad immediately. A seconds later, he showed up, and she smiled at him like he was the second coming. Once he made it clear that Gerald was nothing and would be returning to the Elven Kingdom for impersonating the incoming Claus, she begged for my forgiveness. I told her to f**k off and walked away. She still visits her uncle, but I haven’t seen her since I walked out of the barn.”

“I’m sorry she did that to you,” Clarice says. “I’m not.” She looks at me like I’m crazy. “She did me a favor. I would never have been happy with Clarice, Clarice. She wasn’t my one. I was settling. I’m glad she f**ked the pencil d**k, or I wouldn’t have found you.” I smile when my mother rolls her eyes at my description. Clarice leans over and presses a quick kiss on my lips. My mother quickly awes and my dad claps his hands together. “I second that. She wasn’t worthy of you, Nicholas,” he

32 She Wasn’t Worthy

says. “Thanks dad.”

+15 Points

“Now that unpleasantness is out of the way, let’s talk about the pledging,” my mother says. “That will not happen until Clarice is ready, so even after I explain what will happen, there will be no pressure to complete the ceremony,” I say looking at my mother who looks at me with faux innocence. “Who said I’m not ready” Clarice says, and my eyes snap toward her. “Clarice, as much as I would pledge to you tomorrow you haven’t even faced your a**hat ex. What if you see him and” I start to say, and she cuts me off.

“Nicholas Kringle, do you love me,” she asks, her voice laced with irritation. “Of course, I do.” “Well I love you. There isn’t a thing that Trevor could say that will change how I feel for you. I don’t love him, Nick. Now explain to me what pledging entails,” she says, leaving no room for argument. My mother smiles at me smugly, and I can see pride in my father’s eyes as he stares at Clarice.

“When Santa pledges to his one it is forever. Our lives will forever be intertwined. There will never be one without the other. You will live as long as I do and so will our children. The ceremony will be held here under the Christmas moon. My dad will be the one that performs the ritual. He will speak the words that have been repeated to every incoming Santa since we began to exist. We will pr*ck our fingers and press them together, mixing our blood.”

“Once that happens, you will gain my powers of teleportation and snow manipulation.” “Are you telling me I can pop from place to place without you or your mom once we are pledged,” she asks. “Yes, but you’ll need to make sure that no one sees it happen. You will never be able to share the secrets of who I am or who you are to become.” “I told you, Nick, your secrets will always be safe with me,” she says. “Our secrets, Mrs. Claus.”

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