Read A Kiss From Kringle (Novella) (Frosty's Snowmen Book 2) for Free Online

sister, she walked over to where Chris had stopped at the kerb.
    He rolled down his window. “What—?”
    Leah leaned in and planted a quick kiss on his lips. “Thank you. See you tomorrow.” Straightening, she turned, and with a wave over her shoulder, headed inside.
    ***
    Chris paced beside the employee entrance. He glanced at his watch. Eight fifty-five.
    “What’s got you all riled up?” Jack asked as he headed towards Chris.
    “Nothing,” Chris growled.
    Jack laughed. “Uh huh. Sure. Nothing has you wearing a hole in the corridor beside the employee entrance.”
    Chris eyed Jack’s knowing smile. “Kan opened her mouth, didn’t she?”
    “Not before the rumours started.”
    “Rumours?”
    “About you and a certain new employee,” Jack explained.
    “The staff are talking?”
    “According to the mill, you were all over this woman in the elevator.”
    “I was not. Nothing happened until—”
    “The car park.”
    Chris stood speechless for two seconds. “Shit.” He ran a hand back and forth on his neck — squeezed. With a sigh, he asked, “What exactly are they saying?”
    “Not much. Just that you were seen with Haylee—”
    “Leah,” Chris corrected.
    “Ah yeah, that bit Kandy clarified for me, but the staff know her as Haylee.” Jack stepped closer, lowered his voice. “You didn’t think I should know about that little switcheroo?”
    “There was no need to tell you. Nothing happened and Leah explained why they did it.” The last thing Chris wanted was for Jack to make a big deal over the situation and insist on firing Haylee. If that happened, Leah would never forgive him.
    “Care to share?”
    Chris turned as the employee door opened behind him. Leah and Haylee carrying a cute little girl came in. “Later,” he muttered to Jack then moved towards the women. “Hey.”
    “Oh, hi.” Leah’s smile wobbled a bit.
    “How is she today?” Chris wasn’t an expert, but Meggie looked fine to him. “Fever gone?”
    “She hasn’t had one since around lunchtime yesterday,” Haylee answered. “And I want to apologise for yesterday. I didn’t mean to cause any trouble, and if you want to fire me I’ll understand.”
    “No. Nobody’s getting fired.” Chris glanced at Jack with narrowed eyes. “There was no harm done.”
    “Meggie, come to Aunty Leah so Mummy can go to work.” Leah held out her arms, but the little girl didn’t go to her. Instead she threw herself in Chris’s direction.
    “Whoa.” Chris caught her and pulled her close. “Hi there.” He smiled down at the rosy-cheeked cherub.
    She looked at him with big, bright blue eyes and batted her eyelashes. “See Santa.”
    Chris smiled. She’d already worked out how to use her womanly wiles on a man. “Yes. We can go see Santa.” He turned to Leah. “She’s not afraid of strangers?”
    Leah stood beside her sister, both of them mouths open, eyes wide.
    “Ah, okay. I take it this is unusual.”
    “She normally shies away from people she doesn’t know,” Leah said as she moved closer and tried to take Meggie from him.
    “No.” Meggie wrapped her little arms around Chris’s neck in a death grip. “See Santa.”
    “We’ll go see Santa as soon as you come to Aunty Leah.”
    “She’s okay where she is,” Chris said. “Unless you don’t want—”
    “No.” Haylee stepped forward, a smile on her face, and nudged her sister out of the way. “Mummy has to go to work now sweetie. You be good for Aunty Leah and…”
    “Uncle Chris.”
    Leah gasped and Jack choked behind him.
    Haylee grinned at him. “See you later, Uncle Chris.” She dropped a kiss on her daughter’s forehead then took off towards the change rooms.
    “Chris…”
    “She’s fine, Leah.” He shifted Meggie to his hip. “Aren’t you, sweetheart?”
    “But…” Leah sighed. “Okay. But if she gets too heavy…”
    Chris looked at Leah sideways. “I don’t think that’s going to be a problem.”
    Jack cleared his throat.
    Leah