The Return of Kris Kringle: A Christmas Central Romantic Comedy, #3
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About this ebook
After years away from the North Pole, Kris Kringle happily accepts her Uncle Santa's offer to move back to Christmas Central as head chef. With her young daughter in tow, Kris returns home with two objectives in mind. Goal number one, bring her love of healthy eating and nutritious fare to the North Pole dining service. Goal number two, recover from heartbreak and forget Kyle Masterson, the man who broke her heart. But when Santa hires Kyle as a new co-chef for the holiday season, Kris suddenly realizes that replacing the elves' beloved sugar cookies with carrots is going to be a piece of cake compared to working alongside her ex-fiancé.
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Miss Kane's Christmas: A Christmas Central Romantic Comedy, #1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMrs. Saint Nick: A Christmas Central Romantic Comedy, #2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Return of Kris Kringle: A Christmas Central Romantic Comedy, #3 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe North Pole Prize: A Christmas Central Romantic Comedy, #4 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Christmas Makeover: A Christmas Central Romantic Comedy, #5 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEve's Christmas Wedding: A Christmas Central Romantic Comedy, #6 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Christmas Kilt: A Christmas Central Romantic Comedy, #8 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Very Marisol Christmas: A Christmas Central Romantic Comedy, #7 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
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The Return of Kris Kringle - Caroline Mickelson
1
W hat if Santa Claus doesn’t like salads, Mom?
Kris Kringle glanced in the rear view mirror. There was just enough moonlight for her to see that her six year old daughter Noelle was wide awake. Still. Of course he likes salad, sweetie. Why wouldn’t he?
Everyone knows Santa likes Christmas cookies. Have you ever heard of anyone leaving him a glass of milk and a chilled Caesar Salad on Christmas Eve? I don’t think so.
Kris smiled. I guess we’ll just have to ask him when we see him.
Okay, but even if he prefers cookies you’re going to make a vegetarian lasagna the first night you cook, aren’t you?
As a matter of fact, I am.
Kris reached for the heater and cranked it up to high. We’ve still got a couple of hours until we get there so why don’t you sleep?
Noelle shook her head emphatically. I’m not tired. Besides, I’m afraid if I fall asleep that I’ll wake up and you’ll tell me this was all a dream.
It’s no dream, baby. We’re moving to the North Pole.
It was nothing Kris ever thought she’d say, or ever have to do, but reality had dealt her enough rough blows that going home suddenly didn’t seem like such a bad idea. Go to sleep. I promise I’ll wake you up when we get there.
Is Santa sending a sleigh for us?
Kris shook her head and a wry smile tugged at her lips. She’d been gone a long time but some things she hadn’t forgotten. I don’t think so, Noelle. Santa doesn’t like the reindeer to fly this close to Christmas. He always says they need to save up their strength for Christmas Eve. But he knows we’re coming and he promised to send someone to pick us up.
Her daughter yawned and leaned her head back against the seat. Is there anyone my age there to play with?
Are you kidding? There are hundreds of elves who are all going to want to be your new best friend.
Noelle giggled.
My cousin Carol has two children,
Kris continued. Hillary is about your age and Patrick is a bit younger. And remember I told you that my cousin Nick and his wife Holly just had a baby boy?
We won’t be lonely anymore, Mom.
It was more of a statement than a question, and it tore at Kris’ heart. You’re right. We won’t be. Now close your eyes and count to one hundred, okay baby?
Noelle yawned. It’s just hard to believe we’re going to actually live at the North Pole.
Her eyelids fluttered shut.
Kris sighed. It was hard to believe. But, after reviewing her options a dozen times a day for months straight, she always came right back to the inescapable fact that the best place she could raise Noelle was the North Pole. Which meant moving home.
Noelle would be happy, she told herself. Healthier too, which was another huge benefit to moving to the North Pole. Or so she hoped. Her daughter had been plagued with persistent food allergies from the time she’d been placed with Kris. Noelle had been Kris’ first, and only, foster care placement. Fostering, not adoption, had been her plan but from the time she’d first held a two-year old Noelle in her arms, Kris had known she wanted to adopt the girl. It was by far the best decision she’d ever made.
She glanced back over her shoulder. Her daughter’s eyelids were getting heavy.
Kris had plenty of happy memories growing up in Christmas Central. She couldn’t have had a better uncle and aunt than Santa and Mrs. Claus. They’d loved her just as much as they did their own two children. But they’d understood when she’d turned eighteen and wanted to go below to strike out on her own. Fortunately they’d seemed to understand just as much when she’d written last month to ask if she and Noelle could come back. Home. Come back home. It still felt so odd to say.
A flurry of snowflakes swirled around the car. It was like driving through the middle of a shaken snow globe. The sound of Noelle’s even breathing in the back seat meant her daughter was fast asleep. Finally. Kris reached for the map on the seat next to her. She’d given up using the rental car’s GPS well over a hundred miles ago. The automated female voice’s constant repetition of dire warnings for driving too far north had begun to grate on her nerves.
She scanned the map. Maybe fifty miles stood between her past and future. Or was it future and her past? Kris sighed. She’d come full circle in eight years. She reached over and switched on the radio. Just as she expected, all she could find this far north was a single station that only played Christmas music. She left it on, if only to have a break from the sound of her inner voice second guessing her decision to move home.
She hadn’t been back to the North Pole once in the last eight years. It was hard to imagine that much had changed. Had the menus there improved at all? Kris doubted it. Christmas Central was a place deeply rooted in tradition. Tradition and carbohydrates. But that was all about to change. Santa and Mrs. Claus were in for a gastronomic revolution. Fried chicken and dumplings were out, arugula salads with pine nuts and goat cheese were on their way in. Artichoke hearts sautéed in olive oil could easily replace French fries. The possibilities were endless.
The first thing she was going to do, Kris decided, was to deep