Santa in the Shed

By Brian Croasmun

Ten-year-old Lucy Santangelo has decided she no longer wants to believe in Santa Claus. That is until she finds a man in a red suit with a long gray beard who knows an awful lot about her, living in their backyard shed. Will Lucy be able to figure out if this is the real Santa Claus and get her Christmas wish?

• Language: English
• Publisher: World Castle Publishing, LLC
• Release date: Oct 2, 2023
• ISBN: 9798891260429

Brian Croasmun

Brian Croasmun retired from teaching in 2022 after spending thirty-three years trying to convince middle schoolers to read. He was also a coach of many things, from t-ball to high school varsity sports, and even a two-week stint as a band director. He filled in the rest of his nights by broadcasting high school ball games for the local radio station, which he still does today.Brian is the father of two adult children, Chase and Davianne, who use their college degrees to teach him how to promote books and social media. They enjoy the opportunity to boss their dad around. He lives in West Virginia with his lovely wife Sherry, a school counselor, their two dogs, and a leopard tortoise. When not working on his next book, you might catch him in his office learning to strum a new song on his ukulele or at a local pickleball court taking on the competition.

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Santa in the Shed

by

Brian Croasmun

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locations, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

WCP Logo 7

World Castle Publishing, LLC

Pensacola, Florida

Copyright © 2023 Brian Croasmun

Smashwords Edition

Hardback ISBN: 9798891260405

Paperback ISBN: 9798891260412

eBook ISBN: 9798891260429

First Edition World Castle Publishing, LLC, October 2, 2023

http://www.worldcastlepublishing.com

Smashwords Licensing Notes

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews.

Cover: Cover Designs by Karen

https://www.cover-designs-by-karen.com

Editor: Karen Fuller

Chapter One

I don’t think I want to believe in Santa Claus anymore, said Lucy as she pulled the door open to the backyard shed.

Whoa, wait a second, answered her dad. "What do you mean you think you don’t want to?"

Well, I’m ten years old.

Dad looked at his watch. Yeah, for almost twenty-four hours now.

Right. I just don’t think ten-year-olds should believe in Santa.

Her dad scratched the top of his head, then pushed his hair back as his hand went all the way to his neck.

Have you been talking with Amanda again? You know her brothers fill her head with all kinds of nonsense. He reached out and pushed the bangs of Lucy’s hair off her forehead.

No, I mean, not about this. Amanda has never believed in anything, Santa, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, nothing. Lucy continued to shake her head. I want to be more grown-up, and grown-up people don’t believe in Santa. Besides, I saw you and Mom bring down presents last year after you thought I was asleep, so I’ve known for a while now. I just didn’t say anything to you.

You know your mom and I get you presents, too, don’t you? We don’t let Santa bring everything. He took the rake out of Lucy’s hand and hung it up inside the shed. We want you to be surprised at our gifts, too. Shoot, I don’t let your mom do all that shopping so that you can know everything that’s coming.

I never know what I’m getting, answered Lucy.

Good, I don’t either. I mean, I don’t know what you’re getting. Between your mom and Santa, they get the job done, said Dad.

Daddy.

"I mean, all those presents I pick out," he answered.

I know Mom does all the Christmas shopping, said Lucy as she rolled her eyes, smiled, and sighed.

Okay, okay, busted. I just want you to be sure this is how you feel. This is a big decision, he said.

Lucy was startled by the clanging noise as her dad arranged the leaf rake alongside the garden rake, shovel, and hoe. He reached around the tools, pulled out the snow shovel, then placed it in front of the group. I guess we won’t be needing any of these until it’s time to pull out this baby.

Lucy had turned her attention toward the back of the shed and noticed the pile of boxes and tubs with a big star and a dusty life-size Santa Claus sitting on top. Her dad turned to see where she had looked, and a smile crossed his face. She took a couple of steps forward, then reached out her hand and touched the arm of the Santa.

Having some second thoughts already? he asked.

Lucy stood up straight and let out a quick gasp of breath. What?

About Santa Claus there. Are you changing your mind about not believing in him? You’re at least thinking about it. I can see that.

Lucy turned back toward the Santa and touched the beard, then lifted it and looked underneath.

I know that thing is a mess. I think I’ll throw it out this year when we put out our Christmas decorations. It’s getting old and looks pretty bad. The problem is you wouldn’t be able to find one of these nowadays. I haven’t seen one like this in years, and the only thing they make anymore are those big inflatable things.

Lucy continued her inspection and tugged at the hat to see if it was still attached to Santa’s head. Where did we even get this thing?

Funny story. Your Uncle Tony bought it as a joke to play on your mom. He set the Santa up in a lawn chair in the front yard and had it holding a sign that said ‘I QUIT’ on his lap. He hoped some of the mothers in the neighborhood would call your mom and complain she was ruining Christmas for their little darlings. The problem was that your mom laughed so hard that she wouldn’t let me move it. Then, Phil calls from across the street to thank us because little Tommy was a brat, and Phil points over here and shows him that Santa quit because he was such a bad boy. It was hilarious.

You mean Tommy, the big guy on the high school football team? asked Lucy.

That’s the one, Dad answered.

Where is the sign now? Lucy asked.

Uncle Tony made it out of cardboard, so it didn’t last through the first snowstorm.

Lucy picked at a seam around Santa’s shoulder and pulled a piece of loose thread off. How long ago was that? Was I born yet?

Right after you were born. That was the last time Uncle Tony was here at Christmas. Dad cleared his throat. Do you even remember Uncle Tony? asked Dad.

I know I have an Uncle Tony. I saw a couple of pictures of him, but that’s about it. You guys have told me stories about how funny he was. That’s all I know. Where is he now?

We haven’t heard from him for a couple of years. We knew he was in Washington near Seattle for a little bit, then maybe went to Canada. He reached down and patted the Santa on the leg. Hopefully, we’ll hear from him again real soon.

Is he…okay? Lucy asked.

Dad shuffled his right foot across some loose dirt on the shed floor, then took in a deep breath.

"Well, your mom