Read Romancing Rudy Raindear (Sexy Secret Santas) Online
Authors: Mary Leo
Romancing Rudy Raindear (Sexy Secret Santas) (6 page)
Jenny laughed. “I think he’s adorable.”
“I don’t think Mr. Security elf would appreciate your take.”
“Maybe not, but still. . . ”
Then Santa announced in a booming voice, “A ride for all the children.”
Rudy watched as Santa, along with two more elves boarded the children into the shiny red sleigh along with a few of the parents who went along with the younger children. Santa’s monster bag of toys sat at one end while the kids and their parents sat up front, just behind Santa.
“Wow,” Rudy said. “That’s got to be incredible. Wish I was a kid.”
“Don’t you remember? We went for a ride in his sleigh right after we kissed under the mistletoe in Sugar Plums.”
And just like that, the memory came rushing back. The thrill of hopping into Santa’s sleigh and scooting closer to Jenny under the blankets, then the feeling of soaring off into the clouds and looking down on all the lights below. It was perhaps one of the most memorable moments of his childhood.
“How could I have forgotten that?”
“You didn’t. It was simply locked away until you could open your heart again to the magic of Christmas.”
“I’m so sorry, Jenny. Sorry for leaving you, for leaving Gramps, for my—”
She turned to him. “That’s all in the past. We have our future to think about now.”
They kissed, and Rudy was so happy he wanted to tell the whole town.
“Huh, that’s funny,” Jenny said when they moved apart after the kiss, and she snuggled up against his shoulder.
“Excuse me? My kisses are funny?”
“Not you, silly. There’s a light on in my old apartment building across the street. That place has been empty for months.”
The building stood directly behind Santa’s reindeer.
“Not anymore. I figure if I own the darn thing, the least I could do is restore it. With your help, of course. We might as well live there. It should be a little more comfortable than my grandfather’s attic, especially once we start having kids. We’ll just keep knocking down walls to make room.”
“Is that some kind of strange marriage proposal?”
“Not exactly.” He got down on one knee, right there in the snow, with Santa
ho ho hoing
in the distance, and took her hand. “This is a marriage proposal. Jennifer Mary Bells, on this magical Christmas Eve, will you fly away with me and be my Jenny so we can celebrate Christmas every day for the rest of our lives?
She knelt in front of him, then collapsed into his arms. “For all the Christmases forever more.”
They stood, hugged and kissed as Santa took off into the sky with a sleigh once again filled with awestruck children. And as Santa soared up higher, the clouds separated and the stars shown like a million Christmas lights across the sky.
Then as everyone watched, Santa returned, making a perfect landing on Prancer Street. The children jumped out of the sleigh each carrying a toy. After every child had had a ride, Santa, along with his security team, took off once again. As he soared up higher and higher, his voice rained down on the town, “On Dancer, on Prancer, on Donner and Blitzen . . . Merry Christmas to all!”
Then, in the blink of an eye, the magical sleigh and reindeer disappeared into the starry night.
After a moment, Rudy’s attention returned to Jenny. “Did all of that really happen, or did I just imagine it?”
Jenny smiled, grabbed two hot chocolate-filled mugs from the table, tossed in some marshmallows, handed a mug to Rudy and said, “Let me tell you a story about me and Mrs. Claus.”
The End
Mrs. Raindear’s Favorite Anise Cookie
Preheat oven to 375
Makes a lot of cookies!
9 eggs
1 cup cooking oil
1 cup sugar
¼ cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
½ teaspoon anise oil
7 ½ cups sifted flour
9 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
Icing
1 cup powder sugar
¼ cup melted butter
Add enough *Anisette to whip smooth
Silver or colored sprinkles if desired
Beat eggs until thick - lemon colored
Add oil gradually, then sugar, milk, vanilla, and anise oil
Beat 5 minutes longer
Add in sifted dry ingredients gradually
Turn dough out on floured board and knead until smooth
Cut off enough dough to roll into a ½ inch thick rope about 9 inches long
Cut this rope into three equal parts and place on prepared cookie sheet
Continue this process until all the dough has been used
Bake on greased cookie sheet at 375 for 10 minutes or until delicately brown
Cool on wire rack. When cool, top with a thin coating of icing, add sprinkles while icing is wet.
*Anisette is an Italian liquor which can be purchased at any liquor store
Santa’s Favorite Gingerbread Cookies
Preheat oven to 350
Makes several cookies
¼ cup butter
½ cup brown sugar/ or ½ cup palm sugar
½ cup molasses (preferably dark)
3 ½ cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon salt
Beat butter, sugar and molasses until creamy in a large bowl. Sift dry ingredients together and add in thirds to the wet ingredients, adding up to ¼ cup water as you beat in the flour.
Roll the dough out to about ¼ to ½ inch thick on a greased cookie sheet. This works best so you won’t have to move the dough once you cut out your cookie. Tip: grease the inside of your cookie cutter. When Stan Raindear first made this cookie, he would form the boys and girls by hand, later he used a heavy paper pattern, greased one side of the pattern and cut around the outline with a sharp knife. He then removed the scraps of dough, kneaded them together and made more gingerbread boys and girls until all the cookie dough was used up.
Bake for 8 minutes or longer according to thickness. The cookie should spring back from your touch when they are done. Cool on a wire rack.
Decorate using your imagination.
These cookies will get harder the longer they are exposed to air. To speed this process up, return them to the oven after they are cooled for a few minutes longer. Be careful not to burn them.
Ho ho ho!
About the Author:
Mary Leo looks at the world with a touch of irony and humor, which comes across in her writing. She grew up on the mean streets of South Chicago in the tangle of a big Italian family trying to make their way out of poverty and corruption. Because of this colorful beginning, she brings a touch of edginess to her characters that makes them come alive. Whenever you pick up a book written by Mary Leo, not only will you laugh and sometimes cry, you’ll experience the love of strong family ties.
Mary gives workshops on the craft of writing, and on the writer’s life. She has worked as an intern at Paramount Studios, and as a script reader at Sony Pictures. She currently lives in San Diego with her husband, author Terry Watkins, and their cat, Sophie, who thinks she’s a dog and loves to fetch.
Visit Mary at www.maryleo.net
NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER:
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