Sweet Inspiration (18 page)

Santa chuckled. "Thanks, love. How about you, Oskar? Is Monie's group giving you a hard time? I heard they got a little agitated after Rocco's birthday bash yesterday. Whoever came up with peppermint schnapps jello shots should be strung up..."

Oskar grinned and gulped his beer. "Nah, they're fine. It sucks to have a hangover in the toy truck factory, though.

That's a lot of pounding to suffer through. I think those guys will take a breather until Christmas is over."

Alena laughed. "Serves the buggers right. How is the planning of the elfin children's holiday party coming along?

The lady's auxiliary club told me you're setting up a carnival this year."

"Yeah, I thought the kids would get a kick out of it. We're handing out tickets, and there will be pony rides, a Ferris wheel, the whole shebang. Nicholas, did you get my memo about the food?"

Nicholas nodded. "Yes, I have some notes jotted down."

Nicholas pulled the mini notebook out of his pocket and flipped a few pages. "I'm planning a booth with funnel cakes, cotton candy, and caramel apples. We'll also set up an old-fashioned popcorn cart."

Oskar smiled. "That sounds perfect. Thanks."

"Don't forget the magical snow cones. The kids can't get enough of those," Alena added.

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"Thanks, Mom. I'll add it on my list," Nicholas scribbled into his notebook.

"Good, good." Nicky Sr. looked at Wolfgang with concern.

"Wolfie, how's that orphanage doing in Manila? I heard the care packages were seized by customs. Didn't we grease a few palms to straighten out that problem last time?"

Wolfie sighed. "I know, sorry. They took the money
and
kept the care packages. I can't believe that people would steal from an orphanage run by nuns. It's pathetic."

"What are we doing to remedy the situation?"

"I'm personally going to deliver the packages tomorrow.

Zip in and out with a little help from some elfin magic."

"Do they have enough formula this year? I don't want those babies to be hungry for Christmas."

Alena piped up. "We've been supplying them with formula, rice and fresh fruit. I contacted some doctors in Manila who are providing free medical check-ups, too."

"Wonderful."

Lucy noticed that a little bit of the light had gone out of Wolfie's eyes by the time the conversation was over. She could only imagine how heart breaking it must be to work with so many needy children.
His job is the most difficult of all

"Wolfie, is there anything I can do to help? My customers at Sweet Inspiration could collect clothes and toys for the children. There is a real spirit of giving in my town, especially at holiday time."

Wolfie shot Lucy a surprised and grateful smile. "Thanks, Lucy, that's a fantastic idea. I'll give you the address of the orphanage."

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Santa turned to Nicholas. "Maybe you could send some extra gingerbread to the orphanage, too. I remember the kids loved those last year."

Nicholas nodded eagerly. "Already done. We have gingerbread, candy canes and special candies shaped like animals that my elves have been working on. They come in all different colors and flavors, and have real fruit juice in them."

"What a cool idea! Sneak in a little nutrition with the candy." Lucy squeezed Nicholas' hand encouragingly and he leaned down to kiss her on the forehead.

Sven coughed across the table. "PDA alert! Don't spoil my appetite, big brother. It's bad enough to be subjected to mom and dad making out all the time."

Alena smiled dreamily. "You're just jealous, hippie boy."

Santa blew Alena a kiss from across the table. "Where's that wine Gregor brought? I'll try some. Does red wine go with pizza?"

Gregor looked thoughtful for a moment. "I'm not sure about the etiquette of wine and pizza, but it seems like a good match to me." He opened a bottle and poured a glass for his father.

"Thanks, Gregor. By the way, how are our investments doing?" Santa took a sip of his wine and nodded with approval.

"As well as can be expected with the market fluctuations right now. By the way, Wolfie, an anonymous donation was wired into the account for the pediatric children's hospital. I sent it this morning."

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"That's great. Thanks a lot."

"Sure, no problem." Gregor whipped out his blackberry and typed in some notes.

Lucy was astonished by the amount of work and dedication required to run Glasdorf. Nicky Sr. and his sons operated an incredibly complex organization. And Alena obviously played a crucial role in its success. Being the wife of the Weihnachtsmann must be a daunting job. Lucy couldn't help but feel somewhat inadequate compared to Nicholas' mother.

She may not have any cooking talent, but the free-spirited pixie certainly knew how to run an empire.

Santa laughed. "I think we've probably been boring Lucy to tears. Sorry, we tend to talk shop a lot at the table."

"Actually, I find all of this fascinating, Mr. Klaus. You have so much to coordinate for your job. I had no idea."

"I'm good at multi-tasking. And I have an incredible partner to help." He smiled at his wife from across the long table. "The Klaus family has fine tuned the toy delivery business. We've had many generations to work on it."

"Nicholas started to tell me the story of Rudolf Klaus, the first Weihnachtsmann. I don't know anything about your history, and how this all came about. Would you mind telling me the legend?"

Oskar groaned. "Would he mind? Are you kidding? Good going, Baker Boy."

Nicholas grinned. "Now, O, Lucy is new to the family. She's never heard the tale of Rudolf Klaus."

Nicky Sr. cleared his throat and shot Oskar an irritated look. "The story of Rudolf Klaus is a momentous tale that 169

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each and every one of you boys should be damned happy to hear about, at any time of the year." He softened his voice and turned to Lucy. "I would be thrilled to tell you the tale, Lucy Anne."

Nicholas put his arm around Lucy's shoulders and she leaned against his chest as his father began to speak.

"Many years ago a man named Rudolf Klaus lived in the Bavarian Alps, near Zugspitze, the highest mountain in the region. He and his family were master toy builders, well respected throughout all of Europe. One day his young daughter Imma went exploring in the mountains and was lost in an avalanche. Rudolf and his wife were devastated."

"They were unaware that Imma had been rescued by elves. At one time there were many bands of elves throughout Europe. But over the years, the townspeople developed a mistrust of them, fearing their magic. They became convinced that they were evil creatures, and many of them were brutally murdered and driven away from their villages."

Lucy was shocked. "Oh, that's horrible. What happened to them?"

"Eventually, only one small group of elves remained, and they moved farther and farther into the mountains until finally they ended up hidden on the Zugspitze. They used magic to conceal their settlement, and were forced to isolate themselves in order to survive."

Lucy clenched Nicholas' hand. "They must have been terrified."

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Santa nodded. "Yes, they suffered terribly. After the elves found Imma, they returned her to Rudolf. Although he was overjoyed about being reunited with his daughter, he was very upset about the difficulties facing the elves, and the fact that they were forced into hiding. Rudolf knew that this band of elves had mentored the Klaus family in their toy-building centuries earlier, and that they were still master craftsmen.

And, of course he felt he owed them a huge debt for saving Imma's life. So, Rudolf and the elves made a pact that has been honored for all of these generations. He would journey with the elves and his family to the north, and hide in a place where no one could find them. Once there, the Klaus family would continue to protect the elves, and the elves would use their magic to aid the Klaus family with their toy production."

Lucy was spellbound by the story. "But how did they become involved with Christmas?"

"As a way to honor St. Nicholas, the Klaus family had traveled all over Germany distributing their toys on the night before Christmas. Once they relocated to the North Pole, the elves insisted on continuing the tradition, but on a much larger scale. With all of the elves to help, and of course, the aid of elfin magic, they were able to transport millions of gifts to children worldwide."

"So, this tradition has been going on for generations?"

"Yes, exactly. The oldest son of each generation becomes

'Santa', the Weihnachtsmann, and assumes the responsibility for the sacred holiday. The other members of each family take on various positions vital to the well-being of Glasdorf."

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"So, who is really in charge? The Klaus family, or the elves?"

"Well, that's a very good question, Lucy. There is sort of a balance of power. The council governs Glasdorf, but the Weihnachtsmann and the head of the council share power equally."

Alena smiled at Lucy. "It's an amazing story, isn't it?"

"You're an amazing family. The amount of work that you do to make sure children all over the world get to celebrate on Christmas morning is unbelievable. And...well, you'll probably think I'm being fanciful, but..."

"What is it, Lucy?" Nicholas looked intrigued by her confession.

"When I first looked up at this house, I could actually feel the Christmas spirit here. It's a tangible thing. I guess it's the magic."

Sven laughed. "Oh, you're not imagining things, little red.

The magic around here has a mind of its own. Once you've been here for awhile, you'll get used to it."

Oskar patted his belly and yawned. "Well, thanks for that rousing rendition of the tale of Rudolf Klaus, Pops. I hate to eat and run, but the carnival is tomorrow, and I have a ton to do to get ready. Thanks for a most delicious dinner, Lucy and Nicholas. You two are an excellent pair."

Nicholas turned to Lucy with a satisfied smile. "Yes, we are."

Alena stood to help Wilma with the dishes. "I expect to see all of you boys at the carnival tomorrow. It's a very important 172

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day for the children. I know that everyone is busy, but you can spare a few minutes for the kids."

Lucy smiled to herself as all of the giant Klaus brothers agreed to their mother's demand, and then showered her with hugs and kisses as they prepared to leave. Nicky Sr. shook everyone's hand, and gave Lucy a warm hug.

"Delighted to meet you, Lucy. Thanks for the delicious meal."

"You're welcome, Mr. Klaus. We'll see you soon."

Alena cupped Lucy's face in her hands. "Nicholas Sebastian Klaus, I can't believe you've met such a wonderful girl. You are a very lucky boy." She kissed Lucy on the cheek and added, "Welcome to the family."

On the way back to Nicholas' cottage, Lucy snuggled up next to his warm body, leaning her head against his shoulder.

Glasdorf was like a secret empire, and she desperately wanted to be a part of it. Lucy could not imagine anything more fulfilling than contributing to the success of such a wonderful holiday every year, and bringing joy to children worldwide. If only she were brave enough to broach the subject with Nicholas.

But Nicholas was soon distracting her with teasing looks and seductive touches. He tilted his head down towards Lucy and began to whisper in graphic detail how he wanted to celebrate his victory with the council. She was feeling hot and bothered by the time they got to his enormous sleigh bed and stripped each other naked. Nicholas pinned her down on the silky sheets and slowly entered her body, then proceeded to subject her to a sensual torture that lasted half the night. As 173

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they fell asleep, tangled in each other's arms, Nicholas mumbled something in German that Lucy didn't understand.

She would have to find a German-English dictionary in the morning.

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Nicholas could not believe how big a coward he was. After facing down the council, he still could not muster up the courage to propose marriage to Lucy Anne. Once again he resorted to speaking in German to reveal his true feelings. No more procrastinating. After the carnival, he was going to put his future in Lucy's hands, and pray that she wanted to build a life with him in Glasdorf.

The carnival was a huge success. Oskar had really outdone himself with the festivities. Elfin children skipped delightedly around the fair, their faces smeared with honey, their mothers tickled with all of the attention. Miniature ponies, their tails braided with colorful ribbons, pranced around the grounds with intrepid kiddies clutching on for the ride. A sparkling Ferris wheel awed the elf families, and numerous booths were set up with contests and prizes. Nicholas spied all of the members of the council weaving through the crowds, looking very pleased with the event.

He and Lucy shuttled back and forth from the popcorn cart to the food booth, replenishing supplies and serving the hungry families. Nicky Sr. casually strolled through the throngs of children, lugging an enormous sack on his shoulder, offering small gifts and candy. Alena chatted with all of the parents, listening to their local gossip and fueling the growing excitement for Christmas day.

"So, how is everything going over here? The kids are really enjoying those magic snow cones." Nicholas' father peered 175

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over the food counter to sneak a peek at the ice cream supply.

Nicholas laughed. "Jonesing for a cone?"

His father nodded. "I love how the flavors keep changing.