The Christmas Secret by Donna VanLiere

Bakery. Jason rinsed out the coffee carafe and put in a fresh filter, filling it with ten scoops of ground Columbian supreme. “Hutch, Phil, Kevin, and Larry. No.
Bill
, Hutch, Kevin, and Larry,” he said, flipping on the coffeemaker.
    He sat at the desk and Marshall handed him the quiz. Jason’s pencil flew over the first nine questions and stopped at number ten. The original question had been crossed out and Marshall’s handwriting was above it: How is Judy doing today?
    Jason sighed. He should have known Marshall would mess with the questions. He scribbled on the line next to the question:
Much better and improving
. Flipping to the next page the last question read, “What is the name of the woman in the toy department?” Jason shook his head and wrote
Mrs. Claus
.
    â€œRound two completed,” Jason said, laying the test on Marshall’s desk.
    Marshall put his glasses on and scanned the answers. “Nice spin on Judy’s condition.” Jason smiled. “How is she really?” Marshall asked, looking over his glasses.
    Jason raised his eyebrows, resigned. “I don’t know. I should but I don’t.”
    â€œShe’s being released sometime this morning. The doctor put two stents in her heart yesterday.”
    â€œOh,” Jason said. He knew his grandfather was trying to make him feel bad for not knowing that. “I thought you were going to ask me the maintenance supervisor’s name.”
    â€œDo you know his name?” Marshall asked, leaning back in his chair.
    â€œYes. And I know the two guys out in shipping and merchandise. Phil and Hutch.”
    â€œClose,” Marshall said. He stood and walked down the steps from his office to the coffeemaker. “Now what’s the woman’s name in toys?”
    Jason groaned and put his face in his hands. “I have no idea.”
    â€œWell, you offended her. It’s always a good rule of thumb to know the name of the person you’re offending.”
    Jason shook his head. His grandfather was getting on his nerves. “I don’t understand the point here. I know you want me to know people’s names but—”
    â€œWrong.” Marshall said, taking a bite of a chocolate chip cookie. “I don’t want you to know their names. I want you to know
them
.”
    Jason moved past Marshall and filled a cup with black coffee. “Okay. I’ll take the test again and know
everyone’s
name.”
    Marshall pushed the last bite of cookie into his mouth and stepped toward his office. Jason hadn’t understood a word he said; he knew that. “I need you to work on finding Christy today,” he said, closing his office door.
    Jason growled, grabbing his coat. He figured he should find Christy as soon as possible so Marshall would leave him alone and he could get on with his life. He pulled upthe zipper and opened the door leading into the store. “
Bill
and Hutch!” he yelled toward Marshall’s office. Marshall laughed as the door slammed shut.
    Â 
    Thankfully, Zach and Haley got on the school bus as I got in the car for my first day at work. Their final day of school was on the eighteenth and I was already stressed about finding a sitter for the two-week Christmas break. Although she had failed me more than once, I called and left a message for Allie to see if she could watch them anytime during the break. I left a message for Mira as well, thinking that maybe I could piecemeal together a group of sitters. I hung up the phone as I pulled into the parking lot behind Betty’s.
    The computerized ordering system was different from Patterson’s and I felt dull and inadequate as I made one mistake after another, running to the kitchen to correct my botched orders. “It just takes a few times,” Karen said, showing me again how to void an order. She was a petite yet stout woman with short-cropped raven black hair and a small sparkly nose stud. On