A Krampus Country Christmas: Day 15

 

Chapter 15: Greg’s Big Reveal

There were many things Holly Winters disliked about her ex-husband, but high on the list was his uncanny ability to appear precisely when life was starting to feel manageable. It was like he had a sixth sense for emotional stability and a personal vendetta against it. This time, he showed up at the farm on a bright Saturday afternoon, his luxury SUV gleaming like it was taunting everything Holly owned.

“Hey, Hol,” Greg said, stepping out, hands tucked casually into a gorgeous Chesterfield coat. “Looking festive.”

“Oh good,” Holly muttered. “I was just thinking this day needed a little more smugness.”

He grinned that perfect grin — the one that used to charm her and now made her want to throw a snow globe at his head. “Come on, don’t be like that. You won the bake-off! Congratulations.”

“Thanks,” she said, loading boxes of cookies into the farm stand. “What do you want, Greg?”

He glanced around the lot, pretending to admire the trees. “Just checking in. You know, seeing how my favorite family’s doing.”

She shot him a look sharp enough to trim a pine. “You mean the family you left for your ‘networking opportunity’ in New York?”

He ignored that. “You got quite the operation here. Place looks lively.”

“That’s because we actually work,” she said.

“Right, right,” he said, still scanning the property with that calculating expression. “So, who’s the new guy?”

Holly froze. “What?”

“That tall one,” Greg said, nodding toward the far end of the lot. “The guy in the black coat with the clipboard. Moves like a Marine, talks like a seminar.”

Holly followed his gaze. Nick was trimming branches with surgical precision, every motion smooth and deliberate. Max stood nearby, trying to imitate him and nearly decapitating a sapling.

“His name’s Nick Kramp,” she said carefully. “He’s… a consultant.”

“Consultant, huh?” Greg’s grin widened. “Because I saw him at The Jolly Bean the other day, talking to himself about ‘target assessment’ and ‘seasonal accountability metrics.’”

Holly rolled her eyes. “He’s just weird.”

“Oh, he’s weird all right,” Greg said. “I think he’s dangerous.”

She crossed her arms. “Says the man who once tried to start a crypto-based Christmas ornament company.”

“This is different,” Greg said. “He’s hiding something. The guy’s strong as an ox, shows up out of nowhere, never eats except sugar, and—get this—I caught a reflection of him in the café window, and for a split second…” He hesitated, lowering his voice. “He didn’t look human.”

Holly frowned. “Greg, are you listening to yourself?”

“I know how it sounds,” he said. “But there was something there. Horns, maybe? Eyes all red, like embers.”

Holly stared at him, a knowing grin spread across her face. “You’re jealous.”

“Of what?”

“Of the fact that he’s helpful, polite, and doesn’t refer to himself as a brand.”

Greg’s jaw tightened. “You can think whatever you want, but that man is not what he seems. People are starting to notice, too. The mayor asked me if I’d ever heard of ‘Kramp Consulting.’ Turns out no one has.”

“Because it’s a made-up title, Greg. He’s a consultant in the same way you’re a philanthropist.”

“I’m just saying I don’t like it. I don’t like him. And I really don’t like him around Max.”

“He’s actually been very sweet to Max.” Holly paused for a beat before adding, “In that way only Nick can be sweet.”

He smiled, unbothered. “Fine. Don’t believe me. But when this blows up, and it will, remember I tried to warn you.”

He started back toward his SUV, then turned at the door. “Oh, and Holly?”

She glared. “What now?”

“If the weird guy turns out to be some kind of cult leader or whatever, it’s gonna look really bad for your brand.”

Then he drove off, tires spinning, leaving a spray of snow and an echo of self-satisfaction in his wake.

Holly stood there a long moment, jaw clenched. She wanted to dismiss Greg’s usual paranoia and need to feel important but the seed was planted. That night, while closing up, she found Nick stacking wood by the barn. The glow from the porch light framed him in gold. He looked almost peaceful. Or maybe focused. Then, as she stepped closer, she could’ve sworn she saw something — a flicker of light beneath his collar, a faint red shimmer in his eyes that vanished as quickly as it appeared.

“Everything okay?” she asked.

He turned, his usual calm smile in place. “Of course. Just finishing up the day’s duties.”

“Right,” she said slowly. “Well… don’t work too late.”

He inclined his head. “Diligence is its own reward.”

As she went inside, she glanced back once more. Nick Kramp stood perfectly still in the falling snow, the light catching on something curved and shadowy behind him.

Then it was gone.

My new comedic sci-fi novel, Someone Else's Book Club, is available on my website or through Amazon!