#Naughty or # Nice (The Holidaze Book 1)

Chapter 24

Chapter 24

"Have I got a few words for you, buster!" Mia filled the silence and Meri reluctantly dragged her eyes away from Sander.

"Mia, don't," Meri said with a stern look.

"He deserves it for choosing that nasty Ivy woman when he knew she was the purest of evil. He even had a machine made for that job to tell him how evil she was! He also deserves it for accusing you of stealing. I've never known a more honest person than Meri, how dare you accuse her of stealing!" Mia ranted.

Sander stepped back at the ferocity aimed square on his shoulders. His gaze darted between Meri and Mia only to focus on Meri. He knew he had much to explain but he had hoped to discuss it with Meri alone and not with all these accusing eyes focused on him.

"I don't know you," Sander stuttered.

"I'm Mia, I'm Meri's best friend. I'm the person who would never accuse her of stealing!" Mia pointed to herself and then to Meri before thrusting a forceful finger in Sander's direction.

"Mia, back up," Meri ordered

"No way! He doesn't deserve you, Meri. He did so many horrible things to you and the worst one was when he accused you of stealing."

Sander raised a finger as Mia continued her rampage, "you're right, Mia. I did treat Meri in such a terrible manner. I let Ivy have too much control over our time together. All I can do is offer my sincerest apologies and hope in time that you can forgive me," Sander bowed his head as he spoke before raising his eyes to meet Meri's.

"Oh, I didn't expect that," Mia dropped the accusations that sat upon her tongue.

"Have you chosen me or did everyone talk you into choosing me?" Meri asked Sander.

"I chose you. I've sat in wood for an age because I chose you," Sander said earnestly.

"And if Ivy turns up right this minute, then what? She's around here in the same area that I am and she could appear," Meri had to ask.

"My father told me the importance between you and her, but at the time I didn't listen. I lost you and only then did I realise what I truly gave up. The magical suction took everything and I had no control over what had happened. I couldn't bring you back to tell you how sorry I was for my overreaction and blaming you," Sander admitted.

"Can you explain the magical suction. I came back here and it wasn't just a different time of the year but no time had lapsed at all. My family and friends thought I'd lost my mind. I tried telling them all about you and Santa's Village but they thought I'd gone insane," Meri told him.

"A magical suction is an incredibly powerful force. It's something we only use in an absolute emergency because of its erratic nature. I understand why Holly set one up, but I wish she had told me so I could've had advance warning.

"The magical suction returns everything to what it was but keeps the memory of what had happened. It fills in the time that you were away with your normal activities making everything appear as it should be," Sander explained.

"Sander, I came back at a different time than when I left, it was even a different season. How does the magical suction explain that?" Meri asked.

"As I said, the magical suction has an erratic nature. It works in the way that it wants too. We have no control over the magic once it's released," Sander informed her.

"I went from autumn into summer. It was early on in the year when I left and when I came back it was almost Christmas."

"That's one of the unexpected occurrences with a magical suction."