Page 34 of Once Upon A Christmas Song

“Uncle Chris,” she gasped and left the group of girls standing around her small mountain of presents. She ran over, slamming into me hard, arms wrapping around my waist, head pressing to my abdomen.

She was shaking, which instantly alarmed me.

“What’s the matter?” I asked quickly, one hand on her back, the other cradling her head.

“I got into a fight at afternoon recess.”

“A fight?” That made no sense. Everyone loved Cami. Like, across the board, everyone adored her—kids her age, older ones, younger ones, and adults, we were all goners. She was smart and discerning and sized people up quickly. “Explain.”

“Are you Mr. Joseph?” asked a blonde woman who looked like she could have stepped out of a Tiffany’s Winter Wonderland ad. Her hair was up in a deliberate messy bun. It was artfully done with the wisps falling around her face. Minimal makeup, but with her peaches-and-cream complexion, nothing was really necessary. She was seriously giving Grace Kelly vibes from Rear Window with how lovely she was.

“No,” I said, and smiled, offering her my hand. “I’m her uncle, Chris Gardner.”

And of course, because Dawson was standing right there, no more than a foot away from me, and his sunglasses were off, the woman gasped.

“You’re Dawson West,” she barely got out, having grasped my hand and, surprisingly, not letting go the second she saw him.

“I am,” he said kindly, and she let my hand go and grabbed his.

“I have all your albums and saw you live in Nashville two years ago.”

He was giving her his million-dollar smile, the one that made his eyes glint, as he held her hand in both of his. “Thank you so much. It’s always wonderful to meet a fan.”

“I’m having the most surreal day,” she confessed to him, then turned to me. “I’m Nicole Amsel, and I had to stay and meet Cami’s guardian because your niece saved my daughter, Prue—she’s the one over there in the snowflake coat and matching beret—from a girl who’s been bullying her for some time. My husband and I had no idea this was happening.”

I eased Cami back then, as she had been holding on to me the whole time, and went down on one knee so we were closer to the same height. Her eyes were red. “What happened?”

She bit her bottom lip.

I squinted at her. “Did you do the right thing?”

Quick nod.

“Do you wish it hadn’t been necessary?”

Another nod.

“Did anybody get hurt?”

“No, sir.”

I shrugged. “Then spill.”

Apparently, Prue, who never went to the bathroom at recess or lunch, only during class time because that way, she knew she’d be safe, was going to die if she didn’t pee at recess. But as usual, when she was coming out of the stall, Emma Ritter, who never missed an opportunity to take things from Prue, like cute pins, Hello Kitty erasers and pencils, barrettes, keychains, and even her earrings once, was there and swiped the snowflake beret right off her head.

“I don’t know why Prue never tells her mommy or a teacher,” Cami told me before turning to Nicole. “I told her to. Last time before this, Emma shoved her in the mud by the swings, and she got really dirty.”

Nicole nodded. “I remember that day.”

“What happened at recess?” I prodded Cami.

She leaned into me then, it was one of her habits, and put her arm on my shoulder. “Well, when Prue was taking so long, I went in to make sure she was okay, and Emma had Prue’s pretty white hat with the sparkles on her head.”

I nodded.

“Today was special. We all got to wear hats if we wanted, which is why I have these antlers on. I know antlers aren’t a hat, but it was fine.”

Dawson chuckled, and I couldn’t help smiling. She was just so logical.