But despite that, his eyes flashed in irritation, and he growled, “Hurry up. All you get is fifteen minutes whether you’re in the sleigh or not. Clock’s ticking.”
There weren’t any reindeer. Just one tired horse. And the sleigh looked rickety up close. They must have photo-shopped the chipped paint away for the website picture.
Astrid hopped right on, but I asked, “Is it safe?”
The last thing I could afford was a sleigh-riding accident taking me out of commission for a while. Ever since Todd and I split, I’d been living worse than paycheck to paycheck. I needed every shift I could get.
It had caused me to become cautious in life.
“Yeah,” he barked, “it’s safe. Get on, or let the next group ride.”
Astrid grabbed my hand and pulled me in. “Come on, Chloe. You heard Santa. Get on.”
“Are there seatbelts?” I asked as I sat down on the bench seat.
Sexy Santa shook his head and muttered, “City women.” Then he urged the horse to start moving.
I guessed that was anoabout the seatbelts.
“I’m Astrid, and this is my best friend, Chloe. Have you been doing this for a long time?”
“No.I’m just a fill-in,” he grumbled.
Hm. Definitely a grumpy one.
She continued, “We’re from Fernwood. We’ve never been to Red Oak Mountain before. It’s pretty here. Do you like it?”
He let out an audible sigh. “I’m just the driver. There’s no tour guide on this sleigh ride.”
Sexy Santa didn’t want to talk.
That was okay. I didn’t mind. I could just sit here and stare at his broad shoulders for the entire ride. My eyes drifted up to the flash of dark hair peeking out from under the Santa hat. His hair wasn’t long or short. It was in between, as though he were a few months overdue for a haircut.
I wanted to reach out and run my fingers through it, to find out if it was as soft as it looked.
Astrid continued, “Does it get cold? I imagine it must, riding around in a sleigh all day. What if it storms? Do you still do the sleigh rides then? I’d like to do one after an ice storm sometime. The whole world turns into an ice forest. It’s magical.”
His shoulders stiffened, and I could tell he just wanted silence. It must have been imperceptible to Astrid, even though I’d noticed it like a flashing neon warning sign. He spoke without words.
Don’t poke the bear.
“I’m just filling in. Look at the scenery. That’s the point of the ride. Not talking to me,” he rumbled, exasperation evident in his voice.
He must have a lot going on in his life.
There was no other explanation. My friend Astrid was gorgeous and a natural flirt. Most men fell over backward trying to get attention from her. And he was rebuffing her hard.
I almost felt bad for him. Whatever burden he was carrying seemed heavier than mine. My mood lifted for the second time today, and I found myself wanting to protect him. Which was a crazy response.
When Astrid started asking him another question, I cut her off quickly, squeezing her hand to get her attention and shaking my head no.
She looked confused but stopped talking.
The silence was actually nice. The three of us rode through the cold winter landscape with nothing but the sound of wind for company. A hush fell upon us, and I felt at peace for the first time in over a year. Maybe for the first time since I’d met Todd.
Dating him had been a terrible decision. Moving in with him had been even worse.
But now, for the first time since I’d left him, I could see a future life for myself.
