I knew what the truth of the whole thing was.
I was terrified.
My uncle Rod was a huge part of my life. He’d filled in as my second dad when my real dad had left for the oil fields each year. Rod had practically raised me, and I was closer to him than anyone in my life.
I didn’t want to lose him.
I realized that while I’d been thinking about Rod, the chatty one had still been running her mouth. I’d managed to tune her out. But the other one… Chloe, she still hadn’t said a word.
What were her mysteries?
Why was she out here on the mountain?
And how long was she staying?
Maybe thinking about the mystery woman in the back of the sleigh wasn’t such a bad thing after all. She might take my mind off Rod and everything he was going through.
Too soon we rounded the final bend in the trail. Sally, the old horse, slowed to a crawl, then a stop. She’d done this route so many times that it was autopilot for her.
Although she was worried about Rod, too. When I picked her up from the stable she’d whinnied at me, then looked at the barn door waiting for Rod to arrive.
Rodnevermissed a shift. He was the resident Red Oak Mountain Santa Claus. And his shoes were too big to fill.
I blinked rapidly and brought my mind back to the present.
It was time for the women to leave.
Most importantly,Chloewas going to leave.
Astrid kept talking, her words filtering through to my brain as I looked at Chloe, catching her with my gaze.
Chloe’s cheeks flushed the barest blush of pink while Astrid said, “I’d book it again only because you’re averyhot Santa. But you need to work on your customer service. Smile for us. Just once. I want to see your dazzling smile. Then we’ll get out of the sleigh.”
Without taking my eyes off Chloe, I responded, “I’m not in a smiling mood.”
Astrid pointed at Chloe. “It would meansooomuch to her if you would. Just one quick smile. My friend Chloe recently got out of a bad relationship, and she needs to know that there are good men left in the world. Show her that there are good men. One little smile. It’sallshe needs.”
Chloe’s light blush deepened, red splashes of color on her cheeks. And she finally spoke. “Astrid, leave the poor guy alone. He’s obviously not the talking type.”
Then she started to rise.
The only woman who had caught my eye in years was leaving.
And I wasn’t going to do a damn thing about it.
I was already kicking myself, but it didn’t change the situation. I was an old dog, and I didn’t have any new tricks hidden in me.
Just because I felt a spark of connection with a complete stranger didn’tmeananything. I was probably just enamored with her tits.
But I knew that wasn’t true, even while I tried to convince myself that it was.
They both got out of the sleigh, and the next group came forward.
I watched her depart as the new arrivals started yammering at me.
“Should we get on?”
“Are there seatbelts? Is this safe?”
