“You got it. They sound cool, but they’re actually terrible people. They’re part of my long story. The witches too. At least, one witch.” He hurried on before he blurted out the rest of it then and there. “But as far as I know, there is no actual Santa Claus.”
She looked back down at the tracks in the snow. “Then what’s that?”
“Got me.”
“Wait!” She grabbed his arm in excitement. “You said there’s magical animals! Are there flying reindeer? Or people who can turn into flying reindeer?”
“That has got to be it.” Unlike Annabeth, Norris was mildly disappointed that there was probably no Santa Claus. He’d loved the idea when he’d been a little boy, insisting on setting out cookies and milk on Christmas Eve, and had been disappointed to discover that Santa was actually his parents. “I’ve never heard of them, but there’s way more shifters and magical animals in the world than the ones I specifically know about. I bet some flying reindeer shifters decided to have a little Christmas fun and pull a sleigh around."
Annabeth smiled, then gave a slightly wistful glance down at the tracks. "I bet all the kids in their neighborhood really love Christmas."
CHAPTER 7
Nobody goes into marinebiology or paleontology to get rich, and Annabeth knew perfectly well how much—or rather, how little—new college professors earned. When Norris had stopped by her apartment so she could get a swimming suit, she’d assumed that his apartment complex had a pool. But he’d pulled up in front of an actual house.
“Please tell me your roommates are gone for the holidays,” she said.
He gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “No roommates. I’ve got the house to myself.”
He used a clicker to open the garage and parked his car inside while she was still trying to wrap her head around that. She then had to wrap her head around the electronic garage opener. Her cheap apartment’s garage had a rickety door she had to heave up herself, then yank down with a rope pull. Annabeth was even more astonished when he led her to the back yard, saying, “I have to show you the best part.”
“That’sthe swimming pool?!”
“Yep.” Norris beamed as if he’d built it himself.
“That’s anOlympic-sizeswimming pool!”
“It’s even bigger than that, actually.”
The Olympic-plus swimming pool was beautifully designed, with turquoise tiles and a shape like a gently flowing river. It had a diving board and several large slides, with a hot tub off to one side. Umbrellas, tables, and lounge chairs were scattered over the flagstone patio between the pool and the house. The backyard was surrounded by very high bushes, providing complete privacy.
With a pool like that, Annabeth would have expected the house to be a mansion. But it was modest and somewhat small, sized for a couple with maybe one or two kids. And now that she thought about it, the backyard itself wasn’t huge, all things considered. The bushes, the pool, and the narrow patio made up the entire backyard.
All the same, it was an actual house with a backyard and an incredible pool. And Norris had it all to himself.
She waved a hand at the pool. “Please tell me if this is too nosy, but did you write a bestselling book under a pen name? Or are you heir to a diamond mine?”
