His heart stopped at the sight of her. Candy canes! That woman was beautiful. He drank in her dark red hair piled on top of her head and the way her coat hugged her curves. He savored every visual sip of his eyes over her figure and then watched her eyes. He hoped and prayed that she’d see him in one second and that she didn’t in the next.
“Excuse me,” said a woman on the front row. “Can I get a picture with the reindeer?”
“Sure. Reindeer love having their picture taken.” Pax took her phone out of her hands and lined up with her and Dunder behind him. He flipped the camera to selfie mode and positioned himself in the shot; his goofy face was at the bottom of the screen. “Say Merry Christmas!”
She laughed at him including himself in the picture but managed to get out, “Merry Christmas.” He snapped the picture.
“You gonna talk to that lady or just stare at her all day?” asked Jack.
Forest snapped out of his stupor. “No.” He turned his back on Mitzi and rubbed Dunder’s shoulder. The big animal leaned into him, sensing his discomfort and wanting to help. He glanced back at him between photo ops and gave him a look that said,I feel you, bro. Forest thought he was hiding his broken heart pretty well, but if Dunder could see it, then it was as plain as a whipped-cream mustache on his face.
He made his way around the trailer to the front of the truck to see if his mom had packed goodies. She was on top of things like that and wouldn’t have sent Pax and Jack off without a basket of something sweet between them. He opened the door, andbingo! Cinnamon rolls. He reached for one, desperate to take comfort from his mother’s cooking. The roll was as full of cinnamon as ever, with just the right amount of frosting.
He turned around and found Mitzi standing right behind him. He jumped and almost dropped the roll. “Tin soldiers, woman! Don’t sneak up on me like that.”
Her arms were folded and her back was hunched, and he didn’t think it was from the cold. “So you’re taking Snowflake today?” She stared over his shoulder.
The cinnamon turned to sand in his mouth. “Yeah.” He forced down a swallow, his throat tight. “I thought we’d wait until morning. But yeah. We’re going home. I’m sorry.”
“Sorry? Sorry you have to take Snowflake, or sorry for something else?”
“Sorry for everything.” He shook his head. “Did you find the envelope?” He’d left the money for the sleigh repair between the wood and screen doors the day before.
“Yeah. Thanks.” She stared at her feet.
Every part of Forest called out to hold her, to whisper sweet promises and be the man she needed. “Maybe after Christmas—”
She shook her head. “Don’t. I can’t take a half-hearted, backhanded, vague we-can-see-each-other-again-someday.”
He scowled. “I wouldn’t do that.”
“Right.” She kicked at nothing and then turned to leave without saying anything else.
Forest was angry. “You think I was leading you on?” he said, loud enough that a few people cast him looks.
Mitzi stopped in her tracks, her shoulders lifting to her ears.
“You think I didn’t really care about you?” he pressed.
She whirled around. “I know it. I heard all about you andSanta.” She said “Santa” as if it were a dirty word. “Did your girlfriend finally catch up to you?”
His brain put together the pieces as fast as Dunder in his heyday speed. “Ginger?!” he asked in disbelief. “Ginger’s happily married and has a baby!”
Mitzi threw up her hands. “Whatever.”
Forest marched toward her. “I can understand you hating me for taking Snowflake. I’m prepared to take all of that, because I deserve it. It sucks! I wish she could stay. But she can’t, and I have to be the bad guy who does the right thing—even if it’s killing me.”
Mitzi’s eyes began to mist over.
“But I would never cheat on you.”
Dunder cleared his throat and gave Forest a look that said,Get it together.Women like nice guys, not ones that bellow at them.
“Then why didn’t you tell me about her? I had to find out from Billy’s vice principal!” she shouted back.
That was one connection Forest couldn’t make. He tried again. And again. But he had no idea how Ginger’s training session with Snowflake had gotten to the vice principal of the school. The confusion must have shown on his face, because Mitzi rolled her eyes at him like he was being slow on purpose.
He was gearing up with a snappy comeback when Billy slammed into Mitzi, almost knocking her over. On instinct, Forest reached out and grabbed them both.
