With one more tight squeeze, Raelynn and her nanny left, and Natasha was alone. She glanced around, wondering if Jack would come out and kiss her right now. Not that there was a sprig of mistletoe to be found… that wouldn’t stop him, would it?
It probably would. He seemed like a guy who enjoyed a Christmas tradition. She blew out her cheeks. So no kiss this afternoon. She twisted her hands together. Should she knock on the barn door and make some plans?
One look at the “Keep Out” signs, and she took the hint.
As she walked away, she thought about the time she’d spent in the sleigh that morning and the special care Jack took to make sure she was comfortable. He wasn’t the type of guy to rush through and steal a kiss. He’d plan out the right moment.
Her ears burned at the thought. Even the idea of being kissed by Jack Nicholas made her blush and felt all glittery inside. If he lived up to half the reputation she’d built for him in her head, he’d unravel her the moment their lips came together.
CHAPTERTEN
Jack meant to head straight into the house and figure out a way to substitute another reindeer for Sparkle. Faith had gone inside a while ago. No doubt she’d filled his mom in on the situation. If Dad was awake, which was unlikely considering his health, he knew too.
Sometimes, being part of a close-knit family was a trial. Most of the time, it was the biggest blessing in his life. He adored being close to his nephews and looked forward to many more kid-letts to come.
Before facing the crew that expected him to have the answers, he needed time to think.
They had at least thirty buckskins in the herd. Jennifer and Miguel wouldn’t know the difference.
Jennifer couldn’t tell the reindeer apart, aside from knowing which ones had antlers and which ones didn’t. Had it been any other non-flying reindeer, he would have been able to interchange them.
However, none of the other reindeer had Sparkle’s Liz Taylor eyes.
Nor her sleigh-loads of personality.
Nor her natural talent for making little girls fall in love with her.
Nor her stubbornness.
Sparkle was a one-of-a-kind, and there was no way to hide her, trade her, or any other option. She’d committed to being a movie star.
And she was thrilled.
If there was one thing Sparkle didn’t need more of, it was attention. She’d pranced around the rafters, glancing down at him as if asking if he wanted her autograph. She’d always been a diva, and he feared that this would only enhance her natural tendency toward selfishness and high-antler-ness.
She’d been cooped up in the barn for too long. That’s all there was to it. Cabin fever was bad for reindeer—especially the flying kind. They needed blue skies and night flights, but because of all the people on the ranch, they’d restricted the fliers to the indoor barn.
He scrubbed his face. As much agitation as he felt over the whole Sparkle in a movie thing, he felt even more because he’d allowed Natasha to trick him into letting her do it.
Trick him?
There was no tricking involved. If it were Halloween, he’d say there were plenty of treats.
Natasha was something else. Her long caramel colored hair and big brown eyes drew him in. There was something different about her, like she didn’t fit in with the Hollywood types. What made her stand out also made her attractive. She was real. Even more real than the other women he’d dated. They were wisps in the wind, and she was solid.
Yeah, that’s what a woman wanted to hear:you’re solid.
He’d have to work on his sweet-nothings before they found the mistletoe. He had one shot at a kiss and romancing Natasha. One. If he screwed it up, he could fly to the outer regions and never return.
Instead of going inside, he paced around the property, hoping inspiration would strike. He needed to keep Sparkle in the movie, make sure she didn’t fly in front of the camera, and convince Natasha that dating him was the best idea she’d ever had.
Holiday music floated across the open fields. It sounded like his mom was baking. She cranked the tunes when she was elbow-deep in bread dough, and she only got elbow-deep in bread dough when she was worried.
Was it Sparkle? Or Dad?
Both, probably.
What if grandma did get run over by a reindeer? Not a real grandma, the woman who played grandma in the movie. He could pull Sparkle from the film and still meet Natasha under the mistletoe.
