Flash ran three quick circles around him.Don’t do that! I’ll behave.
Jack folded his arms. “I don’t think you can.”
Dunder stuck his head over his stall door and gave Flash a look.He’ll behave.
Flash looked back and forth between Jack and Dunder.You know what? I’m just going to stay in my stall.
Jack gave Dunder a look of gratitude.
Dunder shook his antlers.Don’t leave her freezing out there.
Stopping at Dunder’s stall, which was the closest one to the door, he peered over the top. “You decent? We’re here to clean your stall.”
Dunder huffed at him.Did you bring her to clean stalls?Hopeless. He pushed open the door and strode to an empty stall next to Flash’s.
Jack waved Dunder’s judgment off. He was a reindeer; what did he know about women? He opened the door barn door, a rush of cold blowing in with Natasha. “Welcome to the forbidden barn.” He threw out an arm. “Do not tell Faith I let you in here. She’ll return my Christmas present.”
Natasha shook her head. “You guys are Christmas crazy around here.”
“Is that a bad thing?” Jack took two shovels from the rack and headed for Dunder’s stall. He swept his gaze over the other stalls, but the reindeer were all tucked away inside, doing their best to behave. It wouldn’t last long—no matter how big their promises were—they were too curious, too excitable.
Natasha followed his lead. He hadn’t meant for her to clean a stall, but wanted to see if she had the guts to go through with it. To his delight, she stepped right in and began shoveling. Dunder snorted from his temporary stall.
“She offered!” Jack protested.
Natasha stopped and stared at him for a moment. After all the warnings he’d given the reindeer about behaving, he should have given one to himself—no talking to reindeer in front of people. Of course, not everyone could understand them—it took believing for that to happen.
“So, tell me all your secrets,” she finally said.
Jack let out the breath he’d been holding. “I was born and raised on this ranch. I’ve worked with reindeer all my life, and it’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.”
“You’re a twin?”
“The better-looking one, of course.”
“Of course.”
He warmed at her agreement. Her crusty elf act was thawing out with every scoop she tossed into the wheelbarrow. He should have put her to work when she first got here.All that wasted time, he joked to himself.
“I can’t think of anything else to tell you.” He laughed. “I’m a pretty simple guy.”
She worked her bottom lip between her teeth. “You’re good with kids.”
He went back to work. “Yeah. It comes with the territory. We have field trips stop in, and the neighbor’s kids come by to help in the summer. Mom thinks we’re good with children because we’re all big kids at heart.” Dad was the biggest kid out of all of them.
“I can see that.” Natasha winked. “Favorite food?”
“Cinnamon rolls,” he blurted. Then, seeing an opportunity, he threw out a question of his own—hoping to turn this into a game. “Favorite movie?”
“While You Were Sleeping.” She leaned on the handle of her shovel. “Best Christmas gift you ever got?”
“My own land.” He nodded toward Caleb’s place. “Right next door to my brother.”
“Wow. Mine was a ten-speed mountain bike and freedom to tear up the neighborhood.”
He laughed. “We were tromping unsupervised all over this place by the time we were six.”
Dunder chortled:You thought unsupervised.
