Natasha did her best not to look at Jack. She didn’t want Jennifer to know that things had gone from complicated to wonderfully complicated with a kiss—or two. It was none of her business who Natasha dated, unless whom she dated overlapped with their contractors… Her ears warmed, and she cocked out a hip as if she were as cool as the snow coming off the barn roof. “Knewwhat?”
“Santa can’t make it. The one you promised was the best in the business.” Jennifer looked like the Grinch, ready to destroy Christmas. “Find a new Santa, or you're fired.”
“From which job?” Natasha asked sarcastically. “Because you can have the tights back right now.”
Jennifer’s blue eyes turned to ice. “I could fire you from both right now.”
Natasha held her ground and bit her cheek to keep from snapping at her so that she could keep the job she wasn’t paying her to do. This trial run as a production assistant/studio liaison was wearing on her nerves as she tried to find some balance between the loyalty she was supposed to have for the studio and her growing feelings for Jack.
“Hold on,” Jack put a hand between them.
Jennifer turned her wrath on him. “Stay out of this.” Jack’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. Jennifer continued, “You’re lucky we aren’t suing you for endangering our child star. Do you have permits for sleigh rides?”
Jack’s jaw hardened. “We have permits for everything we do on the ranch. Sleigh rides, reindeer rides, and more.”
“We’ll see about that.” Jennifer snapped her fingers at Natasha. “Find another Santa, or you’re out,” she spat before spinning on her heel and marching away. The extras melted back into the scenery. None of them wanted to get in front of the Polar Express when it was off the tracks.
Natasha’s hands shook. A part of her wanted to throw these stupid tights in Jennifer’s face. The smarter side of her held back; the job she was after was worth getting through this… wasn’t it?
Besides, she had a list of backup Santas back at her trailer. No one should be this cranky over losing Santa. Sure, the guy she’d hired was terrific—real whiskers and all. But there were other Santas out there to choose from. Everybody needed to take it down a notch.
Jack glared after Jennifer and hummed, “Grandma Got Ran Over by a Reindeer.”
The moment Natasha recognized the tune, she started laughing. “Was that a threat, cowboy?” They were alone in a sea of people, and she didn’t care if they caught her flirting with the wrangler. If anyone challenged her, she’d say they’d become good friends while working closely together.
His eyes softened, and he touched her side. “I believe the word you’re looking for is: wrangler. Not cowboy.”
She tugged his Stetson down over his eyes. “You look like a cowboy to me.”
Using one leather-clad finger, he pushed the brim of his hat back up. The move was hot hot hot! “Cowboys ride horses; I ride reindeer. Which, by the way, are much more dangerous than a horse.” He put his hands up to look like antlers.
“I have a scar on my side that says otherwise.” She pointed.
“Oh?” he lifted his eyebrows and glanced over at her. “What’s a guy gotta do to see that?”
She shoved him. “Easy there, tiger.”
He jutted out his chin and bobbed his head. “You can call me tiger. I’m good with that..”
“Re-set at two!” yelled the assistant director.
Natasha glanced over her shoulder. As much as she was enjoying this back and forth, she had work to do. “I have to get going.”
“Hey, want to go on a sleigh ride later?” Jack asked, clearing his throat quickly after talking as if he was unsure what her answer would be.
“With Dunder?” she asked hopefully. The older reindeer was gentle and moved with a beautiful gate. He seemed quite tame, which she rather liked in a reindeer.
Jack wagged his finger. “Dunder’s off limits. I have another reindeer in mind.”
She sucked in a breath. She shouldn’t. She’d crossed several professional lines that she didn’t know how to get back over. On the other hand, she was already across that line; what could it hurt? “Okay. Yeah. Let’s do it.”
His smile could have lit up the movie set. “Great. Be ready at 4:30. Dress warmly. And yeah.”
She couldn’t help but smile back. “Okay then.”
Four-thirty. That would give her enough time after filming to put out some feelers to the backup Santa. She’d have another one lined up before midnight tonight.
She mentally checked the calendar. This close to Christmas meant that most of the good Santas were taken. She hoped that at least one of them was available.
