Using her hip to bump the door open, she lifted her cup in farewell before letting the door close behind her.
He watched her walk out. She knew because she could see his reflection in the door.
Feeling like she’d just won a triathlon, the Olympics, and the Pillsbury Bake Off all in one moment, she strutted to her snowmobile.
“Okay, so maybe Icanflirt–when the right inspiration comes along.” She took a celebratory sip of her cocoa and tasted nothing but burnt chocolate, thanks to her damaged taste buds. Making a face, she groaned as she dumped the cocoa out into the snow and dropped the cup into the garbage.
“Totally worth it.” She grinned, thinking of her suave departure.
It helped that she’d never see him again. Which was for the best. A man like that could talk her into doing things that would put her on the Naughty List, and she was a firm Good List kind of girl.
CHAPTERFOUR
Drake‘s body drifted after Clove, drawn to her in a way that had nothing to do with flying reindeer, saving Christmas, or the ranch. He couldn’t believe that the beautiful, wind-kissed woman was Felix’s owner!
She was . . . a lot prettier than he thought she’d be.
No! Not prettier!
Younger.
She wasyoungerthan he’d thought she’d be after the way she shut him down about buying her reindeer. Hmm. Spunky too. She’d driven a snowmobile into town and moved with athletic grace. She didn’t seem at all bothered by the temperatures, taking on the cold like it was just another day. Her confidence was bewitching.
Trevor waved his pale hand in front of Drake’s face. “Bruh? You okay?”
Drake blinked. “Yep.” He started folding his map. After two weeks of bumming around the small towns, and a couple cities, on the outskirts of the national forest, he’d finally found his reindeer. Felix. What a great name.
Funny, he would be the first reindeer on the ranch Dad hadn’t named. That alone would set him apart. What other qualities did Felix have that made him different from the animals under their care? He tingled with anticipation.
His and Zoey’s eyes met, and she gave him a knowing smile. “Do you want her number?”
“What?!Pft. I mean–”
Do I?Wait.
He already had her number on his phone thanks to her firm and declarative leave-us-alone-mildly-threatening texts. He leaned with hands on the counter and drew in a breath to steady himself. He had no way of knowing how this whole save-Christmas-mission was going to go down. Walking out of here without a connection to Clove would be the smartest thing to do–even if it about killed him to let her slip through his fingers like that. She was curious–in a good way. “No. Thank you.”
He hoped the local rangers and police would think the animal wandered into the vast wilderness and didn’t come back.
How would Clove take that? His heart cinched at the idea of her large, dark blue eyes full of tears.
He concentrated on folding the map and reminded himself that Clove wasn't his business. Felix wasn’therreindeer. He was a wild, endangered animal that should be on a protected reserve–like the ranch–for his own safety and that of others.
His phone rang, and Caleb’s picture appeared on the screen. He’d been able to pack and leave before they finished Thanksgiving Dinner. He’d sent out a family-wide text, telling them all that he needed a couple of weeks to himself and that he was going camping.
No doubt they were worried.
Not a meal went by that one of them didn’t text him.
Mitzi even stooped to sending videos of Aspen showing him her stocking, wrapping his present and telling him she “wuved” him before she went to bed. That sneaky sister-in-law of his. He’d sent Aspen a return video and promised to bring her back a present or two.
It did his heart good to see that they were keeping up on Christmas traditions even as they faced the possible end of their partnership with the Jolly Old Elf. He couldn’t imagine what life would be like for his niece and nephews without flying reindeer on the ranch. It wouldn’t take long before they’d become a thing of legend. Some day, the Nicholas would stop believing Christmas Magic was ever real. The future was bleak indeed.
And because he disappeared in the middle of their crisis. Their perpetual pestering was totally understandable.
He had to believe that all the trouble he caused would be worth it when he showed up with their salvation in a trailer. He hit the deny button on the call and sent it to voicemail.
“Thanks for your help.” He nodded to Zoey and then to Trevor. They’d done more than they would ever know. “I’m headed into the woods for a while.”
