“This is bad. So. So. Bad.” Clove lowered herself into a fighting stance, ready to tackle the mayor if he came anywhere near Felix with that thing. The shock it produced was not enough to hurt him, but she’d never used anything of the sort on Felix, not even in his most stubborn moments, and he wouldn't like it one bit.
If he flew away–he might never come back.
Clove’s heart crimped and shrank at the thought. Felix was family, and she had precious little family to claim in this life. She couldn’t deal with another male leaving her behind. Her hands started to shake, and she worked to quell the panic threatening to overwhelm her.
“You two need to exit the area,” commanded Sheriff Hoffman.
Drake drew himself up to his full height–which was a towering foot taller than the other guy.
Clove groaned. Now she had to protect Felix from the cattle prod and Drake from this guy who pushed all his buttons. “How about we all slow down for one blasted second andnothave a brawl in Judy’s backyard?”
Everyone turned to look at her, including Felix. “Why are you stealing my reindeer?” Sheesh! How many times was she going to ask that question this Christmas?
Felix snorted:Good question.
She glanced at Drake out of the corner of her eye and caught him giving her a sly smile. “Do you want to steal his truck?” he whispered out of the side of his mouth
Jail was not an option for her right now. “Maybe later,” she whispered back.
“Ma’am, it’s come to our attention that reindeer are not permitted within the city limits. As a matter of fact, they’re not permitted in the state.” The sheriff grabbed his belt and hitched up his pants.
“Come to your attention? You mean you looked it up last night, didn’t you?” Clove wasn’t going to give him an inch. “This isn’t some coincidence that popped up and you stumbled upon it; it’s premeditated.” She nodded once. That’s right. Pre-meditated–like murder.
He sniffed and nodded. “I have a responsibility to the people of this town to maintain their safety and uphold the law.”
“We already told you we’re passing through.” Drake folded his arms and glared down at that guy. “As soon as the trailer’s ready, we’re out of here.”
“Doesn’t matter if it’s one hour or another day,” the officer responded. “We’ll move him to the animal shelter until we have further instructions from the state patrol.”
Cloves' blood froze in her veins and then cracked, the shards ripping her apart from the inside. “Where will they take him?” she practically screamed.
“That’s none of your concern,” he had the audacity to say.
“I’ve applied for a permit to keep him right here,” said Mayor Winston. “We’re going to have our very own reindeer attraction for the holidays. It’ll put this place on the map.” He smiled as if he were the solution to all their problems.
Clove lunged at him, claws out and nothing but a feral instinct to protect her family driving her actions. Drake turned lightning fast and hooked his arm across her middle. She struggled against him. “How dare you! Felix isn’t yours!”
“He’s not yours either,” said the mayor. “But since we have him here, I’ve invited the elementary school kids over to see him. They’ll arrive within the hour and I need to find a photographer so I can attach images to my proposal for the town meeting.”
Drake’s whole body worked to keep her from doing something stupid. She knew she was being crazy, and she didn’t care. “You can’t take my family!”
Drake spoke over his shoulder to the Sheriff. “I can and do own reindeer in North Dakota. Which is where we’re headed.”
“The Reindeer Wrangler Ranch,” Clove growled out. “Look it up.”
“If you can produce papers of ownership, you’re welcome to pick him up today. But we have to take him into custody.” Sheriff Hoffman wouldn't budge.
Clove was officially naming this guy Officer Scrooge. Well, she wanted to name him something else, but it wasn’t a name she could use in front of a reindeer or children.
“What’s going on?” called Grandma as she shut the back door.
“Grandma!” Clove exclaimed. “You need a coat.”
Grandma flapped a hand at her and walked right into the snow in her slippers and nightgown. “What’s happening?”
Drake released Clove and removed his coat, leaving his bare skin at the mercy of freezing temperatures. Goose flesh spread quickly over his chest and arms, but he didn’t so much as shiver. He hurried over the panel and draped it around Grandma’s shoulders, whispering to her as he did so.
Grandma nodded, her face set. She walked to the fence, and Felix met her there for a morning pat on his neck.
