Felix turned his neck and rubbed his cheek against her back:I’m not leaving you–ever.
She sobbed in relief. Drake’s heart stretched out to her for how much love she had for a reindeer.
Felix turned back to Drake, his eyes panicked:Help! She’s crying.
Drake chuckled. He gently pulled Clove into his arms.
Felix sagged:Thanks, man!
Drake smiled back, even as he drew Clove closer. “You’re shaking.”
She nodded, her face so wet from tears that frostbite was a concern. He pulled his gloves off and wiped them dry. “What? What is it?”
She drew in a quivering breath. “When he flew south, I thought he’d had enough of—” she gulped back her emotions — “that being with us had become too much of a hassle and he was done.”
Drake wasn’t looking into the eyes of a strong woman, he was staring into the soul of an eight-year-old little girl whose daddy walked away from her. He took her face in his hands. “Let me tell you something about reindeer and reindeer wranglers.”
He spoke to that little girl. She was the one who needed to know that she was surrounded by people who cared and who weren’t going to give up on her.
“Reindeer and their wranglers are herd animals.”
She watched him, soaking up his words.
“We don’t leave people–especially those we call family.” He lifted her face a little higher so she would look into his eyes, where he poured the sincerity out of himself and into her. “You will never be alone—not as long as Felix and I—and Grandma Hannah–walk this earth.”
Felix moved to lean his shoulder against her back and huffed:Or fly over it.
Drake chuckled. “Or fly over it. He’s right.”
Clove crushed herself against him.
He laid his cheek on her head. “You’re safe. You’ll always be safe.” It wasn't a proposal—but it was a promise — a rather large one for a man who claimed he didn’t want to share his life with anyone. Doing so with Clove would not be a hardship. Maybe she didn’t want him, but she did grab onto the stability and safety he offered. He’d seen her accept it and felt the calming as her body stopped quaking and grew still.
Drake fell into this moment, into the pledge he’d made, into the feel of her in his arms, and into whatever consequences followed. He pulled back, ready to make good on his promise to kiss her.
Felix nudged the two of them and then turned his head.
Drake contemplated ignoring him and kissing her anyway. She was soft and warm and smelled like cinnamon and shampoo.
“Can he fly again?” Colter’s voice cut through any romantic notions in Drake’s mind.
He and Clove broke apart and stared at the little boy who stared at Felix as if he were a superhero come to life.
“Sorry,” said his mom as she wrapped her thin coat around her body. “We, uh, saw him come off the roof?” She hugged her thin coat around her body. She kept looking at Felix and then kicking snow as if she thought she was in a dream.
Clove grabbed Drake’s hand. Their secret was out.
CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX
Clove couldn’t decide who to focus on–Colter or his mom. Colter looked like he wanted to climb on Felix’s back and fly around town.
His mom looked about two seconds away from scooping Colter into her arms and running for the house. “I can’t quite believe what I saw.” She turned to them. “I didn’t imagine it, did I.”
Clove took in her messy bun, face without makeup, slumped shoulders that carried the world, ratted boots, and thin coat and decided this woman could use something magical this Christmas. She put a hand on Felix’s shoulder and said proudly. “He flies.”
Drake touched her lower back in a sign of support for her action. “Can we come inside and talk about this? Maybe Felix could hang out in your garage?”
Colter’s face lit up and then fell again just as fast. “It’s full of junk.”
