“When did you bond?” asked Mitzi.
“Bond?” Clove was stuck on the logistics. Drake’s family seemed happy she was there, but no one mentioned sleeping arrangements or showers—did no one smell her?
She barely resisted the urge to sniff-test herself.
“Yeah. Bond. Like Billy and Snowflake.” She pointed and Clove turned to see a little boy walking with a beautiful tawny reindeer with huge, dark eyes that stared right into her soul. She glanced at Felix and then glanced down as if she were shy.
Billy’s hand was on her shoulder, just like Clove’s was on her reindeer. “I-I’m not sure there was a specific moment.”
Felix turned to her and narrowed his eyes:Yes, there was.
She shook her head at him, not wanting to reveal everything to these strangers. She hadn’t even told Drake about the night Felix arrived. It was too . . . hallowed.
“Um… do we need to worry about the reindeer getting along?” She stepped, so she was between Snowflake and Felix.
A silence descended upon the group. Drake moved behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. “It’s not Snowflake we need to be concerned about.”
She half-turned and looked up at him. “Who then?”
Drake looked to Caleb, who looked to Jack, who looked to Forest, who looked to Pax, who looked to Abner. He held his belly and chuckled. “The one we have to worry about is Dunder. He’s the king around here. If he doesn’t let Felix into the herd, then, well, they’ll all shun him.”
Clove put her arm under Felix’s neck and held on. “That’s horrible.”
Abner lowered his head and lifted his shoulders. “It’s the reindeer way.”
“When should we introduce them?” asked Drake.
A mighty reindeer trumpet sounded in the barn, the noise loud enough to make Billy cover his ears.
“Sounds like we should get to it.” Abner reached for Anna. “In the indoor arena?”
She nodded. “That’ll give them some room.”
“Room to what?” Clove asked quickly.
Jack rubbed his gloves together. “To duke it out.” He quick-jabbed the air a couple of times. “Reindeer style.”
Clove spun in Drake’s arms. “You didn’t say anything about him having to fight another reindeer.”
Drake furrowed his brow. “Haven’t you ever watched the discovery channel? Males are territorial.”
Clove shook her head. “You didn’t tell me!” She shrugged off his arms and stepped up to Felix’s face. A storm brewed inside of her, started by the overwhelming number of people who hugged and handled her. She wasn’t used to such treatment, such openness, or such deep attention. Even at church, she managed to keep things surface level with the women she associated with or bumped into during the week.
There was nothing surface-level about the Nicholas family.
The storm inside her came on fast the moment she perceived a slight and made her feel out of control of her mouth and her actions. She clamped her glove over her lips to prevent herself from lashing out in front of all these people, like her dad had done many times before he left her at Grandma’s.
“Before anyone makes any decisions,” Forest hurried to diffuse the situation. He rounded on Clove and smiled, throwing both his arms out to the side like he was inviting her in for a bear hug. “Youshould meet Dunder?”
“Me?” Clove pointed to her chest, the storm moving into a holding pattern.
Heads bobbed all around her as if this was a great idea. Perhaps it was—she had no idea. Besides, she’d not met another flying reindeer. Wait— “Can Snowflake fly?” she asked.
Snowflake blinked those huge eyes once and then lifted off the ground. She hopped around Billy and then set back down, light as a feather on her black hooves.I sure can.
Felix sniffed the air:You come from the forest, too.
She bowed slightly:I lived off the ranch for a time. With him.
