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“You gave the reindeer their baths?” I can’t help but interrupt, gaping at Gabe.

“Sure.” Gabe chuckles. “But Felipe’s right. I was mostly thinking we could give people a map of the trails through the fields, have them take a walk and wind their way around to the reindeer’s barn to enjoy the company of the ladies for a while.”

“You know I don’t love people trudging through my fields,” Felipe harrumphs, and I feel our chances of pulling this off slip away.

“What are fields for if not for trudging?”

At Gabe’s philosophical tone, Felipe’s lips twitch. “You haven’t stopped by to do much trudging as of late,” he points out.

“I know.” Gabe’s shoulders slump. “I’m sorry.”

He side-eyes me, and there’s a look in his gaze I can’t quite place. Regret? Embarrassment, maybe? I don’t know. It’s gone before I can think more of it.

Gabe clears his throat. “Can I go get the reindeer ready for Beth to see? You can think on the proposal.”

“Go ahead.” Felipe motions to the back door off the kitchen, and Gabe bounds outside. “I make no promises,” Felipe calls as the door slams behind Gabe.

His departure leaves me to my latte and Felipe’s full-on scrutiny.

I shift my weight. I’m usually good with people. It’s part of my job to charm strangers and help them find books, but Felipe’s stare is disarming.

“I really appreciate this.” I bob my head to where Gabe disappeared. “I’m honestly a little surprised you’re even considering it.”

May as well tell it like it is. If Felipe can be a straight shooter, so can I.

Felipe’s hard stare softens ever so slightly. “And why would that be, young lady?”

“I heard from some of the other business owners in town that you were reluctant to lend your reindeer for the Christmas Kickoff.”

Felipe scoffs. “Is that Xander Falon running his mouth about me?”

My lack of a response is enough of a response for Felipe.

“That man was out here in all his highfalutin glory, telling me it was my duty as a resident of Dasher Valley to share the ladies with the town.”

“I’m sorry.” I cringe. “Xander can be incredibly pushy.”

“Don’t you go apologizing for him. You didn’t do nothin’ wrong.”

I press my lips together, my skin suddenly hot. I remind myself he’s not chastising me. He’s got a bone to pick with Xander.

“I don’t take kindly to people telling me what to do,” Felipe grumbles. “Besides, his motives were all wrong if you ask me. I was merely a checkbox he wanted to cross off. He didn’t care one iota about the reindeer. At first, I thought I’d give him a chance to prove himself. I offered to take him out to the barn so he could feed them himself, and his lips turned up into a snarly smile, and he muttered some such nonsense about how he wasn’t dressed for the elements.” Felipe makes a sound that’s a cross between a scoff and a snort. “City slicker.”

I bite back a smile at that. I’m not sure anyone but Felipe would classify Dasher Valley, population eight thousand, as a city. But I understand his point.

“I offered to open up my farm to visitors during the holiday season so people could see the reindeer for themselves.”

My mouth drops fully open. “You did?”

“’Course I did! These creatures are meant to be enjoyed by all. But he shut me down. Said he wanted them penned up in the town green or not at all. Something about how it wouldn’t do anybody any good if folks traveled out this way. I believe his exact words were ‘how would that drive any extra foot traffic to local businesses?’ He was condescending, and I didn’t take kindly to that.”

I feel a burn of shame on behalf of Xander and the entire Chamber. If that’s how the organization treats people, we’re doing something wrong. A small part of me wonders how Xander will feel about us using Felipe’s farm as part of the Dash, if he was so opposed to folks coming out this way, but I shove the thought aside.

“Anyway, I tried to explain that the reindeer do much better out here in the open and that it’s tough for me to coordinate transportation for them into town.”

“Costly, too, I imagine,” I say, almost to myself.

“Exactly right.” Felipe nods. “They’re big creatures. Mostly docile, but I still need the tractor trailer space and the extra hands to help keep them in line during the move. Xander was having none of it. He said it was in town or nothing, and when I wouldn’t agree, he refused to do any sort of advertising for my farm with any of the Chamber’s marketing hoo-ha for the holidays. I don’t even think the younger generation knows there are real-life reindeer right in their backyard. Now, when Gaber called me up,” Felipe continues, “and told me about your plans, I thought to myself, ‘This. This I can get behind.’ I like the idea of slowing people down. That’s what I’m all about out here. When he said he wanted people to come to me, I figured, all the better. If Xander had gone for that option, he could have had the reindeer. But I much rather Gabe get the credit anyway.”