“Okay, Nate. Spell it out for me.” I took a bite of the chicken and sighed. It was delicious. New place, dinner ready, and a hot guy to share it with. So far things were looking up for this Christmas.
“A member of your family has always been in charge of Christmas Hill. It’s passed down from member to member.” Nate took a deep breath. “Molly, you are the last descendant of Santa Claus.” He ducked his head and looked at me sheepishly.
There it was. All of the perfect came crashing down around me. Sexy chef with the brooding eyes was crazy. “Uh huh. Good to know.” I was literally out of ideas of what to say.
“I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true.” Nate winced and ran a hand over his face. “Okay. That sounds lame, but I swear, it’s real. I’ve seen the proof.”
“So, that makes you my elf, right?” I stood up and looked down at the plate on the table. What if this guy wasn’t even the groundskeeper? I could be having dinner with a serial killer. My feet moved and I paced little circles while I thought about what I should do.
“No. I’m not an elf.” He didn’t stand up. Just waited for me to decide what I was going to do.
“This is a joke, right? Because my great-aunt was obsessed with Christmas?” I frowned. “I’m kinda tired, so I’m just slow on the uptake.”
“No, this isn’t a joke.” Nate leaned back and draped his arm over the back of the chair. “I was hoping the dinner would lessen the blow.”
“Yeah, there really isn’t a good way to deliver that news, huh?” I looked down at the food sadly. I really had been enjoying myself and now it was all going down hill. The hottie was crazy and I couldn’t be sure the food wasn’t poisoned.
“Gertie asked me to help you adjust, to find your footing. She didn’t want you to have to deal with it all by yourself.”
“That’s really kind of Aunt Gertie, but a phone call from her would have been a better choice.” I crossed my arms over my chest. This was the last thing I needed here, and as usual my defense was humor. “So, Comet? The reindeer that live here? You’re telling me they’re Santa’s reindeer?”
“Give me a week, please? A week to prove it to you.” Nate stood up and walked over to the pile of books next to Gerties’ reading chair. He slid an envelope out from under the stacked books and brought it back to me. “It’s not a phone call, but she did leave you a letter.” He held the beige paper out toward me and my eyes took in the familiar curly script that made my name on the outside.
“This is insane.” I stared at the envelope like it was a snake waiting to bite me. The realization that he truly believed this was starting to seep into my mind.
Nate took a step closer and leaned down so he could look me in the eye. “Please, Molly. Read the letter. I owe Gertie my life, everything. Just give it a chance.” Something in his tone made my heart jump. He seemed so sincere, so honest, I didn’t want to think he was crazy. “Read the letter and I’ll answer any questions that I can.”
Carefully I took the letter and turned it over in my hands. The letter was real and if it contained what Nate thought it must, that would mean my Aunt had believed the story as well.
Chapter Three
Sweet Molly,
I wish I could be there when you see Christmas Hill for the first time. It’s magical, isn’t it? The first time I came here, so many years ago, I was convinced it had come straight from the pages of a book. The snow sparkled and the greens of the fir trees were vivid like in a painting. There is magic here, and now, it’s yours.
You see, our family has a long tradition with things generally considered myth. Your father decided this life wasn’t for him, and upon his death, his responsibility was passed to you. He felt it was a burden, but I’m telling you that it is a gift. In all of my years here on Christmas Hill, I can’t imagine any way I could have been happier.
There is no easy way to explain to you what it is that needs telling. We are the family of Santa Claus. In this world, where he does so much good, we are his helpers. It sounds crazy. I know that. And you’re probably thinking I was senile when I wrote this letter, but believe me, my mental facilities are in working order. It’s this darn heart that isn’t up for much more. The truth is, Sweet Molly, that you have magic inside of you. I’ve seen it in the stories you create, the way you make people feel, the way your animals love you. In this place, your magic will flourish. As will your heart. Christmas Hill has a way of providing everything we need. Even when we didn’t know we needed it.
Give me a week, dear niece, to prove to you I am indeed not crazy, but telling you the truth. I promise you won’t regret it.
I wish I could have told you all of this in person. And I’m doubly saddened your father was not the one to explain it all to you. But, Nate will help you any way he can. He’s a good man, that one. Trust him and he will show you the ropes. He showed up at Christmas Hill on Christmas Eve almost ten years ago. That’s the way of our family and friends—those that are important always come: when the snow is high and the magic is strong.
I love you dear. Always have.
Trust in the magic.
Auntie Gertie
Even after a good night’s rest, I found the letter hard to believe. I looked at the paper again and ran my fingers over her signature. It was the same script that had adorned all of her packages over the years. Right down to the way her left hand smeared the ink of the ‘A’ in Auntie.
“I don’t know, Remy. This is pretty crazy.” I leaned back in the bed and frowned at my dog. The sunshine was seeping through the curtains to the bedroom and the once roaring flames in the fireplace had died down to embers. It was Christmas Eve and I was sitting in bed debating whether or not my aunt and her groundskeeper were crazy. “Grade A crazy.”
Remy cocked his head at me before rolling over and snuggling down into the blanket. Last night after Nate had left, I’d locked all of the doors I could find and even placed a chair under the bedroom door handle. I didn’t really think he was going to come kill me in my sleep, but I didn’t want to be the trusting girl on the news either. Sighing, I slid my feet into my slippers and listened at my door. I didn’t hear anyone in the house, so I pulled the chair out and eased the heavy door open.
Remy hopped off the bed and quickly dashed along the hallway and down the stairs. “Remy! Wait!”
I trotted after him, knowing he probably had to use the bathroom. He ran straight for the kitchen and out a dog door I hadn’t noticed the night before. “Remy!” I growled, irritated he hadn’t waited for me. I yanked a throw blanket off of a chair and wrapped it around my shoulders before unlocking the door to go outside.
The cold air snatched my breath away and I pulled the blanket tighter. “Remy! I’m going to stuff you!” I didn’t see the dog anywhere, so walked around the porch, desperate to not step in the snow.
A deep chuckle floated to my ears and I peeked around the corner. Nate was rubbing Remy’s belly while kneeling in the snow. I watched them for a minute, enjoying the look on Nate’s face and Remy’s happiness. Grabbing a stick from the pile next to him, Nate teased Remy before launching it away from the house. Remy took off without a thought, and I could only see his tail as made his way through the snow.
“I come in peace!” Nate looked up at me and I cursed under my breath. Caught. And in my pajamas no less. He lifted the firewood that had been sitting next to him on the ground. “I thought you might need some more.” He took the steps slowly, giving me time to run, I guessed.
“Thanks.” I brushed the hair out of my face and clutched the blanket tighter. Not one to beat around the bush, I blurted out the answer to what I was sure he was wondering. “I read the letter.”
“And?” He set the wood he was carrying down on next to the kitchen door.
“I still think you guys are crazy.”
“You’re still here.” He pulled his gloves off.
“Yeah. I’m still here.” I wasn’t really sure why, though. I guess I owed it to my great aunt.
&n
bsp; “Can I ask why you’re out here wrapped in a blanket?” He reached out and tugged on the edge.
“Remy ran out the dog door and I didn’t want to lose him.” I shrugged.
“Dog door?” Nate smiled slightly.
“Yeah, the one in the…” Looking back at the kitchen door I froze. It was solid. No place for a doggie door. But I knew Remy had run straight through one and out into the snow. “What the hell?” I stomped over to the door and looked closely. “It was right here. Not even five minutes ago!” I pushed with my toe, but nothing gave.
“I’m sure this will be one of the lesser mysteries of your stay here.” Nate shook his head, his eyes amused. “I’ve got to feed the reindeer and check the fencing. Would you like to come with me?”
“Now?” I jerked the blanket tighter. I wasn’t exactly dressed for traipsing in the snow.
“We can spare a little time before we go. Maybe even enough time for a cup of coffee?” His voice sounded hopeful and I smiled. I couldn’t help myself. When the man smiled, it did things to me. Crazy or not.
“Coffee sounds good.” I whistled for Remy and was relieved when he bounded into view, the stick clutched between his teeth. He shook himself off, spraying me with cold snow. I squealed and flicked the cold drops from my exposed skin.
I opened the door and Remy headed straight for the throw blankets on the couch. I looked around the large kitchen completely unsure of where the coffee pot would be hidden.
“Why don’t you change? I’ll start the coffee.” Nate pulled his hat and gloves off and set them on the counter.
“Um, sure. Sounds like a plan.” I high tailed it up the stairs, but not without shooting Remy a glare.
In the room I was calling mine, I layered my clothes to help combat the cold and looked through my bag of shoes. I only had tennis shoes and I was certain they would be soaked within minutes. Biting my lip I looked around the room, trying to decide what to do, when my eyes landed on a pair of boots standing next to the door. My body froze, and adrenaline coursed through my veins. Those had not been there last night. They had not been there when I woke up this morning, or when I had come back to change. But there they were. Sitting next to the door as if waiting on me.
I stood up slowly and walked toward the boots. Every muscle in my body was coiled as if I thought the boots might spring into actions. And what? Chase me? Kick me in the head for being crazy? Taking a deep breath, I reached down and lifted the right boot. They were exactly what I would have picked out had I been standing in a store. They reminded me a bit of rain boots but there were laces along the front. They were a bright green, my favorite color.
I carried them over to the bed and sat down on the edge. I peered inside to see what size they were and almost gasped. In gold stitching, my initials were embroidered inside.
“Oh, this just gets better and better.” I turned the boots over, not sure what I was looking for. “This is complete crazy town.” Shaking my head, I slid my foot into the first boot and cringed. When nothing bad happened, I shrugged and slid my foot into the next boot. After securing the laces I stood up and took a few steps. They were comfortable and didn’t feel bulky. Grabbing my scarf and mittens, I headed back down stairs.
The aroma of coffee wafted to my nose and my stomach growled. When I got to the kitchen, I realized that not only had Nate made coffee, but he was cooking. Bacon, from the smell of it and the look on Remy’s face, from where he begged at Nate’s feet.
“So you cook all sorts of things, huh? Not a one dish, man?” I grabbed a mug from the rack in the center of the island and poured some coffee.
“Cook what you love. And I do love some bacon.” Nate smiled at me, and my heart fluttered. This was different for me. Spending breakfast in a kitchen while a man cooked. Not only was it nice, he looked incredibly sexy with an oven mitt. Who knew? My last boyfriend had been the roll out of bed two minutes before your afternoon class sort. Breakfast would have been a foreign language to him. He’d had his good points, but I hadn’t realized just how much he was bringing me down until we parted ways.
“Good plan.” He set one plate in the center heaped with bacon and toast. I grabbed a piece and broke it in half, handing some to Remy. “So, tell me about the reindeer.”
“They pretty much have run of the Hill. We feed them daily, but they also eat wild grasses when they can get it.” He popped a piece of bacon into his mouth and chewed for a minute. “I need to check the fences on the south side. Your neighbor down there isn’t quite as friendly as the rest of them.”
“How many reindeer are there?”
“Twelve.”
“I thought Santa only had eight.” I narrowed my eyes at him. “Nine if you count Rudolph.”
“Well, they’re animals.” Nate raised an eyebrow. “And they procreate.”
“Oh.” Who knew the word procreate could be naughty?
We ate the rest of the bacon while he told me a little about the farm and the nearby town. “Silver Town isn’t large, but they do get a lot of tourists. Especially in the winter.”
“Silver Town. I read a little about it online.” I laughed. “Talk about cheesy. Christmas Hill, Silver Town, reindeer. It’s like I’ve stepped into a-a book.” I almost said romance book, but that would mean there was going to be a happy ending and I didn’t even know if I’d stay here. I had a life back in Florida. To be honest, when I thought about it, it really wasn’t much of a life. Except for being close to the beach. I loved the ocean.
“When I first found Silver Town and Christmas Hill, I thought I’d wondered onto a movie set. Needless to say, I wasn’t very impressed.” Nate shook his head with a small smile. “Now I can’t imagine being anywhere else.”
“I dunno. It’s all great right now, but what about in the summer? Doesn’t it get old?” I finished my coffee and took the mug to the sink.
“I’ve got to run to town later, why don’t you come with me? Get a good look around.” Nate put the plate in the sink and looked down at me. There wasn’t much space between us and I couldn’t help feeling nervous. He was gorgeous. All brooding eyes and chiseled features. He belonged in a J. Crew catalogue, not out here in the sticks. Except, that worked too. He looked like he belonged outside and not in a cubicle somewhere.
“Okay. I have a few things I need to get.” For some reason my voice came out a little huskier than usual and I bit my lip.
“Good.” He didn’t move, except for his eyes. They dipped down to my mouth and it was like he had touched them. And then he did. His hand moved up to cup my cheek while his thumb ran over my bottom lip. “Molly, I…”
Remy chose that moment to bark and jump on my leg. He single-pawedly broke the moment and I stepped away from Nate. What was I doing? Waiting for him to kiss me? I’d just met him and the jury was still out on his sanity. He was going to tell me something, but the moment was broken, and I was relieved. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know what he was going to say. Side stepping Remy, I grabbed my gloves off of the table and slid into my jacket.
“Well, time to meet Santa’s team.”
Chapter Four
Nate chuckled at me as he pulled his own jacket on. I couldn’t help but admire the way his shirt tightened across his chest as he moved. “It’s going to take a lot to convince you, huh?”
“Oh, until I see some reindeer clickity clacking on a rooftop, you can assume I’m a nonbeliever.” I rolled my eyes and opened the door for Remy to run onto the porch.
“That can be arranged, you know.” Nate pulled the door shut behind us.
“Really?” I winced at the excitement in my voice.
“They only fly on Christmas Eve, so you’ll get your chance tonight.” Nate led me toward the barn through the snow. Remy bouncing happily along in my wake.
“That’s hours away, Nate.” I mock frowned.
“You sound like a kid waiting for Santa.”
“Well, I kind of am, aren’t I?” We got to the barn and he pulled open one of the large do
ors.
“You’re waiting for Santa, but you’re no little girl.” His eyes ran over my body in a way that made me blush.
“Geez, Nate. You’re going to make the naughty list if you keep that up.”
“Sweetheart, I’m always on the naughty list.” Nate laughed.
I hadn’t really given the barn much thought since arriving on Christmas Hill, but I could see that was about to change. There was something perfect about the old wooden horse stalls and the smell of the hay. Gorgeous leather harnesses, complete with silver bells, hung from pegs along one wall. An old spiral staircase was near the entrance. I stopped and ran my fingers over the iron railing and peered up toward the loft.
“There’s an office up there.” Nate walked over to a wall and checked some of the gear that was hanging up. He grabbed a couple of helmets and tossed one to me. “Heads up!”
I caught it just in time and looked at him with raised eyebrows. “Are we doing something dangerous?”
“We have to take the snowmobile to check the fence.”
“Oh.” This was going to be a long, cold ride. I motioned for Remy to stay in the barn as we headed back out. I didn’t want him to try to follow us.
“It won’t be that bad. I checked some of it this morning, but there were some trees in the back may have not lasted the storm last night.”
He was right. The ride out wasn’t bad. In fact it had been fun. I also didn’t mind that I had an excuse to hang onto Nate. He took me the scenic route, pointing out landmarks and the boundaries of the property. The reindeer were out, forging in areas under trees that had little snow. Despite the engine noise from the snowmobile, it was peaceful. The snow acted like a blanket, muffling everything. When we pulled up toward a heavily wooded area, I knew immediately that something was wrong.
On Christmas Hill Page 2
