Laughing, I sat up and brushed the hair out of my eyes. He scrubbed the snow out of his ears and grinned at me before standing up and holding his hand out for me. “C’mon, Miss Nichols. We have a lot to do before Santa gets here.”
“Lead the way, Senior Elf.”
Shaking his head, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine. This time it was a sweet, simple kiss.
“You’ll see. You’ll see.”
When we got back to the barn, we spent the rest of the daylight oiling harnesses and grooming the reindeer.
“It’s weird.”
“What’s weird?” Nate looked at me over Comets back.
“They just seem to know what’s expected of them.” I frowned. “They seem excited. Even the ones that aren’t part of the team.”
“You aren’t going to believe until they are in the air, are you?” Nate stopped brushing the reindeer and shook his head.
“Not really.” I shrugged. “I’m sorry. But reindeer flying?” Comet turned to look at me and I laughed. “Even he looks skeptical.”
“He’s just surprised that a Nichols doesn’t believe.”
“Well, I shouldn’t have long to wait, right?” I looked outside the barn door at the setting sun. “Shouldn’t he have already gotten his start?”
“Magic.” Nate laid his finger beside his nose and I rolled my eyes.
We worked quietly, setting up the reindeer, the jingle of the bells the only sound accompanying our work. Eventually all of the reindeer were dressed and groomed. The deer that weren’t going and the younger ones milled around outside, playing happily. I leaned against the open barn door and watched their antics. There was a great sense of peace in my heart and if I didn’t know better, I would think that my dad was there with me. Nate came up behind me and slid his arms around my waist. It should feel weird, to be this comfortable with a man I barely knew and yet, there was peace there too. As if there really was some kind of magic that had brought me to him.
I leaned my head back against his chest and watched the sky as the stars began to make their appearance. A little part of me was holding my breath, hoping it was all true. The glow I had noticed around Christmas Hill when I was in the clearing earlier began to reappear, glowing brightly above the trees and rooftop.
Nate’s fingers tightened on my hips and he leaned his head close to mine. “The people in Silver Town gather in the city square every year to watch the lights.”
“These lights are only above Christmas Hill?” I was whispering. Sound seemed to have stopped, as if there was a blanket over the entire area.
“Yes. No one can see them the rest of the year, except for the descendant of Santa Claus.”
“Wow.” The reindeer lined up outside, without any coaxing from our parts.
A shadow broke away from the trees and moved in our direction. I started to say something, but Nate shook his head above me. He nodded his head and I realized what he was indicating. My breath caught in my throat and I felt my chest swell. The lights above us seemed to glow brighter, flashing even faster. When the figure was close enough for me to make out the color of his clothes, I felt my knees go wobbly.
“Oh my God.” I couldn’t help the words that slipped out of my mouth. “He is real.”
The man wearing the red suit laughed heartily and when he was close enough for me to make out his features I whirled around and poked Nate in the chest. Fury overwhelmed any awe I felt.
“You jerk! This has been a joke the whole time!”
Nate shook his head and smiled. “No one knows but you and me now.”
“What’s wrong, Molly? Thought I’d be fatter?” Nick Cameron, my rude, sexist neighbor, rested a hand on his belly and laughed again. “Sally has me on a diet.”
“This is…” Ridiculous. Crazy. A cruel joke. “You’re messing with me, aren’t you?”
“It’s real, youngin’. Real as real can be.” He winked at me before walking over to the reindeer and producing some carrots from his pockets. I blinked when I realized the reindeer were no longer standing in a line, but attached to a large sleigh.
“Holy shit.” I covered my mouth with my hand. I had just cussed in front of Santa Claus.
“Aye. It is a bit of a shock, isn’t it?” Nick winked at me. “But, you’ll get used to it.” He climbed into the sleigh and turned to look at me. “You are going to stay, aren’t you? I like having family nearby.”
I felt Nate tense beside me, waiting for my answer. Was I going to stay? Make my life on Christmas Hill? Next to Santa Claus. I almost laughed. Remy sat next to me, resting his shoulder against my leg. I looked down at my little buddy and then back at Nick. My eyes travelled to Nate and his carefully blank expression. I could see my life here, taking care of reindeer and writing books. I could be happy in a place like this. Some people upped and moved to places they had never been to, and made their lives happily ever after. Why couldn’t I do it?
“Yes. I’m staying.” I made the declaration while looking at Nate, so I saw when he let go of the breath he was holding. He reached up and cupped my cheek in his hand, his eyes speaking volumes.
“I thought you might say that.” Nick laughed as he sat down in his sleigh. “Here.”
I almost didn’t catch the package he threw my way. The paper crinkled in my grasp, and my fingers squeezed the squishy object inside. Without thought I yanked open the package and stared at the hotdog buns in my hands. Nate laughed and I just shook my head.
“Don’t act like you’re disappointed. You just got a whole house for goodness sake!” Nick winked at me and I couldn’t help myself. I ran across the clearing and kissed his cheek.
“Thank you, Santa.”
“Tomorrow I go back to being Grumpy Nick, you know. Don’t get too excited.” Santa hugged me with one arm and I laughed into his red coat. “Alright, get. I’ve got work to do!”
I hopped down from the sled and backed up to Nate. With a loud crack, the sleigh jerked forward, the reindeer running full speed. In the flash of an eye, the reindeer and sleigh were airborne.
I had been right. If I hadn’t seen it myself, I never would have believed it. As the lights spun above our heads, Santa swung through the sky. I could hear his laugh as he made his way out of sight. I watched until I couldn’t see him anymore. And even then I strained for a few minutes more.
“You’re staying.” Nate’s voice was quiet and I turned to look up at him.
“I’m staying.” I stepped closer to him, letting the hotdog buns hang by my side. “I think you’ve proven your point.”
“Not quite yet.” Nate stepped closer, pulling me against his chest. “But I will.”
I tilted my head up, ready for his kiss. I sighed into his mouth, grateful to know he wasn’t crazy; to know I wasn’t crazy for feeling this way about him after only a day. His hands slid up my arms to tangle in the hair at my neck. I could have stayed like that for the rest of the night, wrapped in Nate’s arms on Christmas Hill. The package of buns being snatched out of my hand was the only thing that could have distracted me.
“Hey!” I broke away from Nate and looked around the clearing. “Remy!” The little black and white dog ran toward the house, the hotdog buns clutched between his teeth. Nate laughed as I ran after Remy, hollering for him to drop my buns. Just as I reached the house, I watched as a dog door appeared at the bottom of the front door. The little monster dove through before I could reach him.
“I’m going to rename you Grinch!”
Strong arms lifted me off of my feet and tucked me against Nate’s warm chest before jogging up the stairs. I squealed in surprise and then laughed at the joy on his face.
“What are you doing?”
“We’re going to roast hotdogs, and then I’m going to finish proving my point.” His smile turned into something much hotter and I felt my body respond.
“Let’s switch the order.” I reached up and kissed his jaw while he fumbled with the door handle. He growled hungrily when I wrapped my l
ips around his.
“Good plan.” The door to the house slammed open and he headed for the couch, but tripped on something, sending us sprawling on the floor. Thankfully there was a thick rug in front of the fireplace to cushion our fall.
Laughter spilled out of my mouth when Nate held up the offending piece of plastic for me to see. “So much for the hotdog buns.”
“We’ll make do.” He rolled over so his body was covering mine. “Merry Christmas, Molly.”
“Merry Christmas, Nate.”
“Welcome home.”
Epilogue
The champagne was chilling, the dessert was out on the table, but I couldn’t find the glasses anywhere. I opened another cabinet only to be disappointed. You’d think that after a week, I would be able to find something as simple as glasses.
“I give up. Where are they?” I looked over at Nate, who was busy putting dishes in the sink.
“Told you, you’d never guess.” Nate smirked. He was lucky I thought he was sexy even when he smirked. Heat ran over my body as I remembered just how sexy he really was. Especially without his clothes.
“Yeah, yeah. You win.” I narrowed my eyes at him as I crossed the room. “Now spill or you’ll get it.”
“I like the sound of that.” His voice sent a shiver down my spine, but I wasn’t going to be distracted.
“That’s what you think.” I launched myself across the kitchen and dug my fingers into his sides. By sheer luck I had found out that he was ticklish the other night and I planned on using that information to my advantage.
“Not. Fair.” Nate gasped. Instead of trying to escape, he pulled me to him and pinned my arms to my side. “Remember, I know some of your secrets, too.” His nose and mouth skimmed over my hair to the spot just below my ear. My breath caught when he scraped his teeth over the sensitive skin. I wiggled against him and he chuckled as he slid his hands up and under the back of my shirt. His lips trailed kisses along my jaw before finding my mouth. As his breath mingled with mine, his fingers toyed with the clasp of my bra.
“We can’t.” I pulled back and pressed a kiss to his swollen lips. “They could come back in any minute. We’re supposed to be getting dessert ready.”
“They’re throwing snowballs at each other.” Nate’s strong hands kept me pinned to his chest. “We’ve got time.”
“Uh-uh. Not risking it.” Standing on my tiptoes I kissed his nose. “Taylor would kill us. He’s already had to explain why your clothes were in my bathroom.”
“Fine.” Nate sighed. “Only for the children.”
“The children.” I laughed as I moved back to the kitchen island. “Now, where are the champagne glasses? We have to toast to ring in the New Year.”
Nate opened the cabinet above the refrigerator and pulled down five glasses. “The kiddos can have milk.”
“They’ll love that.” I craned my neck so I could look out the window to where Jilly and Matt were ganging up on Taylor. Remy was barking loudly as he chased them through the snow. “What happened to their mom?”
“She left.” Nate’s voice dropped. “Not long after Jilly was born. They were married really young and apparently Meghan couldn’t handle being a mom.”
“What?” I shook my head. “Does she see them? Visit at all?”
“As far as I know he hasn’t heard from her since he signed the divorce papers. He said he thinks she’s in California, but that’s all he knows.” Nate came to stand next to me and looked out at the family playing in the snow. “I don’t get how you could leave your kids. I know sometimes people grow and change, but your kids? No. That’s not an option.”
I leaned my head against his shoulder. He had told me about his parents and how he’d been on his own by the time he was five. It broke my heart to know he hadn’t had the family he deserved, but I also knew that it had shaped him into the caring man he was today. He loved Taylor’s kids like they were his own.
And then there was Taylor. Businessman turned carpenter, sexy as sin, and one of the best fathers I’d ever known. It was obvious that he and Nate were very close. He deserved someone who would love him and his kids more than life itself. It would have to be someone special, someone deserving. Someone who would appreciate the magic of Christmas Hill and Silver Town…
“Oh!” I covered my mouth and looked up at Nate.
“What?” He smiled and raised an eyebrow.
“I have an idea.” Leaning close to him, I whispered in his ear, not wanting to ruin the magic. I knew my Christmas wish for next year.
Nate picked me up and sat me on the counter so that we were eye level. “Molly, you’re perfect.”
“I have my moments.” I pretended to brush dirt off my shoulder. “Do you think it will work?”
“I have no doubts.” Nate put a hand on either side of my waist. “Beautiful, brilliant, and a heart of gold. I’m a lucky man.”
“You keep saying things like that and you’re going to get really lucky.” I laughed at his hopeful expression.
“Gorgeous.” He kissed me once.
“Talented.” He kissed me again.
“Sexy.” This time the kiss was longer, slower. “Really sexy.”
“Keep going.” I ran my hands over his chest as he chuckled.
“I love you, Molly.” His brown eyes seared into mine, open and honest.
My heart jack hammered in my chest. How had this happened? How had I gotten so incredibly lucky? It was fast, so fast. And yet, I knew it was right. Knew that I would never find someone like Nate. “I love you, Nate.”
“Good.” When his lips pressed to mine I didn’t stop him. Nothing in the world could have made me happier in that moment.
“Eww!” The back door slammed open and a rosy-cheeked Matt stood glaring at us. “That’s nasty.”
Nate looked into my eyes and we both laughed. He pulled me off of the counter and turned to look at Matt. “Nasty, huh?”
“Totally gross.” Matt shivered.
“Gross?” I stalked toward him. “I’ll show you gross!”
Matt’s eyes widened just before he turned to run out the door. As soon as I was outside I grabbed some snow and launched it at his head. Jilly squealed in delight before running over to help me. Nate wasn’t far behind, throwing snowballs at anyone and everyone. Even I wasn’t safe from his aim.
The sound of the kids laughter filled the night air, the stars twinkled overhead, and the reindeer watched us from a safe distance. Nate hollered while Remy pulled at his pants leg and Matt shoved snow under his shirt. I took a moment to breathe in the cold air and watch my new family. My heart was lighter than it had been in years.
I was home.
Acknowledgements
I will keep this short, since it’s a short story. Thank you to my family for supporting me in what I do. Thank you to my early readers, Sarah Ross, Elizabeth Hunter, Courtney, and Becki. You guys are always there for me. Thank you to Julie Titus for always answering my call for help with formatting.
Thank you to the bloggers that have helped spread the word about On Christmas Hill and my other books. You guys make my job possible.
And of course, thank you to all of my readers. You guys are always willing to hang on for the ride when my muse takes me somewhere new. That will always mean the world to me.
No matter what or how you celebrate, I wish you all a season full of magic and happiness.
About the Author
Nichole Chase is a daydreamer.
No, really, just ask any of the math teachers that had the misfortune of seeing her name appear on their class schedule.
For years she has had story lines and characters begging for attention, but she resolutely pushed them aside to focus on more normal (read, boring) jobs. Well, no longer. She is currently heeding the voices in her head and frantically writing their stories. Nichole resides in South Georgia with her husband, energetic daughter, Sulcata tortoise, one super hero dog, and two cats.
When not devouring novels by the dozen
s, you may find her writing, painting, crafting, or chasing her daughter around the house while making monster noises.
Nichole is the author of the Amazon Best Seller, The Dark Betrayal Trilogy, Flukes, and the upcoming novel, Suddenly Royal. If you would like to find out more about Nichole and her books, check out her website and sign up for her newsletter.
www.NicholeChase.com
On Christmas Hill Page 5
