Page 66 of Rebel Without a Claus
“Mr. Dawson,” Kelly says slowly, like she’s trying out the name. “You said you’re a reindeer farmer?”
Luke shifts, uncomfortable with the spotlight, but he nods. “That’s right.”
Kelly leans forward, her screen filling with the sharp angles of her face. “Have you ever considered being in front of the camera?”
Luke blinks. “Excuse me?”
“You have… presence,” she says, tapping a finger against her chin. “It’s not just the look—it’s the way you hold yourself. Steady. Grounded. The kind of thing you can’t manufacture in an acting class.”
The town collectively gasps. Even the kids stop fidgeting and I think someone actually drops their cocoa.
My stomach does a weird somersault. Of course she noticed. Of course. Anyone with eyes could see what I saw the first time Luke strode out of his barn in that flannel, snow swirling around him like some kind of grumpy lumberjack deity.
But hearing it out loud—hearing her say it—sends a jolt of protectiveness straight through me.
Luke, for his part, looks like he’d rather be thrown into a pit of rabid raccoons. “No, ma’am,” he says firmly. “That’s not for me.”
Kelly arches a brow. “Almost everyone says that at first.”
“Maybe. But I mean it.” His voice is low, absolute.
Kelly doesn’t back down, her gaze narrowing like she’s putting pieces together. “What if I told you,” she says slowly, “we’ve been developing a holiday spin on one of our shows. ThinkKitchen NightmaresmeetsFixer Upper—but for farmers. We’d send in an expert to help small farms on the verge of collapse. Other reindeer farmers. Christmas tree farms. Apple orchards. We’re not looking for just band-aid solutions, but practical changes to give them a real chance at a future.”
Her eyes settle on Luke. “We need someone with credibility. Someone who knows the land. Someone who won’t sugarcoat the truth, but will roll up their sleeves and help.You.”
Luke’s brow furrows, his instinct to refuse written all over his face, but I can see the subtle shift in him as he mutters, “I’m not an actor.”
“You wouldn’t have to be,” Kelly replies. “You’d be yourself. Gruff, stubborn, maddeningly honest—but also the guy who gets things done. You’d be helping real farmers, not playing pretend.”
I feel a flicker in my chest. This… this isn’t Hollywood trying to steal him away. This is them offering him something bigger,something meaningful. And potentially something here that our new production studio could produce.
Luke lets out a low laugh, shaking his head like the whole thing’s absurd. But I see it. The tiny flicker behind his eyes, the spark he’s trying so hard to smother.
Because this is exactly who he is. The man who rebuilt his farm from nothing. The man who dragged me out of my worst days and reminded me I was worth saving. The man who loves so fiercely he’d let me go if it meant I could chase my dream.
And now fate is dangling a dream in front of him.
My chest tightens, because I know what he’s going to do. He’s going to say no. Out of habit. Out of fear. Out of that quiet, deep belief that his job is to stand still so other people can move forward.
Luke glances at me, searching, almost disbelieving and I can see the hesitation in his eyes. The same man who was willing to step aside so I could chase my dream is standing here, torn between saying no and daring to imagine more.
I don’t want to hold him back.
“Luke,” I whisper, my throat tight. “This sounds perfect for you.”
His gaze shifts over my shoulder to where Aunt May is standing behind me.
“You’d still be here,” I add, my voice gaining strength. “This town, your reindeer—they’re part of you. But maybe this is part of you too. Helping people like you helped me. Like how you helped save The North Star Lodge today.”
For a heartbeat, the world holds still.
Then Luke exhales, long and slow, like something heavy is sliding off his shoulders. He doesn’t smile—he’s Luke, after all—but his jaw unclenches, and I know. Iknow.
He looks back at Kelly and gives a nod. “I’ll think about it.”
“That’s good enough for me… for now,” Kelly says. Then her gaze on camera shifts back to me. “Eve, send me the proposal for your plan. List every business that has signed on and what incentives are being offered. I’ll take it to the team. Although, in my honest opinion, they’d be crazy to say no to such an offer. It’s a no-brainer.”
My grin splits even wider. “Thank you, Kelly! I’ll get it over to you before the end of the day today!”
