Page 15 of Holly and Ivar
“Here you go,” she said, grinning.“Guaranteed to keep you toasty.It’s practically magic.”
“Thank you,” Holly said.“I guess it wouldn’t hurt to lose a few layers.”She clutched the suit and headed back up the stairs.“Give me two minutes.”
“I’ll warm up the truck,” Ivar said, slipping on his gloves.“Liv, Al’s in your office, by the way, already asleep.”
“I’ll keep him company.You sure you’re good with this?”
“Define ‘good,’” Ivar said.
She smirked.“Define ‘grumpy.’”
He shot her a look, but there was no heat behind it.
“Be nice,” she added.“She seems nervous.”
“Yeah, well, she’s not the only one,” he said, tugging his hat down over his ears.
Liv laughed softly as he headed for the door.“Be careful out there, Ranger.”
“Always am,” he said.
Outside, Ivar crossed to his truck, wondering what bothered him more—the idea of losing the forest or his growing curiosity about a woman with an odd name who traveled with a broom.
What was up with that thing?His fingers tingled slightly at the memory of their hands brushing over its handle.That strange vibration.He flexed his hand absently, trying to dismiss the sensation as either static electricity or the cold.
He allowed himself a big stretch before climbing into the truck, hoping to clear his head.Brooms don’t vibrate.He was imagining things.Probably due to his stress over the forest’s future.
What else could it be?
9
one horse open snowmobile
Holly
Hollystaredatthewindshield crack stretching like a jagged fault line across the glass.Snowflakes landed and melted on the edges, refracting tiny shards of light.The longer she stared at it, the more it seemed to creep outward, making it impossible to ignore.
Ridiculous that it bothered her so much.But there it was, right in front of her face,spreading.
“What happened to your windshield?”The words escaped before she could stop them.
Ivar’s brow furrowed.“Sorry?”
“Your windshield,” she clarified, wincing inwardly.Her tone came out sharper than intended.“The crack.It’s spreading.”
He glanced at it, then back at the road.“A rock hit it on the highway.Before I could get it fixed, it ran.”
“How long are you going to wait?”Another wince.“I mean, is it safe to drive with it like that?Can you even get it fixed around here?”
His mouth twitched, not quite a smile.“We don’t have a specialized glass shop in town.The garage ordered a replacement, but it takes a while.I was supposed to take it in today.”He paused, giving her a quick glance.“Then my schedule changed.”
Holly’s cheeks warmed.Right.Because of her.“Oh.Well, thank you.”
“It’s fine.I’ll drop it off when we get back, and it will be fixed by morning.”
She nodded and stared out the window, feeling small.“I wasn’t trying to criticize.I just...well, I’m a bit of a perfectionist.My sister calls me—” She almost said ‘Spreadsheet Santa.’“Spreadsheet Holly.Others agree with her.Hence, this trip.”
Ivar cut her a sidelong glance.“You were told to take a break.”
