Page 66 of Holly and Ivar
“I don’t think so.He wasn’t from there, and then there’s his age.But I mean, anything’s possible.This whole Guardian thing is new to all of us.But my educated guess is that he was a Keeper.”
Holly’s brow furrowed.“So, Cornelius Hale—”
“Settled in Winterwood because of the pull.My guess is he never knew the Yule Tree was there.But over time, it might have come to him in dreams or visions.And if it did, he realized he wasn’t meant to use the land, but toprotectit.That’s why his property was never developed for generations.Of course, it might be nothing more than luck or coincidence.”
Holly pressed a hand to her temple.
“I’ll see if I can take a look at the journals tomorrow,” she said quietly.
“Good plan,” Henry replied.“And, Hol?”
“Yeah?”
“If those journals are relevant and you brought them here, you’d never have to get me a Christmas present ever again.”
Holly laughed.“I’ll do my best.”
The call ended, leaving her in silence.There was still so much to learn.And while they were all scrambling to do that, Ivar—steady, kind, impossibly grounded Ivar—had no idea the Yule Tree had chosen him as Guardian.
Holly closed her eyes and whispered, “How am I supposed to tell him?”
She hated not knowing.The helplessness scraped at her.You couldn’t make decisions without facts, so fine, they’d get some.This was a project that needed managing, and she would manage it.She might not understand magical trees or Guardians, but if Holly Kringle knew how to do anything, it was how to take charge.
She grabbed a notebook and made a list.Short, but concrete.Action.Direction.It steadied her pulse.Then she reached for her phone to text Ivar, only to find fifty unread emails and two unopened messages from Rita.
Normally, that sight would have made her twitch.Red notification bubbles gave her a physical ache.Tonight, though, none of that mattered.
The team at NED could handle things.They were good—she’d trained them well.
What mattered now was solving this mystery, saving the Yule Tree, and helping Ivar.She ignored the noise and opened the one thread that mattered.
Holly: Busy tomorrow morning, Ranger?
Ivar: Depends.Is this about forest permits or another top-secret Kringle broom operation?
Holly: Neither.It’s a high-stakes research mission.
Ivar: Dangerous.Do I need my snowshoes or my bear spray?
Holly: Library card.A travel mug is optional.
Ivar: …A library date?
Holly: Of sorts.We’re investigating 19th-century journals and possible supernatural land stewards.
Ivar: Sounds romantic.
Holly: You have a very broad definition of romance.
Ivar: You’re the one inviting me to spend a morning surrounded by dusty books and local gossip.
Holly: Promise me you won’t flirt with the librarian.
Ivar: No promises.Mim’s been trying to recruit me for trivia night ever since our big win.
Holly: Figures.Be there at ten.
Ivar: Should I bring coffee?
