Page 30 of Holly and Ivar
Deflection seemed like her best option, so she handed him his map, the one she’d borrowed.“Thanks for letting me use this.Comparing the two helped me narrow things down.”
“Okay.A—you’re avoiding my question.And B—I don’t see how my map could help you make a business decision.”The map slid carefully into his coat pocket.“You’re a bit of a mystery, and since I’m curious by nature, I did a little research last night.”
“You Googled me?”There was no need to panic.Sure, there were a few truths about her family online, but they were buried under so many falsehoods it was unlikely he’d figured anything out.
Last night, she'd wondered what would happen if he learned the truth.But that didn't mean she'd actually tell him.Still… would it really be so bad if he had?
“I did.And I couldn’t find a thing about you or your family.No business filings, no press mentions.Nothing.”At least he had the decency to look sheepish.
“Well, good.Because I’m a very private person.My family is too.”
“There was no shortage of hits on the Kringle name though.”
Holly laughed, hoping it sounded natural and not stressed.“Of course.That should hardly be surprising.Or were you expecting to find me blogging about Christmas decorations?”
“Believe me, that did not cross my mind at all.”
Wow, that stung in a weird kind of way.Of course she’d never blog about Christmas decorations, but she was a Santa.Didn't she give off some kind of Christmas presence?
“I didn’t realize how many Santa theories there are.”
“Ah.So you toured online forums and conspiracy threads.”
“Well, the internet does love a good conspiracy theory,” he said, flashing her a rueful smile.
“Oh, Ivar.”She gave him a playful bump.Never in her life had she imagined wanting to reveal her secret to someone—especially to someone she’d known for mere days.Days!But she did.She really, truly did.
He’d think she was crazy.
Or would he?
The risk wasn’t worth it.Not if this turned out to be a wild-goose chase and there was no Yule Tree.
And yet… the thought lingered.A crush?Fresh air?The altitude?Or maybe his smile.Whatever it was, the urge to tell him everything was getting harder to resist.
***
They drove as far as they could before setting off on snowshoes.The sun filtered in patches through the trees, and the deeper they went, the quieter everything became.
At first, it was the ordinary hush of snow.Then, even that began to change.The wind stilled.No branches cracked.No birds called.The forest felt almost watchful.
“Is it always this quiet out here?”Holly asked.
“Not usually.”Ivar slowed, scanning the canopy.
Holly followed his gaze and watched as a few ravens circled high above, their black wings catching stray beams of light that seemed to shift in a kaleidoscope of directions.
When she looked down, the snow underfoot wasn’t smooth anymore.It gathered in faint, curling patterns, like ripples leading forward, forming a trail.There was no denying it now: magic stirred in the forest, its signs growing stronger with every step.
“Do you see that?”she asked.
“The snow?”
“Those lines.They almost look like arrows.”
Ivar crouched, brushing gloved fingers along the pattern.“We must be on an animal trail, and the wind is blowing the loose snow.”But he didn’t sound convinced.Checking his compass, he said, “We’re still headed the right way.”
A few paces later, a pair of deer stood watching them from the trees, their dark eyes unblinking.A squirrel clung to a trunk nearby, still as a statue.
