Page 60 of Clause & Effect
Both men pin me with their gaze.
“Okay. Maybe I’m not one hundred percent okay with it, but I’m fine. A sleigh ride sounds amazing.” I add trying to sound more convincing. Does the sleigh ride mean something? Am I missing something?
Plus, it sounds romantic.
And if it comes with more kissing and touching, I’m all for it.
“I know we won’t have Rudolph and the rest of the gang pulling us along, but I’m for it,” I try to make a joke.
“Why wouldn’t you have Rudolph pulling the sleigh?” St. Nick looks perplexed.
“He’s back on the yacht,” I explain.
Is this really a conversation I’m having right now? Rudolph is back on the yacht… let’s file this under things you never ever thought you’d say in your life.
“They’re back,” Stetson says quietly.
I look over at him in surprise.
“They’re all back?” I question.
“Yes,” he says it like transferring reindeer off a yacht in a fjord and transporting them to Santa’s Christmas Village is the most natural thing in the world and I shouldn’t be surprised at all by this.
Seriously.
That’s how he says it.
“Should I even ask how you got them here?” I shake my head and pick up my ale and take a long sip.
Everything about this is just… unreal.
Like I’m Charlie in the Chocolate Factory except this is Santa’s Village and this is all actually happening in real time and not on a movie screen.
“I’ll save the story for another time,” Stetson says quietly.
Seriously, what the hell is going on?
“Well then, that’s settled,” his dad says as he claps his hands together. “You two kids go on your sleigh ride, and I’ll have two rooms made up for you tonight in the house. I’m assuming you’ll be spending the night here?”
Two rooms?
This is getting interesting.
Stetson tenses up even more, his mood going from something strange to something even stranger. He leans back and studies his father.
“Two rooms…” he repeats.
“Two,” he says quietly. “The rules of the house when we have unmarried people here. You know that.”
My gaze whips to Stetson.
He knows that?
I thought I was the first person he brought here?
Crap. Did I just catch him in his first lie?
“As you wish, Fadir,” he sighs.
