Page 12 of Bah Humbug Mate

Noel didn’t think there was anything he could have said that might have made her happier. It was not some undying protestation of love. There would be time for that, but it was a step in the right direction. They might have gotten off course, but it seemed as though they were both back on the same path.

She wrapped her arms around his, tucking her hands into his coat pocket. “I’m never sure in situations like this if I should be sitting in the sleigh or pulling it.”

Dash stared at her for a minute and then began to laugh. At first, it was a quiet, rumbling chuckle, but it began to increase in volume and mirth until she could hear it echoing through the snow-covered canyon walls.

Shaking his head, he leaned into her and said, “I feel the same way.”

That seemed to settle and relax something between them. The sleigh ride was enjoyable with the driver pointing out various landmarks and talking about the legends attached to them. It seemed only to enhance the experience.

“Are you hungry?” he asked.

“I am. I probably should have thought to bring us something.”

“No. I fixed it—actually, that’s not true. I called Nicole Wells, and she arranged for it.”

At least he was honest. “What’s in it?”

“I haven’t a clue,” he said as he reached down and pulled the basket from in front of them. “Let’s find out.” He opened the basket and grinned. “Nicole did good.”

“Let’s see,” she said, beginning to rifle through the contents. “Oh, yum. There are three different kinds of chocolate-covered pretzels: white, dark, and milk; mixed nuts with cashews, almonds, walnuts, and pecans; mixed dried fruits with apricots, cranberries, pineapple, banana, and what looks like papaya; some kind of cheese cracker mix; and—oh my god—I haven’t seen this stuff since I was a kid: reindeer snack mix.”

“What?”

“It has popcorn, nuts, caramel, chocolate. It’s amazing.”

“She has a warped sense of humor.”

“How so?” she said, glancing up and not particularly liking the shadow that seemed to cloud his eyes.

“We’re caribou, Noel, not reindeer. Reindeer is just a cutesy nickname for a caribou.”

“That’s not true. You don’t really believe that, do you?”

“Look it up. They are not two different species.”

“They kind of are. Caribou are our purebred versions; we are reindeer. There are two important differences that separate us.”

“What are they?” he asked in a sarcastically indulgent tone of voice.

She reminded herself he had grown up alone. A frightened little boy with only his shifted self for help or guidance. The fact that he had grown into a strong, kind man spoke volumes about who he was at his core. The fact that he didn’t know the legacy of that core, where it came from and how it differed from other reindeer shifters damn near broke her heart.

“For one thing, we can shift. And for the other, reindeer can fly.”

“You don’t really believe that, do you?” he scoffed.

“Are you telling me you don’t know how to fly? That you’ve never shifted and taken to the skies?”

“Of course not. That’s just silly.”

She leaned forward. “Driver, can you stop for a minute?”

“Noel, what are you doing? This isn’t necessary.”

“Oh, but it is. Driver, please stop. If you don’t, I’ll jump out.”

The driver halted the horses and before Dash knew what she was about, she flung back the lap robe and sprang out of the sleigh, rushing to a stand of several boulders and trees. She quickly pulled off her clothes and called forth her reindeer, who came through the chaotic storm of snow, ice, sizzling lightning, and swirling colors, making the distinctive, snorting noise as it bounded over the rocks and charged up the hill, gaining momentum and speed as she did so.

This was the moment Noel loved most. Most shifters enjoyed the charged energy that came from the maelstrom of a shift. But not Noel. For her it was the moment her hooves began to leave the earth. Redoubling her efforts, she began to climb higher in the sky and she turned around and flew back over the sleigh, scaring the horses. I’ll need to apologize to them for that.

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