Page 26 of Run, Run Rudolph (Fairy Godmothers and Other Fiascos #2)

Lake Louise, the ski hill and small mountain town, would be a nice place to bring in the New Year, but I wasn’t interested in hooking up with strangers.

I was more of a ‘family and friends’ kind of guy.

My inner circle was small, but filled with ride-or-dies.

I could count on every person in my friend group.

My brother, on the other hand, baffled me. He knew just about everyone in the county and had about a thousand Facebook friends and acquaintances. But did he have a core group of friends that would be there if he needed them? Somehow, I doubted it.

“Come on, don’t make a face. It’ll be fun.

My treat. Well, the hotel and a beer or two.

Lift ticket prices have gotten out of control.

Although the hotel might set me back more than a lift ticket.

” He followed us into the barn, negotiating with himself over what he’d cover for me if I went with him.

He gave a little hop over the wooden threshold, closing the door behind him, and before the reindeer could enter.

A huff of frustration came from outside.

“Did you get a new horse? Why are we in here, and not the house?” Kade asked.

“We’re, uh, looking for the cat,” Tamara replied.

We sat Santa on a bale where he muttered to himself. Again, I wondered what Kade saw us doing.

“Your cat, Shrek?” My brother had begun eyeing me, as if he was picking up on a Tamara-and-I-had-secrets vibe, his shoulders squared and chest puffed out almost as though he expected a fight.

The two of us had ganged up on him enough before our falling out that he was instantly suspicious whenever Tamara and I seemed to be on the same page.

It likely didn’t help that we’d made it a habit to poke at him.

Maybe that was the real reason he didn’t want us hanging around each other.

“The cat’s name is Puss in Boots,” I said, tone low, near a growl. I couldn’t help it. The guy couldn’t even be bothered to learn her cat’s name. He clearly didn’t deserve Tamara.

“Yeah. From Shrek . Close enough. So, what’s the emergency?”

“I’ll have him better in a jiff,” I said, using my older brother authority. “You can head home.”

“I’ll wait.”

“Why?”

“‘Cause. I’m bored, Golden Boy,” Kade stated, making himself at home on a bale beside Santa. I bit back a smile, thinking that he’d crap himself if the man next to him suddenly became visible.

“I’m not the golden boy.” Our parents were proud of me, but they fawned over Kade.

He could do no wrong. It was to the point where I wondered if they regretted spoiling him so much, seeing as his precociousness was less cute now that he was an adult, and he’d driven away the woman they adored like a daughter.

“And don’t you think it’s weird Mom would send out her second son, if she was concerned about her first one being out in this weather? ”

“She didn’t send me. She was just asking where you were.” Kade bunched his bare hands into fists. “And I’m not second. Not like that.”

“Sorry? Like how?” I asked innocently.

He glowered at me while Tamara and I shared a quick, darted look. I saw the hint of a tiny smile playing at her lips. Oh, those lips. I wanted to kiss her again and wasn’t sure why. She’d always been more like a kid sister to me. But that one kiss had turned the tables.

“You know, I should call Mom,” I said lightly, patting my coat as if searching for my phone. “Tell her we’re both okay.”

“No, no,” Kade said quickly, standing. “It’s fine. I’ll call her later.”

“I’m sure she’s worried.” I had my phone out, and caught sight of Tamara’s dancing lips, silently egging me on, just like old times.

“Both of her sons out in this storm? Oh, my,” Tamara said with mock seriousness. “She will be worried.”

She was struggling not to laugh. Was what we were doing unfair? Definitely.

But fun? Also, definitely. And so satisfying as well.

We hadn’t picked on Kade in ages, and I missed it. It might make me a cruel older brother to admit that, as well as how much I enjoyed having her on my side, but I was okay with it.

“I said it’s fine,” Kade said. “What’s wrong with the cat?”

Tamara grew serious, clearly eager to get Kade out of here. Lying wasn’t her thing, but how else were we going to make Kade leave? Tell him the truth?

Let’s see how that would go… Hey, so Tamara hit Rudolph with her car. Santa has a concussion. Oh, and we kissed.

Pretty sure that wouldn’t expedite his exit.

Knowing Kade, he’d find a way to be able to see these Christmas characters. Then he’d try to ride a reindeer, or post a photo of the crashed sleigh on social media. Assuming it could be photographed.

“So,” I announced, “this is where I do my veterinarian thing. You’re off the hook, little bro.

You can go home before the storm gets worse.

” I placed a hand on Kade’s shoulder and started steering him toward the barn door.

I paused, as though coming up with a new idea.

“Unless you want to help make a cat barf? I could use someone to hold him. You have gloves, right?”

He shrugged me off. “What’s up with the two of you?”

“Nothing. I’m working.”

Tamara swiftly stood in front of Santa, who was muttering about oats again. “Yeah. Nothing.”

She was a horrible liar. Her face was flushed, and she couldn’t meet Kade’s gaze. I feared we were one small slip-up away from awakening his stubborn streak. He was already close—he obviously suspected something was going on. But if this went much further, it would take him forever to back down.

A weekend, several years ago, Tamara came to a wedding with the family, and Kade had become convinced that the two of us had hidden his tie. Of course, that had been an asinine assumption, seeing as we’d both been avoiding each other at that point.

Kade, of course, had forgotten it at home, but that hadn’t stopped him from accusing us, turning the hotel rooms upside down as well as rummaging through everyone’s bags.

It had made the weekend a weary one, even though it had been fun having someone sane to share weary smirks with—Tamara—as Kade lost his mind.

I may have also kept him wound up by egging him on a teensy bit.

It had just been too easy. And it had seemed to make Tamara smile and forget the stress of meeting every extended family member we had.

That alone had made it well worth the lecture I’d received from my mom later on.

“You’re acting weird,” Kade told us.

“You’re acting weird,” Tamara retorted quickly.

“Am not. I worry about you, T.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re out here alone so often. It’s not good for a person.”

“I like it,” she said firmly.

“Yeah, no, of course.” Kade nodded, as if he understood Tamara. He was good at pretending to listen, then convincing her to do whatever he wanted instead. Or at least he used to be. I had a feeling Tamara had outgrown his little tricks. “You’re just alone. A lot.”

“Kade, let her be,” I said, knowing I didn’t need to stand up for Tamara, but feeling the need nevertheless.

“Why’d you come here after hours?” Kade asked me, his tone accusing. “You’re not the only vet around here.”

“She’s family,” I said firmly, and a bit too loud.

“Yeah,” she said softly, her voice filled with disappointment. “Family.”

I nodded, unsure why her expression seemed so hurt. Maybe she’d hoped to rid herself of all the Powells when she and Kade broke up.

I turned back to my brother, and focused on the point I was trying to make. “She should call me if she needs help. Any time.”

“She’s not family, and you’re not her personal hero.”

“Family,” Santa said sadly. “It’s important. Has Mrs. Claus made her oats?”

My phone chirped, then seconds later, rang. I popped out my phone, checked the caller ID, then the text that had preceded it, and finally silenced the whole thing.

“All the single ladies?” Kade chirped.

“Only Haden Powell can fill their lonely pre-Christmas emptiness,” Tamara added flatly. Great. Now she was ganging up on me? Where was her loyalty?

“If only he could make up his mind which one to choose,” Kade said, but Tamara didn’t smile.

“I’m keeping my options open,” I snapped back, fingers flexing hard on my phone.

I forced my hands to relax and silently cursed how the female attention I received brought out my brother’s insecurities.

The irony was that he wanted to play the field, and I was the one who wanted to settle down and move on with life.

“According to the latest census info from Stats Canada,” Tamara said, her chin tipped upward, “I’d say there’s about five hundred options within a short radius. And I’m sure you’ve already sampled at least half of them. You’ve got to be close to finding the woman of your dreams.”

I rolled my eyes at the dig. Clearly she didn’t know me as well as I thought if she believed I was the kind of man who would run through women like that.

Still, I respected the fact that Tamara was willing to bust my chops about it. It might mean she’d allow me to clear up any misconceptions she carried.

“I’m going to change my phone number,” I told the both of them. “Remind me not to give it to either of you.”

A plastic cooler fell over with a dull clunk. Blitzen had taken advantage of our distraction and his invisibility to nose the empty container, licking up tiny puddles that remained inside it.

Kade glanced toward the cooler but didn’t react to the reindeer. “You making yukaflux? Sweet! Party at Tamara’s! When? New Year’s Eve?”

“Uh. Guess not. I seem to have spilled the batch.”

“Bummer. Hey, where’s your cat?” Kade’s eyes narrowed.

“Not sure. He ran outside on me earlier. But he has a cat door to let him in here as well as into the house.”

Tamara crouched down and called Puss in Boots, crossing her fingers behind her back, clearly hoping her healthy cat didn’t come running.

Santa chimed in, calling, “Kitty! Puss, puss, puss!” and I saw Tamara cross her fingers so hard, I worried she might dislocate a knuckle.

Mew!

Well, apparently her crossed fingers had been a worthless waste of time—or maybe Santa’s magic overrode what little she could summon. Either way, her ebony-coloured cat ran in, clearly a healthy beast.

Santa scooped the cat into the air.

Surely Kade saw the flying feline, right?

“Cat seems fine,” Kade said, and I choked on a laugh. What did he see? Clearly, some sort of illusion that didn’t include Santa making cute chirpy sounds while Boots purred in his arms several feet above the barn floor.

“What are you two really doing in here?” Kade asked, eyes narrowed at my not-quite-controlled mirth.

“Fine! It’s a Christmas surprise,” Tamara blurted out. “Haden’s helping me, and you’re ruining it.”

“It’s for me?” The hope in his voice was ridiculous. “What is it?” He glanced around, spying the bag he’d given Tamara sitting next to Santa. “You haven’t opened your gift yet.”

I stepped in front of him. “Not everything is about you.”

“I didn’t say it was. Chill out, you big psycho.” He leaned around me. “Open your gift.”

“I’ll open it on Christmas morning.”

“Open it now. While I’m here.”

“You know I like to wait.”

“Magic of the holiday,” Kade said impatiently. “Come on, I want to see your face. You’re going to love it.” He yanked the tissue paper out of the gift bag, and unfolded a navy-blue T-shirt, holding it up for us to see. It said ‘I love horses.’ But there was a heart instead of the word ‘love.’

“That’s nice. Thank you.” I could see the way the gift had hit the right note, softening Tamara. Why hadn’t I thought to get her a present? I used to, when she was still dating Kade.

“Yeah? You like it?” Kade asked.

“Very thoughtful,” I murmured. My brother, for all his faults, really wasn’t a bad guy.

“It was. I like it. Thank you. But, um, not to be rude, but can you please go so we can work on my cat?” Tamara asked tentatively.

“Maybe I can help?”

“No,” we both cried in unison.

“You two are always in cahoots,” Kade complained, clearly put off by our sharp reply.

I glanced at Tamara. It felt like his accusation was about more than just us ganging up on him. Could he sense that we’d kissed tonight, or that I was seeing his ex-girlfriend in a new romantic light?

And why had she apologized for kissing me? Especially after I’d pulled her in for a second one. A really nice kiss, if I were to judge it. How could I have made myself more clear that a kiss was not something she needed to apologize for? Not with me.

I couldn’t get her out of my head, and kept finding my attention straying to her lips. Sadly, I got the sense she wanted that one kiss to be a one and done. She was smart, kind, and I was the last man she’d ever choose.

It annoyed me. I needed to convince her to give me a shot.

“You two are so alike,” Kade complained. “Always quietly sitting around and bonding. Or leaving me out and picking on me.”

“Bonding?” Tamara’s unimpressed look set me back. I knew she wasn’t a fan, but wow. I had my work cut out.

“You’re always sharing these funny looks, like you’re in some special club.”

Tamara sighed heavily. “We don’t give each other funny looks.”

“We do, actually,” I said, rolling my neck, releasing the tension that was building. I shot her a look that immediately made her expression relax and lift.

“Oh. Those.” She tried to hide a small, shy smile, but giggled instead.

Yeah. Those. Those little looks that made me feel as though she understood what was going through my head. Someone who shared the humour of the situation, or the annoyance. The little looks that brought my stress levels down from a ten to nonexistent.

Kade was right. Tamara and I were alike, and often in cahoots. Or, at least, we used to be. And I hoped that tonight would bring us back into cahoots more regularly. But if I wanted to get that ball rolling, I needed Kade out of here and Tamara back in my arms for another kiss.