Page 28 of Run, Run Rudolph (Fairy Godmothers and Other Fiascos #2)

Kade was trying to form words, but Haden cut him off. “I have work to do. So, if you’ll excuse us.”

“I’m telling Mom you’re acting like a?—”

Haden closed the barn door on him with a curt, “Fine. Drive safe.”

I sagged in relief as I heard Kade’s truck start, then the crunch of snow as he drove away, into the storm and away from the magic in my barn. Haden reopened the door once the truck sounds had faded, letting the few remaining reindeer that were still outside come in with us.

Boots squirmed in my arms, trying to get back to Santa, and I set him back on the straw bale so he could do just that.

Haden was giving me the side eye, his shoulders still puffed up, his hands clenching and unclenching.

“I know! I know,” I said wearily, feeling the weight of his gaze. “I’m a pushover. So shoot me.”

Haden's eyes were dark, brows low. The intensity of his gaze was like a pin, poking into me, and reminding me that I often failed at standing up for myself, or at making my voice heard without causing a big stir.

“Do you still love him?”

“What? No.”

“But you did?”

“Of course. We were together for years.” And it hadn’t been all bad. We were simply at the crazy-making stage of being in a former relationship.

Haden stepped closer, cupping my chin with his large, warm hand. His eyes looked so serious, I felt shaky.

“Love shouldn’t hurt like that.”

“Like what?”

“Love shouldn’t hurt like that,” he repeated quietly, releasing me and stepping back. I had to take a step forward to regain my balance.

“Oh,” I said softly. I felt like I’d been kissed. The way that left you breathless, wondering if the world always felt this warm, always this beautiful.

My mind eventually found its way back to my worries, like there was a well-trod groove to them from every happy thought I ever had.

“He’s…” I swallowed, unable to say his brother’s name after the way Haden had bared himself without even showing me anything. “He’s going to think we’re up to something.”

Haden’s voice was low, steady, and clear. “Is that a bad thing?”

I crossed my arms, feeling pinned by his heavy gaze. “You know what I mean.”

“You’re too good to him, and for him.”

I bit my lip, a little wobbly inside. I felt bad for the easy way I’d fallen into old habits, building Kade up, putting him first. I’d once thought that was how relationships worked.

I hugged my arms around my gut, feeling like a failure for not figuring things out between us sooner and for trying to placate Kade tonight. I wanted Haden to think good things about me. I wanted him to see me as more than just that much younger, too eager to please, naive girl I’d once been.

Haden was still standing too close, watching me as though he could read me.

“What?” I asked, an edge to my tone. Quite frankly, I hated what The Book of Tamara might be telling him right now.

He moved further into my personal space, and I forced myself to hold my ground. Everything this man did, he did with reason.

Gently and slowly, as if he was afraid to spook me, he brushed a strand of hair off my cheek.

“I think you’re amazing.” His right hand, warm and thick, found mine. He gave my hand a squeeze. “I don’t know how you do it.”

“Do what?”

“Hold on to your patience. You’re so kind, and strong, and generous with everyone. I literally have to clench my fists so that I don’t throttle him when he treats you that way.”

My lips parted, the words stuck in my throat. He made fists because he wanted to protect me? Stand up for me? Not because he thought I was frustratingly incapable of fighting my own battles?

His head tipped toward mine, our lips slowly lining up for what would I knew would be a spectacular kiss.

“TM, why didn’t I meet you first?”

I melted into his chest, completely overcome by the sincerity and depth of emotion behind his words. Our lips were drifting closer, and my heart swelled at the idea that Haden had a regret in life, and that it was about missing a chance with me.

The barn door slammed against the wall, and Haden and I jumped. A low, gruff voice carried across the room, “Santa! I have a report to file on these humans and their mistreatment of magical beings, including myself! I told Mrs. Claus and I’m going to tell you, too!”

Our would-be kiss was forgotten as the most annoying member of the North Pole entourage reappeared after a blissful absence.

Haden had sheltered me with his body when the door slammed, ready to protect me. Now we stood side by side gawking at Hugo. “Is that the elf?” he asked.

“I’ve been saving the best for last,” I said, my tone expressing just how peeved I was by the unwelcome guest’s interruption. “Meet Snarky.”

“That’s not my real name!” the elf snapped as he marched past me, coated in a layer of snow, and clearly near freezing.

“Snarky, meet Haden.”

“My name is Hugo!”

Using my best educational assistant voice, I said, “If you’re going to join us, you have to be nice.”

“I told Mrs. Claus you locked me up,” Snarky told me, brushing the snow from his pants.

“You could have gotten out at any time! And why are you half snowman?”

“I was hiding.”

“Where?”

“Under the sleigh that just crashed because of you!” He glared at me, waltzing across the barn as though he owned the place.

“ Under the sleigh?”

“I don’t fly like the reindeer. I had to make sure the coast was clear before coming out.”

“Santa wouldn’t let you into the sleigh?”

“Santa!” He began marching toward the man in red and white, ignoring me.

“Oh, boy,” Haden whispered. His torso was pressing against my arm and back as he stood close. It was feeling mighty warm in here. “Now I can see why you locked him in the trunk.”

“Yeah. He’s a treat.”

Haden’s hand was rubbing my arm in a soothing, intimate way, and I wished Hugo had stayed out in the storm for at least another five minutes.

Why didn’t I meet you first?

That line was going to be circling in my brain for the rest of the night.

“Santa! Your irresponsible reindeer snuck out. And they got drunk !”

Snarky pulled himself up to his full height in front of Santa, knuckles planted on his hips.

“On, Cucumber!” Santa declared. He cuddled my cat closer. “This is my new number one elf. Meet Sir Fluffball.”

Snarky blinked at Santa, momentarily thrown, his face falling. He cleared his throat. “Sir, we have a number seven issue. As well as an eleven, an eighteen and a twenty-one. Also, a category E problem that could quickly become an F. Not to mention?—”

“That’s enough business for now. Go help Mrs. Claus make oats for the reindeer,” Santa said, patting the elf on the head.

“It’s almost Christmas Eve. It’s time to forgive and be happy.

So good to have you back.” He began humming Feliz Navidad as he cuddled Boots closer, getting another chin rub from the cat.

“Forgive?” Haden whispered to me.

“Long story,” I muttered to Haden. “Still getting to the bottom of it.”

Haden shed his winter coat, and I noted that it had grown oddly warm in the barn despite there being no heating system. Had I accidentally made a wish to Estelle in the alley to be warm? Or was this simply something about Santa and his presence?

I shrugged out of my own coat, noting that a fully decorated, ten-foot-tall Christmas tree was now in my barn. Where had that come from? I was tempted to run a hand through its branches to see if it was real or just an illusion.

Was the wall between worlds weakening even further? I spun slowly, on the lookout for any other changes.

“Has that always been there?” Haden whispered, gesturing toward the new tree. I shook my head.

Snarky, red-faced, his fists clenched at his side, glared up at me. “What did you have Estelle do to him? I heard you two talking outside his clinic!” He jabbed a finger in Haden’s direction.

“What? Nothing! I haven’t made a single wish!

” Even though I’d skimmed a recent text from Char suggesting that I do just that, and to use her credits when I did.

It seemed Estelle had visited her, too. But Char was on my side.

She told me to do what felt right to me.

And avoiding a tangle with more magical creatures—AKA my fairy godmother—seemed like a wise move.

Although maybe less so now, since my big plan to get Santa to fix everything was clearly a dud.

“We hit a tree,” Donner explained, coming over, his hooves making a slow beat on the barn floor. “A couple of trees, actually.” His gaze swung to Blitzen.

“The last one did it, though,” Dasher said cheerfully. “Smashed into it, right good.” He made a prolonged smashing and crashing sound effect that would have delighted a small child.

“The sleigh’s damaged,” I added.

Snarky’s face turned white. “No. It’s just parked funny. I saw it.”

“Did you look at the front panel or runners?”

“Why?”

“They’re broken.”

“No. No, no, no !”

“Possibly. It’s quite bad,” I added, fascinated by his meltdown.

He sat cross-legged on the straw-strewn dirt floor, head in his hands, his little striped hat slipping to one side.

“He’s taking it better than I thought he would,” Prancer said, looking down at the elf.

“Christmas is ruined ,” the elf moaned.

“Well, you chose your side, so this really isn’t your problem.” Donner addressed the rest of the reindeer. “I vote the narc out of here.”

“We can’t, though, can we?” Cupid said sadly.

“Why does he even care about Christmas? He chose his side,” Donner said, giving a huff as he moved to the other side of the barn, far from the elf.

“I still care!” the elf wailed. “All I do is care!”

“You just went and told Mrs. Claus everything,” Donner said. “How is that supposed to help us or Christmas?”

“She can fix this.”

“Will she though?” I asked. “Or will she put us all on the naughty list?”

“Naughty list?” Haden whispered to me.

“It’s real,” I mumbled to him under my breath. “And it’s not about toys.”

“Chilling.”

“So, is Mrs. Claus coming?” I asked the elf. “Christmas is her holiday, too, right?”

“She does lots of stuff behind the scenes to make the holiday work,” Prancer said.