Page 40 of Run, Run Rudolph (Fairy Godmothers and Other Fiascos #2)

“I’ve an idea about how we might help the remaining reindeer do tomorrow night’s job without their leader.

” He checked his watch and feebly corrected himself with a gentle clearing of his throat.

“Tonight’s job. I could beg my cousin Justin to open up his hardware store, and we could buy out his night vision goggles.

Fit them to the reindeer, and voila. They can see. ”

“Tech is always the answer,” I said with another yawn, quite in love with his idea. I blinked away my fatigue, taking another sip of coffee, forcing myself to focus on Haden and his plan. It could work.

A large bang made me jump, and I sloshed coffee onto the tabletop. Lacking a pestle and mortar, Hugo slammed my hammer down on a pill to crush it. Judging from the sound of the banging, I was going to lose my damage deposit when the landlord saw the countertops.

I glanced over as Hugo raised the hammer again. “At least use a cutting board under the pills, please.”

“I’ve got this,” Haden said, swiftly getting to his feet and moving into the kitchen to stand beside the elf.

With commanding gentleness, Haden helped guide the elf into working in a way that didn’t destroy my kitchen.

Haden came back to the table, and I slid the plate of gingerbread men his way.

“Thanks.” He grabbed one, biting off its head.

“How’s it look for getting my damage deposit back when I eventually buy my own farm?”

He tipped his head to the side in thought. “Not great, but there’s still a chance if you strategically place some fruit bowls during move out—no, that won’t work. All is lost. Sorry.”

I giggled, despite my annoyance at the likelihood of losing my deposit. Especially if Carl saw the barn’s battered shingles, thanks to Blitzen and the sleigh.

Although, maybe Haden would come and fix my shingles on a nice, warm spring day.

He would wear his toolbelt and jeans slung low on his hips, his white T-shirt stretching over his pecs and biceps.

I’d bring him lemonade, and we’d kiss under the crabapple trees as petals from its fragrant flowers drifted down around us…

I cleared my throat and blinked away the images of him working on the barn, realizing I’d been gazing at his chest, almost drooling.

I pulled at my horse-themed Christmas sweatshirt, my earlier chill suddenly long gone.

Haden, looking at my shirt, asked, “You still want to own your own farm?”

I nodded, nibbling on the feet of my gingerbread man cookie. “A hobby farm, so just a couple of acres. Some horses, goats, chickens. Kind of like what I’ve got here. But I want to own it, so I don’t have to worry about my landlord potentially not wanting to renew my lease.”

“That’s what I imagined I’d be doing when I bought my acreage. Creating a small hobby farm.”

“Really?” There was no way he had the same little dream. The idea that we wanted the same things made my stomach feel undeniably fizzy.

“Yeah,” he said, leaning back in his chair, arms stretched overhead as he yawned. “But my work’s too unreliable to have the number of animals I want.”

“You can’t afford it?” I asked, surprised. I’d assumed he was raking in the money based on his fees. If I could afford to start my own little hobby farm, then surely he could.

Then again, I drove an old beater of a car, and maybe he’d put all his money into his fancy veterinarian truck with its mobile medical unit thingy.

As well as being a sexy landowner. And then there was also his veterinarian practice, which he’d bought off a retiring veterinarian. Haden had a lot of debt, for sure.

Not to forget all those years of university.

In some ways, Haden had inspired me. I’d never wanted to go to college, but I also hadn’t known what I wanted with my life other than a few inklings.

Seeing him out there, away from home, bettering himself, but still having ties to his community had intrigued me.

Then when Char had moved to the city, and gotten excited about it, I’d caved.

Seeing Haden and Char thrive had given me the courage to try attaining my own dream for myself.

Because who was I? What did I want?

I felt like I knew the answers now, but back then, I hadn’t yet learned to listen to myself. Or, for that fact, ask myself the right questions.

It turned out that living in the city had been a bit like dating Kade twice. Worth trying, so I’d know if it was something I truly wanted…but in the end, it wasn’t for me.

With Kade, I’d known what I wanted—love—and the second time around had confirmed that he couldn’t give me what I needed. But I’d had to try. With a stitch of nostalgia for home, and a belief that we’d both matured enough to make a relationship work, I’d come home to give us that second chance.

When I’d moved to Calgary, I knew something was missing in my life, but I hadn’t figured out what.

Living with the GAL PALs away from home, I’d learned how to listen to myself.

I’d discovered that I truly did belong in the country.

I was okay being introverted. I wanted a horse of my own, and I craved love and a steadfast sense of belonging in a relationship.

I’m not sure I would have figured that out if I hadn’t moved to the city.

It likely would have just remained fuzzy little moments of unfocused wanting.

“Getting chores done in a timely manner is also difficult with my schedule,” Haden clarified. “Animals deserve better.” He looked around the room. “Speaking of animals, where is this fabled gopher I often see on social media?”

“Probably sleeping under my bed.” I was glad I’d taken in Felipe when I’d moved home. And he seemed to love it here. Strangely enough, the critter and my cat got along fine, their positions in the food chain seemingly irrelevant. “Want me to go get him?”

“Nah.” Haden gave me a slow, warm smile. “Another time.”

I liked the idea of him being a regular guest at my place.

“Where’s the turmeric?” Hugo squeaked. A moment later, orange powder surrounded him in a cloud, making him sneeze. It was a cute, small and innocent sound, so unlike the attitude the elf was so skilled at dishing out.

Haden and I shared a silent giggle, necks tucked into our collarbones so we wouldn’t get noticed by the grumpy elf.

“For some reason,” I said to Haden, once we’d recovered, “I thought you didn’t want animals. Not that I ever really thought about it. I guess I just assumed that because you take care of them all day long, when you get home, you want to do something else.”

“I’d love to have a hobby farm,” he said, acting almost embarrassed. But I could see the hint of a smile, the sparkle in his eyes as he said wistfully, “Collecting my own eggs. Maybe even making my own goat cheese.”

“Then, I suppose in order to satisfy that dream, you’ll just have to take me in along with my animals—just the cat and gopher so far, sadly. Dolly has to stay here. But we could make that hobby farm, and you’d have someone to take care of everything when you couldn’t.”

Man, that dream felt vivid, full of colour, hope and happiness.

Realizing I’d basically leapt from us kissing a few times to suggesting I move in with him, I dipped my head, blushing.

“My door is always open,” he said calmly. So calmly, it made me look at him twice. It almost felt as though he was serious about that semi-invitation.

“I can’t move in with you,” I protested, feeling slightly panicky at the idea that he might actually be serious. That Haden and I might move way too fast on something very deep, intimate and real.

“Why not?”

He seemed so serious. Weren’t there steps between where we were and moving in together?

I started babbling. “Your family won’t survive the whiplash. Plus, about eight million single women in the county would make voodoo dolls of me, and I’d be dead within a week.”

He chuckled. “You’re obsessed.”

“Am not.”

He grabbed my hand, smiling warmly. “Are you jealous?”

“Of the HAGs?” I scoffed. “No.”

“HAGs?”

“Haden Appreciation Group. Women with fake animal emergencies, vying for your undivided attention.”

“HAGs,” he repeated, this time with amusement, his thumb tracing very distracting circles over the back of my hand. “How long have you been secretly crushing on me, TM?”

“I’m not. I haven’t.” I sucked in a breath. Haden was my safe space. I could tell him anything. And if I couldn’t, it was best to know now. Not later. Not after my heart was deeply invested.

I sighed and rolled my eyes at him. “Do you really want to know?”

He’d edged his chair closer to mine, his five o’clock shadow giving his look a slightly rugged and dangerous edge.

“Since the first day of grade one.”

“What?” He looked confused.

“When I fell and scraped my knee.”

He turned his head, eyes still on me. “I think I vaguely remember that.”

“I fell and started to cry. You came and dried my tears, retied my shoe, and found a teacher to bandage me up.”

“I did that?”

“Yes.”

His smile spread like liquid warmth. “And you started crushing on me then?”

“I never really stopped. Well…” I waved a hand through the air. “Maybe for a bit.”

His eyes shuttered, and he leaned away ever so slightly. “Kade.”

“He made me think you found me?—”

“A pest. You weren’t.”

“I know that now.”

We were silent for a moment. It wasn’t quite awkward, but there was a tentative vulnerability in the air we were both afraid to disrupt.

“Know what he told me?” Haden asked.

“What?”

“He said I was an annoying mansplainer.”

I laughed, surprised. “Furthest thing from it. You taught me a lot.”

Haden moved his chair again, pressing his knee into my thigh.

He stroked the side of my cheek and I leaned into him.

“You were a very curious young woman. Still are.” Those shadows that kept me from understanding him had dissipated, and for the first time, I felt like I could read Haden. Really read him.

“How long have you liked me?” I whispered, my heart thundering in my ears as I waited for his reply.

“I don’t know. I think for quite a while.

It wasn’t appropriate to have those sorts of feelings when you were younger, and then when you were dating my brother.

” He was looking at me, his gaze prolonged, and not shy like mine.

“I found you interesting and fun. I liked hanging out with you. And then somewhere, that turned into an attraction that I definitely denied. It’s been a while.

” He grew quiet, his attention dropping to our intertwined hands.

“The first time I realized I was attracted to you was the day we were shoeing my dad’s Clydesdale. ”

“That’s when Kade said all that stuff.”

“He must have seen how I felt.”

“And me.” Shyly, I ducked my head and cleared my throat from the shame I felt for feeling things for Haden while dating his brother.

“I was crushing pretty hard that day, too.” It had felt wrong, but it had also felt more like an unattainable fantasy than a viable crush.

Sort of like the kind of feelings you might have for a celebrity you’ll never actually meet.

But those feelings had made it easy for Kade to separate me and Haden.

“I don’t think I ever moved on,” Haden admitted.

My head popped up, my curiosity taking over. “Sorry? What?”

He shook his head, mind elsewhere.

“What? No. Tell me.”

“I think maybe you’re the reason I don’t really date.”

His eyes met mine and I could see the truth of his words in the bottomless depths of his blue eyes, right down to his soul.

“ Me ?”

“Nobody’s ever been as fun, sweet or curious. They all fall terribly short, and I can see it after just one date.”

Oh, my word. It was me. I was the reason he seemed like a womanizer, moving from woman to woman without ever settling into a relationship.

Haden’s lips grazed my cheek, his words a whisper. “Some people are hard to get over.”