Page 55 of Run, Run Rudolph (Fairy Godmothers and Other Fiascos #2)

“It’s nothing much.” Haden pointed at the bag. “But it made me think of you for some reason.” I could tell he wanted to explain the gift away, but, to his credit, he owned it.

“Oh. Uh, thanks.”

He opened the door, pausing to look at me for a long moment before stepping outside again.

“Merry Christmas,” I said, giving him a hopeful smile.

He’d leaned in like he was going to kiss me, then caught himself and wrapped me in a brief and wonderful smelling hug. “Merry Christmas, TM.”

TM. My breath froze in my chest as he headed back out into the cold. As the door clicked shut, I exhaled and peeked in the bag. Inside was a Nerf gun.

With a growing sense of urgency and panic, I opened the GAL PALs chat, which was blowing up.

Char had filled in the girls while I’d brunched with my family, and now I hunched over my phone at the sink, pretending to wash the dishes before dessert to get myself caught up, as well as to share the latest Haden development.

Had Mrs. Claus’s memory scrubbing not worked? Or was her spell still finding all the nooks and crannies to wipe clean?

And why had Char sent my problem out to all five of us? Samantha and Gabby were never going to believe, and Josie ghosted us most of the time, like she was a boomer who only bothered to check her phone once a day.

Me

Haden almost kissed me. Right now. At Oma’s. Then he caught himself.

Char

You should have grabbed him and kissed him.

Josie

What? How? His memory was erased.

I was surprised to see her in the chat, and sad that she didn’t seem to have found any loopholes that would help Haden get his memory back. If anyone knew the answer, it would be her. Instead, she’d lectured me about how very, very lucky I’d been to get out of court the way I had.

Yeah, thanks. Loving the support.

Gabby

He remembers? OMG that’s so romantic.

Me

I thought you didn’t believe in this magic stuff?

Gabby

I believe in love!

Char

You should have kissed him and made him remember.

Gabby

Like in the fairy tales! I love fairy tales.

Me

Did someone make a wish for me? One where he’d get his memories back?

I crossed my fingers, hoping someone had.

Char

No.

Gabby

Of course not.

Samantha

Seriously. Get ur heads checked. Fairy godmothers ARE NOT REAL.

Gabby

What about Cupid? Is he real?

Char

He’s a Roman god. So, different kettle of fish. Eros is the Greek version, FYI.

Samantha

Char

I’m proud to be a nerd. Have you seen my new job, and all the cool travel I get to do?

Gabby

Well, if Cupid is real, and on the loose like your fairy godmother, send him my way. Preferably on Valentine’s Day weekend.

Josie

It doesn’t work like that, Gabs.

Gabby

So? I need a boyfriend. I don’t care who Cupid shoots so he falls in love with me.

Josie

Tamara, don’t forget—you’ve been banned. Wishes can’t be granted on your behalf, or for your benefit.

That was actually a bit of a relief. Other than nobody being able to release Haden’s memories.

Me

Haden gave me a Nerf gun.

Samantha

Lame. Weirdo.

Me

We played with Nerf guns in the hardware store last night and made out.

Samantha

What? I missed everything! You big rebel. Way to go.

Me

Today he brought one for me. He dropped it off, but didn’t know why. What does that mean?????

Gabby

Char

We need to find out.

Gabby

Maybe kissing him undoes the spell that was put on him. You should kiss him, just in case.

Me

So now you believe in spells?

Gabby

I believe in romance. And this is so romantic.

Samantha

Gabs, come on. They’re all cracked in the head.

Gabby

But it’s so romantic! It’s like a movie.

Me

Maybe some memories were missed when they cleared him?

Josie

Magic is complicated.

Char

What should Tam-Tam do?

Josie

Thinking.

Could Haden be in love?

Gabby

Of course he is!

Josie

Because, if so, you can’t unmagic deep feelings like that. Love finds a way.

Char

Nice Jurassic Park reference.

Josie

It wasn’t one. The movie quote was “LIFE finds a way.”

Char

Josie was our resident magic expert, thanks to all of the paranormal romance she read. Even though she was super analytical, if she believed in the power of love to overcome magic, then that was good enough for me.

Gabby

I think he’s in love. Definitely. Kiss him. I bet all his memories come back. But hurry. Because what if there’s some magical window that’s open right now, and it closes if you wait too long?

The gals all chimed in, very clearly on board with the idea of me kissing Haden to see what happened.

I mean, yeah. I wanted to believe in the power of love. It was a happily ever after of the finest order. Movies and fairy tales had been made on that premise. Everyone felt good about the theme of love conquering all.

But was it all simply wishful thinking? If I kissed Haden, would it ruin what little we had left?

On the flip side, what if there really was a magical window, and it was closing on us?

I finished the dishes for Oma, my mind swirling.

Yes. No.

Real. Not real.

I felt like it might be love.

But could we have fallen in love in just one night?

Unless we’d spent years slowly falling in love, and last night, it had all just slipped into place, finally becoming a real, tangible thing that even magic couldn’t erase.

I left brunch as soon as possible, wolfing down Oma’s special Christmas dessert, and then begged the car off Mom. She could ride home with Dad, whereas I claimed I’d forgotten to check on Dolly, and needed to hurry back to make sure her water hadn’t frozen.

Instead, I crossed town, passing memory after memory.

Jannifer’s shop, the hardware store, and finally Haden’s clinic.

I had so many memories I couldn’t share with the one person who’d been there with me.

Haden would pass these buildings, never knowing what had existed inside them for just one night.

I parked my parents’ car behind Haden’s clinic, beside his truck, and wondered if showing up unannounced was the wrong move. If I’d been thinking, I could have created an excuse to track him down…like giving him a Christmas gift. And then kissing his face off.

What if kissing him didn’t work?

What if he looked at me with those blank, shuttered eyes again?

I felt frantic. Desperate. Hopeful. Scared.

“Why can’t this be easy?” I hollered, my head tipped back.

I immediately felt embarrassed. What if Lady MacBeth was watching me and had heard me scream through the car windows?

Sighing, I gripped the steering wheel. At least I knew where to find Haden.

Imagine my frustration if I didn’t even know where to look?

Since it was Christmas Eve, I knew his parents’ house was usually stuffed with extended family.

And every year he arrived late, sliding into his spot at the table beside me just before grace.

I wasn’t sure how he timed it so precisely each year, or why when he loved spending time with his family.

I got out of the car, terrified by what I was about to attempt, and the knowledge that I could truly ruin what little there was left between us.