Page 59 of Run, Run Rudolph (Fairy Godmothers and Other Fiascos #2)

Epilogue

~ Tamara ~

New Year’s Eve

W e broke up.

My thumbs hovered over my phone’s keyboard, debating several responses to Samantha’s text. She and Malachi had broken up and gotten back together two times since Christmas. Was the third time a charm? The poor man had tried to propose on Christmas Day, instigating the first break-up.

In our group chat, Char had declared it too soon for that kind of commitment, but Gabby had been over the moon about the idea. She’d been crushed when Samantha had decided the proposal was break-up worthy.

Me

Come hang out with us tonight.

Samantha and Malachi, upon getting back together the first time, had booked last minute tickets for a New Year’s Eve party in Calgary for tonight.

I assumed that was no longer a go. And while I was disappointed for Samantha, I was happy the full GAL PAL gang would once again be spending the evening together.

Samantha

Send me a pin.

Yes! She was coming!

I opened a maps app on my phone, pinned my location, then sent it to Samantha to use while navigating to my farm.

Me

It’s not that hard to find.

Samantha

Yes, it is. All the roads look the same.

Samantha

Be there in a bit.

A few hours later, Char and her boyfriend James, looking tanned and relaxed, and very much in love after their Mexican vacation, were in my kitchen cuddling Felipe and eating chocolate cake.

Not long after, Josie and Gabby arrived, serving themselves a slice of cake and a cup of yukaflux.

It had magically replenished itself, and I was a little hesitant to serve it, even though, due to the unwinding of time, was unlikely to have Blitzen slobber in it.

Haden texted to say he was on his way. I’d half expected a fake emergency from a HAG to make him late, but his business seemed to have settled down to a reasonable, less fake-emergency-laden pace since we got together on Christmas Eve.

I wasn’t sure if this was due to a touch of magic, or if the women of Eagle Ridge could sense when a man’s heart was off the market.

I went to get the door when Samantha arrived, a tremor of excitement zipping through me at the idea of the seven of us being together for New Year’s Eve.

I had planned some games and movies, as well as set out drinks and snacks.

I marvelled at my mood as my little house filled up with people.

A few years ago, I would have cringed at the idea of hosting a party, and might have turned into an actual recluse if it weren’t for my years with Kade.

But spending time with him had taught me that sometimes, being around a big group of friends was indeed the best thing—as long as they were the right people.

I was so blessed to have such amazing friends.

“Sorry to hear about you and Malachi. Um, again,” I said, taking Samantha’s coat. She’d marched straight into the kitchen, plunking down in front of the chocolate cake I’d made. In fact, all of my friends, knowing I’d made cake, had pretty much beelined it into the kitchen like little kids.

Char was already on her second slice by the time the rest of the gang got seated with a generous portion.

Samantha closed her eyes as she took the first bite. “Mmm. I missed living with you.”

“This is amazing,” James agreed.

“Can I take a slice for Lamonte if there’s any left?” Gabby asked, and I nodded, making a note to slide a piece into a container for her before someone else ate it.

I couldn’t help but think about her recent change of heart in regard to magic, and her desire to have Cupid find her a boyfriend.

She claimed she was no longer crushing on Lamonte, but she still mentioned him 24/7.

While Estelle couldn’t interfere in interpersonal relationships on a deep level, maybe Cupid could.

I was certain that would initiate a whole new bucket of issues, though, ones Gabby might not be ready to deal with, even in the name of love.

Josie, elbows on the table and looking tired, simply rolled her eyes at Gabby’s cake-saving request, and kept eating. Her new business as an inventory specialist had been going nuts by the sounds of it, throwing more work at her than she could handle. I was glad she’d been able to make it tonight.

“So, who’s moving out?” Char asked Samantha, as she shovelled another bite into her mouth. “You or him?”

I caught her dropping a tiny speck of cake crumbs for Felipe. It was hard to read the gopher’s emotions, but I think it was safe to say the two had missed each other. He’d spent most of the afternoon so far either in the crook of her arm, or sitting on her foot while she ate her cake.

“He will,” Samantha said.

“Why’d you break up? What did he do again?” James asked. He was a stacked guy who used to work security, but now had a desk job in Calgary near where Char was working.

“Nothing,” Samantha said, crossing her arms.

“ Everything ,” Gabby said, giving James a warning glance. “He proposed.”

“What a jerk,” James said with a light scoff, sharing a darted look with Char.

Josie snorted in amusement. “Right?”

Gabby frowned and rolled her eyes. “Some people just aren’t romantic enough, like our big, tough old Samantha.” She fake-punched her friend in the arm and received a scowl.

“Malachi wasn’t the right guy?” I asked, trying to get to the root of Samantha’s weird relationship fears. Maybe she was like me, and still discovering herself and what she wanted. If so, I could see how the idea of pinning herself to someone else could be scary.

“Yeah, he’s not Caleb,” Gabby said with a smirk.

Samantha hadn’t exactly hidden her crush on our old neighbour, an Irish hottie.

From what I’d seen, he was the only guy who’d ever made her blush.

In other words, it was true love. On her side, anyway.

We weren’t entirely sure Caleb knew she existed.

And anyway, we’d all moved out, so we were unsure if he still lived downstairs from where we’d once been, or if he was lost to Samantha forever.

“Malachi had annoying habits,” Samantha said, her nose crinkled. “I couldn’t imagine marrying him. At least not without murder happening somewhere down our timeline.”

She stabbed her fork into her slice of cake, breaking off a large chunk, which she then shoved into her mouth.

“Can you afford the rent on your own?” Gabby asked, her brow pinched with worry.

Samantha shrugged while I nodded, having wondered the same thing.

I shook my head, remembering that Samantha wasn’t quite like the rest of us.

She got an allowance, or rather a trust fund payout, each month, which kept her in a lifestyle none of us at this table were accustomed to.

She acted financially normal around us, and I often forgot she was a small-time heiress.

But she was. My guess was that no apartment was beyond her financial reach within the city of Calgary.

“There’s someone who works at Lamonte’s garage who’s looking for a roommate if you need someone,” Gabby said helpfully.

“Thanks, but I’ll make it work on my own. I think I’m done living with anyone for a bit.”

“But none of this makes sense. Malachi was Irish!” Gabby exclaimed.

“He tried to steal her Lucky Charms,” Char joked in a fake Irish accent.

Samantha let out a long sigh. “He was adorable, but not the right leprechaun for me.”

“Leprechaun?” I giggled at the idea of our stylish, trendy friend with a little gnome-like man. A lack of sleep, thanks to long make-out sessions with Haden over the past week, was making me a bit loopy.

“I wouldn’t turn one down,” Samantha said slyly.

She was met with a chorus of ‘Ew’s.

“So, everything’s still fine around here since Christmas Eve?” Char asked me quietly as the other three started gossiping about something else.

I nodded. “Thanks again for letting me use your credits.”

So far, there’d been no bill from Estelle for the wishes I’d made on Christmas Eve. I had thought that, even if banished, I might have to pay for her magical services if Char’s credits didn’t cover it all.

“Of course. And how are things with your families?” She lifted her eyebrows meaningfully. “Is Mrs. Powell still hugging you every time she sees you and saying ‘welcome back’?”

I laughed. She was. And probably secretly knitting baby booties. I hadn’t expected her to be so delighted. Honestly, she had the best reaction out of everyone.

In my family, my mom was excited, my dad indifferent, and my Oma said she was happy that I was happy. And that was about it. Done deal. Carry on with life.

The Powell side, however, had reacted a bit differently.

When we’d told Haden’s family, his mom had squealed in excitement, Mr. Powell had looked alarmed at his wife’s response, and Kade had stalked out of the room.

Both Haden and I had tried to go after him, but Mrs. Powell, with a determined look, had pushed us both aside and gone to speak with her youngest, herself.

“And Kade?”

I scrunched my nose. “He’s still getting used to the idea.”

The next time we’d seen Kade, a few nights later, he’d been quiet, barely daring to look at us through his hurt.

But he’d mumbled that he was happy for us.

Honestly, it could have been worse. With time, I figured he’d warm up to the idea, especially since I’d heard he and Jannifer had gone on a second coffee date.

“Knock, knock!” Haden’s warm, deep voice filled the room as he shut the front door.

Char winked at me as I leapt from my spot. “Speak of the devil.”

I jogged to the entry, where he caught me, holding me in his arms. The cold from his coat seeped through my sweater as he gave me a long hello kiss.

Bliss.

“What did I miss?” Haden asked, still holding me close. I adored the way his eyes were always unguarded around me now. I could look at him and see inside, warmed by the knowledge that I was the one he loved, had waited for, and then finally been able to choose. It was a wonderful feeling.