Page 37 of Harley
“I want to see them!” Oakley was demanding.
I’d completed a sword and dagger after a hard slog through the night; all I wished for was to relax. But no, Oakley needed to visit the reindeer. After the shocks she’d suffered, I couldn’t really say no.
The good news was Klutz had checked her feet over with Lynda, and they both agreed she was healing but urged her to stay off them still.
“I’ll take her,” Jared offered, and I glared at him.
“Nah. I’ll do it. I can carry you to a toboggan and pull you over,” Christian added with a smirk.
“That would be wonderful!” Oakley gasped and clapped her hands. “I need my coat and gloves!”
“Wrap up warm,” Mom said, nodding her head.
I glowered at all of them. “I’ll take her. She’s my damn wife!” I snapped.
“Pretend,” Christian reminded me.
At this rate, Christian wouldn’t make his twenty-first birthday. I’d be burying him in the woods.
“Still wearing my ring!” I retorted, getting to my feet.
“For now, bro. Oakley might want to trade up when she divorces you,” Christian teased.
A fury swept over me as Christian grinned. That little fuck knew exactly what he was doing pressing my buttons. And then I uttered the fateful words.
“Oakley is mine.”
Dad broke into gales of laughter, and Jared joined in. Christian smirked, and Mom gasped while Jodie and Serenity swapped knowing glances.
“Pay up,” Cody cackled from the corner.
Without a word, I grabbed Oakley’s chair and shoved her out of the room.
“What just happened?” Oakley asked, confused.
“My family are dicks,” I replied.
Oakley looked even more puzzled. But as soon as we reached the cloakroom, she perked up. I bundled her up in the coat I’d bought her and handed over her hat, gloves, and a scarf. Then I grabbed a thick blanket off a shelf.
I checked outside, and sure enough, there was a toboggan waiting for us. Double-checking her feet were warmly wrapped, I picked her up, carried her down the porch, and placed her on the toboggan.
There was a backrest where Christian had piled pillows, so I settled Oakley in comfortably.
I put the blanket around her and tucked it under her legs, and, holding on to the backrest, I pushed us in the direction of the reindeers.
I still couldn’t believe Dad had done this.
As we approached the pen, I saw Rudy, the guy in charge of the reindeer, wave.
“Oakley, this is Rudy,” I announced. Oakley’s eyes widened, and she swallowed hard.
Rudy laughed. “I’ve heard all the jokes, don’t worry,” he said.
“I can imagine. Could I see your reindeer? But not the one that chased Vivie this morning,” Oakley asked, gazing around.
“That’s Blitzen, he took a real liking to her,” Rudy replied, chuckling.
“I’ve been told. Vivie screamed all the way to the porch,” Oakley responded, laughing herself.
