Page 22 of Chasing Cheer
Her reindeer crew consisted of Dasher, Gale, Ivy, and Clove again. The four had been given a break when she went to Costa Rica, but Ivy and Clove had apparently begged to return to Emerald Hollow, as they’d grown fond of the forest there, and Dasher and Gale had insisted on going to supervise them again. Auryn had assured her the other reindeer didn’t mind staying home for another cycle. They were busy preparing for the Reindeer Games, which occurred each year during evergreen season.
Clementine waved goodbye as Holly’s sleigh rose from the snowy field near the stables, and Holly took one last look at the North Post. Its light shone brightly over Merriment Square, powering all of the North Pole. Holly’s hair whirled softly in the wind. Maybe her time as a successful Claus had finally arrived. Perhaps life was going to be easy from then on. The golden sleigh slipped away into the evening sky.
ChapterNineteen
The vibrant autumn leaves that had clung to the trees when Holly previously visited Emerald Hollow were piled on the ground in brown-and-gray clumps. The air was colder, too, though it didn’t bother her. Winter had clearly fallen on the Oregon town, and again, Holly had the odd sensation that she felt at home there, despite the absence of snow.
She was both nervous and excited to see Sofia and Ash, wondering whether they would be glad to see her again or if they’d gotten back to their normal small-town routines, which didn’t involve her. Maybe they had forgotten they’d invited her back. It was unlike her to worry about what humans thought of her, and she frowned before spotting the Emerald House as she rounded the corner. The sight of it being lit brightly from within instantly calmed her.
Holly approached the reception desk and asked to check into the same suite she had before. She had come back a little earlier than planned, but the worker easily obliged, Holly’s magic taking care of the details.
Surveying the cozy lobby, she noticed the fall decorations had been replaced by red, green, silver, and gold holiday baubles, and garlands of greenery were draped perfectly over counters, fireplaces, and windowsills. With all the festiveness in the building, Holly was surprised not to see a Christmas tree.
“Holly!”
She turned to see Sofia emerge from the restaurant. She was wearing a festive apron, and her hair was piled high in loose curls.
“You came back!” she exclaimed, pulling Holly in for a hug.
“As promised.” Holly returned the embrace with a smile.
Sofia studied her, and Holly looked down at her own outfit, confused. She was wearing a fitted red coat over dark jeans and black snow boots, and her hair was down in simple waves.
“You look gorgeous. Does Ash know you’re here?” Sofia asked, tugging Holly aside as a small family stepped up to the front desk to check in.
“I don’t think so. I just arrived.” Holly looked around the lobby again. Her pulse had kicked up a bit at Ash’s name, but she changed the subject. “It looks like the Emerald House is all ready for the holidays.”
“Oh yeah. Ash likes us to get everything out the first week in November. Usually, the tree is up before now, too, but he’s been so busy, and he insists on using a real one. We would have been glad to have you while we were decorating,” Sofia teased. “The town talked of the fall festival decor for days afterward. A local journalist’s photos of the festival went viral, and we’ve already started to receive reservations at the Emerald House for next year’s festival. The exposure also seems to be leading to an increase in reservations for the Christmas faire. Of course, all this has Ash running around at a hundred miles an hour to prepare for the influx of visitors.”
“Well, I’m here now, and I hope I can help.” Holly felt a prickle of concern. Ash could obviously handle himself, but it seemed he tended to take on too much. She had witnessed that kind of unchecked willingness to please in humans before, and its effect on Cheer was strongly negative. She didn’t want that for Ash.
“And thank goodness. With the predicted increase in crowds, expectations are high. Plus, there’s the Hallmark contest. It’s putting us all a little on edge, especially Ash. He will be relieved to have the extra help.”
At that moment, a familiar black-and-white dog appeared at Holly’s side and rubbed his head against her thigh, licking her hand lovingly.
“Comet!” Holly exclaimed, excited to see the dog again. She squatted to give him a nice scratch behind his ears, and his tail swished back and forth.
“His ears must have been burning,” Sofia said.
Holly knew before she looked up that Ash had joined them. Her watch was vibrating nonstop. She stood to see he was wearing jeans and a flannel button-up shirt in deep green. His skin was less tanned than when Holly had last seen him, but his dark hair and bright smile were just as she remembered. He still had a five-o’clock shadow.
“You’re back!” Ash said in his usual welcoming tone.
His demeanor calmed Holly, and she forgot that she had ever felt nervous about seeing him and Sofia. He could make anyone feel comfortable, and she realized it was his own kind of magic. The thought made her smile.
“And ready to get to work. What do you need for the Christmas faire?”
Ash laughed and rapped a knuckle casually on the reception desk. “That can wait until tomorrow at least. You’re a guest here. Were you planning to have dinner here at the restaurant?”
“Oh, I hadn’t thought about it yet. But yes, most likely. I just need to drop off my bag in my room first.” Holly clutched the straps on her backpack. She’d nearly forgotten it was there.
“Sof, when are you off?” he asked then addressed Holly. “Maybe the two of us could join you. We have a special tradition I’d like to introduce you to.”
“You read my mind,” Sofia said. “My shift ends in thirty.”
“Perfect. Does that work, Holly? Get settled in, and meet us back here in the lobby in half an hour?” Ash paused to fist-bump a young man who walked by and said hello.
“Sure. See you in half an hour.” Holly gave Comet one last scratch behind the ears then retreated down the hallway to her small suite. She was delighted to find that it, too, had been decorated with lights and greenery for the winter season.
