Page 52 of Chasing Cheer
They hugged each other, then Sofia climbed into the Subaru, the door slamming hard behind her. Holly watched her drive off then turned down the trail toward the woods, hurrying since she knew Ash would be expecting her back inside soon. Her reindeer came trotting up happily when they saw her, and she slipped them each some grapes.
“There’s a storm coming in tonight. Best to bed down early.”
They nuzzled against her in agreement, and she promised to come check on them in the morning. She pulled her coat tightly around herself to avoid it ripping in the wind and hurried back up the path to the Emerald House.
ChapterThirty-Nine
“There you are,” Ash said as she pushed open the heavy door into the lobby. “I was just getting ready to come check on you.” He had his coat on but shrugged it off since she had returned. “Heading to bed?”
Holly glanced at the lobby and saw that there was still a little cleaning up to do, so she grabbed a trash bag from the floor and began scooping paper products into it. “Soon, once we’re done in here.”
Ash nodded at her gratefully, and they worked together for another fifteen minutes until the room had been cleared, counters wiped down, and the floor swept.
“You should probably be on the payroll at this point,” Ash joked as he put the broom away in the kitchen.
Holly laughed. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve enjoyed more than my fair share of hospitality here.” She thought slightly guiltily of her free suite and all the free meals she’d consumed. She wasn’t sure whether Ash was consciously comping those, or it was part of her magic.
“Well, I hope you’ll be able to enjoy the Christmas faire as a guest. Before you go back home.” He said the last part quietly and almost reluctantly.
Holly took a step closer to him.
How could I explain all this to him?Holly didn’t really want to go back to Canada, which wasn’t Canada after all. She lived at the North Pole and needed to check in there every month to deposit Cheer. Her lifestyle was otherwise nomadic, and she had never stayed in one place so long.How could I tell him what Emerald Hollow is beginning to mean to me when I don’t quite understand it myself?
“Maybe I’ll visit again after New Year’s,” she suggested, trying for a playful tone but realized she sounded sad. She would always be just a visitor to Emerald Hollow, someone who stopped by now and then but ultimately belonged somewhere else.
Ash stepped closer to her, gently touching her arm. Holly didn’t jump that time. She was suddenly conscious of her watch, which she had barely noticed that evening, humming rapidly against her skin. Its warmth matched that of his hand on hers.
“Would you like to dance?” he asked, holding her hand up in the air as if about to promenade.
She nodded, surprising herself, and he called out a voice command to the speaker to turn on a jazzy Christmas song. He slid his other hand around her waist and squeezed her hand a little tighter. Holly’d had occasion to dance a few times, visiting weddings or concerts to collect Cheer, but never face-to-face with another person.
Instinctively, she knew how to step and sway. She’d always been a good dancer, assuming it was part of her magic helping her blend in, just like her inherent knowledge of local languages and cultures. If the wedding guests had to perform a traditional dance, Holly knew the steps and fell in flawlessly.
Her hair swished over her shoulder as she tossed her head lightly, settling into a rhythm with him. Ash hummed along to the music, then they danced in silence for a few moments, Ash spinning her and reeling her back in slowly.
“What’s really keeping you in Canada, Holly?” Ash asked softly.
Their faces were close, her head tilted toward his shoulder, so she couldn’t see his expression.
“Your work? Your community? I understand those things better than anyone. But…” As he hesitated, their dancing slowed even further. “Is there anything… anything that’s missing there?”
Holly leaned back a little and met his eyes, and their warmth melted her heart. “I don’t know. I didn’t think so until I came here. Then… I don’t know. Everything sort of changed for me.” She struggled with words again, realizing it was impossible to explain any of it to him. She felt dizzy at his proximity. He smelled faintly of oranges and pine.
He brushed her hair behind her ear, and her breath hitched, then he dropped his hand back to rest softly on her waist.
“Things changed for me, too, when you arrived.”
Holly felt like there was a hummingbird inside her stomach. For a moment, she was blissfully happy. But a moment later, fear gripped her—fear of hurting Ash because their relationship could only be temporary and fear of what living as a Claus with humans might be causing. The jingle pop incident had turned out innocuous enough, but it could have been much worse. She was a Claus, and he was a human. Their lifestyles were incompatible and always would be.
She took a step back, gently releasing his hand. “I should get to bed before this storm gets too loud and keeps me awake all night.” Holly shivered at the loss of his touch as he gently dropped his hand from her waist. She avoided making eye contact with him. The air was still charged with an electricity Holly didn’t think was her magic. “Thanks again for a really fun night.”
“You’re welcome,” Ash replied, though she barely heard him, as she was already disappearing down the hallway.
The faint warmth she’d felt where his hands had touched her slowly dissipated, replaced with the harsh sounds of the storms outside and in her heart.
ChapterForty
Holly woke the next morning to the wind still howling and rain coming down heavily, slamming the Emerald House with impressive strength. Reminded of the hurricane she had once experienced but managed to get away from with the reindeer, she felt thankful that Emerald Hollow was located well above sea level.
