Page 61 of Chasing Cheer
“I don’t know, man. I haven’t been the best husband lately. I’ve been spending too much time working and drinking too much. She was in the right to take off.”
“I know how much you two love each other. There’re some AA meetings in town. Get yourself straight, and let her know you’re serious about it. Give her a chance to come back.” Ash willed it to work out for them. He’d never known exactly what went on between his parents, but he chose to believe that his dad had done everything possible to keep their family together. Maybe Lucas and Kara would have a different outcome for their child.
Lucas let out a deep breath, and it swirled in the freezing air. “You’re right. I know you’re right. And how about you? This… Holly? Are you in love with her?”
Ash knew the answer immediately, though he’d never said it aloud or even to himself. “Yeah, man. I’m pretty sure I am.” Suddenly, Ash’s brain taunted him with a flash of Holly’s green eyes gazing through the trees. He blinked, and only the forest was in front of him. Imitating Lucas, he kicked at the ground.
“Then it sounds like we’ve both got some work to do,” Lucas said as Ash stood. “And I’m sorry about the workshop. I mean it. That was a huge mess up. I can pay for everything that was destroyed.”
Ash nodded. “Call me when you get right. I’ll be here.”
He climbed into his truck, eased down the long driveway, and rolled down the windows to let in the crisp air, attempting to clear out the lingering scent of cinnamon.
ChapterForty-Eight
As soon as Holly landed in the North Pole, she could tell things had gotten worse. The normally fluffy bed of white snow that blanketed the village year-round had melted much further. The reindeer sniffed at the dirt patches anxiously.
Holly flew down the path toward Merriment Square. The sun was beginning to rise, and nearly all the elves were gathered in the central hub, clustered near the dimly lit North Post.
“Clementine,” Holly breathed when she caught sight of the elf mayor moving quickly toward her through the crowd.
Clementine glanced at Holly’s wrist, her eyes anxious.
“It didn’t work. I couldn’t collect any Cheer. I think my watch is broken.”
Holly had spoken quietly, but the elves seemed to sense her words. They muttered anxiously, clinging to one another. A few of the younger elves began to cry at the unfamiliar sense of something being not right.
“I’m going to talk to Lumi Kringle.”
Clementine brushed a thick blond braid over her shoulder. “She’s already waiting for you at your house.”
Holly simply nodded and walked past her to her front porch. She avoided running, trying to keep her expression and gait steady to reassure the elves. Walking through her front door, she sensed immediately that the lack of magic was affecting her home as well.
The always-present aroma of cinnamon was gone, and the fireplace, which constantly burned, had been extinguished, leaving the room feeling cold and empty. Shadows she’d never noticed before were cast over her home. Her mind flashed to playing cards with Ash in front of a roaring fire built by her magic, and her stomach twisted again.
Lumi was sitting on a round cushion in the living room. She stood when she saw Holly and drew her into a quick hug before sitting down again, ready to talk business.
“Lumi, I’m so glad to see you. Something is seriously wrong. My Cheer meter won’t charge. The North Post has lost some of its light. The snow is melting. The elves are confused and nervous. What do I do? How can I fix this? Can the elves make me a new Cheer meter?” Holly spoke too quickly, desperation creeping into her voice.
Lumi listened patiently then let out a big sigh and clasped her hands in her lap. “I’m afraid you’ve encountered a North Pole rule of magic that hasn’t been needed in a long time.”
“A rule? What rule?” Holly asked, her hands shaking.Am I finally going to get answers to my questions about magic?
“The North Pole operates on unseen rules. For the most part, there is no need for us to know them. As long as we keep fueling the North Post with Cheer, the rest of the magic sorts itself out and powers everything here.”
Holly was bursting with a million questions and wanted to interrupt, but Lumi, sensing it, simply rested a hand on Holly’s and continued speaking.
“In the magic system that powers everything here, there is occasionally a… a variable that comes into play.”
“A variable?” Holly repeated, unable to stay silent.
“Yes. Humans might call it… Well, they’d call it love.”
Holly’s eyes widened, but she stayed quiet as Lumi continued.
“There’s more to it than even I know, I’m sure, but the most important part for us today is that when a Claus falls in love, it can cause their Cheer to change. It gets…. more vibrant, I guess you could say. When you returned from Emerald Hollow before and deposited the Cheer, the North Post lit up brighter than we’d become accustomed to. That’s because you had experienced love, and it changed your Cheer.”
Holly jumped up, too surprised to continue sitting on the plush cushion. “That can’t be right. I’ve soaked up the love emotion many times in my Cheer meter. It didn’t change the brightness of my Cheer!” Something she couldn’t quite explain was warring in her heart.
