Page 7 of Chasing Cheer


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Despite that Holly should be overjoyed by such a sudden windfall of Cheer, a strange sensation prickled up her spine. She was used to being in control or at least to being able to read situations and react accordingly. Sure, she’d been a little nervous a few times when the cycle was close to ending, and she hadn’t quite met her quota, but those nerves just helped her get creative. As a result, she’d always gathered the required amount of Cheer, even if just barely.

Holly slouched in the chair, knitting her brow in consternation. She took one last look at her watch, triple-checking that she was reading the meter correctly. There was no mistake.What in the stars is going on in Emerald Hollow?

* * *

Holly slipped out laterthat evening to check on the reindeer. The Emerald House had multiple paths that led toward the woods, and she took the one that led in the direction of the clearing where she and the reindeer had landed earlier that day.

The four animals found her easily when she entered the clearing. Dasher and Gale strode up to greet her, while Ivy and Clove rolled in a pile of leaves. When Dasher twitched his ears at them in Holly’s direction, they jumped up at the sight of her.

They had been trained to be self-sufficient while she was on Cheer-collecting missions, scavenging for food and going out for quick flights to stretch their legs as needed. She glanced over to see the golden sleigh glistening in the early-night moonlight.

The sleigh was invisible to humans, of course, but it was also Holly’s connection to the North Pole, and she kept a close eye on it when she could. She gave each of the reindeer a handful of magic lichen and a quick pat good night then retraced her steps to the Emerald House.

The place had slowed down a little for the evening, with the café closed and the restaurant getting ready to shut down for the night. Holly passed through the lobby and the hallway that led toward her room, which were lit with electric bronze lanterns. The place was tastefully decorated for fall, and Holly imagined it looked festive and beautiful at Christmastime too.

For a moment, she thought it might be nice to see the Emerald House then, in a few months, but she let the idea pass. With her nomadic lifestyle, it was unlikely she would be back there in less than a year, if ever. Once she figured out what was fueling the spike in her Cheer, she would be able to return to the North Pole, update her research, and improve her efficiency for good. It could be a breakthrough, but it was still one of many temporary stops for Holly.

“Hey there,” someone with a kind, deep voice said, and Holly paused in the hallway before turning around. She recognized the warm voice instantly.

Holly turned. “Hello.” She was normally good at small talk, part of her magic, but she was so distracted by her watch that she had a hard time thinking of anything beyond a simple greeting.

But Ash filled the silence without missing a beat. “Sorry. You were probably heading to your room for the night. My apartment is around the corner, but I wanted to take Comet for a walk before we turn in.”

Holly suddenly noticed the sleek black dog with a streak of white going down its back sitting patiently at Ash’s feet. He didn’t have a leash on, but he was sporting a brilliant red collar with a small gold metal tag in the shape of a dog bone.

“Your dog’s name is Comet?” Holly asked, surprised. “Like the reindeer?” She was familiar with most of the commercial Christmas myths and reindeer names. They’d actually named some of their reindeer after those characters, like Dasher, because her dad thought it would be funny and ironic.

Ash laughed and shook his head. “Like the cosmic snowball. Named after the streak on his back. But sure, like the reindeer too.”

Holly had been around dogs before, of course. They brought their owners astonishingly high levels of joy, and dog parks were good places to soak up Cheer. But there were no dogs at the North Pole, only reindeer, penguins, and other forest creatures, and Holly wasn’t sure what to do.Should I greet the dog, like I would the reindeer?

“Hello, Comet,” Holly said, deciding to give the dog a soft pat on the head, imitating what her reindeer liked.

Comet seemed to approve, because he nuzzled his face against her palm. Ash watched the encounter, his eyes lighting up.

“Would you like to come with us?” Ash asked, and Holly slowly lifted her gaze. “On our walk? It’s really nice out this time of night.”

Holly paused for only a moment, her watch vibrating insistently.

Why not?she thought. She was there to do research, and that would qualify.

“That sounds nice.”

She followed Ash and Comet out into the starry night.

ChapterSeven

“So, where are you from, Holly?” Ash asked.

They were strolling through the little gardens behind the Emerald House. Most of the garden’s plant occupants had started to change colors for the fall, and some had already dropped their leaves.

For a moment, Ash wished Holly could see it in the spring, when the gardens were at their most vibrant. Fall had a beauty of its own, though, and Ash’s gaze landed on his favorite tree, which was a brilliant fire-engine red. Holly’s eyes seemed to follow his, and he noticed her appreciate the color too.

“Canada,” Holly replied.

Ash was surprised by this answer. He hadn’t picked up a trace of anything besides a typical Pacific Northwestern accent. He focused on the path in front of him rather than analyzing her face. She was again wearing that shade of bright red that set off the bit of color in her cheeks and lips.

“Canada? Really? So what brings you to Emerald Hollow? Is our fall festival really advertised so far up north?” He laughed, trying not to convey how curious he was.