She changed the topic back to the New Year’s Eve party. “What time do you want me there to make drinks tonight?”
“Doors open at seven thirty, so any time around then.”
“You got it, boss. I’ll have the champagne flowing when people walk in.”
“See ya, Sof.”
Sofia hung up and looked at the time. She still had a couple of hours before she needed to be at the Emerald House. She turned the music back on and resumed her work.
Chapter Six
HOLLY
Holly had been at the North Pole since Christmas day, helping the elves transition into Evergreen mode. The previous season was the first in recent memory that Christmas had almost fallen apart, and a week later, there was a palpable sense of relief in the air that things had worked out.
“Clementine, did you ask Auryn about those decorations?”
The Elf Mayor’s ice-blond braids swung as she turned to Holly. “Yes, Ms. Claus. They should be in the sleigh already.”
“Thanks, Clementine. I’ll probably be gone for most of the cycle. Is that okay?” Holly was already buzzing at the thought of going back to Emerald Hollow. That time, she would be able to stay nearly a whole month. And when she had to head back to the North Pole to discharge her Cheer, Ash would know exactly what was going on.
The thought still made her giddy. Ash knew who she was. He knew about her magic, and he was okay with it. They had a lot of details to work out, but for the moment, she knew she would be spending a lot more time in Ash’s hometown, a place she’d grown to love as much as he did.
She tried not to feel any guilt at the idea of taking up residence in Emerald Hollow. The elves were accustomed to her absence. After all, she used to spend most of each cycle traveling around the world. And she felt more connected to them since she was able to spend time with them while she was at the North Pole rather than being exhausted from her Cheer-collecting missions. She would still be gone a similar amount each month, but when she left to collect Cheer to power the North Pole, Emerald Hollow was the only place she needed to go.
“That’s just fine, Ms. Claus. Everything is rosy here. Do you have any big plans to ring in the New Year?” Clementine asked, breaking Holly out of thoughts of her living situation.
“Emerald Hollow has an annual New Year’s Eve bash. That’s why I need the decor. How about you?” New Year’s Eve wasn’t traditionally celebrated at the North Pole. They partied heartily on Christmas Day, saying farewell to Advent season and ringing in Evergreen.
Still, human holidays weren’t completely unknown to the elves, and a stray firework had occasionally been spotted against the backdrop of the Northern Lights on New Year’s Eves past.
“I’m going skiing,” Clementine said.
Holly’s eyes widened. It was hard to picture her serious friend doing anything outside of her mayoral duties. But now that she thought of it, she could easily picture Clementine skiing. She was sure that the elf was an expert.
“That sounds like fun, Clementine. Do you need anything before I leave?”
“No, no. Everything is under control. Go soak us up some of that superpowered Cheer you’ve found in Oregon.”
Holly grinned. She hadn’t fully explained to the elves why her Cheer was so much brighter. They knew it had something to do with Ash, but otherwise, most were just happy that the North Post was back to full brightness and that the North Pole had allthe power it needed. The past few months had been tense for them all, and elves were not accustomed to stress.
“Will do.” She gave Clementine a little wave then made her way to the stables. Some of the Keyblar elves had readied four reindeer, and they stood waiting by the golden sleigh. Holly quickly peered into the back seat and noticed the large sack of decorations that had been carefully placed there.
Dancer, Willow, Butter, and Sprig were her reindeer crew that day. Ivy and Clove had begged to come—they were in love with the forests of Emerald Hollow—but Holly had been tipped off by Clementine that some of the other reindeer were starting to get jealous, so she’d asked for a fresh team.
While Ivy and Clove had been disappointed, Auryn, her elf assistant, had assured her they would be busy preparing for the reindeer games and would forget about Emerald Hollow in no time.
She climbed into the sleigh, settled herself, and lifted the delicate reins.
Emerald Hollow, Ash, here I come.
Chapter Seven
ASH
Ash sat at the desk in his office, reviewing paperwork. The vineyard deal he had been working on for months was finally being inked. The Emerald House would have exclusive sales rights to special varieties of two of the vineyard’s most popular wines, and he was in the process of acquiring an old-fashioned trolley that could take people from Emerald Hollow out to the winery for tours.
They still had a few more details to work out, but he planned to debut the special wines at a Valentine’s Day event at the Emerald House. Because of the success of that year’s fall festival and Christmas Faire, Emerald Hollow was quickly becoming a holiday destination. Word was spreading that it was the place to be for anyone seeking a magical small-town experience.
