They hadn’t won the Hallmark competition, but that had always been a pipe dream. As he’d hoped, the publicity from it had generated a ton of buzz, and the last two weeks of both November and December were already completely booked at the Emerald House for the next year.
Ash thought of all the holidays up until then. Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, midsummer solstice, the Fourth of July… the opportunities were endless. He just had to find a wayto put a special Emerald Hollow spin on each. And with Holly’s help, they could make it happen.
Goose bumps rose on his arms, and he looked up to a soft knock on his office door.
“Come in!”
A grin split his face when he saw her. Snow floated on her dark-brown locks, and she was wearing his new favorite color—red.
“I thought I might find you here,” Holly said, her voice as sweet and musical as he remembered. They’d only been apart for a few days, but it still took his breath away to see her.
He stood and crossed the room.
She gave a soft laugh as he slipped his arms around her and squeezed, lifting her slightly off the ground. She met his lips with hers, and a feeling that could best be described as spellbinding passed between them. For a moment, they just stood there, gazing at each other.
Finally, Ash broke the tension. “Sofia was asking about you. Well, about both of us. She wanted to know if we were going to do a long-distance relationship or if you had plans to move here.”
Holly bit her bottom lip, and Ash wanted to kiss her again. But he stayed still and let her mind work. He couldn’t stop studying her face. It was all so new, being with her and knowing the real her. He was blown away just being in her vicinity and would do whatever it took to hold on to her.
“It all looks a bit complicated from a human standpoint, doesn’t it? I’m sure I will move here eventually, but that probably seems soon to everyone else, right? I feel so at home here already. And no matter where I live, I will always return to the North Pole at least once a month to discharge my Cheer. Maybe people could think we keep a vacation house in Canada. Or that I’m traveling for work. Both are technically true.”
Ash reached for her hand. “There was only one thing you said in all of that that matters.”
She cocked her head, and he tugged her a little closer.
“You said you feel at home here.” Ash couldn’t even begin to explain what that meant to him. “The rest of it is just details. People can draw their own conclusions about where you live or how much time we spend together. They’ll do that no matter what we do or say.”
Holly nodded. “I guess you’re right. And the elves don’t seem to mind if I’m here most of the time. I know my parents resided at the North Pole, and they were used to that, but for years, I was gone almost every day, traveling around the world. If I’m here most of the month then spend a few days there, fully engaged, they’re better off than they were before, aren’t they?”
“Have you talked to Clementine about it?” Ash asked, the memory of the elf mayor’s cool manner when she met him jumping into his mind.
Holly shook her head. “Not in much detail, no. She just seems relieved that the North Post is functioning again. As long as my Cheer meter is collecting Cheer, I think she’ll be happy. And of course, I wanted to get back here to prepare for the New Year’s Eve party. Speaking of the party, I’ve got the decorations. They’re in the… shed.”
“Shed” was their code word for “sleigh” in case anyone overheard them. References to a sleigh were fine around Christmastime, but it was almost January, and they’d agreed that Holly’s secret would stay between the two of them. That was the way it had always been with North Pole magic, according to Holly.
“Great. Esmeralda asked about you too.” Ash was on more solid ground discussing the party. He could handle the humans in Emerald Hollow, so long as Holly could handle the elves.
Holly laughed. “I’ll have to decorate when no one is looking in order to make it really… you know.” She raised her shoulders and shimmied a bit.Magical.
“The restaurant is closing early tonight, so that should be fine. But speaking of the restaurant…” Ash perched on the edge of the desk and told her his plans.
Chapter Eight
ISAIAH
Isaiah was sitting in his hospital bed, staring out the window at the snow, when a soft tap came on the other side of the door. Dr. Margo peeked in then stepped fully inside, an assistant a few steps behind her, poised to take notes.
“Hello, Isaiah. How are you feeling?” Dr. Margo’s eyes were evaluating but had a softness behind them as well. He was grateful for that because he felt like a complete mental mess at that moment.
“About the same,” he said, sitting up fully in the bed. “Physically, fine. I just can’t figure out what happened to me.”
Dr. Margo nodded and pursed her lips then looked at a paper on the clipboard she held. “Your scan results came in.”
Isaiah’s pulse quickened.Am I finally going to get some answers?
“Everything looks good. No swelling or other signs of internal injury. As far as we can tell, you didn’t sustain a head injury.”
Isaiah wasn’t sure whether to feel relief or deeper confusion. A head injury was the only thing that explained why he couldn’t remember anything about his life besides his name.If I don’t have a head injury, then what caused all this?
