Page 11 of The Naughty Or Nice Clause
“The Klaus Cabin, please.”
The driver snapped the reins, the force pushing Lyla back into the sleigh. If she hadn’t been holding Jones, she would have pinched herself.Riding in a sleigh in the North Pole – how did my life come to this?
“Do your family live in the cabin, or is it yours?” she whispered, not wanting to be heard by the driver.
“The whole family have lived there since the village came to fruition.” Klaus folded his arms over his chest; she wasn’t sure if he was cold or being defensive.Came to fruition? What the hell does that even mean?
“I think the hangover is making me hallucinate,” she said when they turned down a Main Street that looked like Christmas had exploded. There was a decorated tree so tall that she tried to get a better look, but the sleigh took off in a different direction.
“I wanted to see the tree,” she sighed under her breath.
“If you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all,” said Klaus dryly. The sleigh climbed through rows of trees until they could see the village below them in the distance.
“How can you come from such a place and be such a…?” Lyla breathed into her hands, stopping herself. She was about to meet his family, and she didn’t want to be mid-argument when they arrived at the cabin.
“Such a what?” Mason said, leaning in, daring her to continue.
She rose to the challenge. “A Scrooge. People would pay millions to see such a place – hell, even to use that damn bell.”
He relaxed back. “No one can ever know you were here, or how we got here. I’m breaking every law there is by bringing you home.”
“Then why bring me? If we’re breaking the law, why bring more trouble on yourself?” she mumbled, wondering why he was intent on making her the enemy whenhehad brought her here without any warning.
“Because I couldn’t return alone,” he said, low enough that she barely heard. She didn’t say anything else. She knew loneliness was a powerful motivator, and she figured a person couldn’t be more alone than Klaus.
The sleigh bolted right for a steep snow path lined with huge uncut trees, the way marked with lampposts. Up the hill, they were high enough to look over the entire village when the trees cleared. The lights called to Lyla; she had never seen anything so pretty. She realised that all the streets and alleys at this height shaped the village into a perfect star, with the huge Christmas tree exactly in the centre.
“If you lean out any further, you’ll fall out, and the woods are unforgiving,” Klaus warned, taking her arm.
“How could you ever leave?” she wondered, not taking her eyes off the view.
“I see your young miss can appreciate the splendour of Yule, even if you can’t,” the driver said. Lyla winced; she hadn’t meant to be so loud in her admiration.
“Not now, Argyle,” Klaus said, and the driver laughed.
“Your family will be delighted to have you back, as will the village. I don’t think we ever expected to see your face again. Certainly not with a missus in your arms, traipsing through the village. There’ll be plenty of chatter in the workshops tomorrow,” he said, peeking at them over his shoulder –at her.
Lyla blushed fiercely. “Missus? No! I’m not his wife.”
The sleigh came to a screeching halt.
“Not his wife?” Argyle gawked, then a deep frown darkened his features. Lyla wondered if they really had travelled back in time.Is not being married a crime?“The council will want to have a word with you,” Argyle told Klaus, who leant forward and patted the elderly man’s shoulder.
“Please, Argyle, it’s cold, and we have a long evening ahead. All will be explained in time,” he said. It seemed to put the man at ease – mostly.
“The council won’t be happy about this,” he warned. “The village has had enough of a shock with the loss of your father.”
Lyla’s gut was telling her that this wonderland might not be so wondrous.Would they truly be so angry that I’m here with him?
“When have I ever made the council happy?” Klaus said. Argyle looked like he was about to argue his point further, but Klaus interrupted him before he could. “I’m only teasing you. Has age ruined your sense of humour? The village should be rejoicing. I’ve brought someone home – something else to talk about rather than our loss.”
Something to talk about? Is that all I am, just a topic for gossip? Is his relationship with his family and the village really so strained?Lyla didn’t know what she was walking into, but judging from Argyle’s expression, she might be the one who was unwelcome.
“Cruel as always, sir. You shouldn’t joke about tradition. The council certainly won’t.” Argyle snapped the reigns once again.
Klaus lounged back and gave her a wink but no answers. She scowled at him in response. She needed to speak to him, but clearly there was a part to play that she couldn’t keep up with. For her own safety, she opted for silence and enjoyed the view of the village.
Chapter Six
