A small smile crept across her lips. If Dash was going to save her, she hoped at some point he’d have to wrap his big strong arms around her and lift her off her feet. She could rest her head on his broad chest and feel safe as she nestled against him.
She missed being in the arms of a strong man. That was the issue. She didn’t need rescuing, she just needed to make a connection with another human being of the opposite sex. Sex. How long had it been? Way too long.
If they tried to make it out of town in his truck and they got stranded in the snow, they might have to nestle close and share each other’s body heat. One thing could lead to another and...
“I’ll be outside by my truck if you need me.”
Gina dropped the pan she was washing back into the hot water, and the soap suds sloshed over the side of the sink, wetting her sweater. “Okay. Don’t get too cold.” She dared not look at him as her cheeks flamed red. Thank goodness he couldn’t read her mind. She’d never had those kinds of thoughts for a man before. There truly was a physical connection between them. A strong attraction that she couldn’t deny.
But could he deny it?
When she’d first met Dash on the porch, he’d looked at her in a strange way. A way that sparked the attraction that grew stronger every minute she was in his company. But except in odd unguarded moments, that look was gone. He was either really good at self-control and hiding his feelings or they had passed. After spending half a day in her company, she’d chased them away.
Gina grabbed a towel and dabbed her sweater dry before finishing the dishes. After putting everything away in the small compact kitchen, she went to the front door and pulled on her boots and coat. If Dash was going to dig his truck out of the snow for her, the least she could do was go and help him.
“Wow!” Stranded on a mountain hadn’t been on her list of things to do before Christmas but there was no denying the beauty of the view as she stood on the porch and she gazed down over the valley below. In the distance, she could see the town of Wishing Moon Bay, the lights shining from the windows of the houses below, twinkling like little stars. “It’s incredible.”
“You should see it in the spring when the buds burst, and the first leaves appear. Everything is so fresh and then the blossoms come, and the petals float down from higher up the mountain. It’s like being in another world.” He tramped through the snow, wading through the drift at the foot of the porch steps before climbing the half-hidden steps. Dash stood by her side and followed her gaze. “There’s the ocean. Can you see it?”
“Yes.” A watery sun shone down as she stared into the distance, its rays reflecting off the snow, almost blinding her. But there, in between the white of the snow and the gray of the gathering clouds, lay a streak of blue more beautiful than any gem. “It’s incredible.” She cleared her throat as her emotions took hold.
“I’d love to share each season with you.” He didn’t look at her, he kept his eyes focused on the horizon.
“I’d like that.” The answer was automatic, but she meant it. At this moment she could think of nothing else but to share her life with Dash. It was as if he’d cast a spell over her. But she didn’t believe in magic.
That left only one explanation. Love at first sight.
Or he’d drugged her.
Chapter Seven – Dash
“I should get back to work.” He didn’t move, he couldn’t move. Dash wanted to be close to his mate for the rest of his life and if he cleared the snow from his truck and put on the snow chains, he would fulfill his promise and drive her away from here.
It’s what she needs, his reindeer told him. And she’ll have to come back for her car.
“I’ll help you.” She flashed him a smile of gratitude.
She’s grateful you didn’t push her when she said she’d like to watch the seasons change with us. His reindeer shook his head and pranced around inside Dash’s head. I can feel it, Christmas Magic is in my veins. I could fly to the moon and back.
You could if we weren’t clearing the snow from the truck. It’s going to take most of the morning to clear the snow and then another hour or so to get the snow chains from the garage and fix them to the wheels. Normally by this time of year, especially with the snow forecast, he’d have put snow tires on the truck. But since he’d been away for so long, he hadn’t had a chance.
We should have asked Greg to do it, his reindeer told him.
I didn’t expect to need them. If we got snowed in here alone, we would manage. If we needed anything from town, we’d just shift and run down the mountain. There was no way to anticipate our mate’s arrival at our door.
But she was here, and he was determined to do everything he could to make her Christmas wish come true. She wanted to be with her family more than she wanted to be here with him. If there was any way to get her home, he’d make it happen.
If you love someone, you have to set them free. Despite the magic infusing his veins, his reindeer’s feet were firmly on the ground. They had a duty to their mate. To make her happy.
“Do you have another snow shovel?” Gina waded through the snow which was about three feet deep where it had drifted. If they were lucky and could get the snow chains on, there might be parts of the road where the trees overhung that were relatively free of snow. If they could navigate the drifts successfully and hit pockets of the road where the snow was only a couple of inches deep, they might make it down off the mountain in one piece and in good time.
It’s safer to stay here, his reindeer advised him.
I know. He went to the garage and grabbed a second snow shovel and passed it to Gina. “Take your time, don’t overdo it.”
“I’ll pace myself, I promise.” She took the shovel and scooped up the snow around the base of the truck wheels and threw it to one side. They worked together for half an hour and managed to uncover one wheel and clear the snow from behind the truck.
“We should take a break.” Dash waded through the snow back to the cabin and leaned his snow shovel against the log wall.
“I can keep going for a while longer.” Gina dug the shovel into the snow and scooped up more of the white stuff.
“Take a break now, let your body recover and you’ll feel stronger when you get back to it.” He wiped a hand across his forehead. “Believe me, I’ve shoveled enough snow over the years.”
“I bow to your experience.” Her feet dragged through the snow as she joined him on the porch. “Do you think we have any chance of getting to town?”
“If we keep working and the snow holds off.” Dash turned his head to the sky as he stared out over the town below. The second snow front was on its way. They needed at least another hour to dig out the truck. He doubted they had time to dig out the truck and drive to town before the air would be filled with snow and visibility would drop to barely nothing.
There is another way, his reindeer said as he pushed off the ground, inside of Dash’s head, and flew in a circle.
You want to fly Gina home? Dash hadn’t considered that an option. His mate would think he was crazy if he told her he was a shifter who could fly.
We’re going to have to tell her sometime, his reindeer said. If this is the only way to get her home, she’ll be happy we’re a shifter. And you won’t just have to tell her. We can show her. Excitement filled his reindeer, and he shook his head and pranced around, filled with the joys of the season.
“Shall I go and make us some coffee?” Gina leaned her snow shovel next to his.
“What?” He jumped as he dragged his gaze from the snow clouds and focused on his mate.
“Coffee? You were miles away.”
“I was just thinking if there was another way to get you home.”
“And is there?” Hope flared in her heart as her eyes brightened.
“There might be. But it’s a little unorthodox.”
“Unorthodox?”
“Yes.” They went inside the cabin and took off their boots and coats.
“Ar
e you going to explain any more?”
Dash had no idea where to start. He’d never had to explain shifters to anyone before. Which made him nervous enough. Add the fact his reindeer could fly for a handful of nights a year so that he could pull Santa’s sleigh and Gina would likely call a doctor to come and assess his mental health. “It’s hard to explain.”
“Okay.” She sounded dubious as they made coffee and he fetched the cookie jar from the cupboard.
This is going to need more than cookies. His reindeer was both amused and afraid. But where could Gina run to? There was no way down from the mountain even if she did choose to run.
Dash said no more until they were seated at the kitchen table with their coffee. He took a cookie from the bar and bit into it. “It’s going to make more sense if I show you.”
“Now you’re making me nervous.” Her eyes brightened. “Oh, do you have a snowmobile or something?”
“No, it’s nothing like that. And even a snow sled would have trouble getting down off the mountain today. The snow isn’t packed enough.” He finished his cookie and took a gulp of hot coffee to wash it down.
“So what is it? And how unorthodox is it?” Her brow creased as she went through different scenarios. “A glider? Parachute?”
She is never going to guess. The magic was strong in his reindeer. If they were going to attempt Dash’s idea, they should make preparations fast. They would have to go tonight under cover of darkness.
“I’ll show you once we’ve finished our coffee. But you have to promise me you won’t freak out.”
“Oh, those are so not words a person wants to hear when someone’s going to show them something.” She pressed her lips together. “But if you think this will get me to my brother’s house for Christmas, then I promise not to freak out. Although that promise would be a whole lot easier if I had some clue as to what to expect.”
“You’ll have to wait and see.”
“Oh, this is like Christmas Eve when I was a kid. You desperately want to know if you have the thing you wished for, but you have to wait.” She leaned forward, her eyes flashing with excitement. “I never was good at waiting.”
Dash chuckled. “Believe me, this is worth waiting for.”
“You are such a tease.” Gina leaned back in her chair and crossed her ankles under the table, her leg brushed against his, sending a thrill of excitement all the way up his body. Meeting his mate was like all his Christmases come at once. He couldn’t wait to show her his other side and yet the same thought filled him with dread.
“Just remember there’s nothing to be scared of.” He winced as uncertainty crossed her face.
“Don’t tell me anymore.” She held her finger up and wagged it at him. “I promise to keep an open mind and to not freak out but telling me there’s nothing to be scared of just makes me...scared.”
Dash drained his coffee cup and offered Gina one last cookie, which she took before he put the lid back on the jar and placed it back in the cupboard. His hand trembled a little as he closed the door, his nerves building. What if he got this wrong? Even if he showed her his reindeer and he could fly, could he pull a sleigh with his mate in? He’d given his nephew and niece a ride in a sleigh before but that was within the boundaries of Wishing Moon Bay. What if they left town and the sleigh fell out of the sky?
If it works when Santa is in the sleigh, it’ll work for our mate, his reindeer replied confidently.
“Okay, I’m ready.” Gina dusted the crumbs from her fingers before crossing the kitchen and putting her cup in the sink. “As ready as I’m going to be,” she added.
“Then let’s go out back and I’ll show you.” He opened the back door. The snow had piled up against it, but thankfully didn’t fall into the kitchen. Dash leaned down and scooped the snow away from the door with his hands while Gina fetched their outdoor clothes.
“On a scale of one to ten, how freaked out do you expect me to be?” She pulled on her boots and then put her arms into her coat. Shrugging it on, she watched Dash, waiting for his response.
“I have no idea. I’d probably go for an eight.”
“An eight. That’s high.” Gina stood up and smoothed her hair back from her face. “Let’s get it done.”
“After you.” He opened the door into the back yard once more and waited for his mate to go outside before he stepped into the snow and pulled the door closed behind him.
She shivered, hugging herself as she walked through the virgin snow. “It’s a whole lot colder now that we’ve been inside.”
He made a mental note to dig out some warm clothing for Gina to wear. If she was cold now, she’d be even colder when they were flying through the night above the clouds. Was he doing the right thing? He would get her home, but would he still be putting his mate in danger?
“Okay. Stand there. Don’t move and please don’t run.” He held out his hands to her, wanting to freeze her in place.
“I don’t exactly have anywhere to run.” She looked from side to side before she covered her pocket with her hand.
She’s checking to see if she’s got her phone and her car keys, his reindeer warned him.
Neither of them will help her. She can’t drive her car in this snow and there is still limited cell phone reception even though the snow has stopped falling.
Dash smiled gently at his mate. “Just try to stay calm. What you’re about to see might freak you out but it’s real and this is how we’re going to get you home.”
“Okay.” Her lips were a thin red line against her deathly pale skin as she nodded, her feet hip-width apart as she stood before him.
Not wanting to prolong this any longer than necessary, Dash let go of his human form and the world around him just as he’d done a thousand times or more since his first shift. After weeks of being pent up with no chance to shift, his reindeer shot forward as soon as Dash had let go. With a toss of his head, he took a couple of prancing steps forward, his knees high as she stood before his mate.
“What the hell!” Gina took a couple of steps backward, her hand outstretched behind her as she plopped down in the cold snow. Scrambling to her feet, she held out her hand and walked toward him, her head tilted to one side as if trying to figure out if this was a magic trick. Not one with real magic but one that used optical illusions to trick the audience. In this case an audience of one. Gina.
Dash’s reindeer stood still, stretching his neck forward to sniff their mate, his breath a cloud of vapor on the still air.
“You’re real?” Gina took a step forward and stretched out her hand to the reindeer who had taken the place of Dash’s human form.
The reindeer tossed his head in reply and stepped forward with one big foot so that he could reach her hand and blow his warm breath over her fingers.
“That tickles.” She half-smiled as she stroked the soft fur on the reindeer’s face. “I’ve seen reindeer before when I visited Santa’s grotto with Scott. My nephew always wanted to ride on one.”
The reindeer took another step forward, no longer needing to stretch his neck out as he sidled up against Gina.
“This is incredible.” She bit her bottom lip as she fell silent. Then she shook her head. “So you are Dash?”
The reindeer nodded.
“And you can change back to human form?” Her forehead wrinkled as if she were trying to solve a difficult math equation. “And he can change into you.”
The reindeer nudged her and then brushed against her as he circled around and around.
“But I don’t see how this is going to help me leave town. Or can you pull a sled down the mountain and take me to the edge of town?”
Dash’s reindeer shook himself before he trotted away from Gina and turned to face her. He was filled with uncertainty. She’d coped well with the knowledge that Dash could shift into a reindeer, but how would she react to seeing him fly?
Only one way to find out, his reindeer answered. With a flick of his heels, he cantered forward, after the firs
t couple of strides his feet no longer touched the snow as he rose above her head.
“You can fly?” She asked the question, not believing her own eyes. Because if she did, she would know the answer. “On a scale of one to ten on the freak-o-meter, I think this rates as a ten.”
But she didn’t run, she didn’t scream. Dash’s relief was instant, and the reindeer came down to land lightly on the snow. His display was over, it was time to talk. If they were going to leave tonight, Dash had things he needed to do.
The air shimmered and the reindeer let go of the world, allowing Dash to come back. But how would their mate react?
Chapter Eight – Gina
“What is that?” Gina twirled her finger around. “What just happened?”
“I’m a shifter,” he explained quickly. “I was born with the ability to shift from a human form to a reindeer.” His forehead creased. “Not that I could shift from when I was born, a shifter doesn’t get those abilities until they reach puberty.”
“Oh, well, that explains everything,” Gina said drily as she put her hands to her cheeks and shook her head. “It’s impossible. But it can’t be impossible because I just saw it happen and I touched you. I put my hand on the reindeer’s head and touched him. He was real, he was there.”
“He’s very real. As real as I am.”
“But he can fly.” She held out her hands, needing an explanation. It defied all logic. “How can he fly?”
“I’m one of...” He chewed the inside of his cheek and raked his hand through his hair. “I thought that you seeing me shift and then seeing my reindeer fly was going to be hard to believe…”
“Tell me.” She needed to know. Surely things couldn’t get any worse.
“My reindeer gets to fly for a few nights every year...” He took a deep breath. “Because we are part of the team that pulls Santa’s sleigh.”
Laughter bubbled up inside of her and she covered her mouth with her hands to stop the hysterics that threatened. Then she sobered. “You’re actually serious.”
Dashing Home for Chrstmas Page 5