Marrying Miss Kringle: Lux

by McConnell, Lucy

  Lux’s face blushed pink. “I’m in Quik’s barn.”

  “We’ve got some nice surges going on up here.”

  “Are you sure it’s not your fault?”

  There was a pause. “Yeah. I’m in the office.”

  “Okay, I’ll, uh, why don’t you shut down? We’re going to look over the prototype, and I can’t control … it right now.”

  Stella hooted, and Lux shoved her phone in her back pocket. “My turn.” Lux was suddenly busy stowing her tools. “How do you survive out here?”

  He paused for a moment to consider whether he was willing to let this game go any further. He could stomp out of here right now, but he’d already spent a month berating himself for not taking a chance when it was before him—he wouldn’t do that again. He wasn’t a man to run from a challenge, and getting to know Lux while maintaining his invisibility in the world would be a challenge. “Well, I have a small garden in the summer. I hunt for game and I fish.”

  “Yeah, I get that. But who rescues you when I’m not around?” She looked up at him from lowered lashes. “You seem to court trouble.”

  “I do not court anything.”

  She lifted one eyebrow.

  “Today was a fluke.”

  “Did you ask Ginger to move out here?”

  That was a question he wasn’t expecting. He hooked his thumb in his pocket. “I asked her to homestead with me. She was resourceful—nothing like you. I mean, you would be great out here. It wasn’t anything romantic—I’m not that kind of guy.”

  “You’re not romantic?”

  “Not usually. But that’s not what I meant.” He stepped a little closer, testing to see if she would let him near. She’d jumped away pretty quickly when Stella called. Maybe her family didn’t approve of him or something.

  “Huh.” Lux bit her lip, but she didn’t move away.

  “Huh what?”

  “Well, if you’re not usually romantic, I’m wondering what constitutes an unusual romantic situation.”

  “Well, usual romance is candlelight dinners, bouquets of red roses, teddy bears, chocolates, evening strolls on the beach.”

  She nodded.

  “So an unusual situation might be in a barn.” Her eyes went wide as he closed the distance between them. “With a reindeer.” Dunder snorted. He was still harnessed to the sleigh, so there wasn’t much he could do to interrupt them. “And a very smart, kind, beautiful woman.” He brushed his fingers over her cheeks and she gasped. “This would be an unusually romantic situation.”

  “Oh,” she breathed.

  He moved his left hand to her waist and pulled her closer. His right hand cupped her cheek. Soft particles of light danced in his peripheral vision.

  “Quik?” Her voice was low and husky. “Is this you being romantic?”

  Quik placed his forehead against hers. “This is Alaskan romance at its finest.”

  She sighed and nestled into him.

  He began to sway the two of them, wanting to dance with this beautiful creature. “What’s your favorite song?”

  “‘I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas.’”

  How appropriate—with the fire and the lingering snow outside and the warm woman in his arms. He began humming, all of his best Christmas memories from childhood flashing through his head and creating a glow around them. Before long, he was carried away in the moment. He took Lux’s hand in his and led her in a small box step. Violins and violas and flutes and drums picked up where his humming left off. Lux tipped up her chin, her eyes wide with wonder.

  Once their gazes locked, they couldn’t tear them away. Fairy lights twinkled in the air, and they were transported from his musty barn to a ballroom with smooth, polished floors; a buffet table full of sweets; and a giant Christmas tree in the center of the floor, decked with red bows and gold balls and white snowflakes and ribbons. Quik began to sing, quietly, wanting the melody to be just for him and Lux. This was her favorite song, and he wanted her to hear it from him.

  With the symphony drawing out the final notes, he dipped Lux. Her hands threaded into his hair and he was done for. Before he knew what had happened, their lips came together in a soft caress.

  BOOM! The rafters shook. Their lips broke apart. He whipped Lux to her feet and gathered her close to his chest.

  “The conductor!” Lux shoved his chest and tore herself out of his arms. The prototype substation whirled and twirled. There were no sparks arching between circuits, but a large stream of the twinkling lights was going in one end and a smaller stream came out the other.

  Disoriented, Quik leaned on one of the heavy beams that held up the hayloft. Where had the ballroom gone?

  The machine sparked red sparks. Like the one he’d seen early with the four-wheeler. “That’s not possible,” he mumbled. A low rumbling built. “Cut the power!” he yelled over the increasing din.

  Lux whirled on him. “I can’t.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because we’re the power source.”

  “What?” She wasn’t making any sense.

  “You have to leave.” She went to push him toward the door and recoiled as green sparks joined the red ones and bolts shook, clanking ominously.

  Quik reached for her. “I’m not leaving you in here.”

  “You have to.” She scrambled for her bag.

  “No, I don’t.” He squatted down, grabbed her legs, and threw her over his shoulder. A whistling joined the humming and clanking. Quik sprinted for the door. They cleared the threshold just as the ground shook. He stumbled. Metal ripped and Quik dove for cover. They rolled a couple of times, stopping in a pile of snow. He put his body on top of hers, expecting a repercussion of some sort.

  When the noises all died down, Lux wiggled out from underneath him. “The Mini-Sub!” She stumbled into the barn.

  Quik stared at the structure. Not a beam was out of place; not a board was crooked.

  “Nutcrackers!” Lux yelled. Metal clanged together as if she’d thrown something. He hurried over, wondering if he was going insane. Had he imagined the whole thing? The symphony, the explosion? Reality was slipping away.

  He poked his head in the door. “Is it safe?”

  Chapter Twenty

  “Not for you.” Lux didn’t mean the words to come out like she was angry. The truth of the matter was that Christmas Magic didn’t pose a threat to her. Because she was a part of it, the magic couldn’t harm her. In fact, the magic had protected everything around them, making a bubble around the prototype to contain the explosion.

  She kicked the base. “It shouldn’t have exploded like that.”

  Quik came all the way into the barn, but he kept his distance. “Substations don’t usually go boom.”

  She rolled her eyes and folded her arms. “We’ve already established that this was an unusual situation.”

  “What? You think I did this?” He poked his finger into his chest.

  Lux pressed her lips together to hold back the resounding yes that threatened to burst forth. “We both did.” A thrill went up her back as she remembered their kiss. It was heated and strong and yet soft and gentle—everything she’d imagined it to be and so much more. “But it shouldn’t have gone into overload. Someone else must be kissing—holy holly.” She yanked her phone out of her back pocket. The screen was cracked from when Quik rolled on top of her. He was solid and strong, and she’d had a difficult time thinking for a minute there. She pressed the talkie button. “Stella.”

  “What?” Stella’s reply was garbled.

  “Are you with Axel?”

  “I’m with two guys right now. Ben and Jerry.”

  Quik chuckled.

  Lux shot him a look. “I’ve got a situation here and I need to know if you’re … you know.”

  There was a pause. It lasted long enough that Lux checked to make sure her phone hadn’t died. Stella finally came back on. “We broke up.”

  Lux’s arms went numb. “What do you mean, you broke up? How can you b
reak up? It’s May, Stella. Two hundred and seventeen days till Christmas.”

  “I know, all right? I can feel the matrimonial pressure. I don’t need you piling it on.”

  Lux tapped her phone against her forehead. Seven months may seem like forever to a child waiting for Christmas, but in the adult world, seven months could disappear faster than you could say Black Friday Sale. Seven months was not enough time to find true love. Well, maybe for Stella. She tended to fall in love a lot. But that was just it. Stella went through a lot guys, but none of them stuck. If she couldn’t make the leap to marriage before Christmas day, that would be the end of everything.

  And if Lux didn’t get this machine done in time, they’d be carving toys by hand. “I’m coming home. Save some peppermint ice cream for me.”

  “Over and out.” The phone beeped and they were no longer connected.

  Quik perked up and then made a face. He tucked his hands into his pockets. His coat had a tear down the side and the stuffing poked out. The fabric must have snagged when he rolled over to protect her.

  Lux’s mouth went dry and her hands became clammy. She fisted and flexed her fingers, not used to the sensations he created in her body. Kringles maintained steady temperatures no matter their surroundings. She hadn’t ever been truly hot before Quik took her into his arms. The Mini-Sub coughed as if trying to restart. She needed to keep her thoughts in line—no more zingy kiss thoughts or dazzling waltzes in the barn.

  She and Quik stared at the machine, waiting to see if it would go off again. “You’re awfully quiet,” she finally said. With his barrage of questions before, she’d expected him to hound her about this. When the Mini-Sub settled, she reached down and lifted one edge of the platform onto the sleigh’s floor and then went around to push it all the way into the sleigh.

  “I’m still trying to figure out what happened.” Quik’s eyes roved the barn as if he wondered if it were real.

  She couldn’t blame him. The afternoon felt like a dream for her too.

  “You’re leaving?” His arms were still folded and his eyes hooded.

  She nodded, her throat feeling tight. She didn’t want to go. That kiss was truly magical, proving that she had fallen in love with Quik. Walking to the front of the sleigh, she took Dunder’s harness and guided him around so he faced the door. Quik opened them wide to give the sleigh room enough to exit. If she’d been looking for a clue that he wanted her to stay, that wasn’t it. In fact, opening the barn doors was a clear sign that he wanted her to go.

  Lux’s chest tightened.

  The whole valley shook as a military plane flew low. Dunder growled. He hated military planes. They liked to chase reindeer and had wicked tailwinds.

  Quik swore—and not a Christmas swear either.

  Lux’s eyebrows shot up.

  He turned fast, his movements precise, and ushered her into the sleigh. “That explosion must have registered on a satellite.” He climbed in next to her and pointed to the doors. “Head to my house. Now.”

  She snatched up the reins, his steely command startling her into action. “It shouldn’t have registered anywhere.”

  “Not even as a power surge?”

  She thought about it. Christmas Magic was part electrical—it had to spark in the machine the way it had. “Maybe.”

  He cursed again and jumped out of the sleigh, pausing only to take her by the shoulders and insist, “Don’t leave without me. I know where we’ll be safe.”

  “’Kay,” she managed to squeak out. Safe? Meaning they were currently in danger and would be out of said danger soon.

  He ran through the door and was back in seconds with a survival pack and a plastic tote. With the prototype at their feet, the sleigh was getting crowded. The plane came back. Quik pushed her head down to hide her face from view. After the noise receded, she glared. “What are you doing?”

  “You blew my cover—literally.” He kicked the prototype. “Head that direction.” He pointed up into the hills, away from Boulder Canyon. “There’s a cave up there. It’s my fallback.”

  She snapped the reins and Dunder was happy to get moving. “What cover?”

  “I’m supposed to be off the grid. Your boom put a big X on my back.”

  “America is after you?”

  “America, Russia, China …” He continued to list other countries who wanted nuclear programs.

  Lux focused on following his directions to the ice cave. Dunder struggled over an icy spot, grunting and glaring in turns. “We’re trying to avoid the planes,” she reminded him.

  Quik gave her a sidelong glance when she talked to the reindeer, but he didn’t comment. “It’s just up ahead. If we can get there before nightfall, then we should be safe. They’ll have a harder time tracking us in the dark.”

  “I need to check in with my family.”

  “That’s a negative. They’ll be looking for any signals—digital, analog, even stereo.”

  She gripped the reins so tight her knuckles went white. “What if they find us?”

  “Bad things will happen to some really good people.”

  Lux chewed her lip. Her Kringle instincts screamed at her to help Quik, but her head was telling her to stay as far away from him as possible. If they blew up the prototype with one kiss, who knew what would happen if she fell for him? Well, fell deeper than she already had. Ignoring that her feelings existed was impossible when the results were right there at her feet.

  Liking Quik had always been the gamble. From day one she’d been attracted to him. There were a precious few individuals she was comfortable enough to work alongside, and Quik was the easiest of them all. Even easier than Dad.

  Dad would kill her if she didn’t check in tonight. Peanut brittle! He was expecting a debriefing on the new design.

  She could leave Quik in the cave. Alone. And hope he didn’t get caught. Then she could run home, explain the situation, and return for him the next day. But he’d almost frozen once already today. The likelihood of him lasting a full night without her there was slim.

  Besides, there was a very strong part of her that wanted to protect him.

  Being caught between a rock and a hard place made her ornery. Lux preferred things cut-and-dry. Like in science. An experiment worked or it didn’t. If it did, you moved forward. If it didn’t, you figured out why and fixed it.

  A black hole just large enough for the sleigh to fit through appeared before them.

  “That’s it.” Quik pointed.

  “Yeah. It’s kind of hard to miss.”

  Quik’s jaw tightened. Lux lit the lantern and coerced Dunder through the opening. Once inside, the cave opened up to be the size of the family room at home. Lux took out her phone and shut it off. Her family was going to go nuts!

  Another plane, or maybe it was the same plane, approached. Lux extinguished the light and they all crouched low in fear.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Something brushed Lux’s arm and she gasped.

  “Relax. It’s just me.” Quik’s voice was low and close.

  “I can’t relax with you touching me. You’re going to cause another explosion.” To add weight to her argument, the circuit breakers began to hum.

  Quik pulled his arm away and the cave quieted. “We’ll have to stay the night.”

  She gulped. “Here?”

  “Are you afraid of the dark?” His voice was low and sultry, implying he knew a few ways to get her to like the dark.

  She retrieved a stack of red and green glow sticks from her messenger bag and cracked one, spilling red light into the dark. “Not at all.” She faked a relaxed tone. “Reminds me of home.”

  Quik took the offered glow stick. “Reminds me of my ex-wife.”

  Lux stumbled out of the sleigh. “Y-you were married?”

  He nodded. He cracked the glow stick, and green light shot out. His face was guarded once again, the same look he had when he did the opposite of what she asked and hauled her out of the barn. Lux wondered if he lov
ed his ex. She pressed her palm to her forehead. If he did love her, then why did he kiss Lux?

  Dunder stamped his powerful hoof, making Lux’s feet tingle. She put her hand in her bag and wished for straw, which she used to make a bed for Dunder. They couldn’t fly out of here with that plane going back and forth. They’d need to wait out the initial air support.

  “Do you have kids?” she forced herself to ask.

  Quik didn’t pause in his perusal of the items in his survival pack. “One. He’s five.”

  Lux unhitched Dunder and led him to his side of the cave. “Thanks, boy. You did good tonight.” Dunder leaned into her scratches and his jaw dropped open. She chuckled and placed a bowl of oats on the ground. Now that she didn’t have the excuse of taking care of the reindeer, her hands were heavy and awkward. “Five’s a cute age.”

  Quik’s shoulders dropped. “I—I haven’t seen him since he was a baby.”

  That saddened Lux. She couldn’t imagine growing up without her father. He was so kind and had a listening ear. When no one else cared about what was on her microscope slide, Dad did.

  Quik put his hand over hers, the movement soft and tender. “Tell me who you are … please.”

  She took a deep breath. “I’m Lux Kringle, Santa’s second-born daughter.”

  “Excuse me?” He leaned closer as if he hadn’t heard right.

  She offered a quick smile, hoping to reassure him. “I’m the daughter of Santa Claus.”

  “Uh-huh.” He nodded once. “And that?” He pointed to the blown substation prototype.

  “We need a way to take large amounts of Christmas Magic and reduce it to an electrical flow that will power our toy-making machines, the kitchens, and candy rooms—everything, really.” She pulled the prototype out of the sleigh to make room for them to sleep, preferring to work instead of check Quik’s face for disbelief. She’d never told anyone who she really was. A couple of her sisters had and things worked out fine, but Lux was already the odd duck without adding the whole Santa’s daughter thing to the list.