Bernie stared at me for a moment in uncertainty before nodding, his shock of thick black hair falling into his eyes. Without a word, he turned toward the door and started down the hallway.
Emma raced after him, wringing her hands nervously. “Oh, this is terrible, just terrible.” Silently, Bernie offered his arm to her, and she subconsciously looped her hand around it. “Whatever are we going to do?”
I noticed the longing look and pleased smile Bernie sent the other elf’s way before his face returned to its normally stoic expression. That was an interesting tidbit I would store for later to tell Emma, but right now, I was worried about the reindeer. “Don’t worry, Emma. I’ll take care of it. It will be okay.”
The little elf looked over her shoulder at me as Bernie led us out toward the stables, her eyes full of worry. “But you don’t know anything about reindeer.”
“No,” I admitted reluctantly. “But I am a veterinarian. I know about animals.”
Emma dropped Bernie’s arm and spun to look at me in surprise. “You’re a veterinarian? Why were you working in that stuffy office if you’re a vet?”
I shrugged as I moved past her into the stables. “I hadn’t found a vet’s office I liked yet.” It didn’t take me long to locate the injured animal. The reindeer was on its side making grunting noises of pain while a few elves were attempting to keep it lying down.
Dropping to my knees next to the reindeer, I smoothed my hand soothingly along its neck. “What happened?” I asked with concern.
“She stepped on a thorn,” one of the elves explained. “It’s lodged in her foot.”
“She?” I asked.
“Prancer,” the elf offered.
“Prancer,” I repeated with a dazed bark of laughter, unable to process the fact that I was looking at one of Santa’s famous reindeer. I forced myself to snap out of it and moved around to the reindeer’s injured foot. “Alright, Prancer, let’s see what we’ve got here.” Careful to place myself at an angle where I wouldn’t get kicked if she jerked, I took her foot into my hands.
Emma and Bernie peered over my shoulder while I examined Prancer. “How bad is it?” Emma finally whispered with an anxious tone.
I was relieved to admit it wasn’t so bad. “If you can get me something to remove the thorn, she should be good to go tonight.” I lifted my eyes to Bernie. “Do you have a pair of pliers? It’s not the most ideal tool, but it will do in a pinch.”
Bernie nodded and took off back inside.
While we waited, I did my best to keep Prancer comfortable. I had one of the elves bring some hay over to rest her hoof on, and I spoke calmly to her, trying to keep her from attempting to stand up.
When Bernie raced back into the room, I lifted my head to find Chris in the doorway staring at me. His expression was almost one of pain.
“It’s okay,” I assured. “I’m going to get her fixed right up.” I lowered my head to look at Prancer, running my hand along the fur at her neck. “Aren’t I, girl? It’s going to be fine.” Taking the pliers from Bernie, I took a deep breath to steady my nerves. “Try to hold her still,” I advised the elves. “If she panics, she might drive it in deeper and make things worse.”
As I bent my head over the thorn, I was surprised to feel a large shape slide in behind me.
A moment later, a soothing tone that could only belong to Chris filled the air. “Stay still, Prancer,” he urged, petting the reindeer gently along her ears. “Cara’s going to take care of you. Just hold still, girl.”
I glanced up at him, feeling my heart swell at the tender way he stroked the animal. If I wasn’t in love with this man before, I’d have been a goner in that instant. Swallowing my emotions, I lowered my head over the injured foot. “Hold her steady,” I breathed as I inched the pliers closer. “Hold her steady.”
I carefully got a grip on the thorn lodged in the reindeer’s foot. “Here we go,” I warned just before I yanked it free.
Prancer made a noise of protest and jerked in Chris’ arms, but an instant later she was rolling to her feet and trotting off as if nothing had ever happened.
I let out a trembling sigh and sat back, holding the thorn up for everyone to see. “I got it,” I said in a shaky voice.
One instant, I was on the floor of the stables. The next I was being hauled to my feet. Chris was suddenly kissing me, his mouth demanding and full of emotion.
“You’re a veterinarian?” He kissed me again, giving a disbelieving laugh. “I can’t believe it. You just saved Christmas. You just saved me.”
Emma’s words when she’d told me to save Chris echoed in my mind. All I’d ever wanted was to save him. I opened my mouth to say just as much when he shook his head.
“No,” he said firmly. “Me first.”
I fell silent, watching with curiosity as he took my hand.
“Cara…” He trailed off, seemingly searching for the right thing to say. Finally, he just dropped to a knee in front of me. “Marry me.”
I gave a gasp of surprise and heard Emma give a soft cry of delight from behind me. “I thought you didn’t want to get married,” I said quietly, afraid to break the spell that seemed to hover around us.
“I changed my mind.” He tightened his grip on my fingers as if afraid I might pull away. “I’ve wanted you from the moment I laid eyes on you.”
I arched a brow at that. It surely hadn’t seemed like it when he was demanding Emma put me back on his jet and send me home.
“I did,” he said firmly as if reading my thoughts. “When I first saw you…it terrified me,” he admitted. “I’d never wanted anyone as much as I wanted you after only one glance. I panicked.”
Giving a rueful smile, he continued, “It took me some time to really warm up to you, but these past few weeks… They’ve been amazing.” He shook his head, his expression looking almost lost. “I didn’t realize until I saw you handling Prancer with such compassion and care how much I loved you.”
At my sharp intake of breath, he smiled. “I do. I love you, Cara. I can’t let you slip through my fingers because I’ve been too arrogant to realize how much I need you.”
I smiled at his use of the word I’d thrown at him those long weeks ago.
“Save me, Cara,” Chris continued. “Don’t let me be a lonely Santa Claus. Marry me. Tonight. I can’t bear the thought of heading out there without knowing you’ll be waiting at home for me when I come back.”
I stared at him for a moment, afraid to speak. Marriage was such a final decision. Could I really commit myself to this man for the rest of eternity? Could I live up here at the North Pole, spending most of my time preparing for the Christmas season?
Looking down into his open, loving face, I knew the answer. “Okay,” I said softly.
His face lit up, and he made a small sound of disbelief. “Okay?”
I gave him a nod. “Yes.” I smiled down at him. “Yes. I’ll marry you.”
His face split into the biggest smile I’d ever seen, and he yanked me down to my knees next to him. “Oh, Cara.” He didn’t need to say anything else. The expression on his face said it all.
Laughing, I wrapped my arms around his neck as he leaned in for a passionate kiss.
Somewhere behind us, I heard Emma calling out instructions. “Okay, guys! We have less than two hours to perform a wedding! Let’s move!”
* * *
“Do you, Cara Faulk, take Christopher Nicholas Kringle to be your lawfully wedded husband?” the small elf who stood in front of Chris and I asked. The elf’s gaze swept eagerly over us both. “For all of time,” he added.
“For all of time,” I assured, squeezing the hands that clung to mine.
“And Christopher,” the elf said, his tone showing he was pleased with my answer. “Do you take Cara to be your Mrs. Claus? Do you promise to love her and entrust her with the responsibilities that go with her title?”
“For all of time,” Chris answered, voice thick with emotion.
The elf nodded his
approval. “Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Claus. You may now kiss the bride.”
No sooner were the words spoken than Chris was sweeping me up into his arms. He kissed me with such passion and longing it felt as if he was just realizing a part of his soul had been missing his entire life.
I knew what he was feeling, because I felt the exact same way. I let his passion engulf us as I melted into his strong, loving embrace. “Oh, Chris,” I breathed, feeling tears spring to my eyes. “How did I ever get so lucky?”
“You broke that button machine,” he answered with a laugh. “I think I knew that night I was a goner.”
Laughing and crying at the same time, I kissed him again. With our lips pressed together, I heard the loud, happy sobs of the sole bridesmaid who stood by my side.
Emma was sniffling and whimpering her joy.
With a laugh, I pulled back to look at her in her ice blue dress and fairy tale princess slippers. “This never would have happened without you.” Bending down, I wrapped her in a tight hug. With my face pressed against her hair, I whispered words I knew would make this day even more magical for her.
Emma’s eyes widened in disbelief, and she pulled back to look at the sole groomsman standing next to Chris. Her eyes snapped questioningly back to me, and I nodded. With a wide smile, she took off with a skip toward Bernie. Before he could realize what was happening, she threw herself into his arms and planted a kiss on his lips.
Bernie stumbled backwards with a look of complete astonishment before he returned Emma’s kiss with enthusiasm.
I watched them for a moment before my eyes slid back to Chris. He was staring at me with such intensity it made my breath catch in my throat.
“You’re amazing,” he breathed, pulling me toward him, his hands sliding possessively along my hips. He lowered his mouth to mine for an unhurried, suggestive kiss. “I could spend the rest of eternity kissing you,” he informed me breathily as his lips lowered toward mine once again.
Just as our mouths were about to meet, an elf chimed in with, “Santa, your sleigh is ready to go!”
Chris pulled back to stare at me in amusement. “Duty calls.” Though he spoke of duty calling him away, I could see the longing and reluctance to leave in his eyes.
I nodded, smoothing my hand along the sleeve of his dress shirt. “Kids all over the world are waiting for you.”
Sweeping me up against his chest, Chris gave me a lingering, passionate kiss in parting. “You’d better be waiting for me with something very scandalous on when I get back.”
Biting my lip in an attempt to hide my seductive smirk from the elves, I bobbed my head. “Of course.” When he turned to go, jogging toward the doors that led out into the snowy night, I called out, “Santa!”
He spun back to me, a look of amusement on his face. “Yeah?”
“You’re doing your jolly thing in a dress shirt and slacks?”
A wicked smirk spread across his face, and he jogged back to me. “Are you ready for this?”
“Ready for what?” I asked suspiciously.
He kissed me quickly before spinning me to face the mirror on the far wall. “An illusion,” he explained as he revealed a version of us in the glass that brought a gasp from my throat. “On Christmas Eve, all outsiders will see the characteristic Santa they always expect. For tonight, you truly are Mrs. Claus.”
Leaving him behind, I padded forward to the full length mirror, my mouth gaping in awe. My reflection showed a plump, aged woman with glasses and tight, white curls that sprang out from under a red bonnet. “Unbelievable.” I touched my face in awe, watching as Mrs. Claus mimicked my actions. “I’m…”
“My wife,” Chris finished, spinning me to face him.
In the mirror, he appeared as the classic image of Santa, but to my eyes, he was just Chris. He was sexy and devious…and all mine. “I am,” I agreed. The smile he rewarded me with made my heart swell with love.
He slid his arm around my back, pulling me against him. His mouth lowered to mine, and his lips caressed passionately along the corners of my mouth. “Cara…Cara…Cara,” he whispered in between kisses.
“Santa!” a chorus of elves called out.
With a reluctant groan, he pulled away. “Yes?”
“The reindeer are getting restless,” an elf chastised.
Chris gave another groan but released me and started for the door. “I’ll be home before you know it.”
“You’d better be,” I warned, though my voice was full of affection.
“I intend to find you wearing something sexy upon my return.”
“Count on it,” I assured with a wave as he rushed out of the room into the snowstorm outside. When the doors closed behind him, I gave a happy, content sigh and turned to look around the building that had come to feel like home to me. Every last detail was emblazed in my mind from the wreaths that hung on the walls down to the mistletoe in every doorway. The little girl inside of me who’d always loved Christmas felt as if she’d finally come home.
“Cara?” Emma asked softly from my side. “Would you like a hot cocoa and some cookies?”
I smiled at this, feeling the warmth from the fire that burned in the large hearth to my left and the glow of Christmas cheer surrounding me. “You know, I think I would.”
The End
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Other Books by Melissa Hosack:
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Saving Santa (Romance on the Go) Page 4