Chapter 16
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
If I had placed a bet, I would have lost.
I really didn’t believe him.
I didn’t.
Swear on everything I hold dear. I thought this little journey was about appeasing him before sleeping together because that’s all I really thought about on the helicopter ride over.
Sleeping with him.
The incredible need to satiate this voracious appetite he lit needs a healthy fix. The kind of fix I haven’t had for quite some time now as Grace so candidly pointed out to me when I told her I was leaving with him.
“You should totally sleep with him on the helicopter,” she told me in a drunken stupor.
When I found her, she was quite inebriated and surrounded by a few of the hot dwarves or Santa aka Stetson’s helpers on the couch.
Devon was off with Jayson meeting the rest of the reindeer, that should be interesting when Devon hears all their names.
I can only imagine what the conversation is going to be like when we’re alone together again.
“I don’t think a helicopter can be part of the mile high club?” I pointed out the obvious. “It’s not possible.”
“Anything is possible if you put your mind to it!” She said lifting her forefinger in the air like she had solved the world’s greatest riddle.
“Okay, daredevil,” I shook my head at her. “Maybe you should slow down or I dunno, have some water?”
“I’m not hydrating yet,” she was adamant. “I haven’t had a buzz like this since I gave birth to Penelope.”
Penelope, my goddaughter, is three months old.
“It’s a good thing,” I laughed. “You know you’re going to hate yourself tomorrow.”
She didn’t look like she cared.
“I won’t. Maybe I will, but buzzed and talking to hot dwarves is one for the books. I don’t think I’ll ever forget any of this.”
“Same,” I agreed.
She leaned back and crossed her arms and pointed a rather wobbly finger at me.
“Why aren’t you buzzed?” She asked in disbelief. “You’re just as much of a lightweight as me.”
I couldn’t tell her that a Santa Claus and true love conversation with Stetson sobered me up like nothing I ever imagined could. In fact, I don’t think inebriation is even possible in the state I was in.
“I ate some bread,” I lied easily.
“Oh?” She looked intrigued by the idea. “Well, have fun. And for the love of God, get in the Christmas spirit—be naughty, not nice, will ya?!”
She didn’t know how on the mark her words were.
And now, here I am hovering in a helicopter over a small village that’s like something you’d see in an amusement park.
The tiny homes look like they’re made of gingerbread and candy—seriously.
It looks like we’re staring down at a gingerbread village with a train running through the town and all.
The closer we get, the clearer the picture becomes, and I can see tiny people—I’m assuming dwarves again—milling about and even dancing and frolicking in the snow.
I swear to God I’m sure there’s a soundtrack playing in the background in this village or something because that’s how happy everyone looks. They’re moving around like they’re hearing a chorus in the air.
I look over at Stetson, mouth agape. And no, I don’t care.
He smiles at me in pleasure and points to our landing spot which is marked by an enormous candy cane. A few people stand on the sideline awaiting our landing.
And guess what?
They’re dwarves dressed up exactly like you’d think they’d be in Santa’s village—the one we’d imagined when we were children.
Exactly the same, red and forest green jumpers, Santa adjacent hats and all.
We land smoothly and Stetson quickly takes my hand to help me out. Fire shoots through my body from the single touch as our eyes collide.
“Are you ready, Charlie?”
The question feels loaded.
“I don’t know.” I whisper out loud to him, and honest to God I don’t know if I am ready.
He smiles tenderly.
“I’ll be with you every step of the way.”
Once we’re outside and the cold frost hits my bare face, I realize Stetson didn’t lie about the freezing temperature. It’s colder here than it was when we went out to see the polar bears.
“Holy cow!” I utter as the chill settles into my bones.
“I told you,” he says as he walks me over to the awaiting dwarves. They’re lined up waiting to greet us like we just arrived at a five-star hotel.
“Charlie,” he says politely, “I’d like to introduce you to Bushy, Shiny and Sugarplum.”
WTF?
They wave and smile at me in unison.
“Nice to meet you,” their smile is infectious, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen any group of people look so damn happy before in my life.
Like they have perma-smiles and exude an aura that is just pure joy. It must be something in the air over here.
“Welcome to Santa’s village, Charlie Horseman!” The one whose name is Bushy says with flair. “Here in this village, nestled in the mountains of the north, Santa can hear the wishes of every child in the world!”
Wait, is that music I hear in the background? Where the hell is it coming from? Am I in a movie? Did I die? I look around the village, my gaze lifting to the mountains surrounding the small nook, protecting it safely from the outside world.
“If you listen carefully, you can hear their voices,” Bushy goes on to tell me as he cups his ear and leans in like the air is talking to him.
I stare at him all wide eyed and frozen.
“Try it, Charlie!” The woman named Shiny says as she cups her ear as well and smiles like she’s hearing something in the air.
I look over at Stetson in disbelief. He cocks a brow.
“Scared?”
“Seriously?” I return.
“Try it,” he urges.
I can’t believe I’m going to do it, but I do. I lift my hand to my ear and cup it like the dwarves and listen.
Just as I expected. Nada. Nothing. Zilch.
I don’t hear any child’s voice.
Just the whistle of the wind in the air.
They’re all watching me expectantly. I don’t know how much longer I can pretend like I really believe I’ll hear something, but I hate disappointing people, so I give it a go. Still. I won’t lie.
A snowflake falls on my nose.
“Nothing,” I shrug my shoulders acting as though I’m just as surprised as they are.
“Are you sure?” Bushy looks at me quizzically.
“She just arrived,” Stetson interrupts softly. “Give her a minute to adjust to it all.”
“But if she’s the one—” Shiny puts her hands on her hips.
“I don’t know that yet.” Stetson stops her from saying more.
I look from him to Shiny and watch their silent interaction. They’re having a moment here. There’s an unspoken message moving between the group that I’m the only one not understanding.
“Stetson?” I ask, needing to know what they’re talking about.
He turns his gaze back to me.
“I’m what one?”