Chapter 31 Melody
Melody
Finn shoves his phone back in his pocket as he walks towards us. “Bad news. The sheriff is out of town. Apparently, there’s some emergency in the next county over.”
“What? Right now?” I stare at him in disbelief. “When there are literal ax-wielding tree thieves in the woods?”
“Small town charm at its finest, I guess,” Finn says with a grimace. “There’s a junior deputy on duty, but he’s at the Christmas concert in town. They’re trying to reach him, but no luck so far.”
“He probably turned his radio off for the performance, but that’s where everyone will be. It starts in 5 minutes,” Charlie says.
I push myself to my feet, ignoring the protest from my thighs. “Then that’s where we need to go. We can find the deputy ourselves.”
“Are you sure you’re up for more adventure?” Finn asks. “You did just survive a death-defying llama rodeo.”
“I’m fine,” I insist, though my legs still feel like overcooked noodles and my pubic bone feels very bruised. “Everett and Gabe are out there chasing armed criminals. We need to get them backup.”
Charlie jingles her keys. “My truck’s right over there. We can be in town in 7 minutes.”
“Let’s go,” I say, already moving toward the parking lot.
Oxford follows, trotting alongside us. When we reach Charlie’s truck, I hesitate, looking at him.
“We can’t bring a llama to a Christmas concert,” Finn points out.
“He saved my life,” I counter. “And I’m not leaving him here alone with axe-wielding maniacs on the loose.”
Charlie shrugs. “He can run alongside the truck. Wouldn’t be the weirdest thing to happen today.”
I climb into the middle seat of Charlie’s pickup truck, wedged between her and Finn. As Charlie starts the engine, I look out the window to see Oxford watching us expectantly.
“Just follow us, okay?” I tell him.
Charlie snorts. “Talking to the llama like he understands English.”
“He does understand,” I insist. “He just chooses when to listen.”
As we pull out of the parking lot, Oxford breaks into a run beside us, matching our pace, his scarf fluttering behind him like a superhero cape.
“This is surreal,” Finn mutters, watching Oxford through the window.
“Welcome to Snowflake Valley,” Charlie says with a grin, turning onto the main road. “Where Christmas magic gets super weird.”
Charlie barely finds a parking spot at the edge of the town square. Mayor Reynolds is on stage delivering what sounds like the most boring speech. Hundreds of people crowd the square, sipping hot drinks and swaying to the music.
“There’s no way we’ll find the deputy in this crowd,” I say as we climb out of the truck.
“He’ll be in uniform,” Charlie says. “Probably near the front, looking important. And we have a secret weapon,” Charlie says, nodding toward Oxford, who trots up beside us.
She’s right. The moment we step into the crowd with Oxford, people notice. They nudge each other, pointing and whispering—some step back, creating a small pathway for us.
“Excuse us,” I call out. “We need to find the deputy. It’s an emergency!”
“Make way for the Christmas llama!” Finn adds dramatically, which actually works better than my approach. People laugh and move aside.
Oxford holds his head high, clearly enjoying the attention as we navigate through the crowd.
“There!” Charlie points toward a young man in uniform standing near the front. “That’s Deputy Harris.”
We push forward, but before we reach him, Finn’s phone rings. He pulls it out, glancing at the screen.
“It’s Everett,” he says, answering immediately. His expression shifts from relief to concern as he listens. “Got it. We’re already in town. We’ll warn the deputy.”
He hangs up and turns to us, lowering his voice. “The thieves got away from them. They loaded the trees into a large truck disguised as a cheese supplier. It’s heading straight for town—they’ll have to come right down Main Street to get out. Everett and Gabe are following on snowmobiles.”
“A cheese truck?” Charlie scoffs. “Subtle.”
“We need to hurry,” I say, pushing forward.
We finally reach the junior deputy, who looks barely old enough to drive, let alone enforce the law. His eyes widen comically at the sight of Oxford.
“Deputy Harris,” Charlie says, grabbing his attention. “We need your help. The tree thieves who’ve been stealing from Perfect Pines are about to drive through town in a cheese truck.”
“A… what?” He blinks, looking overwhelmed.
“Tree thieves,” I explain quickly. “Four men. I caught them on video. They’re driving a truck disguised as a cheese supplier, and they’re heading this way right now. Everett and Gabe are pursuing them on snowmobiles.”
Junior Deputy Harris looks like he might pass out. His face goes ashen as he reaches for his radio.
“I need to call the sheriff,” he stammers.
“The sheriff is out of town,” I remind him. “We don’t have time!”
“But I’ve never handled anything like this before,” he admits. “I’m supposed to call in the sheriff for any serious situation.”
I take a deep breath, trying not to shake. “That’s your job! You’re the only law enforcement officer here right now.”
“Maybe we can block them with your patrol car?” Finn suggests.
The deputy looks around frantically at the crowd. “My car is parked three blocks away. By the time we get through all these people…”
“Think!” Charlie snaps her fingers in front of his face. “What would the sheriff do?”
Deputy Harris looks like a deer in headlights. “I don’t know. Set up a roadblock?”
“This guy is useless. We have to take matters into our own hands,” Charlie says to us, then to the deputy, “No offence.”
“The Christmas tree!” I shout, “Come on, Oxford!”
I race toward the stage where Mayor Reynolds continues his droning speech about the merits of merging with neighboring towns.
“Mayor!” I call, climbing the steps to the stage. “Mayor Reynolds! It’s an emergency!”
He turns, his expression shifting from annoyance to alarm as I rush toward him, Oxford at my heels.
“What is this?” he sputters, backing away from the approaching llama. “You can’t bring that animal up here!”
“It’s the twerking omega!” someone calls from the crowd.
“And the Christmas llama!” calls another voice, followed by laughter and scattered applause.
Mayor Reynolds leans away from his microphone. “Young lady, I’m in the middle of my speech. Please leave the stage immediately.”
I don’t wait for him to finish. I grab the second microphone from its stand, my heart pounding against my ribs.
“Everyone, please listen!” My voice booms through the speakers, silencing the murmurs. “There’s an emergency! The tree thieves who’ve been stealing from Perfect Pines are heading this way right now!”
Mayor Reynolds tries to take the microphone. “Miss, please—”
I sidestep him. “Four men are driving through town in a cheese truck with stolen trees. And they’re coming down Main Street any minute. We need to stop them!”
The crowd stirs, faces turning toward me with a mix of confusion.
“Everett Pine has provided Christmas trees for everyone this Christmas,” I continue. “When the other suppliers couldn’t deliver, Perfect Pines stepped up. Everett and Gabe worked day and night to make sure every family in Snowflake Valley had a Christmas tree. Now it’s time to repay that kindness.”
I point to the massive Christmas tree standing at the edge of the square. “We need to move that tree and block the road. It’s the only way to stop them before they get away!”
“Everyone, remain calm,” the mayor says, his voice strained with forced composure. “I’m sure this is all a misunderstanding—”
“It’s not!” I counter, refusing to back down. “I filmed them stealing trees. They chased me with axes! Everett and Gabe are pursuing them right now, but they’ll escape if we don’t help!”
The crowd’s murmuring grows louder.
“We need to act now!” I shout over the mayor’s attempts to regain control. “That Christmas tree is big enough to block the road. If we all work together, we can move it!”
“The authorities will handle this situation. Now, Deputy, can you please remove this troublemaker from the stage?” The mayor gestures to the deputy, who is now being cornered by Charlie and Finn, and at a loss on what to do.
“They’re stealing our Christmas!” I shout over him. “Are we going to let them get away with it?”
“NO!” The response is immediate and decisive, a unified roar from the crowd.
“Then help me move that tree now! I need men with muscles,” I say, earning chuckles from the crowd.
Several large alphas immediately surge forward, answering my call.
“Unhook the cables!” one of them shouts as they reach the tree. “Careful with the base!”
I watch in amazement as they work together, quickly dismantling the support system that keeps the towering pine upright.
Behind me, I hear the mayor’s indignant sputtering. “This is outrageous! I demand that you all stop immediately! As mayor of Snowflake Valley—”
His words cut off abruptly as Oxford sidesteps directly into his path, effectively boxing him in against the podium. The mayor tries to move around my fluffy bodyguard, but Oxford simply shifts again, blocking every attempt.
Charlie bounds onto the stage. She grabs the microphone from my hand, her eyes bright with excitement.
“Listen up, everyone!” she shouts. “Who wants to make snowballs? Let’s take these bastards down! Please follow Finn.” She points to him. “Everyone else, please stay away from Main Street.”
The crowd roars in response, and I feel a surge of pride watching how quickly this community rallies together.
I nod, following her lead as we jump down from the stage. Behind us, the mayor continues his protests, but they’re drowned out by the sounds of a town mobilizing.
“I can’t believe this is actually working,” I tell Charlie.
“Small towns,” she says with a grin. “We stick together. Plus, nobody messes with our Christmas trees.”