Chapter 10 #2
Tessa snuck a glance at Cade’s profile. The fact that he could communicate with irritable miniature horses better than most people communicated with their spouses was just another item on the growing list of reasons she was falling for him. Not that she was keeping a list.
Much.
Block two, another test. A golden retriever lunged from the curb, barking with glee, its owner tangled in the leash.
Marshmallow neighed shied, nearly clipping the sleigh into a Letters to Santa mailbox.
Tessa yelped, pulling hard, her body thrown against Cade’s. For one breathless second, his arm went around her waist.
“I got you.” His breath was warm against her ear. “I got you.”
And oh, how she wished that were true in all the ways, but it wasn’t.
Cade leaned into the reins. “Easy, team, easy.”
He cut through the hullabaloo like a blade. Marshmallow blew out a long breath and returned to line, her ears swiveling back to Cade.
“Good work. Keep stepping.”
The golden retriever’s owner hauled the dog back, mouthing apologies. Tessa’s pulse raced, and the sleigh rolled on.
“You okay?” Cade kept his eyes on the horses.
“Fine.” She could still feel the imprint of his arm around her waist. “The universe is keeping it interesting.”
The corner of his mouth quirked up. “If you say so.”
Snowflakes swirled down, soft as confetti, catching in Cade’s hat brim. She wanted to reach up, take off the hat, run her fingers through his thick dark hair. Instead, she kept both hands clenched on the reins, praying to every holiday saint she knew.
Saint Nicholas, if you’re listening, please don’t let me make a fool of myself over this man.
By block three, the scent of kettle corn caught Tater Tot’s attention and he locked on it like a missile, veering toward the vendor cart.
“Oh no you don’t,” Tessa muttered, tugging hard.
Cade chuckled. He gave the rein a decisive snap and Tater Tot jolted back into place, the ribbons on his harness fluttering.
“You’ve got a sweet tooth on that one.”
“Ha. They could all give Cookie Monster a run for his money,” she said and then realized he had no earthly idea who Cookie Monster was.
Cade’s grin flashed, quick and rare, gone almost before she caught it. But it was there, warming her.
The sleigh glided by houses dripped with lights, snow covered rooftops, the air sparkling with pine and sugar.
Strangers waved as if she were royalty, and for once, Tessa let herself believe it. Maybe she could be the woman who pulled this off. Maybe Rent-a-Reindeer wasn’t foolish after all.
Still, every block brought some new trick. A boy in a Santa hat shook jingle bells right in Cupcake’s face.
Cade’s hand shot to the rein before panic could spread.
A stroller wheel caught in the curb, sending a toddler’s balloon floating free. Einstein lunged for it.
Cade drew him back with a cluck and a tug. This man flowed like water creating the smoothest path. Calm. Sure. Born for this.
“You’ve done this before.”
He shrugged, shoulders shifting beneath his thick coat. “Of course. Horses are the mode of transportation in my world.
“No, I mean this whole knight in cowboy boots thing. Rescuing damsels from their own poor life choices.”
His eyes met hers, deep and serious. “You don’t need rescuing, Tessa. You’re doing just fine on your own.”
Her heart stuttered at the sexy way he said her name. “Even with my parade dare.
“Especially because of your parade dare.” His mouth twitched into another almost-smile. “You’ve got guts, starting this business. Taking risks.”
“It’s not the risk taking I have trouble with, it’s the stick-to-it-ness.”
“Nonsense. That’s just a story you tell yourself.”
“What?”
“If you believe you can’t, then you can’t. If you believe you can, then you can.”
“You make that sound so simple.”
“It is simple.” He met her gaze, held it for a long moment, before turning his attention back to the horses.
The street curved ahead, and a fresh flurry of snowflakes danced around them. One landed on her nose, and before she could react, Cade’s gloved finger brushed it away. Just a touch, but it blazed through her like wildfire.
Their eyes locked again, and for a heartbeat, the parade, the town, the horses, disappeared. There was just Cade, looking at her like she was something precious, something he wanted and feared in equal measure.
Then a trumpet blared off key, and reality rushed back.
And somehow, forty minutes later, they did it.
The circle complete, the sleigh rolled back through the gates of the high school football field.
The brass band trailed off, the crowd’s cheer swelled, and then the sleigh creaked to a halt beneath the looming goal post.
Tessa let out a shaky laugh. “We made it.”
Cade loosened the reins. “I had no doubts.”
She looked up. Someone had hung mistletoe from the goal post, a sprig of green tied with red ribbon, swaying in the breeze. Her breath caught.
“Oh.” The word barely left her lips.
Cade followed her gaze upward. Something shifted in his expression, the mask of calm slipping to reveal heat, longing, and anxiety.”Mistletoe.”
Tessa’s mouth went dry. “Just a silly tradition. We don’t have to—”
“Do you want to?” His eyes never left hers.
Did she want to? Was the Pope Catholic? Did bears do their business in the woods? Did her heart practically somersault every time he walked into a room?
“Yes, but only if you—”
He didn’t let her finish. His hand came up, cupping her cheek, thumb brushing across her skin like he was touching something fragile.
Snowflakes caught in Cade’s lashes. He turned to her, and for once, the guarded wall in his eyes wasn’t there. In its place was vulnerability so raw it stole her breath.
Tessa’s heart flipped. Every nerve in her body screamed this was foolish, dangerous, impossible. The man had temporary carved into his DNA.
But when he leaned closer, the warmth of him cut through the cold, and she didn’t move away.
Time slowed. Her eyes fluttered closed as his nose brushed against hers, sharing breath, sharing space. The world narrowed his palm against her cheek, the soft sounds of their breathing.
His mouth brushed hers, light at first, testing. A question. She answered by leaning in, her hands finding the lapels of his duster.
He deepened the kiss, his lips warm and firm against hers. He tasted like winter, cocoa and peppermint. His hand slid from her cheek to the back of her neck, fingers threading through her hair beneath her hat.
Tessa made a small sound in the back of her throat, and Cade pulled her closer. The quilts tangled between them, but who cared? Nothing mattered but this moment, this man, this kiss that felt like coming home and setting off on an adventure all at once.
There was only Cade. Kissing her like she was oxygen and he’d been underwater his whole life.