Chapter 16 Cindy
Cindy squinted at the invoice on her desk, wishing she had better reading glasses…and a much better bank account.
Well, that would change with Henry’s contract, which should show up any day now. He said he wanted to “land the plane” before Christmas, and that was in a week, so…let’s land it, Henry.
She’d clicked her mouse to check her email when she heard the kitchen door open and felt a chill spread through the whole first floor. At the sound of a number of voices—some unfamiliar, one Jack’s, and one MJ’s—she rose to see if they needed help.
Coming around the corner to the kitchen, she saw a couple and two kids, all bundled in parkas and knit hats. They were laughing, their breath fogging in the air, stamping snow off their boots as they unwrapped scarves.
Jack was in carriage gear with his old-fashioned wool coat, the top hat off for the moment, standing in the mudroom with MJ, deep in conversation.
“Hello, everyone,” she greeted the guests warmly. “All ready for a sleigh ride?”
“We’re waiting for Santa,” one of the kids said. “And a sleigh.”
Cindy turned as Jack walked over to her, his expression hesitant. He came closer, leaning in to murmur, “The sleigh’s not here.”
Cindy blinked. “Where is it?”
“I let Red take it. Benny begged. They promised they’d be back with plenty of time.” Jack’s voice was calm, but his eyes carried something sharper—unease.
She glanced at the guests, happily chatting among themselves, patiently waiting for their scheduled ride.
“Did you call Red?” she asked.
“It’s going straight to voicemail.”
From the back, MJ produced a tray of goodies. “Cookies by the Christmas tree,” she sang out. “And while you wait, I’ll make hot cocoa with marshmallows.” She beamed at the smaller child. “Do you like marshmallows?”
“I want to meet Grumpy Santa and go on that sleigh,” he said.
Cindy frowned, wondering why so many guests said that about Santa. Was Red that grouchy to everyone? He hated the Santa gig, and Cindy knew it. But enough to not show for a ride, and take the sleigh?
The guests followed MJ like ducklings, drawn by the promise of food and warmth. Cindy leaned closer to Jack.
“Do you think something happened or he’s just on strike?” she asked.
Jack shook his head. “I don’t know, but it’s not like either of them. Red has bluster—it’s part of his act. But Benny’s the most reliable kid I know.”
True enough. Something wasn’t right.
MJ reappeared, giving Cindy a look that managed to be both reassuring and worried. “Gracie’s on her way home. I’ll call her to see if she’s heard something from them,” she said quietly, squeezing Cindy’s arm.
“Let’s grab the UTV and go look,” Jack said. “Come with me, Cin.”
Cindy nodded, hurrying to the mudroom to get her coat.
They crossed the snow toward the carport, agreeing to stop in the ski shed to see what Nicole knew. Jack’s strides were long and decisive, but she felt the pulse of tension rolling off him.
Nicole was inside her store, just finishing up with two men renting skis, thanking them for their business.
She took one look at Cindy, then Jack, and her smile faded.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, coming out from behind the counter.
“Did you see Dad and Benny leave?” Cindy asked.
Nicole frowned, looking toward the large display window. “Yeah. An hour ago? A little more? They were laughing. Benny was bouncing in the sleigh like it was the best day of his life. Why? What’s wrong?”
“They should have been back thirty minutes ago,” Jack said. “And Red’s not picking up his phone.”
“Really?”
Cindy forced calm into her tone. “We’re going to take the UTV and check around. MJ has the guests. Gracie’s on her way.”
“What can I do?”
“Call Cindy if you see or hear anything,” Jack said. “We’ll find them, don’t worry. We’ll find them.”
Holding hope from the determined tone in his voice, Cindy went with him to the utility vehicle they used in much better weather. The old snowmobile had died a few years ago and Cindy had wanted to buy another, but…they were expensive, and she had put it off.
Now, she regretted that decision.
“You think this can get us over the trails?” she asked as they hopped in.
“The short trail, not over the creek or…” He closed his eyes. “I wish I hadn’t agreed to let them leave without me.”
“Don’t blame yourself, Jack,” she said, yanking on her seatbelt. “Take the main trail as far as we can, then get help if we don’t see them.”
Snow sprayed behind the UTV as the old beast rumbled forward, Jack’s jaw set with a whole host of emotions Cindy couldn’t read. The wind burned her cheeks, and her heart thudded like a drum.
“I should tell you something,” Jack shouted over the engine. “About Benny.”
Cindy narrowed her eyes against the wind. “What about him?”
“He’s under the impression that if he saves the lodge, you’ll get him a puppy.”
Her breath caught. “What? I never said that—”
“You kind of did, though you might not realize it,” Jack said grimly. “And he’s holding onto it. He thinks if he does something big, heroic…you’ll make good on the promise.”
Is that why he and Red hadn’t come back yet? “Well, how is he going to do that?”
“TikTok videos.”
“What?”
“He’s turned ‘Grumpy Santa’ into a thing on social media and he’s the one responsible for all the business and sleigh rides.”
Cindy’s jaw dropped. “That’s why people are all calling Red ‘grumpy’?” She choked a laugh. “Benny did…wait, how? He’s not allowed—”
Jack pointed toward the thick pine trees. “Maybe they went back to that snow hut down by the creek.”
She followed his gaze, but it was impossible to see from here.
“I hope not,” she said. “The creek always spooks Copper. I know that—but did Red?”
“Look! Are those runner marks from the sleigh?” Jack asked, rumbling the UTV in toward the small turn-off.
“Yes,” she said. “But the UTV can’t go very far down there.”
“I’ll go on foot, then.” He brought the UTV to a stop and they unbuckled in perfect unison, jumping out and hustling to meet at the front of the vehicle.
“I know this meadow,” Jack said, bracing against the cold. “There’s a steep side of the mountain on the other end. I hope—”
“Jack. Look!” She put her hand over her mouth, just as something moved well beyond the trees.
He saw it, too, and they both darted in that direction, passing a crumbled remnant of a snow fort and—
“There they are!” In the distance, two figures huddled in the back seat of the sleigh, both wrapped in Red’s heavy coat. But Copper was gone.
Relief and terror tangled in Cindy’s chest as she scanned the treeline, the ridge, the shadows along the slope for the horse. “He must have gone down the side.”
Swearing under his breath, Jack turned to her, grabbing her shoulders. “Go get Nicole. Bring skis. Hurry. I’ll go get them.”
Her heart slammed against her ribs. “Jack—”
“Go!”
With that, he took off toward Benny and Red. Cindy pivoted and ran back to the UTV, the engine growling as she gunned it back toward the lodge.
The ride back was a blur. Snow slapped her face, stinging her eyes, but she barely noticed.
What would they have done without Jack? He moved on all cylinders and loved her family as much…as much as she loved him.
How could she doubt him?
She practically flew off the ground as she came up the last hill before the lodge, slipping and sliding toward the shed. Nicole ran out before she turned the engine off.
“Get skis and let’s go!” Cindy hollered.
“Skis?”
“Copper went down the hill on the other side of the meadow.”
“With the sleigh?” she asked, horrified.
“No, no. They unharnessed him and he—”
Nicole didn’t let her finish. She leaped into action, ready to do whatever she could to help the family she loved.