Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
Comet lifted his head, ears twitching, and trotted toward the gate before Leo even saw Jade.
The hinges groaned. Then she stepped into the paddock—Jade Bennett, folder clutched tight, a knit hat with a fuzzy pom-pom sliding toward one eyebrow. Her navy coat was buttoned high, her cheeks flushed from the cold.
He froze, shovel in hand, because she looked like she belonged in the reindeer pen, as if slipping into his day were the most natural thing in the world.
“Leo?” she called, striding forward. “Do you have a few minutes? We need to talk about—”
She broke off as Comet reached her, nosing her pocket with single-minded curiosity.
“Oh,” Jade said softly, going very still. “Hello there.”
Leo straightened up, watching as more of the herd began to drift over. Vixen approached from the left, while Maple hung back slightly, more cautious than his barn-mates but clearly intrigued by the visitor.
“They’re beautiful,” Jade breathed, her earlier businesslike demeanor melting into something softer. “I mean, I’ve seen them from the bakery window, but up close...”
Comet, apparently deciding she passed inspection, nudged her pocket more insistently. Jade looked at Leo with questioning eyes.
“He’s looking for treats,” Leo explained, finding himself fighting a smile. “Apple slices are his favorite, but he’ll settle for pretty much anything.”
“I don’t have any apples,” Jade said apologetically to Comet. “Sorry, buddy.”
The reindeer seemed to consider this for a moment, then pressed his muzzle gently against her arm. Jade’s eyes went wide with delight.
“Well,” she said, carefully stroking Comet’s neck, “aren’t you the charmer.”
Leo had seen plenty of people meet his reindeer over the years.
Most were either nervous—which was understandable, given that reindeer were large, powerful animals—or overly aggressive, treating them like petting zoo attractions.
But Jade’s reaction was different. She moved slowly, respectfully, letting the animals come to her rather than forcing interaction.
“This is Comet,” he said, walking over. “He’s our unofficial greeter. Zero sense of personal space, but friendly as they come.”
“And these two?” Jade asked as Vixen and Dasher moved closer.
“Vixen and Dasher. Vixen’s the smartest of the bunch—she figures out how to open gates that should be reindeer-proof. Dasher’s the steadiest. Nothing spooks him.”
As if to prove the point, Dasher stepped forward and allowed Jade to scratch behind his ears, his eyes closing in contentment.
“They’re incredible,” Jade said, her voice full of genuine wonder. “How long have you been doing this?”
“About five years,” Leo replied, surprised by how much he was enjoying showing off his animals to someone who clearly appreciated them. “Started with just Comet and Vixen when they were calves. Built the herd from there.”
“It must be amazing working with them every day.”
“It is.” Leo paused, studying her face. There was no artifice there, no polite interest masking boredom or impatience. She genuinely cared about his answers. “Most people see them as Christmas decorations with legs. But they’re smart, they’re individuals. Each one has a personality.”
“Like Comet being the greeter?”
“Exactly. And Blitzen over there,” he gestured to a larger reindeer standing somewhat apart from the group, “he’s the dramatic one. Acts like every minor inconvenience is a personal tragedy.”
Jade laughed, the sound bright in the cold air. “Sounds familiar. I know a few people like that.”
They stood there for a moment, surrounded by curious reindeer, the afternoon light filtering through the bare trees. It was peaceful in a way Leo hadn’t expected, sharing this space with someone who understood why he’d chosen this life.
“So,” he said finally, “you mentioned needing to talk about something?”
“Right.” Jade’s business mode clicked back into place, though she continued stroking Vixen’s neck. “The Tree Lighting festivities. I’ve been working on route plans, but I need your input on what’s actually feasible.”
She pulled out her folder, and Leo was impressed despite himself by the neat diagrams and careful notes inside. She’d mapped out three different potential routes, each with detailed timing estimates and marked stops for refreshments.
“This is thorough,” he said, studying her work.
“I may have gotten a little carried away with the planning,” Jade admitted. “But with only six days left, I figured we should cover all our bases.”
Leo examined the routes more carefully. The first one was ambitious—a grand tour of the town’s most scenic spots that would take nearly two hours to complete.
The second was more modest, focusing on Main Street and the immediate downtown area.
The third was basically a large circle around the town square.
“This one,” he said, pointing to the ambitious route, “would be beautiful, but it’s too much for the reindeer. Two hours of pulling loaded sleighs? They’d be exhausted.”
“I was afraid of that,” Jade said, making a note on her paper. “What about this one?” She indicated the middle option.
Leo studied it more carefully, walking over to a fence post where he could spread the map out properly.
“This could work. The distance is reasonable, and most of it’s on level ground.
But this section here,” he pointed to a steep hill marked on her route, “that’s going to be a problem with passengers in the sleigh. ”
“Too steep?”
“Too steep going up, and potentially dangerous coming down. Reindeer are sure-footed, but sleighs can get away from you on a downhill.”
Jade frowned at her map. “What if we modified it? Took out the hill section and maybe added a loop around the park instead?”
“That could work.” Leo found himself leaning closer to look at her modifications, catching a hint of her perfume—something warm and vanilla-scented that reminded him of the bakery. “The park loop would be nice. Level ground, good views, and there’s plenty of space for people to gather.”
They spent the next hour refining the route, with Leo offering practical insights about what the reindeer could handle and Jade adjusting her precise timeline accordingly.
Despite his initial resistance to the whole project, Leo found himself getting caught up in her enthusiasm.
She asked good questions, listened to his concerns, and adapted her plans without complaint when he pointed out potential problems.
“What about capacity?” Jade asked, tapping her pen against her notebook. “How many people can the sleighs safely carry?”
“Depends on the sleigh. The big one can handle six adults, maybe eight if some of them are kids.”
“So if we do fifteen-minute rides with a five-minute turnaround, we could manage...” Jade scribbled calculations in the margin of her paper. “About twenty-four people per hour per sleigh. If we run for three hours before the tree lighting, that’s potentially 72 rides total.”
Leo stared at her math. “You just calculated that in your head?”
“I may have mentioned I like numbers,” Jade said with a slight smile. “Is that too ambitious?”
“It’s definitely ambitious,” Leo admitted. “But doable, as long as nothing goes wrong.”
“What kinds of things go wrong?”
Leo considered this. “Weather’s the big one. If it snows heavily or gets icy, we’d have to cancel. Equipment problems—harness breaks, sleigh runner cracks. And then there’s the reindeer themselves. They’re animals, not machines. If one of them is having an off day...”
“We should build in buffer time,” Jade said, making more notes. “And have backup plans.”
“You really do think of everything, don’t you?”
“I try to.” She looked up from her notebook, meeting his eyes. “Is that annoying? I know some people think I’m too... organized.”
There was something vulnerable in the question, as if she’d been criticized for this before. Leo thought about the careful way she’d approached his reindeer, the respect she’d shown for their limitations, the way she’d adapted her grand plans to fit practical reality.
“No,” he said firmly. “It’s not annoying. It’s smart. And it’s probably going to save us from disaster when Mayor Clark’s expectations meet actual logistics.”
Jade’s smile was radiant. “Thank you. That’s... that means a lot, actually.”
They worked for another hour, fine-tuning details and discussing contingencies.
Leo found himself appreciating not just her thoroughness, but the way she thought about problems. She didn’t just want the festival to succeed—she wanted it to be safe, enjoyable, and sustainable.
She cared about the details that would make the difference between a good event and a great one.
“I think we’ve got a solid plan,” Jade said finally, gathering up her papers. “Though there is one more thing I wanted to ask about.”
“What’s that?”
“Pine garland. Apparently the artificial stuff Felicity used on our window boxes outside the bakery violates some historical bylaw, and we need to replace it with real pine before we get fined. Mabel thought you might know where to get good branches.”
Leo couldn’t help grinning. “Cecily Glick, I’m guessing?”
“How did you know?”
“She’s the only person in town who would care enough to complain about it.”
“So you’ll help us find pine branches?”
“I’ll do you one better,” Leo said, an idea forming. “I’ll have Brice bring over his best later tonight after supper, and I’ll help you hang the new garland. Might as well make sure it’s done right.”
“You’d do that?”
“Partners, right?” Leo said, extending his hand. “Besides, I’ve got a vested interest in keeping Cecily from shutting down the bakery. Where else am I going to get reindeer cookies?”
Jade shook his hand, her grip firm and warm even through her gloves. “Partners,” she agreed.
As they walked back toward the bakery, Leo caught glimpses of the old Jade in her quick smile and steady stride, but there was something different too.
It was like she finally knew what she wanted, not the starry-eyed girl chasing the next big thing.
The question was, did what she wanted have anything to do with staying in Frost Pine Ridge?
“One more thing,” Jade said, pausing at the back door. “We should probably do a trial run before the actual event. Work out any kinks in the route, test the timing and figure out the best spots for the refreshment stands.”
“Good thinking. When were you thinking?”
Jade pulled out her phone, checking the date. “Today’s Monday, the Tree Lighting is Sunday... what about tomorrow evening? That gives us a few days to tweak things and solidify our plan.”
“That works,” Leo agreed. “Maybe we can use a smaller sleigh. Get a feel for how the timing actually works versus how it looks on paper.”
“Perfect. And it’ll give the town a preview of what to expect.” Jade’s eyes lit up with the possibility. “Maybe we can even use it to drum up more business for the bakery.”
Leo nodded, but as she walked back toward the bakery. A trial run, a garland project, a partnership with Jade Bennett—things he hadn’t expected this week. Maybe her return wasn’t here to ruin his rhythm after all. But he wasn’t ready to trust that just yet.