Chapter Nineteen – Michael
The sleigh’s wooden frame creaked beneath them as Michael settled onto the driver’s seat, his heart hammering with the same wild joy he’d felt when he was a child and his mom would take him on sleigh rides through the forest.
But this time it was different. This time, Sarah and Emmy huddled close beside him, their cheeks already flushed from the cold, eyes bright with anticipation.
After harnessing their reindeer, Fable, to the sleigh, Nolan had given him a knowing wink before disappearing back to the barn, leaving Michael in charge of the magnificent beast stamping impatiently in its harness, ready and willing to fly across the snow to catch up with his friends.
“Is everyone tucked in?” Michael asked, glancing down at Emmy’s small face peering out from beneath her bobble hat.
“Yes!” Emmy clutched the edge of the sleigh, her mittens gripping the polished wood so tightly her knuckles must have been white beneath the wool.
Michael reached behind the seat and pulled out a thick woolen blanket, carefully draping it across their laps. The gesture felt oddly intimate, domestic in a way that made his bear rumble with satisfaction.
“All set?” he asked, his eyes meeting Sarah’s. The look she returned warmed him from the inside out.
“Ready when you are.” She flashed him a smile.
“Then away we go!” Michael gathered the reins in his gloved hands, the leather supple and familiar against his palms. He clicked his tongue and gave a gentle flick of the wrists. “Let’s go, Fable.”
The reindeer snorted, a plume of vapor rising from his nostrils as he lurched forward. The sleigh runners hissed against the snow, and then they were moving, gliding across the pristine white landscape with surprising speed.
Emmy gasped, her small body rigid with wonder beside him. The only sounds were the soft jingling of the bells on the reindeer’s harness and the whisper of the runners cutting through snow. Michael stole a glance at her face and cracked a smile at her expression of pure delight.
We did it. We saved the day! His bear preened with pride at having saved Emmy from heartbreaking disappointment.
They followed the well-worn trail at first, curving up the lower mountain slopes where the forest grew denser. Massive pines towered on either side, their branches heavy with snow. Michael guided the reindeer with practiced ease, remembering the lessons his mom had taught him years ago.
The trail forked ahead, one path continuing along the usual route, the other veering off into a less traveled section of woods. Michael hesitated for only a second before making his decision. He steered the reindeer toward the narrower path.
“Where are we going?” Sarah asked, her body tensing slightly beside him. “Didn’t the other path go straight on?”
Michael turned to her, the question heavy with meaning beyond just their physical direction. “Do you trust me?”
Sarah’s eyes met his, searching his face. Her hesitation lasted only a heartbeat before she nodded. “Yes.”
Euphoric. That was the feeling that swept over him. She trusted him. No small thing.
“Then hold on.” Michael urged the reindeer forward with a gentle flick of the reins. “We’re going on an adventure!”
“I love adventures!” Emmy yelled as the reindeer responded immediately, picking up speed as they veered off the main trail. The sleigh slid sideways for a heart-stopping moment before finding purchase again, racing through untouched snow.
His bear surged with exhilaration as they flew through the forest, weaving between ancient pines. This was freedom. This was joy. The sleigh was nimble under Michael’s expert guidance, the reindeer powerful and eager.
Snow began to fall more heavily around them, fat flakes swirling in their wake. The forest grew quieter, more intimate, as if they’d entered a secret world meant only for them.
“Look, Mom!” Emmy finally found her voice, pointing upward where sunlight filtered through branches, turning falling snowflakes into sparkling diamonds. “It’s magic!”
Magic. Yes, that was exactly what this felt like. Michael stole another glance at Sarah and found her watching him, her eyes reflecting the wonder all around them.
Would she look at him with the same sense of wonder when she found out he was a bear shifter?
Yes! his bear roared in triumph.
They raced through a narrow passage between towering pines, the branches creating a natural archway overhead. The shortcut would bring them back to the main trail. With any luck, they would soon catch up with the others.
After about ten minutes of this wild, exhilarating ride, the trees thinned. Michael slowed the reindeer slightly as they approached the main trail again. Through breaks in the forest, he could see the other sleighs up ahead, stopped at the traditional viewing spot.
“There they are!” Emmy bounced in her seat, pointing excitedly.
Michael grinned and urged the reindeer forward again. “Let’s catch up to them, shall we?”
“Yes, Fable, come on!” Emmy urged.
The magnificent animal responded with enthusiasm, breaking into a gallop across an open field of untouched snow. The sleigh runners hissed beneath them, and Michael felt the pure, primal joy of speed and freedom.
His bear roared with delight inside him, wishing he could shift and run alongside the reindeer, feeling snow beneath his paws, cold air in his lungs.
Soon, he promised his bear. Soon we’ll run through these woods. With Sarah and Emmy beside us.
Emmy and Sarah whooped with delight as they raced across the snowfield, their voices carried away by the wind. Michael’s heart soared at the sound, at their shared joy, their trust in him to guide them safely.
They reached the gathering of sleighs where families had stopped to admire the spectacular view of Bear Creek below. Michael guided their reindeer to a gentle stop, the animal’s sides heaving slightly from exertion.
“That was AMAZING!” Emmy declared, scrambling to stand up in the sleigh. “Did you see how fast we were going? And that tunnel of trees? And when we went whoosh down that hill?”
“I saw,” Sarah laughed, her cheeks flushed and her eyes bright. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.”
Michael helped them both down from the sleigh, his hand lingering perhaps a moment too long in Sarah’s. Her mittened fingers squeezed his gently before releasing, the gesture small but significant.
Oh so significant, his bear said happily.
“Michael! Sarah!” A familiar voice called out. “Emmy!”
Daniel approached with Maisie and Teddy in tow, all three carrying steaming cups. The baker’s face broke into a wide grin as he spotted them. “We wondered where Emmy was when we set off!” Thankfully, no one made any mention of Emmy’s dad not being there.
“We were running late. But Michael knew a shortcut,” Emmy announced proudly. “Michael knows all the secret paths!”
“Does he now?” Daniel’s eyes twinkled with amusement as they flicked between Michael and Sarah.
Michael shrugged, feeling suddenly self-conscious. “Just thought we’d take the scenic route.”
“Well, you’re just in time for hot chocolate,” Daniel said, gesturing toward a small stand where a man was ladling steaming liquid from a large pot. “Best in Bear Creek, if I do say so myself. I provided the recipe.”
“And Dad made cinnamon rolls,” Maisie said proudly. “They are delish. Want to come get some?”
Emmy immediately perked up, looking to Sarah for permission. At her nod, Emmy grabbed Maisie’s hand, and the two girls raced toward the hot chocolate stand, Teddy trailing behind them.
“I’ll keep an eye on them,” Daniel promised with a wink, following the children.
Left alone, Michael turned to face Sarah.
The valley spread out behind her, a patchwork of white fields and dark forest, with Bear Creek nestled in the center like a jewel.
But the view couldn’t compare to the woman standing before him, snowflakes catching in the curls of hair that had escaped her hat.
“Thank you,” Sarah said, stepping closer until he could see the individual snowflakes melting on her eyelashes. “For saving the day.”
“It was nothing,” Michael replied, though they both knew it wasn’t nothing at all.
Sarah shook her head, her eyes never leaving his. “It was everything. To Emmy.” She paused, then added more softly, “To me.”
Without warning, she leaned forward and rested her head on his shoulder. The gesture was so natural, so perfect, that Michael’s breath caught. He carefully brought his arm up to circle her shoulders, giving her the opportunity to pull away if she wanted.
She didn’t. Instead, she leaned more fully against him, and they stood that way for a long moment, watching the children at the hot chocolate stand, with the valley spread out below them, and the snow falling gently around them.
His bear rumbled contentedly. This... This is what we’ve been waiting for.
For their whole lives.