Page 81 of Once Upon a Midnight Clear

The door behind her opened and closed with a soft snick. She stiffened, blinking away the tears and taking a deep breath to steady herself.

“Ella? Are you all right?” Nicholas was behind her. Probably standing at the door wondering why she had run out of the cottage.

“Yes.” She plastered on her best smile and spun to face him. “I’m fine. It’s just that… it’s morning already and we have a Christmas Star to repair and I have to…” Her words trailed off.

His face remained impassive, but she saw the drop of his shoulders. It was imperceptible. She would have missed it if she hadn’t been looking.

“And then you have to return home. I’m sure you’re ready. I’ll get the horses.”

He was so wrong, but she didn’t correct him. If there was ever a time to tell him the truth—that she didn’t want to go home, that she’d left the glass slippers on the ship—now was the time. But words froze in her throat.

He returned inside, likely to tell Lars they were ready to depart. Moments later, Nicholas led the two mounts around the end of the house, their hooves crunching in the snow.

“Shall we?” He gave her a faint smile. A faintfakesmile. As though he had something he wanted to say but was afraid to say it.

Like her.

She nodded, sticking her foot into the stirrup and hoisting herself into the saddle. Her throat constricted with unshed tears, but she managed to swallow past the lump. Together, they rode from Ingrid’s cottage back to the village, which wasn’t far, though they had to take it slow because the thick snow blanketing the ground. The horses picked their way through it until, finally, the gate of the village came into view with the faded sign welcoming them to Rovenheim Village.

They left their horses at the gate, dismounted and entered.

Ella took the lead. She headed right for the tree where she saw the shards of the Star. The pieces were covered by the freshly fallen snow. She dropped to her knees and started digging, looking for the pieces.

“What are you looking for?” he asked.

“Yesterday, when we rode past the tree, I saw the shards of the Star on the ground here. But the snow covered them up.”

He dropped down next to her and started to dig, helping her move the wet, sticky snow out of the way. Their hands bumped, her skin tingling even through her thick gloves. Their eyes met for a brief moment before they went back to digging. Both of them paused when they saw the first glittering piece.

“There,” she said, her breath pluming white.

“I see it.”

They went back to digging and finally uncovered the pieces. Nicholas picked them up, one by one. Ella noticed, though, not all the pieces were there. He held the biggest ones. The smaller pieces were missing.

“I don’t think we can put it back together.” He frowned down at the shards in his palms.

“We can try,” she suggested.

As their eyes met, a look of bewilderment crossed his face. “How? When so many of the pieces are missing?”

She peered down at the gold fragments in his hands. Something occurred to her. Some of them looked as though they fit together. She started arranging them until it was clear what was missing. Their heads were bent together. He watched her intently as she moved one fragment next to another. The Star was almost whole again save for a few bits they were unable to find.

“There, you see,” she said.

“There are still gaps,” he said.

She placed her hands over his, covering what was left of the Star. “I know.” She blew out a breath. “The Star represents more than just an object, though.”

In the blue depths of his eyes, she saw despair over the loss of the ornament. But it was more than that.

“How do you mean?”

“I mean…it represents joy and hope and kindness. A sort of giving spirit. It brings happiness to all those who see it glittering and twinkling on top of the tree.”

“But without it, there is none of that.”

“I disagree,” she said. “I believe it can still bring all those things, even if itisin pieces. This time of year is not aboutthings. It’s about people and how they make us feel. It’s about a sense of hope and love. It’s about being selfless and wanting to do special things for the people we love. We all still have those things without the Star. We have them here.” She lifted her hand and placed it on his chest. She was aware of the faint beat of his heart against her palm.

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