Page 43 of Tis The Season for Secrets
“It’s a pity; I’d never want anyone to lose their family.” Kevin shook his head, and she could see that he had a good heart. “We don’t have many rules in Yule, but when it comes to safety and secrecy of our village, there is a strict no tolerance policy. For those who find out about Yule later in life, it can sound harsh and hard to understand, but this is our home – our world.”
They’d reached the front desk, where Kevin signed out the books he’d chosen.
“Thank you for taking the time to help me.” Watching him sign, Juliet was glad she hadn’t found a book in the end, or she would’ve had to come up with a fake name.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help with the finer details.” Kevin opened the library door, letting in the cold and the smell of pine trees.
Wrapping her arms around herself, Juliet followed him outside into the evening air misted with snow. More of it decorated every surface and painted shop window. She was about to ask about Eloise Heart, but she didn’t get the chance before a red sleigh pulled up at the front steps. Juliet held her breath, terrified she’d been caught.
“Kevin, we’ve got to get back home. It’s nearly four-thirty, and Mum’s getting dinner ready for five so we can all eat together before my evening shift starts.” A tall blond man stepped out of the sleigh. The weight lifted from Juliet’s shoulders when he ignored her. “I told you I’d pick you up twenty minutes ago. I’ve been circling like a maniac, and I’ve got to get back to the workshop later.”
“Sorry, Juliet, my brother has forgotten his manners.” Kevin rolled his eyes as he put his books into the back of the sleigh. Juliet stepped back; the two reindeer were eyeing her. “He gets terribly cranky when he hasn’t eaten.”
“Sorry– nice to meet you. I just don’t like waiting in the snow for twenty minutes,” Mason said, glaring at his younger brother. They looked alike, both tall with blond hair and piercing blue eyes. Mason was clearly the older, with his five o’clock shadow and broader build.
“Understandable. I think I’ve met your fiancée, Lyla? I’m Will’s girlfriend,” she blurted out, not wanting Kevin to mention her prying into Yule’s history. Will could yell at her later for fabricating their relationship.
“Will’s girlfriend?” Mason frowned, only for realisation to dawn. “Right! Lyla mentioned you’d met the other day. Welcome to Yule. I’ve been stuck at the workshop the past few days and haven’t had a chance to call him.” He offered her his hand and she shook it, hoping that he’d put her trembling down to the cold and not fear. She was standing in front of the man who had the power to banish Will for helping her.
“Will had something to do, so I thought I’d hang out here,” she told him, hoping they’d leave her to it so she could find her way back to Will’s home somehow.
“You should come back with us to the cabin,” Kevin offered eagerly, hopping into the sleigh beside his brother. “Lyla will be there, and we can leave a message on Will’s house phone if he doesn’t answer. They’ve been baking for the gingerbread contest all day, and Mum loves any excuse to feed a full table.”
Juliet panicked at the kind offer. It felt like walking into the nest of some very welcoming vipers. She hoped to see Lyla again, but didn’t want her to have to lie to her fiancé’s family. “I don’t want to intrude. I’m fine here.”
“The library will close in an hour, and Will wouldn’t forgive me if I left you out in the cold.” Kevin nudged Mason, who nodded.
“I’m sure Lyla would love to see you again, and it’ll force Will to come to the cabin. We haven’t seen him for ages, and Mum’s been begging him to come to dinner.”
In spite of their unexpected kindness, she wanted to run, but given the icy cobblestones, she doubted she’d make it far before falling on her butt.
“C’mon, it’s freezing, and I’m sure you’re not used to the climate yet,” Kevin urged.
To her surprise, the reindeer nudged Juliet’s shoulder.
“Dasher likes you,” Mason said with a smile.
Juliet stroked Dasher’s nose and smiled to herself in disbelief. Just when she thought this place couldn’t get any more interesting. She hesitated, praying Will would appear and take her home. When he didn’t, she thanked them profusely for their help and pulled herself into the back of the sleigh before she could talk herself out of it. At least this way she could wait for Will out of the cold.
Where the hell is he? Why didn’t he use the bell to find me?At this point, being discovered by Diana was far less dangerous than having dinner with the family who’d banished her ancestors and separated her from her mom. Still, she felt she couldn’t be mad at them; they were as much to blame for their relatives’ actions as she was.
The sleigh shot down a narrow lane, finally making a sharp turn up a hill lined with uncut trees and lampposts to light the way.
“Juliet?” Kevin asked softly, and she realised he’d been talking to her.
“Sorry, what was the question? I was too busy admiring the view.”
“How did you meet Will?” Mason put in.
“I’m afraid the story isn’t all that exciting. I was reading in a hotel bar when he sent me a drink. Then he showed up at my office the next day, and I haven’t been able to get rid of him since.” It was a relief not to have to lie for once.
Mason chuckled, glancing at her over his shoulder. “Will has always gone after what he wants.”
“How long have you known him?” she asked, moving the topic away from her. She also wanted him to keep his eyes on the steep hill, because as she saw the lights of the town below them, it became clear how close they were to the edge of a steep drop.
“We went to school together.”
“They also used to race sleighs together, until Will ended up—” Kevin was cut off with a thump to the arm.
