Page 11 of Christmas Wishes
And then Tomas was gone. Out the door and into thin air, leaving Rand alone. Exactly as he wanted.
“Keep telling yourself that and maybe you’ll start believing it,” he muttered.
It was time to check out the rest of the cabin, which from the looks of things, there wasn’t much more to check out, and after, he’d start figuring out what the hell he was going to do with the rest of his life.
* * * * *
Blix rushed Tomas the second he appeared outside the barn that housed all the reindeer shifters. Only, the one reindeer shifter she cared about most, no longer lived there. “How is he?”
Tomas shook his head. “That sister of yours couldn’t keep a secret if it bit her.”
“Don’t blame Maria. You know she can’t resist me and a mocha.”
“That she cannot. He’s angry. He’s hurt, but he’d never say it. He doesn’t understand why things were done the way they were.”
“I knowthat. I mean, how is he? Did you get him there safely? Where is he exactly? What —”
“You mean my wife didn’t divulge that as well?”
Blix’s eyes widened. “Maria knew that? And she didn’t tell me? I’m gonna —”
Tomas laughed and the sound echoed through the night. “No. She didn’t know. And you know I can’t tell you where he is.”
Blix sighed, deflated. “I know. Was just hoping you would take pity on me.”
“It’s against the rules, but he’s safe and he’s going to be fine.”
“Do you really believe that?” She tried to keep the anxiousness out of her voice, but even she heard it bleeding through.
“Yes.” Tomas wrapped his arm around her shoulder and walked with her along the path leading away from the housing barn. “He’s smart, resourceful. He’ll get it all in order before his memory of this life fades.”
Along with all his memories of her. She didn’t say it out loud, but she didn’t have to, either. Tomas knew how she felt about Rand.
She swallowed past the lump in her throat and blinked back the tears. “He’s also used to having magic.”
“I’m sorry. I know how you felt about him.”
Everyone knew. Except Rand. It barely registered with him that she even existed as a female, let alone had the hots for him. Oh, they were friends, sure. She had lots of friends. With lifetimes that lasted into the thousands of years, everyone had a lot of friends. Rand was different for Blix, though.
Now, she’d never see him again.
“Chin up, Blix,” her brother-in-law said softly. “There’ll be someone else. Someday.”
“Someday?” One perfect, elfin brow rose. “It took me almost three hundred years to findhim. Someday? When is someday, Tomas?” She shook her head. “You know there’s no someone else. Not for me. Just like there was no someone else for you once you met Maria.” And if Rand had ever gotten his head out of his ass and really looked at her, he’d have realized there would never be a someone else for him either. She didn’t bother telling Tomas any of that. What was the point now?
“Blix… It’ll all work out and he’ll be all right. I promise you he will.”
“I hope you’re right. I’ve got to get back to work. Not that I’ve done a lot of working. At least not since I made those cookies for Rand and the one’s for Santa and that extra batch for the bakery shop. Then, there were the cookies I made to be delivered on Christmas Eve and —”
“I think I get it. You should give yourself a break.”
“The way you do?”
“It’s a little different.”
Blix smiled. “I suppose it is. Thank you for taking the basket.”
“You’re welcome. I’m sure he’ll appreciate the taste of home.”
