Page 130 of Run, Run Rudolph
I swore I heard a faint ho, ho, ho!
As soon as Santa dipped over the horizon, on to the next house or town, the northern lights faded, and like a stage curtain being drawn, the snow started up again.
“Tamara?” Haden asked, letting me slip from his arms.
I turned to him. “Yeah?”
“How come I can remember stuff if Mrs. Claus tried to erase my memories?”
I wrapped my arms around him, hugging him with pure joy in my heart. “Because some things are so real, they can’t ever be erased.”
Chapter 38
Epilogue
~ Tamara ~
New Year’s Eve
* * *
We broke up.
My thumbs hovered over my phone’s keyboard, debating several responses to Samantha’s text. She and Malachi had broken up and gotten back together two times since Christmas. Was the third time a charm? The poor man had tried to propose on Christmas Day, instigating the first break-up.
In our group chat, Char had declared it too soon for that kind of commitment, but Gabby had been over the moon about the idea. She’d been crushed when Samantha had decided the proposal was break-up worthy.
Me
Come hang out with us tonight.
Samantha and Malachi, upon getting back together the first time, had booked last minute tickets for a New Year’s Eve party in Calgary for tonight. I assumed that was no longer a go. And while I was disappointed for Samantha, I was happy the full GAL PAL gang would once again be spending the evening together.
Samantha
Send me a pin.
Yes! She was coming!
I opened a maps app on my phone, pinned my location, then sent it to Samantha to use while navigating to my farm.
Me
It’s not that hard to find.
Samantha
Yes, it is. All the roads look the same.
Samantha
Be there in a bit.
A few hours later, Char and her boyfriend James, looking tanned and relaxed, and very much in love after their Mexican vacation, were in my kitchen cuddling Felipe and eating chocolate cake. Not long after, Josie and Gabby arrived, serving themselves a slice of cake and a cup of yukaflux. It had magically replenished itself, and I was a little hesitant to serve it, even though, due to the unwinding of time, was unlikely to have Blitzen slobber in it.
Haden texted to say he was on his way. I’d half expected a fake emergency from a HAG to make him late, but his business seemed to have settled down to a reasonable, less fake-emergency-laden pace since we got together on Christmas Eve. I wasn’t sure if this was due to a touch of magic, or if the women of Eagle Ridge could sense when a man’s heart was off the market.
I went to get the door when Samantha arrived, a tremor of excitement zipping through me at the idea of the seven of us being together for New Year’s Eve. I had planned some games and movies, as well as set out drinks and snacks. I marvelled at my mood as my little house filled up with people. A few years ago, I would have cringed at the idea of hosting a party, and might have turned into an actual recluse if it weren’t for my years with Kade. But spending time with him had taught me that sometimes, being around a big group of friends was indeed the best thing—as long as they were the right people. I was so blessed to have such amazing friends.
