Page 134 of Run, Run Rudolph
“I wasn’t ready for you. I didn’t understand love yet. I didn’t know what I wanted or deserved.”
He folded my hand into his, kissing it. “I would have shown you.”
I laughed, my imagination running wild with the idea of having dated him when I was younger. “I’d never have believed that a man as handsome and self-assured as you would ever choose me. You have your pick of the town.”
“I do?”
“Every woman wants their own Haden Powell.”
“But the only woman Haden Powell wants is you.”
“Yeah?”
“I choose you.”
“I choose you, too.” I smiled into the next kiss, my heart expanding. The past week had been amazing, and I couldn’t wait to see what the future held for us.
Chapter 39
Epilogue #2
~ Estelle ~
February
Perfect Trish danced past me on her way back from the head fairy’s office in her pretty little pink ballerina flats with the delicate carnation-shaped ribbons. So far, she’d earned more from her client wishes than I had this quarter, and she was up for more awards, too.
For the first time as a trainee fairy godmother, I was up for none.
To make matters worse for me, I hadn’t been able to talk about what had gone down on Christmas Eve. None of it. And every single one of Tamara’s big wishes had been paid for by Char’s remaining account credits.
Because Gram-Gram and I ignored several protocols when Tamara breached the shroud between our worlds, we’d had to keep everything related to that night hush-hush. Even the way Mrs. Claus had banished me back to the magical world. And that had been hard to hide, since I’d sported the evidence of that banishing with my scorched hair and skin. But I wasn’t allowed to talk about it. And sadly, Gram-Gram hadn’t been able to heal my hair or skin, thanks to archaic rules about using magic on ourselves or on each other. If I’d been ill, yes. A medic fairy could have helped me. But not ease the mark of a banishment.
In the end, Tamara had saved Christmas, and won the love of her life. Mrs. Claus was happily back at the North Pole with Santa. The reindeer were all fine, other than a bit of scolding from Mrs. C.. In fact, I’d heard everyone at the North Pole was pretty much kissing her butt these days.
In other words, everyone was enjoying their happily ever after.
Except me. And I was suffering my way through a sizeable work slump.
A slump to end all slumps.
Nobody was making wishes, at least not the big ones that required a bit of creativity on my part, or were award earners.
I sighed and leaned against my stupid bubblegum pink desk.
At least my hair had mostly grown out around my face from my banishment, so I was no longer wearing my shame for all to speculate over.
“The head fairy wants to see you, Scorch,” Trish whispered snidely, leaning close and startling me.
My new nickname, however, would never fade like my banishment marks.
I shoved my office chair back, hoping I’d hit the other trainee ‘accidentally,’ but she moved fast in her delicate flats.
“Maybe you’re being summoned to the Magical Court of Rules to talk about that banishment.”
I smirked, knowing it annoyed the fairy lights out of her that I’d clearly been a part of something—something potentially risky and exciting—and she had no clue what it was.
Because the truth of it was that trainees never got banished by another magical being. And only a few high-powered ones could do such a thing.
