Page 30 of Run, Run Rudolph
Josie
Where are you now? Are you okay?
Aw. Even though she ghosted us half the time, she cared.
Another message popped up.
Josie
Tam? Are you okay? Please check in.
Okay, now she was starting to sound oddly similar to my mother.
Josie
Christmas is an important holiday. Stay away from anything and everything related to it. Please let me know you’re okay. And don’t touch Rudolph! Just walk away from all of it.
Too late for that.
Char
Did you call Haden?
Samantha
I rolled my eyes and sighed. I typed out a quick message.
Me
I’m okay. Rudolph is here, and so is Haden. Going to take Rudolph to the clinic and x-ray his hip and leg, just in case.
Josie
Please tell me you’re joking. You shouldn’t interfere with the magic world.
Me
But I already did. I hit him with my car. I have to help him!
Char
Make sure you kiss Haden as thanks for coming to the rescue!
Me
Already did.
With shaky fingers, I put my phone back in my pocket while it vibrated vigorously with the flurry of incoming replies. No doubt a Josie lecture and Gabby and Char getting excited about the kiss.
Why had I told them about that? Now they were going to hound me about it, and make it more difficult to brush off when nothing came of it. I could already feel the disappointment welling inside me like cold water.
And why should I feel disappointed? It was ridiculous to have any hope at all that Haden would ever be interested in me. He was eight years my senior, and I was sure we wanted different things. I wanted a hobby farm and a family, and I wasn’t certain that was on his life’s to-do list.
I drove the car into the barn, focusing on the Christmas carols playing on the radio rather than Haden and his kisses. Carols always made me think of decorating the tree with my family. Mom and Dad would get all snuggly, remembering the year they almost broke up before coming to their senses. Oma would come over and make hot chocolate, and we’d play carols for the first time of the season. Together, the four of us would decorate the living room tree. I loved it so much, I’d bought my own tree for this place, but decorating it alone hadn’t been the same, no matter how many Christmas songs I’d hummed while doing it.
I got out of the car and pushed the button to let the top down, frustrated by the indecipherable, furtive looks that Haden kept shooting my way.
“What?”
