Page 39 of Run, Run Rudolph
“Will he be able to fly?” I asked. “With his leg?”
“Not sure.” The vet turned back to Rudolph. “You’ve got some pretty bad bruising. Icing it might help.” He eyed Rudolph’s hips and legs. “I don’t think I have that much on hand, though.”
“Well, there’s a lot of snow outside,” I said dryly.
“Sorry,” Haden said, shaking his head. “I’m used to dealing with princess pets.”
I cleared my throat and looked the other way, feeling like he could be talking to me. Yeah, I was definitely blocking him from seeing Boot’s Christmas post. I had a photo of him in a Santa hat, sitting in a cardboard box I’d shaped as a sleigh.
What could I say? I had a lot of free time on my hands in the evenings.
“We can use snow to bring down the swelling on your back flank,” Haden continued. “And I’m also going to bandage the spot where you went through Benjamin’s bumper.”
Haden shot me a stern look of reprimand as he called my car by name. Yeah, yeah. My driving was notorious. But my heart warmed from the way he referred to my car by his given name. Most people teased me for naming the Sebring.
This man always seemed to understand me on every level. Add in the fact that I hadn’t truly annoyed him with my endless animal questions and my once-wounded heart soared. Haden was the best, and if he wasn’t careful, he was going to have to add one more member to his fan club tonight.
Chapter 12
~ Tamara ~
I was driving back to my farm with the roof down to accommodate Rudolph’s antlers. Haden was following behind in his truck, having smartly chosen to ride alone rather than freezing alongside me in the convertible. He planned to meet us there to help ice Rudolph’s hind end, even though it was something I could do on my own. I wasn’t sure if he was simply dazzled by the talking magical beasts, thought I needed the help, or wanted to spend more time with me. I figured it was the former option, but hoped it was the latter.
While Rudolph didn’t have a broken leg, it was clear by the way he’d struggled to get back into the car that he was in no shape for flying. I bit my lower lip, wondering how long I could put off making a wish on his behalf. Shouldn’t Estelle or some other magical being be here, fixing this situation? Why was it up to me?
I know, I know. I should have been paying more attention or driving slower to avoid an accident. And even though I insisted it was Rudolph’s fault, I knew it was more mine than his.
Even though he’d been drunk.
And basically landed in front of me.
In the dark.
In a blizzard.
On a snow-packed road.
Once we were out of town, I raised my voice to be heard over the wind and snow twisting into the cab to bite us. “So, about that Christmas Eve time-bending thing? Does it mean you guys heal faster, too?”
“I don’t know,” Rudolph replied.
“Can you make a guess?”
“Prancer knows more about how your version of time works.”
“He doesn’t happen to have a handbook, does he?”
The way I figured it, time must move slower for us than for them. That way the North Pole crew would have more time to do all of their Christmas Eve deliveries in just one night. Therefore, Rudolph would have more time to heal before his flight if he was at the North Pole.
“How do we get you home again? Do you think you can fly?” I assumed he couldn’t, but it was worth asking.
“That apple was good,” Rudolph said, nosing my shoulder, and referring to the treat Haden had given him back at the clinic.
“I don’t have one. We need to return you to the North Pole so you have more time to heal.”
“Do you have some oats?”
“No.” We’d emptied Haden’s tin before hitting the road. Rudolph had scarfed the oats off my palm, tickling my hand with his soft muzzle. I’d probably overfed him, loving the feel of his nose on my skin.
