Page 53 of Courting the Krampus
“Congratulations. That’s wonderful.” My father looks like he really means that too. His hands flex at his sides like he wants to reach out and pat my shoulder or something.
“Thank you.” I’m grateful for his kind words, but unsure about why I’m having this conversation outside the stables right now. “What are you doing here? Do you live in Kirja?” I ask, needing some kind of indication of why he orchestrated this meeting.
My father swallows hard, his Adam’s bobbing with the movement. “Close by. I heard you were heading this way and I wanted to take the opportunity to talk to you. To apologize.”
I tilt my head, confused by this whole interaction. “To apologize for what?” My tone is curious, all the hurt from when I was young replaced by worry for him.
“Everything. I—”
“Cole! Where are you?” Jasper calls from the cottage.
“Cole! Are you okay?” Natalie’s voice follows, a flicker of anxiety spiking our bond.
Jasper comes barreling around the corner, Natalie following close behind, squinting her eyes to find us.
Heaving in heavy breaths, Jasper pats my body down, muttering, “You’re okay. You’re okay.” I grip his hands to comfort him. My shock at seeing my father must’ve echoed through the bond.
Natalie comes to a stop in front of me, her back to mine, as she stares down my father with her hands fisted in her hips.
“What do you want with him?” she hisses, puffing out her chest like she’s readying for a fight.
“Hi, Natalie,” my father says calmly. “I’m glad you still have all that spunk you had as a kid.” The shock that courses through Natalie has me laying a steadying hand on her shoulder. Jasper joins her other side, lacing their fingers together.
“What the fuck?” she asks, most likely thrown by him mentioning her childhood. Santas have great memories, and judging by that line, my father remembers her well.
A pleased expression pulls my father’s lips into a smile that resembles mine, and for the first time, I can see parts of me in him. I wonder if we have any other similarities that I’ve missed.
“I don’t think you’d remember me, but we met once when you were supposed to be sleeping and I placed a certain princess-themed coloring book under your tree. You must have been about five years old at the time,” he says fondly.
Natalie gasps and takes a step back into my chest. “That was real?” she whispers.
“I’m afraid so.” He winks at her before shifting his kind gaze to Jasper. “Hi, Jasper. Nice to see you again. How are your parents?” With every sentence out of his mouth, he becomes more alive, his expressions warming up as he relaxes around us.
Jasper bows his head slightly, his bells jingling with the movement. “It’s good to see you too, sir. My parents are great. Loved up and living in the Alps, still.”
“Good.” He clasps his hand together, wringing them slightly as nerves return. “I’m sorry to barge in on your visit. I heard you were coming and I couldn’t resist seeing Cole again. It’s been so long. Too long.”
I swallow, feeling sad for a male who has clearly been hurting for a long time. “Have you had dinner?” I ask.
My father shakes his head. “Don’t worry about me. You kids have fun.” He cups his hand around his mouth like he wants to tell us a secret, whispering, “And don’t tell anyone, but Kirja is my favorite village.”
“None of us have eaten yet. Join us.” My invitation comes out as a demand, but I need to know why he came to find me. Why now?
“Damn it, Nick. Don’t make this more awkward. The children are hungry and so are you,” Quill calls from somewhere behind me. It’s so weird to hear someone call my father Nick, but it seems to do the trick.
My father huffs a laugh that sounds so much like mine that Natalie and Jasper both turn to give me a curious look. I give them a one-shouldered shrug, because I don’t know what else to say.
My father nods. “All right. Dinner sounds lovely.”
Chapter twenty-five
Natalie
Dinner is awkward as fuck.
The sound of forks scraping against plates as we sit around the—thankfully large—table makes my eye twitch. Despite how delicious Quill’s chicken pot pie is, the atmosphere is making it hard to really enjoy the effort the old elf put into the dish. Now that I have a clear read on my mates’ emotions, thanks to the bond, I am constantly aware of their discomfort on top of my own.
After some strained polite conversation about the weather—newsbreak, it’s snowy and cold—Jasper clears his throat and puts on his sunny mask. “So, Quill, tell us more about Kirja. What kind of books do you typically send out at Christmas?”
