Page 55 of Wrapped Up in Christmas Hope
He caught a drifting downward snowflake. “Mmm.”
Greyson’s tongue immediately went out. He bobbed his head until a snowflake fell onto his tongue.
“Mmmm,” he said, mimicking Andrew. Then he started moving around, trying to catch more. Morgan and Andrew watched a few seconds, and then he turned to her.
“Come on, Morgan. It’s your turn.”
“You should, Mommy,” Greyson encouraged. “They’re good.”
Stick her tongue out and dance around in the snow?
“Why not?” She stuck out her tongue and immediately a big wet snowflake touched it, instantly melting, and making her mouth water and her insides tingle with a youthful happiness.
“Attagirl.”
Her gaze met Andrew’s and the twinkle in his eyes caused funny feelings in her chest, much more so than tasting a snowflake. Crazy funny feelings as if her insides were floating like the snow falling around them.
“Howdy, folks.” A man in his late sixties came over to the truck. “I’m Frank. Y’all here about my reindeer?”
A few minutes later, Morgan had to admit that Andrew had done a fantastic job finding the reindeer. No surprise there. He seemed to be fantastic at a lot of things.
“This one is my favorite,” Greyson said, feeding the reindeer a carrot. “He is so cute with his fuzzy white chin.”
The animal in question did have a thicker tuft of white fur at his chin than the other seven deer and had taken an instant liking to Greyson. Maybe he’d known Frank would be handing over some goodies to feed them.
“Does he have a name?” Greyson asked the older man who was scratching the reindeer’s neck as if he were a big pet. He sure seemed to be as he paused in eating the carrot to rub his face up against Frank.
“Ralphie.”
Greyson’s brows veed. “Ralphie the Reindeer? That’s a funny name.”
“He was brought here when he was a little thing after his mother was killed. I bottle-fed him until he was old enough to wean.” Frank’s face took on a sad expression. “I’m going to miss him. I’ll miss them all, but especially him.”
“You can come visit them,” Greyson assured him. “Pine Hill isn’t that far.”
“Far enough,” Frank said. “I might just take you up on that. Now, you folks want to come inside for a bite of lunch before we load these guys up for their trip to their new home?”
“Lunch sounds wonderful,” Andrew said from where he leaned against the barn stall door, “But, what we’d really like is a chance for this little guy to build his first snowman.”
Frank smiled. “I’ve been thinking the yard sure could use a snowman. How about I have my wife rustle up a hat and scarf?”
“Can I have an extra carrot for the nose? Snowmen need carrot noses,” Greyson said just as Ralphie took the last bit of carrot from his fingers.
“There’s plenty,” Frank promised.
Greyson told Ralphie bye and, walking between them, clasped Morgan and Andrew’s hands, swinging them happily back and forth as they followed Frank to his home.
Morgan was struck with the thought that they looked like a family.
A happy one.
Because she was happy. Happy and positive, that was her.
Scared, too, but today was too wonderful to let something like fear make her come to her senses.
Chapter Ten
“That’s the best snowman ever,” Greyson exclaimed, choosing a scarf from the box of items Frank and his wife had brought them for the finishing touches.
