Page 20 of Reindeer Flames
The only message was from Santa 30."Bakery runs at 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. from now until Christmas. See you then!"
Shaking my head, I almost typed a response asking if he was sure he wanted me to have that much responsibility, but then I remembered my place. My teammates needed more rest than I did.
With my position in the middle of the pack, I didn't pull as hard as Donner and Blitzen, and I didn't think as hard as Rudolph, Dasher, and Dancer. As our logistics expert, Jax Donner was the one who worked the hardest. Some of the other alpha reindeer helped in the warehouse, organizing the big night's deliveries for Santa. All I did was follow directions and pull my weight.
Nine in the morning would hurt after our late-night practices, but if Santa wanted his morning coffee that early, I was happy to fetch it for him. He'd given me a job on a team that had already respected my dad. I owed him so much more than coffee.
CHAPTER 9
SILVER
SeeingHart once a day had been nerve-racking enough. Now, he stopped by each morning and afternoon. By Friday, he looked drawn and haggard from the long days and even longer nights.
"Are you all right?" I handed him a cup of coffee when he reached for my hand. He dragged his feet, scuffing the tiles as we approached our usual break spot in the corner by the window.
"This morning's review of the route was brutal," he said. "I almost fell asleep twice. At least I have tomorrow to recuperate." He frowned across the table at me. "This was your early week. How do you still look …" he gestured with his hands.
I flinched. "How do I look?" I tried to keep the warning growl from my tone, but my dragon did not want to hear a single snide comment come from any Comet's mouth, not even my mate's.
"Like the sexiest omega I've ever seen in my life, while I'm over here looking like milk someone accidentally left on the counter four days ago."
My dragon relaxed, and I puffed my chest out at the compliment, but it was short-lived. When Hart muttered the disparaging comment about himself, I cracked my knuckles and leaned over the table. "You look tired, and there's nothing wrongwith that. You've been working hard for Santa 30. He said to send you home with an extra loaf of bread, our treat."
Hart frowned. "I can pay for?—"
"Santa already did." I patted his hand where it rested around the base of his cup. "Let us take care of you." I'd packed a jar of raspberry jam and the day-old chocolate-filled croissant I squirreled away from our first Thursday collaboration with Laurie before they completely sold out.
"I'd like to take care of you." Hart sighed. "I don't get home until around two, and you start at three, so this weekend is out."
"Not necessarily," I said. "Are you going to the tree-lighting ceremony tonight?"
"Santa's giving us the hour off, but?—"
"I'll see you there."
He laughed. "I'm intrigued. What can we do in an hour?"
"It's a secret." One I'd been daydreaming about all week.
Unfortunately, real-life problems came crashing in on me once Hart left. "We're almost out of salt," Gold lamented. "I've tried everywhere at the North Pole, but they say there won't be any new shipments until the new year."
"That's almost two months without salt! What are we supposed to do?" I asked. None of our recipes required large amounts of salt, but we used it in practically everything.
"The grocery store told me to try Christmas Village, but they're the reason everyone is out. They had two separate incidents of elves using salt instead of sugar to bake huge batches of cookies for the tree-lighting ceremony."
"They should have picked us," I grumbled. We'd negotiated for the contract, but the Santas had chosen three bakeries in Christmas Village, instead.
"I called Santa 30 to let him know. I don't have enough salt to make the mini quiches he likes. I even asked Laurie, but she'shaving the same trouble. She's down to using the sea salt she sprinkles on top of her caramels to substitute."
"This is terrible," I said. Salt was a key ingredient for taste. Without it, we ran the risk of alienating our customers.
After work,I forgot all about the salt dilemma. I had more important daydreams to turn into reality. I had just enough time to shower and dress in my favorite midnight blue jeans and darkest sweater, a charcoal gray cable knit. Then I caught the bus into Santa's Village for the tree-lighting ceremony.
It was standing room only around the tree. I found Hart lounging against the snow fence, warily watching the crowd. "My cousins will be here somewhere," he said.
I nodded. "Sorry your Sunday dinner didn't go well."
"I'm not." He grinned. "Less stress. I might sleep in this weekend."
