Caribou's Gift (3 page)

“A shame.”

That was all she said, but Kyle felt rebuked nonetheless. “I’m sure the parade will be fine without Rudolph leading the way.”

Ursa made a noise. “If it makes you feel better to think that.”

Why did everyone insist on acting like it was such a big deal? So what if he didn’t want to play a red-nosed freak? It wasn’t as if he was single handedly destroying Christmas. “If we’re done with the guilt trip, can you tell me where Crystal is?”

“I thought I saw her heading toward the stable.”

The stable with its smelly domestic animals. Ugh. For some reason, Kyle disliked the place. Not because it was dirty or ill-kept. On the contrary, animals cared for by shifters tended to be the most spoiled creatures around.

Still though, the whole locked-in-a-box aspect wigged Kyle out. He’d spent his time in a tiny prison—too much time—and he hated any reminder of it. Thus, Kyle almost decided to wait until she returned. But then, it occurred to him that if she saw him among those simple-minded beasts, she’d perhaps better understand his position. In a comparison between the two, she’d see he just wasn’t cut out to be a reindeer.

Since the animal pens weren’t too far, he forewent donning a jacket and jogged to the stables. As soon as he entered, the warmth of the place quickly dispelled the chill, and his blood heated as he caught sight of Crystal stroking the nose of one of the creatures.

I’ve got something you can stroke.
Down, boy. Damn, but she had the ability to bring out his randy side. Listening to her didn’t improve matters.

“Aren’t you a handsome fellow?” she crooned. “Look at you with those big brown eyes and that impressive set of antlers.”

Ha. His rack was much larger. Everything about him was large.

“I could just rub you all day.”

A spurt of jealousy at the attention the deer was getting made him feel a need to point out, “You know they don’t understand you.”

“And you don’t understand me. It doesn’t seem to stop you from wanting to have a conversation because I assume that’s why you followed me.” She continued to stroke the beast’s nose instead of facing him.

It irked him, especially since she’d guessed the reason for his appearance. He didn’t admit it though. “What makes you think I followed you?”

She stared at him pointedly with her piercing green eyes, and she arched a single blonde brow.

Okay, perhaps he was a tad obvious. He grinned as he spread his hands in capitulation. “Fine, you caught me. I did follow you out here to talk. I came to apologize for yesterday.”

“So you’ve changed your mind?”

“No. But—”

“There are no buts. Unless you’ve changed your mind and you’re planning to help me with our Rudolph problem, then I have nothing to say to you.”

“We don’t have to talk. We could just make out.” Even for Kyle, it was brazen, and, judging by the wide eyes on Crystal, totally unexpected.

“You did not just say that?” she sputtered after a few moments of stunned silence.

Even though he’d blundered, he forged ahead. “So is that a no?”

“Try never.”

“Why not?”

Again, she couldn’t help an incredulous expression. “Do you seriously have to ask?”

“Is this only because of the whole Rudolph thing? Because if it is, then it’s pretty silly. I mean, seriously, what’s the big deal if you don’t have a red-nosed guy pulling the sleigh? It’s not like it’s the end of the world.”

“Not to you perhaps,” she muttered mysteriously. Clipboard tucked under her arm, she stalked toward him, but when she went to go around his frame, he shot out an arm and blocked her.

“Come on. Give me a chance. I’m really not the jerk you’re making me out to be.”

“I doubt it.”

“Have dinner with me.”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t like you.”

“Because you haven’t gotten to know me.” He gave her his best aw-shucks smile.

Her expression didn’t change. “And I don’t want to.”

“You see, your lips say you don’t want to, and yet, your body says otherwise.” His eyes perused her, noting the hard tip of her breasts poking her sweater visible through the unzipped vee of her jacket, her heightened heart rate, and the flushed appearance of her cheeks.

“I might not be able to control my hormones, which I’m suspecting more and more are in need of therapy, but my cognitive abilities are working fine. And they’re saying walk away.”

Which she did, ducking under his arm and exiting through the door, the cold blast of air doing little to relieve the feverish heat in his body.

Damn, but that woman stoked him on so many levels.

He almost chased after, would have except something caught his attention. Something out of place in the stable.

Given the problems their town had recently with attacks and jabs at the inhabitants, Kyle couldn’t ignore it.

“Who’s there?” Was it someone he needed to possibly silence for having borne witness to his ignoble defeat when it came to snaring a date with the stubborn Crystal?

No one replied, and yet the sense he wasn’t alone—and, no, he didn’t count the reindeer—wouldn’t leave. Someone was in the barn with him.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are,” he sang, his hand straying to the holster with the gun he kept strapped under his leather vest.

A rustle in a bale of hay at the far end of the barn snared his attention, and he almost drew his gun, but stayed the motion at the last minute. Good thing, because the head that popped out belonged to a little girl and not the enemy.

Blonde hair in fat curls framing chubby cheeks made the giant green eyes staring at him all the more striking. And freaky. Because she stared. And stared. Yet she didn’t say a word.

First impulse? Run from the adorable little girl. Instead, of fleeing from her deadly cuteness, he channeled his sarge and barked, “Who are you? What are you doing here?”

Her eyes widened, and with a squeak of fear, she dove back into the hay.

Brilliant. Just brilliant. He’d scared a little girl. As if he didn’t suffer enough guilt, now he felt like a total seal. Which rhymed with heel. But seals were dumber than his foot.

And barking at a tiny little girl definitely ranked as dumb.

I should just walk away before I make things worse.
But given her age and the fact there wasn’t another adult around…

Sigh. He gentled his tone. “I’m sorry, sweetie. I didn’t mean to sound so gruff. You took me by surprise, which, hey, is pretty impressive considering I used to be in the army.”

Not a creature stirred, not even a child.

How about a promise? “I won’t hurt you.”

Nothing.

“Does anyone know you’re here?” In other words, was there an adult nearby freeing him to escape this uncomfortable situation?

A slight rustle of hay answered him but didn’t clarify the situation.

Another heavy sigh left him. “Come on, sweetie, I can’t leave you here alone. Reid would have my a—um, butt. Talk to me.”

Slowly, the golden curls emerged with bits of straw stuck to them. Big eyes blinked at him.

“Are you lost? “

She shook her head.

“Does you mom or dad know you’re here?”

A negative shake.

“Can I help you?”

She tilted her head and perused him. What was it with certain members of the opposite sex? Where did they learn that ability to give you a look? You know the one. The look that made you want to squirm, knowing you were probably coming up short in their estimation.

Except, he didn’t fail this time. As if seeing something that satisfied her, the little blonde cherub nodded before lisping, “Yes.”

“What can I help you with, sweetie?”

“Not me. Santa.”

A frown creased his brow. “Santa?” He almost said, “You mean Earl?” before it occurred to him the little girl might not yet know that the big, burly geezer was playing the part. She was still of an age where magic seemed possible and big fat guys on sleighs could and would deliver presents.

“I heard you talking. You need to find Rudolph. Santa needs him for his sleigh.”

Oh crap on a stick. The little girl had heard him discussing the whole Rudolph thing with Crystal, and she’d drawn her own youthful conclusion. How to explain without revealing anything?

“Sorry, sweetie, I wish I could help.”
You could,
chided his conscience.
You’re just choosing not to.

Shut up,
he snarled at his own mind. Bad enough when Reid and Crystal guilted him. He didn’t need his own thoughts to add to the pile.

How could one pair of eyes look so sad? Ack. Kyle almost made the sign of the cross in front of her because surely she had some kind of magic at work because he almost said the most ridiculous thing. He almost told her not worry, that Rudolph would be there.

Never!

“Why don’t you climb out of that pile of hay and come with me? We’ll go find your parents. They’re probably worried.”

She shrank from him.

For some reason, this caused a painful pang in him. She was too young to show such fear. Yet he knew that look. He’d borne it when he was a kid and his father came home in one of his moods. “Oh, sweetie, don’t be scared. I won’t hurt you.”

“But you’re big.”

“Yes I am. And strong.” Hmm, maybe he shouldn’t have pointed that out.

She nodded. “You are, and scary,” she added.

“Me?” He grabbed at his chest in mock horror. “Is this your way of telling me I’m ugly?”

A small giggle escaped her. “No, silly. But handsome doesn’t mean nice. That’s what my mama says.”

“In some cases, probably, but not this time. Why, I’m the nicest guy you’ll ever meet.”

“Malcolm said he was nice too, but he wasn’t. He was mean to my mama, and me.”

Wouldn’t Kyle love to teach this
Malcolm
a lesson about treating a woman right? “Well, I’m not this Malcolm guy, and I can tell you right now, I’m never mean to the ladies.” Even stubborn ones. “And I’ll tell you something else, if that Malcolm dude were to walk in here right now and try anything, I’d totally kick his ass.” Whoops on the language.

Thankfully she didn’t seem to notice. “You’re a knight?”

Almost did he snicker, but she seemed so serious. He held it in. “Knight in tattooed armor, sweetie. So don’t you worry that pretty little head of yours. No one will so much as fart in your direction while I’m around.”

She giggled. “Farts don’t hurt.”

“But they sure stink,” he said with a smile and a moue of distaste.

Apparently it took a bodily function jest for her to decide he was trustworthy. She emerged from her pile of hay, clutching a ragged stuffed animal in a chubby fist. When he held out his hand, he expected her to clasp it. Instead, she tucked into his reach and lifted her arms.

Despite him not spending much time around children, Kyle recognized the universal gesture for ‘pick me up’. He did, the little girl’s weight feather-light even with her jacket and boots.

“Where to, sweetie?”

“Mama’s working on the parade for Santa.”

“Then let’s go find her.” Maybe he could also get some clues on this Malcolm fellow, who seemed to think it was cool to threaten women. Kyle wanted to speak with the guy—with his fists.

Mission #737: Find this Malcolm dude and teach him a lesson. A Christmas gift to the little angel in his arms.

“What do you mean, she’s not here?” Crystal almost said again to Abigail, the frazzled woman in charge of the daycare area. It took a ton of patience to volunteer to help wrangle very active children, especially shifter ones who had an abundance of energy, and an agility that saw them climbing everything in sight. Still though, her understanding only went so far. Crystal could have shaken the woman when she returned to grab Gigi only to realize she was missing.

It wasn’t really their fault. Gigi was a master when it came to escaping places, especially daycares. Problem was, where did she go?

People milled about everywhere. There were hundreds of places a little girl her size could hide.

But Crystal would find her. She always did.
Thank you, Malcolm
for being such an asshole.

Given his outbursts, which they could never predict, poor Gigi had developed a habit of hiding herself when she got frightened. Thing was, it didn’t take much. Any kind of raised voice. A male with a loud laugh. Even the most mundane thing could send her daughter scampering.

In time, Crystal hoped that as life returned to normal—and prove safe—in Kodiak Point, that Gigi would lose the defensive habit and would find some measure of confidence.

She started her search in the community center, but it didn’t take her and her refined sense of smell long to realize that her daughter wasn’t amongst the screaming and yelling kids.

And, her coat was missing.

I’ll bet she’s back among the floats.
Her daughter had a fascination with them, and it seemed every time she pulled a Houdini, the hectic place with all the trailers and glitters was where she hid.

Starting at one end of the garage, Crystal began her search, only to stop not long after as her daughter turned up in the most unexpected spot. Kyle’s arms.

Surely a hallucination.

She rubbed her eyes and pinched herself before looking again.

The situation hadn’t changed. Her shy daughter clung to Kyle, perched on his burly, tattooed arm, looking for all the world as if she belonged there. And was she actually smiling?

Blink. Still the same. Crystal almost asked someone to slap her.
I’m mistaken, or it’s the glare from the lights
. Gigi rarely smiled, and she certainly never let strange men touch her or carry her around or anything.

When several moments went by and nothing dispelled the mirage, Crystal began to believe it, but still didn’t understand it. How, and when, had Kyle gained her daughter’s trust?

He probably cheated and used that hundred-watt smile.

The jerk.

The night before, Crystal might have gone home with a plan of attack, determined to use her feminine wiles to seduce the caribou into capitulating. Her determination didn’t last. By morning, her belly was streaked with yellow.