8. Teddy

8

teddy

W ith Ivy’s belongings safely stowed in the back of the truck, I closed it, a thrum of excitement running through me at the prospect of being home. Sure, I enjoyed my work, but there was something about a Christmas at the North Pole that I couldn’t quite deny.

And there was the mystery of the girl sitting in my front seat. I’d find out if my hunch was true or not soon, though. Everything would be revealed as soon as we crossed the border into the North Pole. Though I’d still have questions.

Part of me knew I should tell her the truth. But what would happen? Would she think I was insane? No one believed me when I told them I was from the North Pole. And she had clearly stopped believing in the magic of Christmas—the real Christmas. I knew whatever commercialized version was stuck in her brain was nothing like the things she’d dreamed about as a kid. But I wondered what would happen if I told her the whole truth of who I was. All of it.

Maybe she’d demand I turned around and took her home. Or maybe… a small voice in my mind whispered. Maybe she would want to stay.

There was only one way to find out.

“I still don’t understand how you did all of this in a week.” She stared at her lap in disbelief. “Are you sure there isn’t something I should know about you? Are you secretly a foreign prince? Or maybe the FBI? Am I being trafficked?”

I chuckled. “You really love to doubt me, don’t you?”

Ivy crossed her arms over her chest. “It’s not like that.”

“Isn’t it?” I raised an eyebrow.

“Why are you like this?” She gave an exasperated sigh, muttering under her breath. “I don’t know why I agreed to go home with you for Christmas.”

“Because you like me.” I grinned. It was almost endearing watching her try to deny it.

“Do not,” Ivy grumbled something else, but I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.

She looked over at me, her lips caught between her teeth, and I held in a groan. I knew I hadn’t imagined the heat between us. It had been a week since our date—a week of dropping by her office to bring her coffee each morning.

A week of resisting the pull I felt between us. Was this insane? Maybe.

Instead of giving in and resting my hand on her thigh like I wanted to, I kept driving.I needed to get out of the city before getting in the air, but I had to ensure Ivy was asleep first.

Luckily, I still had a bit of magic left.

Riding on the back of a reindeer with an unconscious girl was harder than it looked.

“Sorry, Buddy,” I said, patting my reindeer’s neck with my free hand as I held a sleeping Ivy in my arm. “We’ll be home soon.”

He made a braying noise as his legs moved underneath us, and I tried to ignore the fact that I had a girl cradled against my chest, her head resting against my shoulder. How right it felt.

I’d only used a pinch of magic to make her fall asleep, landing in my arms with that stubborn mouth of hers finally shut. Honestly, when she wasn’t arguing with me, she looked almost… peaceful.

Those pouty pink lips of hers looked soft and kissable, and—I shook my head. I shouldn’t have those thoughts about Ivy. Didn’t need to be thinking that way about her, period. I wanted her—that was impossible to deny—but I wanted her to want me, too. To accept all of me.

But even wanting that, I knew it wouldn’t last. After all, she wasn’t mine.

Ugh. What was wrong with me? Maybe all of my dad’s talk about meeting someone had gotten into my head. But I was fine, really. I didn’t need to settle down. At twenty-seven, I was in no rush to find a wife. Or something more than that.

And my dad had plenty of years left before he even needed to think about retirement.

Shaking off the thoughts, I focused my attention on the horizon, letting Buddy fly us home.

My dad was sitting in front of the fireplace, glasses perched low on his nose as he studied the book in front of him. I almost hated to interrupt him because, for once, he wasn’t working. Wasn’t checking the list, overseeing work in the workshop, or planning out the delivery schedule for the season.

Here, like this, all I could see was the man who raised me. My father. Not whatever mythical figure the world thought him to be.

My knuckles rapped on the door frame, alerting him to my presence. He looked up in surprise, his features forming into a warm smile before a look of confusion overtook his face. “Teddy. You’re back early.”

I looked at the calendar pinned to the wall, the countdown to Christmas. “I couldn’t disappoint Mom by missing Christmas.”

“Christmas is still two weeks away, son. You still had plenty of time to finish what you were working on down at the park.”

“I know.” I was hyper-aware of that fact. “But…”

“It’s about the girl, isn’t it?”

Nothing ever got past him. I nodded. “She agreed to come home with me for Christmas.” I’d called him a few more times since I’d first met Ivy, telling him my suspicions. Though I couldn’t know for sure.

My dad’s white eyebrows raised on his forehead. “Oh, she did?” A jolly smile lit up his face. “That’s my boy.”

“Yeah,” I agreed, staring into the fireplace as it crackled. All the fireplaces in the North Pole were wood burning, but they never needed tending to. Magic. This whole place was imbued with it. “Though she doesn’t exactly know where she is.”

My father blinked. “What do you mean? You didn’t tell her?”

“How could I? She’s going to think I’m crazy. That this is crazy. She has no idea who she is, Dad. What she is.” Plus, we fought as much as we flirted. Which was—constantly. She’d think I was just teasing her for her height. “I left her in my house. Asleep.” Because I was only slightly terrified of waking her up. She was feisty, and I was afraid of her drawing blood. Poison Ivy had claws.

“Where does she think she is, exactly?”

I winced. “A small town in Canada?”

“What’s going to happen when she realizes she’s not?”

I hadn’t exactly thought that far ahead yet. “She’s never even seen the snow before. I was thinking I could handle one thing at a time.”

A hearty bellow came from him. “You’re a little in over your head, aren’t you, son?” He ran his hand through his beard. “Help her assimilate, Teddy. Make her feel at home. After all, the North Pole is her home.”

“Right…” I said, drawing out the word. “If she wants to stay.”

Her home. Would it ever feel like that? She didn’t have a home in Florida but she had family here. She’d love it, right? Shutting my eyes, I dragged my hand over my face, dragging my fingers through my hair and tugging on the ends.

“You knew, didn’t you? Exactly who she is. You always have.”

“Now, Teddy. Why would I not have told you that?”

“Theodore!” My mom came in, carrying a tray of homemade cookies with two cups of hot chocolate. “I didn’t know you’d be home tonight.”

“Hey, Mom.” She walked over, wrapping me up in a hug. “Wanted to surprise you.” I was thankful for her interruption because I wasn’t sure I was ready to hear what my dad had to say just yet. The truth seemed like something that would change everything in my life—forever.

As she pulled away, she patted me on the cheek like she didn’t see me regularly. But she’d always been like this. “I’ve missed you.”

I chuckled. “Missed you too.”

“I just made a fresh batch of cookies, and there’s a whole extra tray in the kitchen, Teddy.” She wiped her hands on her apron.

“Okay,” I said, though I was still half distracted by my thoughts of Ivy.

“You could take her some,” my dad chimed in, a mischievous look on his face.

“ Her?” Mom asked, looking between us. “Nicholas, what are you up to?”

“Nothing, honey.”

She shot daggers his way. “You really think that’s going to work? After how many years of marriage?”

Dad ran his fingers through his beard, trying his best to appear innocent. “Our son brought home a girl for Christmas.”

I rolled my eyes. “Way to throw me under the bus.” The words were muttered under my breath.

“Really?” Mom looked shocked.

“Yeah. Her name’s Ivy Winters,” I responded.

“Wow. So it’s serious? I didn’t even know you were dating someone. Where is she? When do we get to meet her?”

“Mom.” I rubbed my forehead. “Slow down. We’re not in a relationship. It’s not… like that.”

We’d gone out on one date. But I’d never brought anyone home before, so of course she assumed. I’d figured she’d just be so happy that I was home for Christmas that she wouldn’t look too deeply into why I’d brought Ivy with me.

Of course, I was wrong.

“Theodore…” Her voice was stern. “You like this girl?”

“Of course I do.” The words slipped out before I could think better of it. “She’s… different. Like no one else I’ve ever met before.”

“Then you better treat her right. Don’t let her get away.” My mom winked.

I blinked. Was that even a question? Of course I would. “I’m just trying to make sure she has the perfect Christmas,” I said honestly. “Speaking of that… Do you think you can do me a favor?”

“Of course, honey. What do you need?”

I filled her in on my plan—or what I had of it so far, and she agreed, a smile spreading over her face.

Now if only I could make Ivy smile like that.