Page 38 of Not Another Christmas Movie

“Can’t have you falling head over heels for mistletoe, even when it’s clearly trying to sweep you off your feet,” Chris smiled, the dimple in his cheek reappearing.

“I swear, I’m not normally this clumsy!” Annie told him, feeling ruffled.

“I like being around to catch you,” Chris said. “Makes me feel useful … and also, down to earth and grounded,” Chris joked with a small wink. Annie’s face broke out into a surprised smile. His small joke had actually landed for her, and she couldn’t help but feel charmed.

“Cute, very cute,” Annie said, enjoying the way Chris was looking at her.

“Chris, do you think you could lend me a hand?” Felix asked, interrupting their eye contact. He was now dressed as Santa, and Annie wondered if it was the same costume Nick had been forced to put on that morning.

“Glad to see you seem to have made a full recovery, Felix,” Annie said, eyeing his leg before shooting him a sigh of annoyance for interrupting her moment with Chris.

Felix let out a “ho ho ho” chuckle in response.

“How can I help?” Chris asked eagerly.

“I’m preparing the sleigh,” Felix said, and Annie’s eyes widened. “For the festival’s complimentary sleigh rides,” Felix explained to her.

“We’re going to make sure everything is set with the horses, Annie. Why don’t you come join us in a little bit?” Chris smiled, and Annie uncharacteristically lit up. Even if this place wasn’t real and was otherwise absolutely absurd, the idea of getting to ride in a sleigh with Santa sounded downright delightful.

Once Annie was alone again, determined not to fall again today, she found Nick admiring a stall of homemade ornaments.

“Where’s Bailey?” Annie asked.

“Baking emergency,” Nick shrugged. “I think their stall ran out of cookies.”

“You didn’t go with her? That could have been a good almost-kiss opportunity,” Annie scolded, though she didn’t want to acknowledge that a part of her didn’t want Nick to complete it.

“I tried, but she said she’d be right back …” Nick explained. Annie and Nick turned to see a line of people now waiting for sleigh rides. Felix had control over two beautifully adorned horses with green coats covered in small bells and was taking small groups around in a circle. Annie saw Chris, Holly, and Bailey in the sleigh now, and when Bailey saw Nick she gave him a huge wave.

“What the truck?” Annie groaned. “How and why are they now all on a ride together?”

“I’m sure there’s a reason,” Nick said so softly that Annie wasn’t sure he had actually said it. He turned to her and asked, “Do you want to take a sleigh ride?”

“Duh,” Annie answered immediately and moved to get them a place in line. “But I thought I was going to ride it with Chris,” Annie muttered.

“Did you want to wait for him?” Nick asked.

“No, it’s fine … Oh, unless you wanted to go with Bailey? We can wait in line if you want to ride with her …?” Annie asked, trailing off.

“I’m okay to ride together if you are?” Nick asked hesitantly, and Annie couldn’t tell if he felt bad for her or if he genuinely wanted to ride with her, and the unknowing made her uncomfortable. “I’ve always wanted to ride in a sleigh.”

“Me too,” Annie said as they stood quietly in line. Around them, kids were playing “pin the nose on Rudolph” by taking turns to cover their eyes and spinning around before attempting to place their red, round felt pieces on the reindeer. Annie was impressed that, even after spinning around in circles, the kids managed to maintain their accuracy and all of the noses landed somewhere on Rudolph’s face.

“Hi, Miss Annie!” Holly said, running over to give Annie a squeeze.

“Hi there, how was the sleigh ride? Was it ‘snow cool’?” Annie asked, immediately regretting her attempt to be punny when Chris let out a loud booming laugh.

“There she goes again,” Chris laughed, wiping his eyes. “I’m sorry we missed the chance to ride together. Felix wanted to make sure the horses had been properly secured so we were testing it out. I didn’t realize we were so close to Holly’s bedtime,” Chris said more softly to Annie.

“I understand.” Annie nodded, noticing that Nick and Bailey were also currently involved in a hushed conversation of their own and turned away from it. “I’d love to take a sleigh ride with Santa while I have the chance,” Annie admitted. Even if Nick wanted to ditch her here now, she had waited in line and was not about to lose the opportunity to be dragged around by Santa and two beautiful horses.

“Of course, you’ll love it,” Chris told Annie. He grabbed her hand to squeeze before trading it for Holly’s mittened one.

“Have fun, I’ll be at the bakery’s booth,” Bailey told Nick, batting her eyelashes up at him and heading off in the same direction as Chris and Holly.

“All aboard!” Felix said to Annie and Nick, his eyes twinkling with all the stars of the universe.

“That was fast,” Annie said, turning to see that they had somehow moved up in line, and it was already their turn. Nick stepped in first and then turned to offer his hand to Annie to assist her in getting in.