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“That’s so thoughtful and kind. Thank you.”
Brodie appeared by the sleigh. “I need some help locating the perfect tree. Is there anyone in this sleigh who could help me with that?”
Tab scrambled toward him, still clutching her reindeer. Bear followed, as smitten with the little girl as she was with him.
Holding tightly to Brodie’s hand, she trudged through the snow, giving each tree her close attention.
The process of choosing took a good twenty minutes and then finally she pointed.
“This one.”
“Good choice.” Brodie studied it. “It’s about the right size.”
“How will we get it home?”
“We’ll drag it home behind the sleigh.” Brodie returned Tab to Ella. “Better keep her here while I chop it down.”
“I’ll help you.” Samantha sprang out of the sleigh and Ella saw her sister and Brodie exchange a smile.
Interesting, she thought, and caught Kirstie’s eye.
“This is fun. I haven’t seen my sister this relaxed in a while.”
Kirstie stroked the reindeer, but her eyes were on her brother. “I haven’t seen Brodie this relaxed, either. I like your sister. She seems straightforward.”
“She is.” Ella was only half listening as Tab started firing another series of questions at Gayle.
“Why does that reindeer only have one antler?”
Kirstie turned her head. “They cast their antlers—that means they fall off—every year and then they grow a new set.”
“Does it hurt?”
The questions continued.
“Why does Santa come at night, Nanna? How does he see? Are there lights in the sky?”
“No.” Gayle looked vague. “There are no lights in the sky.”
Ella watched as Brodie chopped down the tree. He and Samantha were laughing together, exchanging a few words here and there as if they had a long-standing, comfortable relationship. Watching them closely, Ella decided it was more than that. Comfort, with
edge. There was a chemistry between them that she could feel even from a distance. She’d never seen her sister so relaxed.
“Does the sleigh have headlights?” Tab was determined to solve the mystery.
“No, of course not.”
“Does he carry a flashlight?”
“I—no. Enough questions about Santa now, Tab.”
“But how can he see? What if he has an accident like you did?”
“He isn’t going to have an accident.”
Ella watched as Samantha and Brodie dragged the tree back together. Brodie said something she couldn’t hear, but she saw her sister blush and laugh and realized they were flirting.
When had she ever seen her sister flirt?
