AllFreeNovel
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Henry grinned at him. “You did make it obvious you found her attractive, but no, definitely keep that thought to yourself for a while. On my first date with Kate, I knew she was the one.” He shook his head. “I freaked her out when I mentioned it on the second date. Lucky for me, she stuck around anyway.”
Leo had known humans fantasized about love at first sight, but they couldn’t experience it for real. He hadn’t known that some of them knew early on in a relationship it was meant to be. “Okay. I’ll wait until our third date,” he joked. “That is,ifshe’ll go out with me.”
“There’s a holiday party for employees coming up. Gracie hasn’t gone to it in the years I’ve known her, but I bet she’d find a way to go with you.”
“Holiday party?”
“Yeah, it’s pretty fun.” Henry stepped back to survey the sleigh. “Tons of free food, a cash bar, a band plays, and we do a secret Santa by department.”
“That does sound fun and like something Gracie should get to experience.” Leo moved away from the sleigh too, once all the bells had been attached.
Henry smiled as he glanced past Leo. “Then ask her.”
Leo turned to see Gracie walking toward them with a backpack slung over one shoulder. She said, “It looks great, you guys.”
“Ready for tonight?” Leo asked her.
“I will be,” she said. “Got to run home for a shower first. Did they fix your costume?”
Leo nodded. “I’m not sure how Peggy did it, because I required a whole lot of extra fabric.”
Gracie smiled at him and began to walk away. “See you later.”
Leo glanced at Henry and tilted his head toward Gracie to ask if it was okay if he left before they finished cleaning up.
Henry mouthed the wordGo.
Leo moved quickly to catch up to her. “Hey, I’ll walk you to your car.”
Gracie frowned at him before returning her gaze forward. “Okay.”
As they stepped out into the cold, wind blew Leo’s open flannel shirt back, and she turned to look at him again. “This wind is— You’re not wearing a coat.”
Leo shrugged. “Don’t need one. I burn hot like a furnace.”
She scowled and dropped her gaze, but he noticed the way her lips turned up just the slightest.
Leo wanted to keep her talking and said, “You were saying something about the wind.”
“Yeah. The wind is going to make it hard to ski with our antlers.”
“Oh. I hadn’t thought about that.”
“I wouldn’t have either if I hadn’t seen last year’s parade. The tiny woman who was Rudolph was nearly knocked off her feet.”
“Well, then,” Leo said, “I promise to keep you upright if you do the same for me.”
She flashed him a smile.
“I hear there’s a holiday party coming up.”
“Yes.” A gust of icy cold wind blasted at them, and she tucked her chin into the upright collar of her jacket. “It’s a good time.”
“Would you like to go with me?”
“I—” Gracie cut her gaze his way. “You really aren’t cold?”
He was a little chilly, but he knew that if he were human he’d be freezing. “Well,” he said, “maybe a little. Don’t worry, I’ll run back to the lodge to warm up. But first you need to say yes.”
