Mistletoe by Lyn Gardner Page B

Jamie trotted down the stairs with Diana following close behind, and when they reached the path, Jamie smiled. “Try to keep up. That is...if you can.”
    In the second it took for Diana to register what Jamie had said, the woman was already several yards down the path, and setting her jaw, Diana sprinted after her. Trying not to laugh as she ran as fast as she could, the sting of the crisp air against her face brought back memories of sleds and snowball fights.
    Of brightly-colored boots and mittens fastened to her jacket with a string, and snowsuits so stiff, it was all she could do to move.
    Seeing Jamie disappear behind some tall evergreens, Diana sped up, but as soon as she cleared the trees, she stopped in her tracks. Hidden behind the pines was a barn entirely outlined in white lights, and leaning on one of the doors was Jamie, playfully tapping the face of her watch.
    “I wasn't that far behind,” Diana said, trotting over.
    Snickering, Jamie said, “I know.”
    Pointing to the far door, she said, “Grab the handle, and it'll slide open. I'll get this one.”
    “Okay,” Diana said, jogging to the other door. Being two-thirds the height of the barn and covered in wide planks of oak, when Diana grasped the iron handle, she did it with purpose. Tugging with every ounce of strength she had, she promptly fell on her ass when the hefty panel moved almost effortlessly.
    Giggling, Diana scrambled to her feet, and refusing to acknowledge the amused look on Jamie's face, she clutched the handle again. “Let's try that again, shall we?”
    Easily opening her door while Jamie did the same with the other, the snow-covered ground was instantly awash in the light streaming from the barn. Filling her lungs with air, Diana peeked inside and her eyes opened wide. “Oh my God! Jamie, how did you do this?”
    Wearing the largest smile she owned, Jamie said, “My sister works for an ad agency. They use it on photo shoots sometimes, but it’s usually back in storage by now. I leased it from them, and…and a friend helped me with the rest.”
    Before Diana could say a word, a booming voice echoed through the barn.
    “You’re late!” Turning, Diana watched as Santa Claus strode past the two white stallions tethered to a sleigh, and came to a stop directly in front of Jamie. “You were supposed to be here ten minutes ago.”
    “Sorry, I kind of lost track of time,” Jamie replied.
    Raising an eyebrow, Santa directed his attention to Diana. Eyeballing her for only a moment, he returned his focus to Jamie. Seeing that both women were displaying radiant smiles, he chuckled and shook his head. “Yes, well, speaking of time, we’re running out of it. I’ve loaded the sacks, so climb in and let’s go.”
    Walking to the front of the festively decorated red sleigh, he climbed onto the green-upholstered seat in the front.
    Adjusting the overfilled sack next to him, he glanced over his shoulder at the two women still standing near the sled.
    “Well, what are you waiting for?”
    Taking Diana’s hand, Jamie asked, “So…how’d you like to go on a sleigh ride?”

Chapter Eight

    A midst the snow flurries and darkness of Christmas Eve, and with the sleigh bells jingle-jangling as the horses trotted, the sleigh shushed through the snow. In the back seat, with a plush red and white blanket draped over their legs, the two women sat with cheeks rosy from the wind, enjoying every single second of the ride.
    Diana’s mind was awhirl. She had never believed in fairytales, but sitting behind Santa on a sleigh sliding over the frozen ground has a way of changing a person’s beliefs. The last few hours had been filled with the smells of Christmas, the laughter of children and the charity of the season, and Diana had never felt so warm, so alive, so aware, and so much in love.
    The man in the Santa costume guided the sleigh to the outskirts of Jamie’s property before slowly heading back toward the house. Between the sound of the bells