On Christmas Hill by Nichole Chase Read Free Book Online Page A

don’t you?”
Nate’s voice was quiet. “I saw it that night. I’d walked along the
edge of the woods and would hide when I saw a car coming. At one
point I fell down into a ravine. I got lost and found this little
clearing. I thought I was going to have to spend the night out here
in the snow.”
    My eyes left the soft glow coming from
Christmas Hill and found Nate’s. My heart ached for the young man
with no family. Despite what was obviously a hard childhood, he was
obviously a man with a large heart.
    “ Something drew me up there
to Gertie’s house. I just knew I would be safe there.” Nate starred
off in the distance, lost in his memories. “Gertie was feeding the
reindeer when she saw me, getting their harnesses out, and setting
things up for that night. She just started telling me what to do.”
He laughed. “And I did it. Set my bag down and grabbed a pail of
feed. When we were done she told me to come inside and get some
food. I never left. Years later, after learning more about the
magic of this place, Gertie told me she had asked for a
family—someone to share Christmas Hill with. Christmas Hill granted
her wish. That’s part of the magic, it gives you what you
need.”
    Hoping down from the stone, he moved in
front of me so we were almost eye level. “You asked if I would stay
and help with Christmas Hill.”
    I nodded my head. For some reason, the
thought of doing it, staying, seemed real at the thought of having
Nate with me.
    “ Christmas Hill is my home.
But I wanted more than that, Molly. I asked for you.”
    “ But… Christmas Hill would
have come to me no matter what. It doesn’t mean Christmas Hill sent
me.” His words bounced around in my head. He wanted me? Asked for
me?
    He must’ve seen the questions in my
eyes, because he cupped my cheek and smiled. “I knew you were going
to inherit but I didn’t know you were the answer to my Christmas
wish. It could have been a friend you brought with you, someone
that broke down in the driveway, or a friend’s distance cousin that
came for dinner. But it wasn’t any of those people. It’s you. You,
Molly. I knew it the moment I saw you with Comet.”
    “ I…” Looking at him, I was
lost for words. “Me?”
    “ You.” Nate smiled. “I’m not
asking for anything other than a chance to prove it to
you.”
    “ To prove what?”
    “ That you’re meant for
Christmas Hill.” He ran his thumb over my bottom lip and I
shivered. “That you’re meant for me.”
    I stared into his eyes, lost for a
minute while I thought over what he said. There was magic to this
place. Whether it was the kind out of storybooks, or the kind that
came from being happy, there was magic. Something bubbled in my
chest and I acknowledged it for what it was-- longing. I wanted it
to be real, to be part of this world. I wanted Nate.
    “ Okay. Prove it.”
    He lifted me off the rock in a
heartbeat and spun me in a circle before covering my mouth with
his. My heart almost exploded from his eager kisses, the taste of
him filling my senses. When his hands slid under my jacket to grip
my waist, I shivered in anticipation. This felt right. Like I had
found the place I belonged. Right there in Nate’s arms.
    “ We have to hurry. I need to
get the fence set up and then we need to get the reindeer ready.”
He set me down carefully and kissed my forehead.
    “ You’re serious, aren’t you?
Santa Claus is really going to come here for his
reindeer?”
    “ Just you wait.”

Chapter Seven

     
     
    It hadn’t taken long for us to set the
temporary fence up, but we almost hadn’t been in time. One of the
mother deer and the young deer that had been so excitable earlier
today were munching near the fallen trees. Nate made quick work of
the task and I enjoyed watching him work. He was fast and
efficient, and probably didn’t need any help at all, but I tried
anyway.
    “ Gah!” The snow under my
feet crumbled, and I fell off of the log I was perched on, landing
flat