A Hippogriff for Christmas Read online

  “Seems like you’re buying for a family of a hundred,” Annie said as she carefully put his boxes of sugar cookies, gingerbread and lemon bundt cake into bags.

  Beau laughed. “Not quite, but they’re all hungry. Hopefully this’ll keep them going for a while, though.”

  “Well, I hope they enjoy it,” Annie said. She hesitated, licking her lips. “Before you go – I mean, I don’t want to hold you up or anything, but… can I offer you something on the house? It’s the least I can do, after you helped me out.”

  Beau shook his head, smiling. “No, there’s no need for that. I’m just happy I was able to give you a hand.”

  “I – I insist,” Annie said, her voice nervous, but firm. “Please. I’d really like to say thanks. If you’ve got a big family, it really would mean a lot to me to be able to thank you properly.”

  Beau opened his mouth to tell her again that she really didn’t have to do anything of the sort, but at the determined look in her green eyes, he quickly shut it again. Clearly, she wasn’t going to be talked out of this.

  “If you really insist,” he said, smiling, “then there’s not a lot I can do, is there?”

  Annie shook her head. “Nope. And I do insist.”

  She leaned down, opening the sliding door to the display beneath the counter, pulling out a large, succulent-looking cherry pie. Beau couldn’t help but smile – he loved cherry pie.

  Annie boxed up the pie, her movements quick and efficient. She clearly knew her job well.

  “Here you go,” she said, sliding the box toward him. “On me.”

  “You won’t get it in the neck for giving stuff away?” Beau asked.

  Annie shook her head. “No – it won’t be an issue. It’s all yours.”

  “Well, all right then. Looks like I’ve exhausted all my arguments – and believe me, I appreciate this. I’ve got about six nieces and nephews who’ll appreciate it even more.”

  A sad, wistful smile seemed to ghost across Annie’s face at his words, but then, it was gone as quickly as it’d come. “I’m glad,” was all she said.

  She’s lonely.

  Beau’s hippogriff spoke up again, its tone weirdly insistent.

  You don’t know that, Beau told it – though to be honest, he didn’t even sound convincing to himself. You don’t know anything about her. Probably she’s got her own family to be getting home to soon.

  You’re wrong. His hippogriff tossed its head. I know.

  Beau shook his head, doing his best to dismiss the hippogriff’s concerns. He’d helped her out, and now it was time to be on his way.

  “Thanks aga–” he started to say as he reached across the counter to take the box of cherry pie from her – and as he did so, the tips of his fingers brushed against the tips of hers.

  Immediately his hippogriff reared up on its back legs, raising its head, spreading its wings wide. A frisson of electricity seemed to shoot from Beau’s fingers up through his arm and into his chest, where it settled around his heart like a warm, throbbing, golden glow.

  His hippogriff let out a cry that seemed to reverberate through his soul, shaking him down to his bones.

  Mine! Ours! She’s our mate!

  Oh, Beau thought hazily, as he stared, thunderstruck, into Annie’s bright green eyes.

  Chapter 4

  Annie stared down at her fingers.

  What… what was that?!

  She wiggled them a little, but they didn’t seem to have suffered any harm from the weird mini-bolt of lightning that felt like it had just shot through them. She almost expected to see some kind of mark on the pads, but there was nothing.

  Don’t be so silly, she scolded herself as she realized she’d just spent the last ten seconds staring down at her own hand. It was just a big static electricity shock. No need to be so dramatic about it.

  Shaking off the strange feeling in her chest, Annie looked up, swallowing heavily.

  She supposed she could cut herself a little slack for being shaken up – first, Scott had shown up and behaved even more piggishly than usual (if trying to steal from the register could even still count as mere piggishness!), and then just as things had started to go really south, the most handsome man she’d ever seen had just waltzed in and saved the day, no big deal, throwing Scott out of the premises without even breaking a sweat.

  Looking at him now from under her lashes, Annie had to admit that handsome didn’t even really begin to cover it. The guy was six foot six of sex on legs. It wasn’t a description she ever could have seen herself using in the past, but, well – she’d never seen a guy like this before.

  Everything about him seemed designed to appeal specifically to her, from the lean, muscular build, the broadness of his shoulders, the squareness of his jaw with its hint of stubble, the tousled black hair, and the deep, dark brown eyes, framed by thick black lashes. He looked like he could have stepped right out of her wildest fantasies.

  Annie had known what Christina had been trying to do when she’d pointed out her shift was over and they could talk over coffee. But Annie wasn’t sure she had it in her to form a complete sentence around this guy. There was no way she would ever be bold enough to ask him out on an actual date.

  No matter how hot he is, she thought wistfully. Or how well he handles slimy creeps.

  Besides, the guy was obviously just trying to get home to see his family. He didn’t need her harassing him while he was attempting to go about his cookie-buying business.

  She’d held him up long enough with her impulsive need to give him the cherry pie she’d been planning to take home with her. She hadn’t even really meant to – she’d just blurted out the words before she could think.

  Now, she forced herself to clear her throat, take a deep breath, and look the guy in the face. It’s been fun, but it’s time to say goodbye.

  “Well, I hope you enjoy your Christmas,” she said, as confidently as she could. “And I hope your family enjoys the pie.”

  The man blinked at her, as if he was coming out of a trance. It seemed to take him a moment to find his words, his eyes wide as he looked at her, his mouth opening and then closing before he finally said, “Annie, I – sorry, I saw it on your name tag. Do you have any Christmas plans?”

  Annie frowned. What’s he talking about?

  It’d be easy to say that she did, despite the fact she’d given away the pie she’d been planning to eat. He didn’t need to know that those plans consisted entirely of sitting on the couch in my pajamas, shotgunning Netflix series.

  But despite everything, she felt something within her compelling her to be honest.

  “Not really,” she said – and then, having started, she found it was a little difficult to stop. “I mean… I don’t have plans with family, or anything like that. I was just going to, you know. Spend the time alone.”

  Annie bit her lip in embarrassment. Saying it out loud made it sound even more pathetic than she already felt.

  “Alone?” the man asked, as if he couldn’t quite understand what she’d said.

  “She was planning on eating that pie she just gave you,” Christina suddenly piped up, almost making Annie jump – to be honest, after her interjection, she’d almost forgotten she was still here. She’d been too wrapped up in her own thoughts to even notice her hovering.

  Now, she shot her yet another look, hoping that either she or Christina or both of them had suddenly developed telepathic powers in the last ten seconds so that she’d hear Annie’s desperate psychic messages of Please, will you shut up?

  And maybe she had, because in the next second, Christina gave her a roguish wink before disappearing out to the storeroom again, leaving her alone with – with –

  Oh, I don’t even know his name, Annie thought.

  “My name’s Beau Colson,” the man said, as if he’d read her mind. “I’m sorry I didn’t introduce myself earlier.”

  He held out his hand. Annie stared at it a moment, before reaching forward to take it. It was warm
, and she couldn’t help but suck in a quick breath as her palm tingled where her skin pressed against his.

  “Annie Shaw,” she said.

  She knew she ought to release his hand, but somehow, she couldn’t quite make herself do it. The tingling feeling she’d felt in her palm seemed to have settled into a gentle warmth, and she was reluctant to end it.

  Finally, swallowing, she forced herself to draw back. Was it her imagination, or did Beau seem just as reluctant as she did?

  Definitely your imagination, she told herself. What was she doing, letting herself get her hopes up like this –

  “Did you mean it when you said you’d be spending Christmas alone?” Beau asked.

  Annie nodded, feeling herself flush. She wasn’t usually a blusher, but under Beau’s dark, intent stare, she couldn’t help it.

  “Yeah. But I usually do, so it’s not that big of a deal.” She paused, then, under the same strange compulsion to be totally honest, added, “I don’t really like Christmas anyway.”

  “You don’t like Christmas?” He sounded genuinely surprised. “Really?”

  Annie laughed, feeling a little self-conscious. “Not really – I guess I just don’t get the big deal. I don’t really have a family, so honestly it’s just never really meant that much to me.”

  “Three days.”

  Annie blinked, looked up at Beau, who was staring at her with that same intent stare – the one that almost felt like he wasn’t just looking at her, but that he could somehow see right down into her heart.

  However, penetrating stares or not, she still wasn’t sure what he meant.

  “I – I’m sorry?”

  “Give me three days – three days of your time, until December twenty-third. I’d really love to help you love Christmas again.”

  Annie stared at him. Is this guy for real?!

  Beau’s expression was earnest and sincere. But he must have read something of her thoughts in her face, because he shook his head, looking a little sheepish.

  “Sorry. I get that was a little weird. I just – well, Christmas is supposed to be about having a good time. I’d like to share it with you, if you’d like to. Or at least up until the twenty-third. If, after that, I haven’t convinced you, then I’ll admit defeat. But if I can convince you…”

  Annie shook her head, not certain if she could trust her own ears. “What – you mean like a date? A three-day date?”

  As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she wished she could snatch them back again. Of course he didn’t mean like a date! Guys like him did not ask girls like her out on a –

  “I guess you could say exactly like a date,” Beau said, a warm smile spreading across his face. “That is, of course, if you’d like it to be a date.”

  Of course I’d like it to be a date! Have you seen yourself?!

  Annie swallowed down the first words that crowded impulsively to the tip of her tongue, searching for something that sounded at least a little cooler.

  “I – uh – yeah, I’d like that.”

  She hoped she didn’t sound too awkward. She hadn’t exactly been asked out on many dates in her life. She really wasn’t all that sure how to respond.

  “Great!” Beau beamed, his whole face lighting up in a way that Annie had to admit made her heart flutter.

  Jeez, she thought. He’s hot as hell, he gets rid of creeps, and he has the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen in my life. I really never stood a chance, did I?

  “I mean, that’s great,” Beau said, clearly trying to tone down his obvious joy at her agreement. “I’d really like that.”

  Almost despite herself, Annie felt a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. While she might be a little confused as to why a man like Beau seemed so overjoyed at going on a date with her, she couldn’t deny it was flattering as hell. She’d never have gotten up the courage to ask him out, that was for sure.

  “Well, I mean… when would you like to go?” she asked.

  Try to play it at least a little cool, she told herself, though by now, her smile must have been plain on her face.

  “How about now? Didn’t your friend say your shift was over?” Beau said.

  Annie’s mouth dropped open. “Now? But… shouldn’t I get changed or something? Do my hair? I don’t exactly look my best right now.”

  Beau shook his head. “You look perfect just as you are.” He paused, grimacing a little. “Sorry – I mean, you really do. But if you’d prefer to go home and rest for a while, I can always come by later.”

  For a moment, Annie was tempted to tell him that’s what she’d do. But then something in her heart fluttered, and she realized she couldn’t wait however long it would take to get back to her place, shower, change, whatever else to spend time with Beau.

  Not to mention, to think about all the ways I could second-guess myself about this.

  Swallowing down whatever self-consciousness she might have, Annie smiled, noticing the way Beau swallowed as she did so.

  “No – don’t worry about it. I’m fine as I am. Let’s go.”

  Chapter 5

  I must be crazy, Annie thought as she stepped out into the cold air of the early afternoon.

  The last few minutes were a blur – she knew she’d stuck her head into the storeroom and told Christina she was off, and had a vague memory of Christina making pistol-fingers at her and telling her not to do anything she wouldn’t do. She’d packed up Beau’s cookies and put the cherry pie into a cooler bag, and grabbed her jacket out of the staff closet.

  Maybe it was better this way, though – if her brain didn’t appear to be functioning properly, then she couldn’t second-guess herself.

  Swallowing, she looked at him now, flakes of white snow settling in his dark hair, and wondered if she wasn’t actually in her bed right now, having a particularly unrealistic dream. Men just didn’t really look like that, did they?

  On a slightly ridiculous impulse, she rolled up her sleeve slightly, giving the flesh of her forearm a good hard pinch.

  “Ouch,” she muttered.

  “Sorry?” Beau looked up at her, cocking his head slightly. “Did you say something?”

  Annie shook her head, already feeling kind of stupid. “No – uh, it was nothing.” She cleared her throat, rubbing at the red mark on her arm. “So. Where to next, then?”

  Beau laughed a little sheepishly. “Well, to be honest, I hadn’t really thought that far ahead. But since I was hoping to convince you that Christmas isn’t all that bad, I guess we should start from there.”

  “What – you mean like going shopping for presents? Drinking eggnog? Finding a partridge in a pear tree? Decorating a Christmas tree?” Annie shook her head, laughing a little. “I don’t even have a tree in my apartment.”

  “No Christmas tree?” Beau looked at her, eyes wide, before he shook his head. “Okay, well, we have to fix that first. You know where we can get a Christmas tree around here?”

  In fact, Annie did – old Ben Johnstone had been running a Christmas tree farm just out of town for the last thirty years. He was a drinking buddy of Mr. Dearborn’s, and they knew each other from way back. But in the two years she’d been here, she’d never bought a tree from him.

  But now, there was something about Beau’s enthusiasm and obvious love of the holiday season that was… well, kind of infectious. Something about his smile warmed her heart in a way she’d never known before. It was a warmth that had already started to melt away the ice of cynicism around her heart.

  Annie gritted her teeth.

  She wasn’t going to let herself get swept off her feet as easily as all that. Beau might have gotten rid of Scott, and he might be ridiculously good-looking and charming as hell, but life had already taught her a lot of harsh lessons about people, and how they tended to leave her in the end.

  But if it’s just for three days…

  She could let herself live in a dream for three days, right?

  Maybe Beau would leave her and go back to his fa
mily after that. But for the next three days, couldn’t she let herself be happy?

  If she knew that things couldn’t last, then she couldn’t be disappointed when he left. She could prepare herself for it, and keep reminding herself that this was just a three-day thing. No need to get attached at all.

  That’ll work, she thought, trying not to notice how her heart skipped a beat when their eyes met again.

  “I do,” she said. “It’s not far from here – just out of town.”

  “Sounds good.” Beau’s eyes twinkled as he nodded. “But – well, not to be ungentlemanly, but would you prefer to drive?”

  Annie realized what he meant right away: for obvious reasons, she might not have been thrilled with the idea of jumping straight into a strange man’s car.

  “That might be easier, since I know the way,” she said. “It’s only about fifteen minutes from here, though.”

  “Easily done, then. Lead the way.”

  It hadn’t occurred to Annie that her car wasn’t exactly the flashiest-looking thing around. It was an old, probably fourth-hand Corolla, with some obvious rust patches around the wheel wells.

  It was probably on the verge of falling apart altogether, but Annie had only ever had the money to keep it patched up enough to keep running, and that was it.

  Still, Beau didn’t seem to bat an eyelid as she opened the car door for him, folding his long, broad body into the cramped confines of the passenger seat.

  “Sorry, this might take a while,” Annie said as she turned the key in the ignition. But either Beau had worked his heart-melting magic on her car as well, or this was her lucky day – or both – and the engine stuttered only once or twice before the car jumped to life with only the mildest of complaints.

  “Phew. That was lucky,” Annie said, as she pulled out onto the road. “Johnstone’s Christmas Tree Farm, here we come.”

  Beau laughed softly. “You really don’t have one?”

  “Nope.” Annie shook her head. “To be honest, I don’t really get the point. I mean, maybe a plastic one, since you can use that over and over again. But a real one just seems like way too big of a hassle. It’s there for a couple of weeks, it sheds needles all over your carpet, and then it’s dead.”