“I’ve never been to a Christmas festival!” She leaned forward to peer at the pedestrians bundled in warm layers heading toward whatever fun was taking place.
He smiled. “This is the most excited I’ve ever seen you. Let me find a place to park.”
When they got out of the SUV and Hunt had Aries harnessed and leashed, they set off on foot through the streets. The town looked like any other town with simple structures and snow piled up from plows. But there were lampposts with festive wreaths on each one. The small trees were all decked out in white twinkle lights, and Christmas music drifted from the end of the street, which seemed to have been barricaded to anything but foot traffic for the festival.
She bounced on her toes, trying to see over the group of people walking in front of them. “What events will there be?”
Hunt chuckled. “I have no idea. I’ve never come for the festival. I’m usually on a slope somewhere, searching for a lost hiker. If I knew the festival would put that pretty smile on your face, I would have chanced the icy roads into town sooner.”
He ducked his head to catch her eyes again, a grin making him even more ruggedly handsome. “Your cheeks are pink, Freya.”
Oh no. He realized she was blushing. Good thing he couldn’t see into her mind and know why.
“I’m excited, that’s all.”
He took her hand. “I’m glad. Let’s go have some fun.”
Fun. Such a small word that meant so much. Despite the frightening flash of the memory back in the doctor’s office, and that vague text she remembered receiving from Colby, she was eager to experience the festival with Hunt. She just hoped her memory wasn’t jogged any more today.
Not even Hunt could protect her from her own mind.
Chapter Eight
The town looked like something out of a TV Christmas movie. Every corner was spangled with more twinkle lights, and the scent of fresh pine filled the air, along with the jingle of sleigh bells and the songs of carolers strolling through the crowd.
“Let’s go to the end of the street and work our way back up,” he suggested.
“Oh, look at that!” She pointed at some guys dressed as elves juggling. As she and Hunt looked on, they switched into a tumbling act. The crowd cheered when they went into what Hunt could only think of as a cheerleader pyramid. The elf on bottom tossed a ball to the elf balanced on the top, and he caught it. Applause rang out.
Hunt was far more distracted by the joy and wonder on Freya’s face than the elves’ antics. The woman never had a good Christmas? Of course the sad tale tugged at his heartstrings, and now all he wanted to give her was a perfect holiday.
But she had a life, and a job to return to tomorrow. These were their final hours together. Then it would be just him and Aries alone in the cabin. He already knew her presence there would haunt him for the rest of his stay.
Freya clung to his hand as they weaved through the groups of people to reach the end of the street. Once a few people stepped aside, they were given a direct view of Santa’s sleigh hooked up to real reindeer.
She cried out in happiness and jerked forward, tugging him and Aries along in her wake. When she reached Santa, she smiled at him seated on the sleigh seat. He waved at her.
Her eyes twinkled like a child’s on Christmas morning. She waved back and moved to the team of reindeer. Their handlers were there making sure they were unharmed by the kids petting them.
Seeing that Freya wanted to as well, Hunt reached out to stroke the back of one. “I guess this one would be Donner?”
“Blitzen. Definitely Blitzen.” She giggled and ran her hand over his back.
“So you’re not afraid of reindeer, but you’re afraid of dogs.”
She sliced a glance at Aries at his side, being the best-behaved boy. “I’m not as afraid of Aries anymore. When I was little, a big dog ran at me. Reindeer never did that.”
She was starting to make more sense to Hunt. Slowly, he was piecing together her past, and he saw a woman starved of love and in need of connection, not to mention Christmas and fun.
He caught a whiff of chocolate and peppermint and twitched his head toward the sidewalk where a hot chocolate bar was set up. “C’mon. I’ll buy you a hot chocolate.”
She peeked up at his face, worry slanting her brows. “I feel bad that you’ve been paying for everything for me. The minute I am able to, I’ll pay you back, Hunt.”
“Don’t dwell on it. I’m not. Let’s go.” He took her hand and guided her around a group of giggling children enchanted by Santa’s reindeer.
The hot chocolate bar also had a bake sale going on. As Hunt browsed the table for some goodies, the ladies running the booth asked about Aries.
“We have some dog treats at the end of the table,” one suggested with a wide smile.
“That sounds great. I’ll take a few.”
He waved toward Freya. “Which ones catch your eye?”
Smiling, she pointed to the sugar cookies cut in the shape of bells and decorated with frosting and sprinkles. They wouldn’t be his personal choice—he preferred chocolate chip—but pleasing her was the only thought in his mind.
After they had hot chocolates with whipped cream warming their hands, and cookies and dog treats stuffed in his coat pockets, they crossed the street to where some chairs were set up for a Christmas play.
They took seats in the back row, and Aries sat next to Hunt.
“You know those ladies were staring at you back there.” Freya buried her nose in her hot chocolate cup.
“What ladies?” Not that he cared.
“At the bake sale table. I swear they were all hoping you’d buy the cookies they made.”
“Didn’t notice.”
She sipped her drink and when she lowered the cup, she had whipped cream on her upper lip. He stared at it, suddenly throbbing to kiss it off. But she slipped her tongue out and swiped it over her lip before he could act.
“This is delicious. They made it with real milk, not water.”
He grinned. “How can you tell?”
“Oh, I’m a connoisseur of hot chocolate.”
“Are you now?” He pulled out the dog treats and offered one to Aries. He took it with enthusiasm.
Freya’s eyes gleamed, and her pink cheeks were a welcome change from her paleness earlier when they’d left the doctor’s office. What she wasn’t saying about her ordeal worried him the most. He wished she would confide her worries to him. He didn’t have much time left to earn her trust.
“I might have a small obsession with all things Christmas,” she admitted, sipping again. When she lowered the cup, she didn’t have whipped cream on her lip. A disappointment to him. He was ready to swoop in and kiss her this time.
“What kind of obsession? You dress as Mrs. Claus on the Fourth of July?” His teasing tone had her laughing. His gut clenched at the sight of her full-blown happiness.
“Not that far. But I have a collection of Christmas figurines I keep out all year long on a shelf in my—” She broke off on a gasp, staring straight ahead into space.
He watched emotions ripple over her lovely features, from surprise to fear. He put a hand on her arm. “What’s wrong? Did you remember something?”