Twelve Days of Christmas Chaos Read online

  They passed several other volunteers—trainers, rescuers, Stacey’s assistants, and people who were just happy to play with the rescued pets—and Greyson, Red’s husband. Cleo could only imagine what she looked like, hair frozen in weird angles like Medusa and missing a boot while her teeth clattered so hard, she thought she might break them right out of her mouth.

  And Kayne’s little brother, Jayden.

  Because, of course.

  Jayden was sixteen and had been helping at the sanctuary for years. He was unloading bags upon bags of dog food from the back of a truck. “Hey,” he said, waving as he dropped the bag he was holding. “Mom and Dad are at work, so I thought I’d get an early start.”

  Kayne nodded. “Jayden, you remember Cleo?”

  “Of course,” Jayden said. “How’s it going?”

  Cleo looked down at her missing boot. “It’s fantastic.”

  Jayden laughed easily, what Cleo would guess Kayne sounded like if he ever laughed easily. Instead, getting him to even smile beyond what politeness dictated was like pulling teeth.

  “Yeah, I like you. You guys just get back?”

  “Yeah. There were three ferrets someone tossed in the river.” Kayne’s face darkened with anger.

  “Do you know what I just realized?” Cleo gasped. “One partridge, two dogs, three ferrets. We’re living the Twelve Days of Christmas!”

  Jayden opened his mouth to argue but came up empty.

  Kayne stepped in. “One, there are no huskies or ferrets in that song. Two, the partridge was in a pine tree, not a pear tree. And three, the Twelve Days of Christmas actually start after Christmas, which most people don’t know.”

  Cleo waved her hand through the air, although she still shook like a Chihuahua in a hurricane, so the nonchalance she was going for wasn’t entirely believable. “Minor details. This is the Twelve Days of Christmas, Kayne, just you wait and see!”

  Kayne sent Jayden an exasperated look, but Jayden just laughed and shrugged.

  “Hey, she’s freezing. Do you still have your track sweats in your truck?” Kayne had already shoved off his coat and pulled his hat off; his dark brown hair stuck up at wild angles all over his head. And still, probably every girl in the village would swoon.

  He was just that gorgeous.

  “Yeah!” Jayden said, jogging to the driver’s side door. “And they’re even clean!’

  “Thank goodness,” Kayne muttered under his breath.

  Cleo tried to smile but her lips were frozen and didn’t respond. Red kept extra clothing on hand for just such emergencies, but Cleo didn’t know where and she was too cold to go find her. The sanctuary was over twenty acres and Red could be anywhere.

  “Here,” Jayden jogged back to her and handed over the soft black sweats covered with purple writing. He ran for Huckleberry Fall’s high school cross country team instead of playing football like his three older brothers. When Cleo had seen him in town after a meet once, he’d told her he “ran his own path”, which had amused her greatly. “My truck’s warm. Run change and then we’ll blast you with hot air and wrap you in blankets. You’ll be back to normal in no time.”

  “At least until we can get you home,” Kayne said. He shivered, too, but no one seemed to worry about him freezing to death. “You need a hot shower and hot chocolate and soup. Warm you up from the inside out.”

  Cleo could only nod, only too anxious to get out of her frozen clothes. She hurried back inside and stripped everything wet and icy off and toweled dry. It was a little bit of heaven, sliding Jayden’s soft sweatshirt over her head.

  “I really should have done track in high school,” she muttered as she tried to dry her hair in the women’s locker room. “I need these sweats.”

  Mrs. Stradley raised an eyebrow as she walked by, snickering at Cleo talking to herself. “It looks like you guys had an eventful morning.”

  Cleo shrugged. “Just another day of rescuing.”

  Mrs. Stradley chuckled. “I hear that. Oh, I meant to tell you, if you need a dress for the Christmas ball, I don’t have the grandkids this week, so I can help you find the perfect one.”

  Cleo dropped the towel that was failing her into the hamper. “I wasn’t really planning to go. None of my friends are in town and Christmas balls are no fun when you go alone.”

  Mrs. Stradley gaped at her. “But—but you can’t just not go. Not when you’ve been nominated!”

  “Nominated?” Cleo asked. She looked over her shoulder at Mrs. Stradley and smashed straight into the door, knocking it open and tumbling out into the hall. Kayne was leaning against the wall but pushed away in alarm when she nearly fell at his feet.

  “Yes dear,” Mrs. Stradley said, not missing a beat, far too used to Cleo’s clumsiness to be phased by it now.

  “Nominated for what?” Cleo glanced over at Kayne, who smirked. He was dry now, as well, his dark hair tamed into its usual stylish mess. She looked like death warmed over and he looked as flawless and chiseled as ever.

  “For Christmas royalty, of course,” Mrs. Stradley laughed. “Did you hit your head, dear?”

  “Probably just froze her brain a bit,” Kayne said.

  “I was not nominated for Christmas royalty.” Cleo tried to rake a hand through her curls, but her fingers just got tangled in the mess. Kayne had to reach out to help her after watching her struggle for several seconds.

  “Yes dear, you were. I read it in the paper this morning. You and that Jacob girl from the north side of town, Malen, I believe. And a few others, of course, but I wasn’t as familiar with them.”

  Cleo forced a laugh. “It couldn’t have been me, Mrs. Stradley. No one even knows I exist.” Even her friends had forgotten about her, moving away to bigger and better things.

  “Oh, it was dear. I was so excited to see you among the nominees. You deserve it.” Mrs. Stradley patted Kayne’s bicep. “And our very own Kayne Frost, of course.”

  Kayne was nominated every year. It was no surprise. He’d been Christmas royalty for four years running.

  Malen was Kayne’s ex-girlfriend. They’d had an amicable breakup in high school, but she’d been furious two years ago when he’d won and she hadn’t. Things had been awkward between them ever since when Kayne came home for winter and summer breaks.

  “But—but who would nominate me?” Cleo asked stupidly. “I don’t—I’m not Christmas royalty material.”

  “Oh yes, because being kind and beautiful have no place in royalty pageants.” Mrs. Stradley chuckled. “You’re exactly what Christmas royalty should be. Your heart alone could win.” She patted Cleo on the cheek with the hand that wasn’t still patting Kayne’s bicep then hurried off down the hall before Cleo could respond.

  She looked up at Kayne. “Who could do such a thing?”

  And she burst into tears.

  In all the years Kayne had known her, he’d never seen Cleo cry. Now, she stood in front of him, sobbing into her hands and he had no idea why.

  Clearly, they weren’t tears of joy.

  “Hey.” He awkwardly patted her on the shoulder. He wanted to hold her close to his chest and protect her from all the hurtful things, but he had no idea what those hurtful things were.

  Besides the fact that she’d probably punch him if he tried.

  “It’s okay. I don’t—Cleo? I don’t know why you’re crying.”

  She sniffled, scrubbing at her eyes. “Why would they do something so mean?”

  “Mean? I don’t—what?”

  “I’m a joke, Kayne. Me and Malen? She’s nominated every year.”

  “There are several other girls, as well,” Kayne interrupted, but she continued as if he hadn’t.

  “I’m somebody’s sick joke.” She sobbed again, leaning against the wall and slowly sinking to the floor.

  “A joke?” he asked stupidly. “How?”

  She sucked in a breath, trying to blink tears away. “No one meant me as an actual candidate, Kayne. I’m just a joke.”

  Kayne sa
t next to her, ignoring the odd looks from other volunteers scurrying past them. “Trust me, Cleo, you are no one’s joke. You’re ten times more beautiful than Malen, inside and out.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You’re just saying that to make me stop crying.”

  “And because it’s true.”

  A familiar husky, wet from a bath and still covered in bubbles, crashed around the corner, bouncing off the wall and racing toward them. Cleo squeaked and Kayne pulled his legs out of the way just as Mozzie raced past, tongue lolling. Greyson and Jayden chased after him, skidding on the laminate floors.

  Cleo scrambled to her feet. “Mozzie,” she whispered, standing perfectly still. “Mozzie, do you want a treat?”

  Mozzie nearly folded himself in half turning so quickly. He trotted back to Cleo, tail low and tentatively wagging.

  Cleo dug through her purse and pulled out a dog biscuit, holding it toward Mozzie with her palm out. “That’s a good boy,” she said, scratching behind his ears.

  Grey, breathing hard, stopped next to her. “This dog is out of control.”

  “It took four of us to give him a bath,” Jayden exclaimed. “And he still got away.”

  The wet dog smell nearly overpowered the sweet smell of whatever Christmas air freshener Red used, but it wasn’t anything new for any of them.

  “Yes,” Cleo said drily. “He’s clearly out of control.” Mozzie leaned against her leg, ears back and a hopeful gaze raised to her hand, where more treats might appear at any second.

  “He is. We can’t have him around any of the other dogs yet. He’s too wild. And he can’t be with Glacier because she’s… she’s not in great shape and he’s too rough. He’s not going to do well in isolation though.” Grey brushed soap bubbles off his jeans. Jayden had soap in his hair and the front of his shirt was soaked and covered in dog hair.

  “I’ll take him home with me,” Cleo said. “We can work on his manners, can’t we, Mozzie?” she asked, rubbing behind his ears.

  “You’re going to take him—” Grey pointed at Mozzie in disbelief “—to your home with things he can chew and smash and climb on? Do you realize how bad of an idea that is?”

  Red came around the corner, also soaked and covered in bubbles and dog hair. “There is no better place for him. Remember Dragon? Or Fido? Or Lucy?”

  Dragon, Kayne knew of. A wild little chihuahua who hated everyone and everything. Until Cleo worked with him for a few weeks. He was her constant companion and had eventually gone to a good home with an older couple.

  He could only assume Fido and Lucy had similar stories.

  “Yeah, but—” Jayden started, but Red shook her head.

  “Mozzie doesn’t bite. He’s a sweetheart. He just needs some rehab and he’ll be good as new.”

  Cleo nodded. “Come on, Mozzie. Let’s find you a harness.” She left with Red, the husky following close behind.

  Tears forgotten.

  Or at least hidden so well no one even noticed they were there.

  Except Kayne.

  CHAPTER SIX

  The next day, Kayne saved a family of hamsters that had escaped into the vent of their new home. Four of them, which Cleo pointed out with much delight. Because it was the fourth day of Christmas and nothing anyone said about the countdown actually being after Christmas could phase her.

  Also because she was exhausted and not in the mood to be argued with.

  She was at the sanctuary when Kayne came in with his hamster success story, running the yard with Mozzie. Glacier watched from the window of the recovery room with Jayden, but she wasn’t strong enough to venture out yet.

  Kayne joined Cleo as she wrestled a ball away from Mozzie. “No offense, but you—”

  “Don’t say it,” she growled, finally emerging with the ball, which she threw as far as she could across the yard. Red owned twenty acres for the sanctuary, with her cottage home in the front corner near the road. “We haven’t slept much.”

  Kayne pressed his lips together. She’d expected it, of course, even telling Kayne to wish her good luck the night before, but his wish had failed, obviously.

  “I’m wearing him out,” she said. “So we can sleep when we go home tonight. How are the hamsters?” She yawned, watching Mozzie sprint through the snow after the ball.

  “Safe and sound back in their cages,” Kayne said. He always wondered how Cleo explained to herself the fact that he sought her out, or that he spent all his time at the sanctuary with her. She called him her favorite frenemy but never asked why he was always there.

  She nodded. “I got my packet for the Christmas royalty pageant. The committee brought me flowers. Mozzie ate the flowers. And the packet.”

  Kayne laughed. “Rough night?”

  Cleo shook her head in disgust. “You could say that.”

  Mozzie brought the ball back, stopping just a few feet from where they stood. But when Cleo started toward him, he bounced away, somehow managing a mischievous grin around the ball in his mouth. “We’re not doing this, Mozzie,” Cleo said. “If you want me to throw it, you have to bring it to me.”

  She glanced up at Kayne. “When we got here this morning, he didn’t even know how to fetch. He’s making amazing progress.”

  “Do you think he had a home once?” Kayne asked. Some dogs escaped from abuse, some were just left behind, some were lost. Some never had homes at all. They all had different markers that gave hints to their former lives.

  “I think he did,” Cleo said. “But he doesn’t act afraid, really, so I don’t suspect abuse. Maybe neglect. He knew what his leash was. He knew dog food. He did not like the chain I had in my jeep. And he’s potty-trained. When he wants to be.” She pulled a face.

  Kayne didn’t ask for details.

  The chill in the air and the exertion from playing with Mozzie had flushed her cheeks, and she looked even more gorgeous than usual. Her dark eyes sparkled here, in her element. The usual walls and guards she had in place everywhere else, all polite smiles and friendly greetings, were gone, leaving behind breathtaking beauty.

  This Cleo was the one who haunted Kayne whenever he closed his eyes. Had haunted him since they were kids and everyone had called them the Christmas Couple. Had haunted him when she’d started working at the sanctuary all those years ago. Had haunted him when he’d been a thousand miles away at school. She’d been annoyingly present in his thoughts.

  Not that he would ever admit it to her. Everyone else in the village knew it, but somehow Cleo stayed stubbornly clueless, which was for the best. She already had all those walls and guards in place. If she ever found out how he felt, he’d be shut out for good.

  “We’re taking Glacier home with us today. Stacey thinks she’s ready for more round the clock attention outside the clinic. There’s always someone there,” Kayne said as Mozzie bounded over to the window, pawing and whining. He and Glacier definitely had a bond, but Kayne didn’t know if it was from their life on the streets or if they were litter mates. Stacey didn’t think it would be safe for Glacier to be with Mozzie yet, given how rambunctious he was. She had too many injuries that were still in the early stages of healing.

  Cleo smiled. “That will be good for her. Jayden’s really cute with the animals.”

  Kayne followed her gaze. His little brother was sitting next to Glacier, showing her something on his phone and completely oblivious to the fact that she was watching Mozzie instead of phone pics. “I think he’s more comfortable with animals than he is with people.” Kayne shrugged. “Our whole family is.”

  Cleo nodded. “I fit right in. Might as well just join the family now,” she said with a wry smile.

  Kayne suddenly couldn’t swallow.

  Cleo, realizing belatedly what she’d implied, flushed scarlet and winced. “Oh jeez, I didn’t mean—I just—” She blew out a breath and grinned up at him. “We always were the Christmas Couple. I guess I just integrated myself into your family.”

  Kayne, voice decidedly strangled, said, “You�
��re welcome anytime.”

  “So, who are you having as your escort tonight?” he asked when Mozzie raced across the yard with the ball again.

  “Escort?” she pointed firmly to the ground, waiting for Mozzie to drop the ball.

  He did not.

  “Yeah. For the pageant?” The thought of her on anyone else’s arm made Kayne’s stomach tighten but he kept his voice nonchalant.

  She froze, Mozzie quirking his head at her quizzically. “Pageant?” she asked weakly.

  “You’ve lived in Huckleberry Falls your whole life. You know how the Christmas royalty pageant works. We have the pageant a week before the ball and the crowning ceremony. We have the parade on the Saturday before and the Christmas Carnival that night… remember?”

  Cleo paled, the color draining from her face. “I don’t—the pageant is tonight?”

  Kayne nodded. “Same as every year.”

  “I’ve never been involved before,” she said quietly. “I can’t go on stage with all those people, Kayne. They’ll laugh me right out of the room.”

  Her hand, when she took Mozzie’s ball, shook.

  “This town loves you, Cleo. Everyone adores you. Even I adore you. No one is going to laugh you out of the room. And if they do, I’ll punch them in the throat. Deal?”

  She choked as the sob in her throat turned into a shocked laugh. “Deal,” she giggled. “Now I just have to find an escort.”

  “You don’t have one yet?”

  Mozzie took off across the field but lost interest half-way and went back to Glacier’s window. The air had a bite to it, and Cleo’s hands were red and chapped and covered in slobber. She wrung them together, trying to warm them as she gave him an annoyed look.

  “Given that I didn’t realize the pageant was tonight, what do you think?” She raked a hand through her hair, absently knocking her hat to the ground. “How am I going to find an escort this late? When does it start?”

  Kayne glanced at his watch. “In three hours. I—”

  “Three hours?” she yelped. “How am I supposed to be ready for the pageant in three hours? Argh, Mozzie, why did you eat my papers?” she wailed.