Just Jump in and Fly

By Ava Dunne

Samantha Wright has a problem. The attractive Kris Teague crash- landed his sleigh and eight not-so-tiny reindeer in her driveway. He needs Samantha's help to turn back the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse at one of the Universal Gates not only to save Christmas, but keep Earth turning. A fresh, fun, romantic turn on Yuletide myths

• Language: English
• Publisher: DEW Books
• Release date: Nov 30, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393300755

Book preview

Just Jump in and Fly

A re you mad that Dad’s flying off to the Caribbean to marry Alyssa this Christmas? Liam watched me, anxious.

I concentrated on maneuvering the Volkswagen Rabbit through the thickening snow. We’re both continuing with our separate lives. He’s never been someone who could be alone for more than a minute. That’s part of the reason we’re no longer together—I need a certain amount of solitude, he can’t stand any for himself or anyone else. I’m glad that’s someone else’s responsibility now. If he’s happy, it’s much easier on all of us. Do you regret that you’re not going?

Naw. Liam shook his head. Sometimes I felt he was eleven going on thirty-five. Divorce’ll do that to a kid. There’s no one my age going to the wedding, and the older kids are all boring. All they do is text message. They could be hit by a missile and wouldn’t notice until they hit ‘send’.

For the King of All Video Games to say that, they must be pretty oblivious.

They just don’t care about anything except their next drug or car or shopping trip. Liam shrugged. I don’t care about anything they care about. So. . .

Well, I’m thrilled you’re with me for Christmas, I said, even though, technically, you’re supposed to be with your father. You get to enjoy all the decorating we did, and we can hang out with Simon and the cats. It’s our first Christmas in the new house, and I’m thrilled we get to spend it together. When he heard his name, the rescued Newfoundland, who was the size of a small bear and far too large for the backseat of a VW Rabbit, leaned forward and slobbered all over Liam.

I’m not screwing up your plans? He wiped his hand on his jacket.

Not at all, I promised, and I meant it.

Are you mad that I told Dad I had a stomach bug when I really didn’t, just so I could come home?

It would have been nice if you hadn’t waited until you were at the airport on Christmas Eve in the middle of a snowstorm. If they weren’t on a private plane, they’d never get out of here tonight. Driving to and from Logan on a lovely summer’s day is hardly my idea of a good time, but in this weather. . .

I was desperate.

I understand why you did it. In a perfect world, you could have told him you were uncomfortable and why and made arrangements, but in this case, yeah, I see why you did it. If you hadn’t said you were sick and grossed out Alyssa, he would have made you do whatever felt wrong so you’d learn to do his version of manning up. I don’t want this to become a pattern, faking illness to get out of doing stuff you don’t want to do, but in this case, I do understand, and I’ll let it go.

I promise it won’t be a habit, and I promise I won’t ever do it with you. I’ll just tell you when something bugs me.

Okay, we have a deal.

Hey, what’s happened at the foot of our driveway? Liam leaned forward. It looks like an accident.

I pulled into the lip of the driveway to the red Colonial I’d bought in the summer. Snow was stacked up against the fence, left by the town’s plow brigade. In the snowbank was what looked like an overturned sleigh and a bunch of livestock. I pulled out my phone to call 9-1-1. Nothing. No signal.

Are those reindeer? Liam’s mouth dropped open.

I’m not sure. I got out of the car on my side. Liam got out on his side, and Simon shouldered his way over the seats and out of Liam’s door. As we got closer to the livestock, I saw they had antlers and large, liquid brown