Aunt Santa

Chapter 16

After all of that excitement, Sara worried they would not be able to fall back asleep. They had a long day ahead of them for the journey home.

She settled BB back in the small bed and stroked her hair. "I'm not sleepy anymore," BB whispered.

"Just try to rest then. You don't have to sleep."

Sara wondered if Sam was also staring up at the ceiling. She didn't have much time to wonder because a few minutes later, she'd drifted back to sleep herself.

She dreamed she was on a boat that swayed on the ocean. It took her a moment to realize the swaying was real. Henrik had knelt down beside her, rocking her awake.

His eyes were so blue. The thought was so loud that she worried she'd actually uttered the words. He smiled and held up a mug, the steam rising out of it. "I did not want to wake you, but thought it best."

Sara pushed herself up to sit and took the mug, grateful for the sudden warmth against her palms. The cabin still appeared dark and the window provided no help, as it was still dark outside and would be for the whole day. "What time is it?"

"Seven."

They were alone in the room. She must've been in a deep sleep to miss BB clamoring out of their shared bed. "Where are the kids?"

"Outside with Jakob." He smiled sheepishly. "We are struggling to get one of the snowmobiles working. He's trying to fix it."

"Oh." Sara's eyes widened. "But we have to get back." There was no way they could all fit on one snowmobile.

"And we will." Henrik shrugged. "I told you I would get you back for your flight home and I will keep my word."

"But how? How will we get back?"

He raised his eyebrows as he stood up and retrieved his own coffee from the counter. "That is not your concern, the how. That's my job."

For the entirety of their trip so far, Sara had felt fairly reassured by having this tall, bearded Norwegian as their guide, and more than grateful for the help. Now, she wondered if he'd stay this calm when she threw her mug at his head. "Those kids out there are my concern. My job."

"Yes." He sipped his coffee, still studying her.

With tremendous effort, Sara took three deep breaths. Men are the same everywhere, she reminded herself, whether they're being condescending in a conference room or in a remote cabin in the Arctic Circle. "I trust you to get us back. It would make me feel more relaxed if you shared your plan with me. Otherwise, I'll be forced to come up with my own plan."

"Oh?" He pulled out a chair and sat down, moving it so he could continue to look at her from across the room. For some reason, even though he'd moved farther away, she felt her heart rate begin to speed up. "What would your plan be?"

Sara stood up and went to the window. She could see Jakob bent over the snowmobile, BB perched on the seat. Sam held up a lantern to offer him some more light. "I'd stop trying to fix the broken snowmobile and send you and Jakob back to Brennsfjord to see if we could borrow another snowmobile or a sled to take us back."

"Smart. Reasonable." She jumped. He was now standing right behind her, having crossed to join her at the window. "You've very - what's the word? Like a cornered reindeer."

There was something about the way he'd said the words, with his accent, that made Sara laugh. "Startled?"

"Yes. You startle easily. In the morning."