A Fool's Gold Christmas (Fool's Gold #9.5)

Evie felt herself flushing, unaccustomed to the praise. “I’m stepping in to help,” she murmured. “I didn’t want my students to be disappointed.”


“I’m sure they won’t be,” the mayor told her. “Dominique is thrilled with the work you’re doing.” The older woman took her hand. “I know you’re going to be very happy here in Fool’s Gold. You need this town and we need you.”

The statement was meant kindly, Evie told herself. Even if it was a little spooky.

“Thank you.”

She returned to her elf duties. Heidi gave in to several pleas from children and brought Priscilla down to the barn for pictures. Evie found herself organizing the line and then taking several of the pictures so the families could all be together by the goats and the elephant and the decorated wagon.

“I want you next to me,” a little girl said, then turned to her father. “Daddy, can the girl elf be in the picture?”

Dante moved up next to her and took the camera. “I’ve got this one,” he told her. “Go on. Be a star.”

“It’s the ears,” she told him in a whisper. “Apparently they’re irresistible.”

He chuckled and waved her into position. She crouched next to the little girl and smiled. After that, Evie found herself posing in several pictures. The evening sped by as more families arrived for their hayride.

A little before nine, the last of the cars drove away. Dante and Shane walked Priscilla back to her custom elephant house while Heidi and Evie carried in trays of mugs to be washed.

“That was fun,” Evie admitted as she put a tray on the kitchen counter. “Exhausting but good. How many nights do you have the hayrides?”

She glanced at Heidi and saw her sister-in-law standing with her hand pressed against her stomach, her expression joyful and intense.

“Heidi?” Evie took a step toward her. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.”

“You look… I don’t know. Strange isn’t the right word. You’re not sick, are you?”

“No.” Heidi glanced around, as if checking if they were alone, then she turned to Evie. “I shouldn’t say anything, but I’m just bursting with the news. Can you keep a secret?”

Normally a statement like that would have had Evie backing out of the room. But Heidi didn’t look like the information was going to be scary or upsetting. Instead she was practically glowing with excitement.

“Okay. Sure.”

Heidi touched her arm and leaned close. “I’m pregnant,” she whispered. “I just got confirmation this morning.” Her fingers tightened slightly.

Pregnant? Evie stared at her for a second, then hugged her. “Heidi, that’s so wonderful. Congratulations. Rafe doesn’t know, does he? He was way too calm for a guy finding out he’s going to be a father for the first time.”

Heidi grinned. “No and you can’t tell him. I’m waiting until Christmas Eve, after the performance. I thought telling him then would be the perfect Christmas present.”

“He’ll be thrilled,” she said. And scared. A baby. She thought of adorable Skye, whom she’d held earlier, and felt a small ache in her heart.

“I’m just so happy,” Heidi told her. “We’ve talked about starting a family, but it wasn’t real to me before. Our child is going to grow up here, on the ranch. In Fool’s Gold. I feel so blessed.”

Evie knew that Heidi had gone through a lot to end up where she was today. The blessings had been earned the hard way. But in the end, she’d had her happy ending. Evie wondered if anyone could find one or if they were reserved for a special few.

Shane strolled into the kitchen, ending any chance to continue the conversation. Evie went outside. She saw Dante leading a very reluctant Athena toward the goat barn.

“You have to go inside,” he told the animal. “It’s cold outside. You need to be warm.”

Athena made a grumbling noise in her throat.

“Fine,” Dante told her with a sigh. “Here.”

He handed over a piece of carrot. The goat took it and then followed dutifully as he went inside.

She thought about how Dante had been so patient with the children and how he’d teased her about her elf ears. As she’d known for a while, he was one of the good ones.

He stepped out of the goat barn and carefully closed the door, then spotted her and waved. Moonlight touched his face, illuminated the handsome lines, while his broad shoulders cast a shadow on the frozen ground. She thought of the baby she’d held and the longing in her heart, and then she knew.

She’d fallen in love with Dante.