Ghostwriter of Christmas Past by TA Moore

Author:TA Moore [Moore, TA]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: gay romance
ISBN: 978-1-64080-313-8
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Published: 2017-12-28T05:00:00+00:00

THE REINDEER were still penned up outside of Town Hall for the winter, but Mr. Jessop wasn’t there. His granddaughter took ten bucks from Jason and gave him a bag of carrots and the news the old man had died.

“Cancer,” she said. A determinedly unfestive black hat was pulled down over her ears. Black curls poked out from underneath it. “Got through it twice, but it kept coming back. Did you know him?”

“Not really,” Jason said. “I just saw him at Christmas.”

She shrugged. “That’s about as well as most people knew him,” she said. “He liked to keep to himself. Mind the big guy with the broken antler. He’ll take all the carrots if he can glut them in.”

The next person in line handed over their money, and Jason went to join Mallory at the tinsel-wrapped pen. He gave her the brown paper bag and leaned on the top rail to watch the reindeer.

Four fat, fluffy reindeer dozed placidly on their big flat hooves. The biggest one had a broken antler and one eye on Mallory as she fumbled with the treat bag.

“What’s a bunch of reindeer called?” she asked.

“A herd.”

“That’s dull.”

“They aren’t called bucks and does, though,” Jason said. “They’re bulls and cows.”

She took out a carrot, and the big reindeer opened his other eye and padded over. He stuck his head over the railing and lipped at her fingers in an attempt to get at the treat before she could snap it in half. The rest of the small herd huffed and grumbled as they came over to see what was on offer.

Mallory snapped her carrots industriously and delivered them along the line.

“Another bag?” Jason asked.

She flashed him a grin as she petted a velvety nose. “Please.”

He bought three. If Christmas didn’t pan out, at least she’d have that.

“How much is a reindeer?” he asked the granddaughter as he handed over the last of his cash. She frowned at him.

“They’re not for sale.”

“I was—”

She shoved a handful of bags at him. “They’re not pets.”

“Sorry,” he said.

That got him an unconvinced “Hmph.”

Jason shook his head and muttered, “It was a joke.” He turned around and looked for Mallory’s distinctive bright-blue bobble and long blonde pigtails, but she wasn’t where he’d left her.

The bottom dropped out of Jason’s stomach to make way for a flood of cold fear. She’d been right there. He’d been able to see her out of the corner of his eye until he turned to pay for the carrots. A second. Maybe a minute.

He shoved his way back to the pen. The reindeers stared at him with bored, docile black eyes. Apparently the loyalty a carrot bought didn’t last long.

“Excuse me.” He caught someone’s arm. The woman gave him a sharp look that softened when she saw his face. “Have you seen a little girl? She’s blonde. Blue hat. This big.” He slashed his hand through the air at around chest height.

“No. Sorry,” the woman said. “I haven’t. Maybe she went to get some hot chocolate? By the food truck.

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