‘Hmm?’
‘I know this sounds weird, but—did you call me on your cellphone this evening? Before you got here?’
Nick shook his head. ‘I tried. I wanted to tell you how much I loved you, and what an idiot I’ve been…’
‘What idiots we’ve both been,’ Holly interrupted.
‘But your line was busy.’ He sighed. ‘It’s probably just as well. I might have said the wrong thing and you’d have told me not to bother showing my face.’
‘No. I’d never have told you that. Not after I spoke with—with…’
‘With whom?’
Holly frowned. It was a good question. Who’d telephoned her tonight? Belinda? In her heart, she didn’t think so. But if it hadn’t been Belinda or Nick…
‘Somebody who gave me some good advice,’she said.
‘I had a conversation I’m grateful for, too.’ Nick laughed. ‘You’ll never believe it, but this old guy was all dressed up as—’
‘Nick! Nick, look!’
Holly and Nick turned towards the window. Something was moving across the face of the moon. Figures. Tiny figures. One, two, three, four…
‘…five, six, seven, eight,’ Nick said in hushed tones.
Holly stared, transfixed. ‘And that,’ she whispered, ‘that looks like a sleigh. Nick, do you see it? And—and there’s someone driving it. He’s waving to us…’
A cloud swept in, obscuring the moon. When it passed, the silhouette was gone.
Nick gave a shaky laugh. ‘Snow geese. That’s what it probably was. Snow geese, flying across the night sky.’
‘Snow geese,’ Holly said, letting out her breath. ‘Definitely.’
Nick smiled. ‘Merry Christmas, wife.’
Holly smiled, too, as she went into his arms. ‘Merry Christmas, husband.’
‘Aye-up,’ the wind whispered, as it curled around the snug little cabin. Off in the distance, the sweet, haunting sound of sleighbells rang out across the mountain.