A Hippogriff for Christmas - Zoe Chant Page 0,73
to calm her racing heart. Now or never, I guess.
“Okay,” she said, flashing Beau what she hoped was a convincing smile. “Okay, I’m ready.”
Beau nodded, returning her smile, before he turned the car down the long driveway. “Just be yourself, Annie. There’s nothing better you could be.”
His words warmed her heart, she had to admit. After everything they’d been through together, Annie often imagined she could feel their connection pulsing in the air between them – or maybe she wasn’t imagining it. Maybe the long golden ribbon of light she’d seen when she’d been calling out to him was real after all, just barely invisible, but there all the same.
Taking a deep breath, Annie focused her attention out the window of the car, looking at their surroundings. It was clear Beau’s family’s land was expansive – and beautiful. It was heavily forested, the dark green trees stretching up to the sky, and covered in pure white snow.
She supposed that must make life a little more convenient for them – having all this space where they knew they’d be safe to shift and fly, without much risk of being seen by outsiders.
“This looks like it would have been an amazing place to grow up,” Annie said, as she saw a small lake through a gap in the trees. It must have been the lake Beau had told her he’d taught his nieces and nephews to skate on.
I’ll have to take him up on that lesson, she thought, smiling.
“It really was. I was very lucky,” Beau said. “The land’s been in the family for generations. I don’t think I could tell you how long.”
“Wow.” Annie blinked. The idea of having something that connected you so strongly to your family – to your parents, grandparents, and everyone who came before them – was something she’d never had.
And one day, maybe Beau’s kids will also grow up here….
She licked her lips as she realized what she’d thought – and what it meant.
Beau’s kids. Our kids.
It seemed like something she couldn’t quite take in yet – the idea that they might have children together, that she might want to have children. She’d never really considered it before.
Shaking her head, Annie pushed the thought away.
Okay, that’s still just a little too scary to deal with for now! Maybe one day, in a few years…
The thought left her mind as Beau turned a corner, and suddenly, a sprawling timber house came into view. Annie’s eyes widened at the sight of it. It had a rustic design, with most of it built out of massive, rough-hewn logs, and the rest from gray stone. The roofs were slanted to keep the snow off, and there was a long window running across the front of the house, glowing with warm light. Fairy lights were wound around the thick logs that made up the supports for the balcony and porch, twinkling brightly in the afternoon gloom.
It was breathtakingly beautiful.
Annie felt like she was in a dream as Beau pulled up in the sheltered parking space, next to two other cars.
She could sense Beau glancing at her as they got out of the car, and she turned to look at him, smiling what she hoped was reassuringly.
“I’m okay – I’m ready,” she told him. Beau nodded, reaching out to take her hand.
And it was just as well she was ready – no sooner had they stepped out of the parking area than the door of the house was thrown open, and no fewer than six children, all looking to be under the age of ten, came barreling down the snow-strewn path toward them.
“Uncle Beau! Uncle Beau!”
“Oh, hey the— oof!” Beau said, leaning down for a hug, but having the kids throw themselves bodily into his arms instead.
“We’ve been waiting forever for you to get here,” the eldest girl informed him, stepping back. “Mommy said you were going to be here two days ago!”
“Yeah, that was the plan, Jamie, but let’s just say I got a little held up,” Beau laughed, hugging each of the kids in turn before standing up. “But I’m here now. So that’s good enough, isn’t it?”
Annie watched as Beau’s nieces and nephews bounced around him, clearly overjoyed to see him. It made her heart melt: they were yelling over the top of each other, clearly all of them wanting to be first to tell him their news, while Beau listened to each of them in turn, gently reminding them not to interrupt, his eyes glowing with affection as