in the air and the two of them would be high above Sleigh Bell Country.
“I’m trusting you,” he warned Rudy. They really didn’t need two loose reindeer on the news.
Ten feet in front of the open kennel, Rudy lifted off the ground. Caleb grabbed the rope with both hands, grateful he’d thought to bring along a pair of leather gloves. But Rudy didn’t head for the clouds. Instead, he walked through the air as if walking an invisible shelf that led right into the back of the truck. When his feet clamored against the tailgate, his back end started to slip, but he recovered quickly.
“We’ll have to work on your landings,” Caleb quipped, earning him a dirty look from the usually lovable reindeer. “It wasn’t bad—just not smooth enough for Santa.”
Rudy’s ears perked up.
“Yep.” Caleb probably shouldn’t be telling Rudy this, what with it being so early in the process, but he wanted to share his relief and excitement with someone. Faith wasn’t an option, as she’d only laugh in his face if he mentioned providing Santa with flying reindeer. “The surgery puts you back on track to join Santa’s reindeer.”
Rudy’s eyes widened, making the whites stand out in the shadowy interior of the kennel, and his nose started to glow.
Caleb laughed. “I’m excited too.”
Faith hurried out, and he shut the door, locked it, and then shut the tailgate.
Faith didn’t want Rudy’s eyes exposed to 35-mph winds—which was the top speed he was allowed to drive back to the ranch. So they’d covered the kennel with a thick green tarp made from an ancient army tent.
Caleb put a finger over his lips. “Don’t say anything to the others in the barn, okay? We have a lot of training to do.”
Rudy sat on his backside like a dog.
“Good.”
Faith climbed into the truck, carrying his bag and wearing a huge smile. In her other hand was a med kit. She wanted to check on Dunder while she was out at the ranch. “Is he all tucked in?”
“As tight as children on Christmas Eve.” Caleb slipped behind the steering wheel. He wouldn’t have let her carry all that if he didn’t need the private time with Rudy. “You ready?”
“As ever. Is it crazy that I missed Dunder?”
“I don’t think so. But then, I’m one of those crazy wranglers who spends too much time with reindeer and not enough time with people.”
Faith stared at him. “You are on the strange side.”
“Hey!” He tickled her side, and she scooted across the seat to get away from him while laughing.
Grinning because the whole world felt right, he put the truck in reverse and backed out. His phone chimed. He sighed. “Mom’s excited about Rudy coming home.” He stopped to type out a reply, letting her know they were on the road but it would take some time because he had to drive slowly. “Did she miss her firstborn? No.”
Faith giggled again. “I know how she feels. I’m not sure which of you I’ll miss more.”
He rolled his eyes. “Great. My competition is a reindeer.”
“Well, there’s always Pax …” She laughed lightly. “I’d just have to get him to talk to me.”
Caleb chuckled. His brother had practically fled the scene when he and Faith had gotten home from the sing-along. Pax tended to get tongue-tied around pretty women and hadn’t said more than three words to Faith before spraying snow as he’d left the driveway.
The drive out to the ranch was slow but enjoyable. They listened to the local radio station that played Christmas music 24/7. Faith hummed along between answering his questions about vet school. She had some great stories, and he liked learning about other animals and the health issues they faced. So many of their problems came from eating things they shouldn’t or being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It made him worry for Snowflake. She’d never lived in the wild. He hoped she knew how to find food. She’d already proven she didn’t know enough to stay away from people.
That might be their fault, though. The wranglers didn’t believe in any type of physical punishment or in rough handling their herd. Dad said Selnora, Santa’s head stable elf, had taught Great-Grandpa how to raise a reindeer right. It was one of the few times an elf had left the North Pole. But with the herd depleting and the US government getting involved, Santa needed someone willing to guard the breed. The elves could have done it, except that they didn’t