Christmas with Nick Klaas

Part 13: Getting Steamy with It

"Epifania Klaas, but you can call me Fanny," Nick's mom said, extending her hand—wrapped in fur-lined leather mittens—to Noelle. Not waiting for further formalities after giving it a hearty shake, she turned to Nick. "Tor did well. It looks like I got here just in time."

Kneeling beside the sopping wet calf who was starting to have tiny icicles hanging from its muzzle, he draped his coat over the animal and rubbed it to keep it warm. "You . . . you sure did," he said, teeth chattering. "Can you take him b-b-b-ack to the stables for the night?"

Fanny nodded. In her coat of mixed pelts and with her thick, blonde braid, she looked like a cross between a Yukon trapper and a Viking shield maiden. "Of course. Will you be all right?"

"Y-y-y-es," Nick said, picking up the calf and handing it over to his mother. "Thank you."

"Be well, my son. I'll see you in a few days when things settle down," she said before walking away.

"You're freezing," Noelle observed as Nick hugged himself, shivering more than ever. She was thankful that the reindeer had been rescued, but it had come at a huge expense. If Nick didn't get warmed up soon, he'd go into shock and the results could be devastating. Turning to lead him back across the lake so they could ride into town, she halted at the sight of the snowmobile in the way. "How did this get here?" she asked, bewildered. They had left the vehicle on the other side, but now it was sitting right there on the ice.

"The sa-a-a-me way my mother found us," he said.

Wrapping her arm around his waist both for warmth and to guide him forward, Noelle snickered. "Magic?"

"No. Tonttu."

"What's that? Some kind of remote GPS tracker?" she asked as the coldness from his body began to seep through to hers.

"I'll explain later," he said, leaning against the snowmobile. "Can you drive this thing?"

Noelle nodded and helped Nick out of his skates before also exchanging hers for the warm boots stored under the seat. Taking the front position, she turned the key in the engine and flipped on the headlights.

"Tell me where," she said, happy to feel his presence behind her, but increasingly scared of how long he'd been in his cold, wet clothes. They'd skated for quite a while before they heard the calf's cries, but hopefully riding back would just take a fraction of time.

Nick navigated effortlessly even in the dark of night, using landmarks along the way to guide Noelle across the ice. But it soon became apparent to her that they weren't going back the same way they'd come. Trusting his judgment, she didn't question his wayfinding until they turned off into a narrow tributary that—after a few hundred feet—stopped at a dead-end.

"What is this place?" she asked, coming to a standstill, but leaving the snowmobile idling.

He tapped her shoulder. "Cut the engine. We're here."

Noelle turned the key. "Here where?" she asked as he disembarked.

Moving slowly as if he were in pain, Nick turned his head and held out his hand. "Trust me."

Noelle took a deep breath. Did she have a choice? But he was definitely the more vulnerable one in this situation, so no matter how dodgy this all felt, it wasn't to his advantage to try to pull something sneaky. Taking his hand, she climbed the slight incline leading to a narrow opening in the jagged rock face ahead.