Page 19 of Promise Yule Be Mine
“We should head back so we can get ready for the Parade of Lights.”
“Of course he’ll join us. What else would he possibly do?” Jenna smiled and put her arm around mine.
This was such an odd feeling. Being sandwiched between my best friend and the man I was obsessed with, neither of whom could know what was going through my head.
“Parade of what?” I asked.
7
KODY
After dropping Nova off at Gingerbread Cottage, I returned to work to catch up with things and make sure everything was in top shape for tonight. The pub would get slammed after the parade.
It attracted lots of tourists every year and for good reason. It was quite the show, so of course every business in town would get the benefit of it afterward. It was all hands on deck today, which meant I’d have to rush back after to help out, but I could still enjoy the event.
Jenna picked Nova up in the evening and we walked to Sugar Plum park, which was filled with a number of food trucks, the aromas from them filled the space with coziness and yumminess.
"Wow. It's busy," Nova said as we joined the line to get hot cocoa.
"Of course it is. Christmas is kind of our thing." I nudged him and could barely contain the electric spark that ran up my arm.
Today was going far better than I'd expected. I didn't know how I'd feel having Nova around me, being in his orbit and having to squash everything in me to not come out like a fool.
Somehow, though, as soon as I saw him this part of me took over, an energy I hadn't felt since I was a teenager. It was pure, unadulterated joy and it fed off him.
"Yeah," he smirked. "I noticed."
"You're going to love this, hon. It's the experience of a lifetime." Jenna draped herself over him and pinched his cheek.
He laughed. The sound of it making my insides vibrate. My stomach fluttered as if…as if it were full of butterflies.
It was surreal. This whole interaction, this image. It was as if I'd gone back to high school and Jenna was pouring out all her weird on the guys I crushed on to figure out if I even had a shot. It was as if I was young, innocent and full of endless possibilities, instead of an engaged middle-aged man about to give up his dream of love over his dream of having a family.
"Are you okay?" Jenna raised an eyebrow and I smiled.
I shouldn't be. I really shouldn't, but I was.
As the line got shorter and we finally got to place our order, hordes of people descended on the streets, bringing color and light to the darkening roads. Glow-up sticks were the name of the game as usual, and for the more hardcore fans, whole garments made of fairy lights and other paraphernalia.
"Okay, I'm not gonna lie. This is pretty cool," Nova said and picked up his cocoa, his gaze jumping from person to person, an expression of wild wonder on his face.
"And you ain't seen nothing yet," Jenna said and dragged him away, leaving me to pick up her cup and follow them.
Despite how crowded the streets were we found our parents in no time.
"Oh my Lord! Nova? Look at you. Look how much you've grown!" Maria grabbed Nova before Jenna or I could do any introductions, and gave him a big, long hug he reciprocated with warmth.
"Hey, Auntie. It's been so long."
When Maria finally let him go, she cupped his face, pinched his cheeks—whichwerepretty pinchable to be honest—and admired how much he'd grown for a while before Jenna put an end to it.
"Don't hog him, Ma," she said. "Mr. C, Mrs. C, this is my best friend Nova."
Mom and Dad shook his hand and introduced themselves before Nova turned to Nikita and my brother practically got hearts in his eyes.
The butterflies in my stomach took a tumble and I bit my lip.
"Should we find a good spot?" Jenna interrupted the handshake and looped her hand around Nova's, leading him ahead.
