Page 18 of Forever Yours on Christmas Eve
The wide sidewalks that normally were large enough for folks to meander up and down without a care were packed full of people, several lines deep. Near as he could tell, they were pressed entirelyup against the brick buildings that lined Main Street, and there wasn’t going to be any way he could easily pass.
Jogging to the edge of Main Street, where the floats were slowly turning on a pivot, he was met with a roadblock and a rather beefy-looking blond officer with the nameRoyattached to his nametag.
“Sorry, you can’t come through here,” he said, holding his gloved hand out to Sev.
“Officer Roy,” he said, ready to throw himself on the mercy of anyone who could help him. “I’ve got to get down to the other end of Main Street.”
The officer could see the panic in his face, but gave him a grimace and a slow headshake. “I’m sorry. Nobody can have access to the street until the last float goes. You might be able to make it if you go down a block, but with the parade nearly done and folks clearing out, it’s going to be hectic here for a while.”
Sev nodded, knowing that the man was just doing his job. Turning back, he began walking up the street, seeing Nick, Andy, and Emma still sitting in traffic. He pulled up his phone, ready to polish off a text to Kelsey, when someone called out to him.
“Ho-ho-ho! Stewart Severance, is that you?”
He paused, his eyes glancing up at the man dressed in the red suit with the fake white beard, his hands on his stuffed front.
Despite being dressed as Santa, something about this man did not scream Old Saint Nicholas.
Sev peered at the float he was on. A large flatbed with faux white sparkling snowbanks surrounding a large red plywood sleigh, complete with two-dimensional painted reindeer, sleighbells, and a massive sack of gifts in the back. It was all lit up with Christmas lights, heralding the arrival of the most popular figure of the season.
But it was the sponsorship banner on the front readingSecond Callthat finally connected the dots for him.
“Carter?” he asked, peering up at the young Kris Kringle and seeing his pierced nose ring twinkling just above his whitemustache curls.
“I didn’t realize you were back, man!” he called out, his eyes quickly darting around as he tried to get back into character. “Ho-ho-ho!”
An idea popped into Sev’s head as the float began to roll forward.
“Santa, I need a Christmas Miracle,” he called out, picking up speed and jogging along with him. “Can you give me a lift?”
Santa shrugged his shoulders and gave him a gloved wave. “What are you waiting for? Come on up!”
Chapter 5
Kelsey
He wasn’t coming.
Kelsey snapped on her phone to peek at the time, but she already had a sinking feeling about her date with Sev. He’d seemed so eager to meet up with her, verifying that they were still going to meet at that bench right outside of the Second Call like she’d suggested last year.
He really seemed excited to see her again.
And she knew she’d been excited to see him.
Sighing to herself and seeing it was already a couple of minutes past seven, she darkened her screen and pocketed her phone. She had been surprised to see the Light Parade going on when she arrived, though she knew something was up when she struggled to find parking. Still, she was here on time, and she didn’t have so much as a text from Sev saying that he was going to be late.
She never would have pegged him to be the kind of guy to ghost her, but she guessed she really didn’t know him at all. Sure, he was great to look at. Rugged. Handsome. Protective, especially around ex-fiancés who showedup unannounced.
She adored every text he sent her this past year. Relished every conversation. He was talkative. Appreciative. Fun.
But all told, she’d met Sev once. Last year. And even if they had the kind of chemistry that lit her up like a charged lightning rod, she wasn’t going to waste her time chasing after someone who didn’t want to be with her. She’d already learned that lesson.
If only that made it all hurt less.
Turning to a wall of people behind her, her eyes scanned for an open spot to slip through. She’d never seen Downtown so packed with people, and she already knew it was going to take some time to get back to her car.
If she could get there before the parade was done, maybe she’d stand a chance of getting back to The Point in a timely fashion?
“Kelsey!” she thought she’d heard someone shout.
