Page 17 of Forever Yours on Christmas Eve
This was about tradition.
He could hold off for a few days.
His brother’s eyes met his in the rearview mirror, looking none too impressed. “I’m going the speed limit.”
Sev couldn’t help but chuckle, looking out the window. His stepdad gave him that look plenty of times growing up.
“I don’t see what the big deal is,” Andy announced from the passenger’s seat, pulling him out of the beautiful reverie that was all Kelsey. “Just text her and let her know you’re running behind.”
“Well, we wouldn’t be running behind if someone hadn’t decided to tag along at the last minute.” Sev reminded him.
Suddenly, Nick took his foot off the gas pedal and the car dropped speed. Peering out the windshield from his seat in the back, Sev saw taillights from several cars in front of them, and a whole host of emergency vehicles. An ambulance, fire truck, and several police cruisers, all with their lights flashing.
“Whoa, what’s that all about?” Sev asked as Nick pulled to a stop behind the car in front of them.
“No idea.”
“Maybe an accident?” Andy wondered, rubber-necking from the passenger’s seat as he tried to get a better view out his window.
“Oh my gosh, you guys.” Emma laughed. “You didn’t know the light parade was going on, did you?”
Light Parade?“Wait, they’re doing that tonight?” Sev asked.
“The weather’s been awful the past few weeks,” she said. “They’ve rescheduled it a couple of times, but it always rained or snowed. So they finally put it on tonight.”
Sure enough, Sev watched as a float at the end of the street turned left onto Main, all lit up and moving at a snail’s pace.
“Guys, I’ve got to get down the street in,”—he checked his watch—“nine minutes. How long do you think it’ll take to get to the Second Call?” His heart began to pound, and he was trying to tamp down his panic. Freaking out wasn’t going to do anything. Now was the time for action.
“I mean…” Nick began, taking his foot off the brake and rolling forward a couple of inches before stopping again. “It seems like this is the end of the parade, but the Second Call’s all the way at the other end of Main Street.”
“I’m not going to make it.” Was he seriously going to have to text her and tell her that he was late for the date they’d been planning for ayear?
Could he be morelame?
“What if you were to run it?” Emma offered. “Put some of Uncle Sam’s physical training to good use?”
“I’d have to run awfully fast,” he said, which really wasn’t a problem. He’d been running with gear for years now, and he was plenty fit enough. “But there’s still no guarantee I’d make it. There are cars everywhere, and people I’d have to loop around. Floats, vendors, shops…”
“I don’t think we’re going to move in time,” Emma said, turning her big green eyes at Nick and Andy in the front. Andy seemed to weigh the thought in his mind, his mouth twisting in doubt before he cast a look back at Sev, agreeing with their sister.
Nick’s expression mirrored the same.
Which meant he needed to make a choice.
“I’ve gotta go,” he said, bolting upright and reaching for his seatbelt. “I’ll catch up with you guys later.”
“Ohmigosh, this is so romantic!” Emma cheered. “Go get her!”
“You got this, bro!” Andy hollered from the passenger’s seat, leaning across Nick and shouting over his protests as he slithered between him and the steering wheel to get to the window. “You need anything, just text us!”
“Get off!” Nick grumbled as Andy plopped back into his seat. “We’re starting to move again.”
Sev looked up and saw the cars roll forward just a few inches at a time, further confirming his choice of using his legs in lieu of the car. Sprinting down the street and running for Main, Sev passed the few remaining floats and police vehicles, who were all lined up and moving in an orderly fashion. Just not fast enough for him to make his date with Kelsey.
However, when he looked in the direction of the Second Call, his heart slipped further into his stomach.
The street. Was.Packed.
