Page 21 of Forever Yours on Christmas Eve
No surprise, the only thing that radiated on his face was pride for her. “I’ve no doubt you’ll be great at it.”
“Thanks,” she said, his words making her feel like she could fly. It had meant putting off graduating, but she managed to get her requirements in with some classes over the summer. She’d gotten her diploma in the mail last week.
And Sev had been with her through it all.
“So when do you start your master’s program?”
“Mid-January,” she said. “But at least I won’t have to move, just grab a different subway line. I’m hoping I might be able to get everything squared away in a year and a half’s time, doing my clinical internship over the summer. Then if all goes well, I can complete my certification after graduation, and then move into a job just before that following summer.”
“Sounds like you’ve got the whole thing planned out,” he said, nodding his head.
“I like to have a plan,” she said, grinning. “I don’t do well flying by the seat of my pants.”
“That I get,” he said, laughing. It was such a sweet sound, and Kelsey loved hearing it. Despite the dozens of male classmates and acquaintances she had, nobody’s laugh warmed her the way Sev’s did.
Their conversation continued through their meal, and as they ateand laughed, the bar began to fill. Kelsey did her best to chew slowly, but she knew that when they were done, the waitstaff was going to come quickly with their bill.
She didn’t want the night to end; she’d only just gotten Sev back!
“Wow, this place filled up fast,” Sev said, having a look around as he dragged the last french fry he had across his plate. It would appear he didn’t want their night to end any more than she did.
“It did.” She smiled as she dipped her straw into her soda, covering the end with her finger and lifting it slightly before releasing the liquid back into the glass. “
“I was hoping we could get a few songs on the jukebox.” He leaned forward on the table, and she took in the beautiful shape of his forearms, sprinkled with a dusting of dark hair.
“If you want a song, you’re going to have to wait for it,” she said, judging by the line forming.
“What do you say to taking a walk around Downtown then, where they’ve got so much stuff going on?” he offered. “We can just wander a little, see if something catches our eye?”
It had been ages since she’d actually taken the time to walk through Downtown during the holiday season. The idea of exploring the beating heart of this little town with Sev thrilled her.
“I’m all yours,” she said with her full heart.
Chapter 6
Sev
“Ishould warn you,” Sev began, stepping outside of the Second Call with Kelsey. “My brothers and sister are out here wandering around tonight, so there’s a very possible chance you might meet them.”
She broke into a full smile as she settled her beanie on her head. “I’d love to meet them. I’m still fascinated by the idea of your big, blended family.”
Downtown Harbor’s Head was lit up in ways only an old-fashioned New England town could be. Just about every business in the area was open late tonight, many running special events.
They began strolling the sidewalk, taking in the lights and beautiful window displays of the town. They walked past a realtor who had been there as long as Sev could recall. He knew they were booming, after all, who wouldn’t want a home in a beautiful coastal town like Harbor’s Head? Off in the distance, he could see a line forming outside a coffee shop on the far end of the street, despite the multiple cocoa and hot cider stations set up every other block.
But when they approached Art & Soul, the art supply store in town, he felt Kelsey’s pace begin to slow. Peering through the frostyoutside windows, he could see long tables set up in the back of the space, families sitting together and… crafting?
“You wanna head in?” he proposed as she studied the goings on inside.
“Would you mind?” she asked. “It looks like they’ve got a ton of stuff.”
Sev grinned and reached for the door, the little bell overhead chiming as he pulled it open. “After you.”
Kelsey returned his smile and bounded inside, slowly wandering down every aisle in the tiny shop, taking in what Sev could only categorize in vague terms. Paintbrushes. Different kinds of paints. Pencils. Papers and canvases of every size imaginable. And while he didn’t have an artistic bone in his body and couldn’t understand the thrill of what he was seeing before him, he could easily tell by the look on Kelsey’s face that she was somewhere that made her very happy.
And he wanted to prolong that as much as he could.
Wandering to the end of the aisle, Sev was able to take in more of what people were doing on the crafting tables. Several families had purchased sketchbooks and were taking advantage of the bedazzling supplies. There were stickers, shiny gems, glue, and everything in between that kids were going to town with, making their books their own.
