Page 36 of Forever Yours on Christmas Eve
“I don’t know,” she said, chuckling along with him. “I guess you just see things differently on the outside than you do fromwithin. From where I’m standing, they like one another and enjoy each other’s company. Why not take the leap?”
“Guess things must be different when you get to be their age.”
“Guess you’re right,” she said, her eyes catching a streetlight passing over Sev’s features. Then she realized his arms were moving. “Are you driving right now?”
“Just a little,” he said, his eyes everywhere but the screen as he watched the road.Seriously?
“If you need to call me back, you can,” she said, hating the idea that she’d prepped so much for thisdate,but he was off running errands.
Maybe he didn’t want to give her attention anymore? Was that what he was trying to say?
“It’s kinda the same thing that happened last year,” he said, again, looking through the windshield. “Remember how I was running behind and didn’t want to text you I was going to be late?”
“How could I forget?” she said. “You showed up in Santa’s sleigh.”
He grinned, pleased with her recollection. “Well, I may not be in Santa’s sleigh, but I’m here.”
She watched his arms settle, and then he opened the door, flooding the cab with light. Taking in his beautiful features, she realized for the first time he was in his winter gear, not his uniform.
“Where?”
Her question caused him to break out into a beautiful smile as he winked at her and stood up out of his car. Taking the phone with him, he held it up, still centered on his image, and slowly spun around. She could see he was in a driveway of sorts, surrounded by lovely… familiar homes.
Surprise etching her face, she slapped her hands to the desk as she launched herself up from the chair and out of the study. Running as fast as her red heels would allow, she raced past Marta and her father, having a quiet dinner together on her way to the door. Yanking it open without a thought to the time, temperature, or anything otherthanSev,she shrieked in delight as she saw him standing in her driveway, still with his phone in the air.
Running down the steps, Sev quickly attempted to pocket his phone as he held his other arm wide for her. She plowed into him, wrapping him in her arms when she felt the world tilt and gravity take over.
“Whoa!” Sev said as they crashed to the driveway, twisting so that Kelsey was on top and using him like a pillow to soften her blow.
“Oof!” she responded, looking up and flipping the ball of the hat back into place. “Sev? Are you okay?”
“Ugh,” he groaned from beneath her, looking like he’d had the wind knocked straight out of him.
“What’s wrong?” she asked as she immediately began patting him down, trying to find out what hurt. “Did you hit your head?”
He exhaled on a chuckle, followed quickly by another groan. “I think you broke my kidneys.”
She looked at the poor man, her heart swelling for him and his ability to crack a joke even when he was probably in a degree of pain. “At least it’s not your heart.”
“No, sweetheart,” he said, stroking his hand down the side of her head. “My heart is pretty full right now.”
Kelsey broke into a massive grin as she cupped his face in her hands. He leaned his head up toward her just as she tilted hers down, pressing her lips to his chilly ones as warmth flowed through her entire body. When Sev slowed their pace down, Kelsey was grateful, as she wasn’t sure she would have the strength to do it herself.
Sheverymuch liked him.
She wanted a future with him.
But there certainly was no time like the present.
“Hello,” she whispered, inches from him.
“Hello,” he said back, grinning.
“I can’t believe you’re here.”
“Well, I didn’t have a reason in the world not to.” He gave her asqueeze with both arms around her now. “When your dad got the all clear, it gave me the all clear too.”
“I’m glad it did,” she remarked, trying to reconcile the handsome man on the screen with the real-life version in front of her.
