Page 7 of Promise Yule Be Mine (Christmas Falls: Season 2)

7

KODY

A fter 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—which were pretty 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.

"He's cute," Nikita said as we walked behind everyone. "Do we know his relationship status?"

A huff escaped me before I could control it and I shook my head when Niki frowned at me.

"What's up with y?—?"

"Nothing?"

Niki raised an eyebrow and then shrugged me off.

"Why do you ask? Do you like him?"

Niki rolled his eyes. "Uhm…who wouldn't? He's cute and sexy. The perfect amount. Who knows. Maybe there's another wedding in our future."

I chuckled. "You've barely even met the guy and you're planning your wedding?"

"When you know, you know, big bro." He patted my shoulder and excused himself. "I gotta get to know my future husband."

I bit back a groan and watched my little brother saunter up to Jenna and Nova and loop his arm around Nova's. The butterflies in my stomach took another tumble.

I didn't know why I was feeling this way. It wasn't as if Nova was mine. It wasn't as if I even had a chance with him. And even if I did, I was kind of engaged to be married. There was nothing in the cards for him and me.

Nah, I was just being silly.

I needed to get my head screwed on and stop this. The problem was I didn't know how.

And as if that wasn't enough, Niki's words kept ringing in my head over and over again for the rest of the night.

When you know, you know.

I knew there was no substance to it, at least where he was concerned. He didn't even know Nova. Barely had said a word to him and was dreaming of a house with a white picket fence with the guy.

But then again wasn't that what had happened with me? Hadn't I been as taken by him before uttering a word to him when I first met him?

Maybe foolishness ran in the family, but only one of us could entertain it and it wasn't me.

So when Jenna found a good spot to watch the parade I found my way to her and put my arm around her. I needed to remind myself who I was. What I was doing. Why I was doing it.

"Hey," I said.

"Hey back." She looked at me.

Somewhere along the way, her, Nova and Nikita had gained glow-up necklaces and bracelets. How distracted had I been? Sheesh.

"You okay?" she asked.

I looked at Nova helping Nikita with the glow-sticks around his neck and giggling for God knew what reason. I let out a long sigh and I nodded, turning my attention back to my fiancée.

"I'm golden," I said, barely believing myself. But I had to. I had to find a way to believe it.

Jenna studied me for a few moments, only turning away when the music started and the first float passed by and the dizzying blur of lights intensified.

I hardly paid attention to this year's grand marshal’s float or the Santa sleigh behind it. I just stared at Nova and Niki, talking to each other, completely oblivious to me and my leering.

But then, he turned and caught my gaze and I blinked.

Jenna was no longer next to me and without that obstruction, Nova stepped closer.

"Want some?" he asked, offering me a glow stick from the collection in his hand.

"Oh." I shook my head, forcing myself back to reality, and picked one of the sticks.

"Pink, huh? My favorite color," he said.

I looked at my hand. I hadn't even realized what I'd chosen. I'd been too busy staring at him, trying to will down those…butterflies that seemed to awake again under his scrutiny.

I shrugged.

"It's a nice color," I said.

"Oh, I know. I love pink. Although to be fair, I love all the colors of the rainbow. Can't you tell?" He ran a hand over his glowing rainbow of a necklace and smiled.

"So you're telling me you're indecisive and can't pick just one color to like?"

Nova gasped. "Uhm…excuse you. We just met. How do you know? That's exactly the kind of person I am."

The short-lived panic in the pit of my stomach born out of fear of insulting him turned into a belly laugh.

"What's so funny?" Nikita asked.

I composed myself and shook my head, turning my attention to the parade.

"Just being silly," Nova told him. "Here. Let me help."

Before I knew what was happening, Nova grabbed my hand and helped me put the glow stick around my wrist. I had no idea how he'd even seen my poor attempts but as I stood there, watching him hold my hand so softly, so delicately, I definitely forgot how to breathe.

It lasted a second or two longer than necessary, or maybe it was all in my head, but when he patted my wrist and said: "There. See?" I froze again.

I needed to get this behavior under control. What was happening to me? Why couldn't I function like a normal human being around him? I'd never even been like that with any of my exes. It was weird. It was foolish. It was inappropriate.

But maybe that was exactly why it felt so good.

Or maybe when you know, you know and my body was trying to confirm what I knew in my heart.

That Nova was my person.

Too bad I was spoken for and had made a promise I could never break.

"Awww, don't you look cute in pink?" Jenna exclaimed and I was finally able to breathe as she came to stand between me and her best friend. "I'm afraid I've got some not-so-great news."

"What is it? Is everything okay?" Nova asked her.

"Oh, yeah. But I've been called in to pick up a few flights this week so I'll be gone for a few days. Do you guys think you can take care of things on your own while I'm away?"

I frowned.

Did that mean I'd have to spend even more time with Nova? Alone time? Was that wise?

"Of course. Don't worry, Jen-Jen. That's what I'm here for. Go. Do what you need to do. I've got it all under control," Nova said and I took a deep breath.

If only that were true.

I didn't have myself under control. I most certainly didn't and I didn't know how to. Especially not where Nova was concerned.

This supernova of a man was certainly an explosion of epic proportions and I had no way to escape it.

And did I even want to?