Page 44 of A Curvy Carol

I glanced at the clock. If I hurried, I’d have time to change and still make it by two.

26

WHIT

Iwas on the verge of thinking I should just head home when I turned around and saw her.

It was Carolynn. She’d come.

I couldn’t help but give her a wide grin and wave as she approached me wearing a thick red coat, black leggings, and a gray stocking cap. Her cheeks were red, and she had a tentative smile on her lips. As she stopped just a couple feet from me, relief flooded my chest.

I knew I’d missed her, but it wasn’t until that moment that I realized just how much.

“You came,” I managed, voice thick with emotion.

She nodded. “I got your letter.”

“I was hoping you would,” I told her.

“And your cross-stitch too,” she said, a smile on her face. “It did kinda look like a kindergartener made it, but it was sweet all the same.”

I clutched my chest in mock pain, making her laugh, and I was happy things felt like they used to. Her laugh was quickly becoming one of my favorite sounds.

“Seriously, though,” I said. “I spent hours on that. I just wanted to make it up to you.”

She sort of nudged me, and I liked the contact. “Like I said, it was sweet.”

I thought I might kiss her then, but Rudolph rang his bell a few feet away. “Who’s ready for a sleigh ride?” he called.

It was just me and Carolynn, the way I’d requested.

“We are,” I said loudly.

Carolynn turned to me, a puzzled expression on her face. “Where are we going?” she asked. The way her blue eyes sparkled had my heart skipping a beat.

I gently moved a lock of hair from her face. “I thought I’d show you all the places we’ve been together,” I said, my eyes locked on hers. “Tell you what it all meant to me.”

“Oh,” she said, her voice hardly above a whisper.

“That sound okay?” I asked her softly.

She nodded. “Yeah.”

We got into the sleigh, sitting side by side, and when Rudolph asked if we were ready, we both nodded.

He got the horses to go, and Carolynn and I cuddled under a thick blanket as we went past every place we’d spent time together.

Our journey began at the Garland Express and the mountains. We rode past the train station, admiring the view of the perfectly white snow.

“That’s where we made our list,” I said. “I’ll never forget it.”

I went on. “I thought you were great to talk to in the train compartment. And I can’t tell you how awesome it was to finally have someone to hang out with.”

The ride went on, and we reached the outskirts of town. We passed by Vixen’s spa, and I showed off my nails. “This was definitely in my top three. I might have to go back to get them redone.”

She grinned.

Next, we passed by the Santa’s Elves and the ice-skating rink. “Santa’s Elves was fun too,” I added. “Getting to know you more. Ice-skating had to be top two,” I told her. “It was a lot of fun having you teach me, even if I really sucked at it.”