COMPLETE ✓| Charlotte Hastings found herself between a rock and a hard place when she aged out of the foster system. With only a car to her name, she set out on the open road, hoping to find long lost relatives. Winter hits her hard. When she meets...
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CHAPTER EIGHTEEN | LOST IN THE LIGHTS
Charlotte Hastings
The cold air wisped around us, but I was too happy to care about getting frostbite. My fingers were toasty warm in my mittens, one even more so as it was fused with Eli's. It was crazy how much heat he gave off and I welcomed it with open arms, letting it radiate through me. The Christmas lights scattered perfectly over the houses were truly amazing. I knew now why Eli wanted me to see it.
I stared in awe at the reindeer that were suspended on the roof of someone's grand home. This was Christmas. This was magic. My heart was so full it felt like it could explode right there, my smile so wide that it physically hurt my cheeks. Though, what made it so special was the man standing beside me.
It felt like a dream. I still couldn't believe that he'd taken me in, asking nothing in return and gave me the Christmas of my dreams. If he'd let me, I'd stay here forever. Finding my birth mother was a pipe dream, but this was real. Could I really give that up? Did I even want to anymore?
My heart was torn, but I pushed it aside. One more night. That was tomorrow's problem.
"Oh Eli, this is just as amazing as you said and then some," I said under my breath, as the lights twinkled.
His eyes crinkled with his smile when he looked down at me. "I knew you'd love it." He followed my gaze to the giant blow up Santa upside down in someone's chimney. "That Santa's older than I am. He's kind of a big deal around here."
"Wow, that's crazy to me. People keep a blow up Santa longer than a child." I chuckled at the thought. How much care they must have given that silly blow up figure.
"Old Mr. Sanders is pretty serious about his Christmas decorations. I think his whole garage is basically a Santa repair shop at this point. But his wife used to take Christmas pretty seriously. I think he does it for her," he trailed off, but continued to watch me.
"That's sweet. Something to keep her spirit alive. I feel it, you know?" I met his gaze and smiled as we came to the next house. It was decorated from head to toe with lights of every color. Candy canes lined the driveway, twinkling while a Charlie Brown Christmas played on the projector. "What about this one?"
"Mr. Sanders would like that. You should tell him sometime," he said softly before gesturing to the house I had indicated. "And this... This is a bet that was lost." He laughed heartily at the story he hadn't told me yet.
"Guy who lives here, Ryan, went to school with me. He and a buddy were racing their cars on an old track outside of town -- bad idea, by the way, I love cars but the place is a pit. Anyway, he bet he would beat his friend in a five lap race. Ended up stuck in a mud puddle. So, as a result, the kids at the school got to plan the decorations for Ryan here. As you can see, they had a really good time!"
