Chapter 26 Magnolia
“Are you driving us across town lines?” I look out the window to see the town size whiz past, and Bode just ignores my question. “I don’t like surprises!” I say loudly, and he cracks a smile. “I mean it!”
“You told me not to take you anywhere you’ve been.” Bode shrugs.
“This is cheating.” My brows pinch together as I lean over the center and into his space.
“Loopholes aren’t cheating, it’s called working the system,” he says to me, and I scoff. “Now stop complaining and look.” He tips his chin up and the lights up ahead catch in his eyes like stars. I sit up and turn my attention to the windshield. “This is the North Pole.”
“This is Sutik,” I argue.
“On a map,” he says.
“No, right there it says ‘Welcome to Sutik.’” I point as the sign passes the truck, and Bode starts to slow down to join the traffic that leads deeper into town.
“What’s that one say?” He points and asks.
A massive green sign with red flashing lights is lit up about half a mile down, and as we get closer, it’s very clearly written in curly white paint, ‘North Pole’.
“Okay, you win, but I’m still confused. What are we doing?” I ask, keeping my eyes on the road ahead of us so I don’t miss anything else.
“They keep the lights up year-round here. I thought maybe we could walk around town. See all the lights, drink a little hot chocolate.” He nods to the thermos tucked into the cup holder. “Or have you done this before?”
I smile at him, proud of his creativity when it came to our date. “Never.”
“Good,” he grumbles under his breath, but it’s clear that he’s extremely proud of himself. He gently swings the truck into a small parking lot that’s been overrun by tree sellers and small food stands.
“It’s February?” I giggle and point to the busy Christmas tree lot.
“They love Christmas,” He parks the truck in a spot near the end and swipes his hat from the dash as he climbs out. He presses it over his head and makes his way around to my side, helping me down to the pavement before he grabs the thermos. “We’re gonna need this.”
“Is that important?” I joke, and he closes the door behind me as I pull on my mittens.
“Very,” he says in a playful tone as he crooks his arm and offers me his elbow to take.
Bode leads us through the parking lot and down Main Street.
The little shops are still open and decorated to match the town’s Christmas theme.
Even in February, it’s busier than I would expect it to be.
Bode shifts to my right side, his hand sliding around my waist before he lets me hook my arm into his again.
I’m confused about what he’s doing until headlights light up the main road, and I realize he swapped places with me because I was on the street side.
He doesn’t acknowledge the small act of chivalry, instead, his attention is focused on a food truck parked down the road.
It’s at least in the same direction we’re going, bright marquee signs saying ‘Snowflake Lane’ act as guiding lights, but it’s the warmth blooming up my neck that has me distracted.
“Funnel cake?” he asks, looking down at me, his smile suddenly wide and perfect as ever.
“Yes, please.” I nod. Bode hands me the thermos, and I wrap my hands around it as he steps around me toward the food truck.
I wait on the sidewalk, watching him interact with the girl behind the window, all charm and smiles.
He invites the warmth to him, and people can’t help but get caught up in his gravity.
When he returns, he pushes his hat up on his head with a single knuckle, a cheeky grin on his face. “Open up,” he instructs, and I look around, suddenly nervous. “Ain’t nobody in the North Pole going to tattle on us, Maggie-Mae.”
He’s right, there’s no one here that will even recognize us, let alone run home to Ford to cause trouble. I part my lips, watching him carefully as he parts a piece of cake off between his fingers and slides it onto my tongue.
The sugar melts instantly, and the pastry is so fresh it blossoms warmth across my chest as I chew it. Bode takes his own chunk, licking his fingers clean as he nods in satisfaction. “Funnel cake is dangerously good,” he mumbles and takes another bite as I giggle at him.
I spin the cap off the thermos and take a drink, only to be entirely caught off guard. “Oh, Lord, Bode.” I cough after I manage to swallow. It’s definitely hot chocolate, but there’s something more potent swimming in there with it. “What is in this?”
“Hot chocolate,” he offers in a low hum and exchanges what’s left of the cake for the thermos to steal his own shot. “And maybe a little whiskey.”
“A little?” I laugh. “That’s more liquor than chocolate, Cowboy.”
“You complainin’?” He smirks, lifting the lip of the thermos to his mouth again.
“I just didn’t expect it.” I scowl and take it back from him for another sip.
He fixes his hat as the snow starts to fall, and we start walking again through the town until we hit a street labeled “Santa’s Workshop”.
Every house on the street is lit up like a different toy store, and it’s truly magnificent in the extent to which they’ve gone to be a Christmas town.
“This is crazy.” I swear, Bode’s going mad cause I stop at every house to admire all the work they’ve done, but when I look over my shoulder at him, he’s just there, smiling, patiently waiting and watching.
“Do you know how much time it would take to do all of this? They must spend hours… What if a bulb goes out?” I laugh and take another sip.
The whiskey starts to thrum through my veins, and it warms my fingertips in the best kind of way.
Bode tangles his hand in mine as we walk, and I think that maybe this is it.
This is the best moment of my life. Everything lately has been so tangled, difficult to even make time for something so trivial as dates and Christmas lights.
But Bode is a master at making time, he covers his bases.
Even tonight, he brought dinner for Joleen and made sure she was alright staying with Mama for a couple of hours so he could take me on a date.
I think Joleen nearly died from the cuteness.
Bode Walker standing there, nervous with his hat against his chest, running his shaky hand through dark strands of hair, and his boot tapping against the old hardwood.
Joleen played along like a champ and told him to have me home by eleven.
I don’t know when he did it, but he wedged himself into my life between me and all the bad things that seem to keep piling up around me in rickety, dangerous towers. Threatening to fall over at any given moment.
“Are you even listening to me?” Bode laughs and squeezes my hand.
I shake my head, and he tosses his head back with a loud bark.
“You sure do talk a lot and never listen, you know that?” he asks, stopping us beneath a grouping of trees that’s been lit up in soft white twinkling lights.
“Take this.” He hands me the thermos, and I look at him, confused as I curl it against my chest. He smiles at me, softer than before.
“What are you—” my question is silenced by his lips.
His hands wrap around my face, and he tilts my chin to meet him as he deepens the kiss that turns my cheeks warm.
I squeeze the thermos tighter as his tongue slips into my mouth and his fingers curl around my jaw to keep me connected for as long as he can.
“You taste like whiskey.” He licks his bottom lip when he finally pulls away, and the smirk that forms on his face means nothing but trouble.
“Thank you,” I whisper, and his brows twitch in confusion. “For tonight,” I say, my eyes searching his and finding the stars swimming around in them. “It’s perfect.”
“You’re easy to please, Maggie-Mae,” Bode hums. “Cows and Christmas lights.”
“I could be worse,” I giggle, and Bode rolls his eyes as he fixes a few stray hairs around my face.
“Come on, we've got two more streets, and if I don’t get you home by curfew, Joleen might pull out the shotgun on me,” he jokes, taking the thermos from me and tangling his hand back into mine.