Read Online Getting Kole for Christmas by Kimberly Krey - Free Book Online Page B

to come too.”
    I cup the phone in my palm, anxious to read the text. “Maybe I will. You go ahead. If they want to come, we’ll join you guys out back.” After all, sledding at the Bronson’s takes place in the massive mountainous hills in our very backyard.
    “Okay.” Melanie grins, and then reaches out to give me a giant, puffy-coat bear hug. “Thanks for helping me pick out a dress this morning. It really means a lot to me that you came.”
    A feeling of warmth spreads over my body. “It was fun. I’m glad you talked me into it.”   
    Melanie bolts back toward the stairs with a squeal. I might have wondered what had her in such a great mood but it goes without saying.
    As soon as she leaves I turn my attention to the phone. I take a deep breath, swipe my thumb over the screen to view the text, and read it aloud. “Are you home right now?”
    Whoa. I stand up and begin to pace.
    “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Why did he just ask me that?” It’s the exact text Trina got before she got asked. It’s the very text Melanie got from Jacob’s little sister before she got asked. Kole asked that very question about Melanie so his replacement guy could ask. It’s like, step one in the beautiful sequence of asking a girl to a dance: Make sure she’s home. Ask her to the dance. Watch from a distant spot while she opens the door.
    Is it possible Kole just found out that the trip to Hawaii is a no-go? Do I dare even hope for such a thing?
    I type back with frantic, clumsy thumbs. Three simple letters.
     
    Y.
    E.
    S.
     
    I scurry into my room, toss the phone onto the bed, and scramble. Kole might actually be on his way this very moment. I can’t answer the door in grungy soccer shorts and an oversized T. I have to look good; really good.
    I do a quick pit check, relieved that they’re still fresh and dry; thank heavens I didn’t work up much of a sweat. The view out the window shows me just how dark it’s growing outside. Dad must have the flood lights on outback for sledding; I can see the unnatural glow seeping from the back side of the house.
    Quickly, I wiggle into my favorite pair of tattered jeans and pull on a sweater that Mom says is the best color for my skin. Close to the color of the dress I tried on, with a little more pink. I run a brush through my hair and comb a wand of mascara through my lashes. I opt for lip gloss over my usual ChapStick and, as a final touch, put in a pair of silver stud earrings.
    My heart is going crazy. I check the phone again. Nothing. Holy moly! He’s probably on his way. Maybe Cassie and Meg are in the car as well. I feel sad – for a moment – that my family won’t be there to see it too. No, I tell myself. It’ll be perfect. Besides, I can always show them when they get back in. Sure they’ll miss the initial opening-the-door excitement but that’s okay.
    I race upstairs and pace the front room with the lights off, like Trina did while she was waiting for someone to ask her. I tell myself over and over that it’s happening. It’s really happening. Which means that Kole actually does like me!  
    While pacing south, I have a view of the Christmas tree, all lit up and decorated to the hilt. When pacing north, the piano stands central in my view. Christmas decorations adorn the piece, making me remember about the patchwork of photos in the hall.
    Am I really about to get a picture in there as well?
    I check the mirror again, blowing out a breath through tight lips. “Jeez, Kylie. Get a grip.”
    The phone in my hand buzzes. I swipe the screen before realizing it isn’t a text, but a social media notification. I grimace, trying to get out of the site to give Melanie her privacy when I notice a new post from Kole.
    I scan over it, my jaw dropping right to the floor. My hopes fall somewhere beneath that.
     
    Headed to Hawaii.
     Merry Christmas guys.
    Happy New Year too.
    See you next year.
     
    He’s posted a picture of himself with it. It’s obvious he’s sitting in