Running Scared (Letters From Morgantown Book 1) by Tracie Puckett

Author:Tracie Puckett [Puckett, Tracie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2016-02-15T23:00:00+00:00

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“Okay, who’s ready for Secret Santa?”

My heart smiled every time I heard his voice, and little by little, I felt that smile clawing its way to my lips. It was wrong, because given the situation, nothing could ever come of these feelings I’d developed for him, but I couldn’t convince my heart to agree with my mind.

He’d changed so much for me . . .

I went to sleep last night without tears. I didn’t cry into my pillow or long for the things I’d lost. I still thought of Dad, but this time it wasn’t the horrific replay of what happened that night at the park. Instead, my thoughts turned to happier things. I wondered what he would’ve thought of Chris. He would’ve liked him, I decided. A lot. I imagined how happy it would make my father to learn that I’d trusted my instinct, and my instinct had proven itself reliable. He would’ve been proud of me.

And then I thought of Carrie, my best friend since kindergarten. I would’ve given anything to have a way to get ahold of her. I’d tossed and turned for an hour, wishing I could call home. I wanted to tell her about Chris, about all the things he’d said and done that made my heart turn flip-flops. I wanted to gush to my best friend about how hopeful I was about the connection I felt. And I wanted to ask her about things back home. Did she have a date for the winter formal? What would she wear? The dance was only two nights away, and I would’ve given anything to be there, to help her get ready. I missed her so much . . .

But as much as I’d wanted to confide in her last night, I couldn’t sneak away to call without being noticed—not on the B&B landline. Chris was still hard at work in the dining room by the time I fell asleep.

I woke up this morning feeling refreshed and buzzing with energy, and that was something I hadn’t felt in a long time.

“Hello, anybody? Secret Santa?” Chris said.

Danielle, Theo, and I turned from our spots in the common room, watching as Chris entered from the kitchen with a small bowl clutched in his hands.

“I’ve put our names in the bowl.”

“The whole whopping four of us?” Danielle asked.

“Yes, all four,” he said. “I had to settle for these tiny scraps of paper, though. We ran out of Post-its last night.” His eyes flickered to the tree, and Danielle scoffed. “Okay, the rules are simple: draw a name. If you get your own, put it back. Keep the contents of your slip to yourself, because that’s the person you’re focusing on this Christmas.”

“What’s the price cap for the gifts?” Theo asked.

“That’s the fun part,” he said. “We’re making the gifts. It’s gotta come from the heart.”

“What do you mean we’re making the gifts?” Danielle asked. “Shopping, spending money, wrapping presents . . . isn’t that the whole point of Christmas?”

“No, I’m pretty sure it’s not,” Chris said.

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