Page 80 of Catching the Mistletoe

It took us nearly forty minutes, pushing through Chicago’s snarling traffic, but finally, Mack steered the RV into a nearly empty parking lot a few blocks from the charity stop. Evelyn, with her unmistakable purple hair, was already there, directing a couple of crew members as they unloaded boxes from a small truck.

Mack killed the engine, and I swung the door open. “Hey, Evelyn,” I waved, the chilly Chicago air nipping at my fingers.

“Arabella, Mack.” Although she greeted us warmly, her eyes were laser-focused on me as she looked me over.

Jesus Christ, did I look different now that I was no longer a virgin? Of course not. That was dumb. Laughing at my own weirdness, I threw my arms around Evelyn. “It’s so good to see you.”

She patted my back affectionately before pulling away. “Straight back at ya. How about it, guys? Ready for another round of spreading cheer?”

“You bet,” Mack chimed in, coming around to join us.

Evelyn pointed to a cluster of boxes near her van. “Great. This stop is a youth shelter, so we’re talking teens and young adults, mostly. With that in mind, we’ve gone more for clothes, shoes, backpacks and coats. Don’t worry, we’ve added some fun stuff too, because it wouldn’t be the Caravan of Christmas without it.”

I smiled. “It sounds perfect.”

“I’m glad you think so! Let’s get the RV loaded up.”

I glanced at Mack, and we both rolled up our sleeves. It was go-time.

Within twenty minutes, the RV was stuffed to overflowing and as we pulled out into the Chicago streets again, I could practically feel the energy crackling between Mack and me. Things were back to normal, the weird, strained vibe a distant, unpleasant memory. Thank fuck.

We pulled up in front of Hope House Youth Shelter. A tall, thin woman with jet black hair waited for us, her expression friendly. About two feet away from her was the other part of the camera crew that had met us at each stop. We climbed out of the RV and Mack went straight to the storage area. I heard the click of the cameras rolling. Man, it had been good to have a break from all this, but it was even better to get back into it now.

“Hi, I’m Arabella.”

“I’m Josie. Welcome. Thank you so much for coming. We’re so excited that you’ve chosen us for your Chicago stop.”

“We’re super excited to be here.”

“Come on in, introduce yourselves. Kids are lining up.”

We stepped into a big, open room, filled with maybe forty or fifty teens and young adults. The walls were painted in a warm teal, contrasting with the brightly colored murals that adorned them. The room itself felt like a sanctuary of sorts, full of mismatched chairs and soft bean bags that had been gathered in the center.

As Josie introduced us, the teens perked up, all eyes flickering between Mack, me, and the towering pile of gifts we dragged in on a giant trolley. Some of them whispered among themselves, others tapped on their phones, but they were all suddenly tuned in, like we were a live broadcast they didn’t want to miss.

“All right. So, Arabella and Mack will spend a few minutes introducing everyone, then we’ve got some light refreshments organized. After that, we’ll move onto the gifts. How does that sound?” Josie turned to us on the question.

“That sounds great!” Suddenly, I was a little nervous, maybe even a bit out of my depth. I was so used to dealing with younger kids most of the time and, by the looks of these people, they weren’t looking for coloring books and candy canes.

Luckily for me, Mack stepped right in, saying in his quiet way, “Hey, everyone. Happy holidays. Thanks for having us.”

I followed his lead, stepping up next to him and shaking the hand of each kid in turn when they came forward to greet us. After all the introductions were done, we were offered a light lunch and a chance to hang out with the kids. With a cup of coffee and a plate in hand, I took a seat at a round table, giving everyone a friendly smile.

Of course, my eyes tracked Mack’s every movement, even as I chatted to the kids. I loved the way he was with them, just so calm and focussed.

“I really like your earrings.”

I had to drag my gaze away from Mack to a young woman with bleached blond hair, a nose ring and cautious blue eyes. “Aaw, thanks!” I tapped a finger on the Santa earrings, dangling from their gold hoops. “What’s your name?”

“Odette.”

“Nice to meet you, Odette.”

“Likewise.”

“I wish I could pull off piercings like yours. It’s a total talent.”

“Thanks.” She ducked her head, her lashes sweeping her cheeks.

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