Blame It On The Carols (Sugarplum Falls #6)

Twenty-Six | Makayla

Twenty-Six

Makayla

I ’d never been in a parade before, let alone on a float. Add on the extra pressure of being the very first float in the parade, as well as being the only person on the stage, and my nerves were at an all-time high. The ladies of the Sugarplum Sweethearts were seated around the stage, facing out toward the crowd as they tossed candy canes while I sang.

I thought it was cute that we all wore matching ugly sweaters, especially since it was freezing outside. There were reports that a big snowstorm was heading in, but thankfully it was dry this morning.

I considered sitting on the chair they’d provided for me on the stage, but it felt too much like being a queen sitting on her throne. Thankfully, the float moved so slowly that I didn’t have to worry about keeping my balance as I walked around, making sure I took turns on which side of the street I faced so everyone could see me.

The songs today were more fun and upbeat which had the kids in the crowd smiling. I couldn’t stop thinking about what Aiden had said about wanting to knock me up. I hadn’t given much thought to my future once my music career started, but now was as good a time as any to start thinking about it. I was already twenty-eight and didn’t want to wait too long before deciding whether or not I wanted to start a family. These things took time, and if I didn’t stop and start planning now, I might miss the opportunity. My career was at its peak, and I had another world tour lined up, which meant I would be thirty by the time I finished.

I looked ahead, curious to see how far the parade went and was surprised to see that the street continued to be lined up with people for miles ahead of us. Aiden wasn’t lying when he said that people came from all over to be here for Frosty Fest, which was good for business in Sugarplum Falls.

The music stopped after the last song ended, and I wondered if that was it for the singing portion of the parade. I smiled and waved at everyone, curious about what else I was supposed to do since we still had a ways to go.

Then, just as suddenly as the music stopped, it started again.

I smiled when I recognized the tune of O Holy Night and caught my mom’s eye as she looked up at me.

“They all wanted a repeat of yesterday’s performance,” she yelled up to me, trying to be heard over the gust of wind that whipped between us.

I nodded and took a deep breath, hoping I could do it as well as I had yesterday.

I began singing, closing my eyes as I allowed the music and words to consume me. Singing was what always calmed me, and being the center of attention was something I was used to. But nothing could stop that rush of adrenaline I felt every time I heard the people of Sugarplum Falls cheer for me.

By the time the parade was over, I was shivering and in desperate need of something warm to drink. I rushed into the mall as my mom stayed behind to talk with the ladies. Apparently, they were helping out with the rest of Frosty Fest and needed to check in with Jasmin to see where she wanted them.

I made my way through the mall, grinning ear to ear as I took in the massive displays in front of me. There were booths lined up as far as I could see with vendors I hadn’t heard of before. In the middle of everything was the same stage we had performed on yesterday that was now transformed into the North Pole. Elves were rushing around setting up the last few details before Santa and Mrs. Claus came out to take pictures with the kids.

“Where are you headed?” Aiden asked, coming up beside me and startling me.

“You scared the shit out of me,” I said with a laugh, holding my hand over the fuzzy ornament on my sweater.

“Sorry. I thought you heard me calling your name.”

“Nope. I was lost in thought, taking this all in while searching for coffee.”

“Sam has a booth set up in the food court if you want a latte.”

“Seriously? That’s pretty awesome.”

“Yeah, he does killer business during Frosty Fest. His assistant manager runs the shop while he runs things here. They hire extra help a few months before because it gets that busy.”

“Wow. He’s doing amazing things for himself.” I looked around at the lines forming around the booths and shook my head. “You all are. I cannot believe this. It’s insane how many people are here.”

“Frosty Fest is a huge deal. Everyone in town shows up for it. We also make sure to help out those who are working it so they have time to go enjoy it as well. There’s a lot of community support here, but a lot of the traffic today is people coming from out of town. We’ve grown so much in the past five years, but I worry that we’re already to the point that we’re going to outgrow the space again. Jasmin does a great job managing everything and redirecting traffic so all of the vendors stay busy, but it’s getting to the point where she’s going to have to look for a new venue to accommodate everyone.”

“I can imagine. I don’t think I’ve seen this many people in a mall before.”

“Why don’t we get you some coffee, and then we can look around?”

“I’d like that. Thank you.” I locked my arm in his and allowed him to lead the way as I soaked up the feeling of contentment that was radiating through me.