Inevitable

-20-

Wes

I couldn't tell you the last time I had gone to see the Peoria lights. I had to of been twelve when I decided I was too old and didn't want to go anymore.

It wasn't anything special to me. Light displays set up for people to pay money to drive around and look at them. Nothing ever changed. My mom said that's what made it so special, the excitement of seeing the ski men and the jumping reindeer was a tradition she looked forward to every year with Mrs. McCall, Wyatt, and Lee.

That was the first year Wyatt had Ryann and Lee had me. So our moms dragged our dads to join that year while Lee dragged me and Wyatt dragged Ryann.

The snow was falling perfectly as we waited in line to enter the light show. The glow of the dash lit up Lee's face while the sight of the lights lit up her eyes. "When's the last time you came to see the lights?" She asked me as she look up at the giant nutcrackers welcoming us. "I have no idea." I told her as I pulled forward.

"At least 5 years."

"Without a doubt." I agreed. Lee seemed slightly nervous that night. She didn't say much the ride over, she just sat with her hands in her lap holding mine. "You okay?" I asked.

"Yeah. Why?"

"No reason."

I pulled forward and handed the worker $10 for entree to the park. She handed me five mini candy canes and said "Enjoy the show." With a smile. I put the candy canes on the center console and Lee instantly grabbed one saying, "I love these things." The smell of peppermint filled the truck cab as she opened it.

Not much had changed, like I expected. The lay out was a little different due to some remodeling they did to the park. Other than that, most displays were all the time. Her favorite growing up was the large green dragon, that was even still the same.

We were about half way through the display of lights when Lee looked over at me and smiled as she lifted the center console. "You know what I heard?" "What?" I asked.

"Peppermint stimulates blood flow." She leaned over and kissed my lips.

"Can't say I've heard that before."

She leaned back in again, that time kissing me harder as she moved her hand onto my leg and slowly slid her hand towards my waistline as she moved her lips down my neck. "Lee." I quickly said. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to have some fun." She laughed as I looked around. "Oh come on, no one will see." She told me and went to kiss my neck again as she tried to undo my belt.

"You don't know that. And if someone did? We could get in trouble. Like really big trouble."

"Big trouble?"

"I'm sure legal trouble.."

"Oh.. well.. I uh-I guess I didn't think about that."

She scooted back over into the passenger's seat and looked out the window. I could feel it that she felt stupid. That was the last thing I wanted to make her feel. "It's not that I don't want to.."

"No, I get it."

"Lee I-."

"It's fine, Wes. Just forget that happened.. okay?"

I looked over at her and before my eyes even met hers she turned the other way. "I didn't mean to.." I muttered.

"I know."

Ever since Noah's friendsmas party, Lee acted as if she couldn't keep her hands off of me. Not that I was complaining or anything. I just didn't understand her sudden sexual desires. She didn't say anything during the drive home. She even tried to escape me when we got to her house for me to drop her off. But I grabbed her hand before she could make it up the walk. "Don't." I told her as I pulled her back to me. "I never should have tried that." She shyly said.

"Hey I'm not against it." I laughed. "It's just.. there were cars with families and.."

"Yeah."

I lifted her chin so her eyes would finally meet mine. "We can go down to the pond if you're that into it tonight." A smile finally creeped across her face as she shoved me backwards. "I have something for you." I walked back to my truck and out of the tool box I grabbed her Christmas present. A white bag with red tissue paper. "I didn't want to wait until you came for Christmas. I wanted to give you this with just us." I held it out to her and she looked up at me with a smile and grabbed my hand. "Come on, yours is in my room."

I followed her up the stairs and into her glowing bed bedroom. She had decorated for Christmas. On her dresser sat two neatly wrapped gifts with a bow. "I guess I could have done more than the stores basic wrapping." I told her once more handing my gift out to her. "It'll just get thrown away anyway." She chuckled. "You open yours first."

She took the bag from my hand setting it on her bed and handed me the two presents. I unwrapped the smaller one first. Inside the box was a brown leather bracelet "Joshua 1:9." I read out loud.

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." She told me

"I love that."

"Open the other one."

And a did. Inside was her favorite picture of us in a wooden frame. "I love this even more." I told her, because I did.

"Now you'll have a picture of me to fall asleep to every night." She laughed.

"I'd rather fall asleep to the real thing every night."

She smiled up at me as she blushed and looked away. I reached around her grabbing my gift and held it out to her. She took the tissue paper out first and reached in to grab the small box. Her eyes instantly lit up when she opened it. Inside was a 14k simple gold cross. "It's beautiful." She said staring at it.

"You like it?"

"Goodness yes."

"I didn't know if you'd like the gold."

"Wes, I love it."

She immediately removed it from the box and handed it to me. She pulled her hair to one side and stood with her back to me. Without a word I knew she wanted me to put it on her. I undid the small clasp and placed it around her neck. She turned to face me grabbing it with her finger and thumb. "Thank you."

"Of course." I told her pulling her in for a hug. I squeezed her tight and kissed her on the head. "I love you."

"I love you, too."