by L. P. Dover
The salon was the place Jessica and I always got our hair done, so we already knew the owner and the ladies who worked there. April smiled at us and hugged Jessica. “Congratulations on your special day. Let’s get you fixed up, girl. After I do your hair, Milly will do your makeup, and then Lia or Lindy will do your nails. They can do your sisters, while you and Adeline are with me.”
Alexis and Bridgette disappeared into the other room with the nail technicians, while we sat down in the salon chairs. Milly walked over and ran a hand through my hair. “I can go ahead and do your hair while April has Jess. Then, I can do both your makeup.”
“Sounds good to me. I think Jessica wants the bridesmaids to have up-dos.”
Jessica held up a hand. “I do. I’ll be wearing mine down.”
Milly nodded. “Up-do it is then.”
As the time passed, Jessica seemed to calm down, especially when she saw how beautiful her hair had turned out. Her long, red hair was curled, with a few strands pinned in the back with crystal snowflakes.
“When you get married, Adeline, I want you to wear the snowflakes too. It can be something borrowed.”
William came to mind and my smile faded. It was silly to miss a man from my dreams, but I’d seriously fallen in love with him. Eyes burning, I looked away from her stare. “I’d be happy to, if that day ever comes.”
Milly squeezed my shoulders. “Seriously? Look at you, you’re gorgeous. There has to be men lining up around the block to date you.”
“There are,” Jessica explained. “She just doesn’t like any of them. I’m going to set her up with my soon to be brother-in-law, William Blair.”
My heart jumped at hearing the name, but I plastered on a smile. “Maybe. I have to meet him first.”
Brows furrowed, Jessica stared at me like she could see right through me. She’d always been able to tell when something was wrong. Luckily, it was her time to get her makeup done. Milly kept her talking, which in turn, kept Jessica from asking me what was wrong. I thought I was in the clear, until it came time for Lia and Lindy to do our nails. They put us side by side.
“You okay, Addie?” she asked, gaze narrowing.
“Of course.” Turning my head, I smiled at Lia and put my hands down in front of her. I’d already picked out the light gray color I wanted on my nails.
“Don’t lie to me. I can tell when something’s on your mind. Spill it.”
With a heavy sigh, I met her stare. “Have you ever had realistic dreams?”
“Realistic, like how?” she asked.
I shrugged. “I don’t know . . . like dreams where you’re actually there. A straight storyline, with no jumping around. Where you have control over your actions, and you can see, hear, smell, and taste things, as if they were real.”
She shook her head. “Not like that. In most of my dreams, I’m usually imagining I can fly, or that I’m naked at work, trying to work on patients. It’s embarrassing.” She stared at my profile. “Why do you ask?”
Shrugging again, I looked down at my nails while Lia painted them. “I don’t know. Last night, I had a dream that felt amazingly real. The craziest part is that it took me back to year 1865, and I was there for days.”
“Wow,” she gasped. “That had to be interesting. Then again, being a history nut like you, I bet it was awesome.”
Memories of William came flooding back. “It was. Margaret was in it.” I cleared my throat. “And so was Will.”
She burst out laughing. “He must’ve been on your mind. It’s a sign. You think he’s handsome, don’t you?”
“He was more than that in my dream,” I said low, feeling my cheeks burn.
Her eyes widened. “What all did you dream about?”
“Lots of things. We rode horses, went to parties, and spent Christmas together. Margaret was some kind of Christmas angel or something. Everyone else was from 1865, but she was from our time.” I laughed it off, but the feeling of emptiness was still inside me. “It was a good dream.”
“Sounds like it,” she agreed. “Will doesn’t ever come around for Christmas. Now he has no choice, since he’s moving back this week. Do you remember how hard it was for Trent to let me decorate his house?”
William was the same way in my dream. “Did he ever say why he was like that?”
She sighed. “Basically, he just said he grew out of it. I think it was him following in his older brother’s footsteps. When Will didn’t care about it anymore, it rubbed off on Trent.”
“Interesting.”
“Yeah, I don’t know the full details. Trent loves Christmas now. I think between you and me hounding him, he sees how important it is to me.”
Lia and Lindy finished up our nails and we were ready to go. The closer it came to the wedding, Jessica loosened up, while I grew more uptight. I was beginning to think I was the one who needed the wine. But no matter which way I diced it, in another couple of hours, I would come face to face with William Blair, and I didn’t know if I was ready.
Twenty-One
Adeline
We’d arrived at the country club with plenty of time to spare, and Jess had been swooped inside by her mom and sisters. Opening the trunk of my car, I looked in the box to make sure the wine bottle was still intact.
“Addie!” a man shouted.
I knew it was Trent, but my heart stopped when I looked over my shoulder to see he wasn’t alone. There was no mistaking the two men with him. I remembered Caleb from the rehearsal, and the other man was directly from my dreams. The box in my arms grew heavier by the second. I set it down and turned to face the guys.
Trent made it to me first, his smile more radiant than ever. “Was Jess okay this morning?”
“Of course. She’ll be even better when I get some wine in her.” I couldn’t even bring myself to look at William, but I could tell his eyes were on me.
Caleb held out his fist and I bumped it. “Looking mighty pretty today.” He waggled his brows and hooked a glance over at William. “I’ll be inside at the bar if any of you need me.”
Trent chuckled and patted William on the shoulder. My eyes instantly locked with his, and my lungs failed to take in a breath. He looked exactly like the William from my dreams.
Trent introduced me. “Adeline, I want you to meet—”
“William,” I whispered, mesmerized by the sight of him.
Trent patted his shoulder again. “I’m sorry to run, but I need to get inside.” He took off and I sucked in a breath. I didn’t know what to say or do.
William held out his hand and as soon as his skin touched mine, I felt a tremble all throughout my body. His smile and the way he smelled was even the same. How could that be? I’d never met him before. The only thing I’d seen of him were pictures.
“No one ever calls me William anymore,” he said, chuckling.
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. I kind of like hearing you say it.” Clearing his throat, he still held onto my hand, but then slowly let it go. “You can call me either one.”
I wanted to talk to him like I did in my dream, but I couldn’t. I was at a loss for words.
His eyes searched mine and he smiled. “It’s strange, but I feel like I already know you.”
“I—I feel the same way.” Only, everything I knew about him from my dream was all made up.
He nodded down at the box. “Want me to get that for you?”
I stepped out of the way. “Sure, that’d be great. I packed all of Jessica’s favorite snacks. Not like she’s going to eat anything right now, but I know she’ll drink her wine. She can be a little high strung at times.”
Bursting out with laughter, he picked up the box and I shut the back of my car. Even his laugh was the same. “Oh, I know how she is.”
His steps were slow, and I followed his pace as we walked toward the entrance. “I hear you’re moving back to Asheville.” I grabbed the door for him.
“I am. I have to head back to California tomorrow afternoo
n for a couple of days and then I’ll fly back for good.”
“I’ve never been to California. You’ll have to tell me all about it.” We arrived at the dressing room and he handed me the box.
“I’d be happy to. I’m sure we’ll talk more tonight.”
“I hope so.”
He smiled at me again, before turning down the hall and walking away. Frozen in my spot, I watched his back in awe.
Twenty-Two
William
“You and Adeline seem to have gotten off to a good start,” Trent said, grinning wide. “What’d you think about her?”
So many things ran through my mind at the thought of her. She was beautiful, with a set of deep, emerald eyes I didn’t want to look away from. When we shook hands, I felt something I’d never felt before—familiarity. I didn’t want to let her go.
“I think she’s beautiful,” I said. “Other than that, I don’t know much about her. I plan on talking to her more tonight.”
Caleb chuckled. “She’s easy to talk to. I spent time with her at the rehearsal last night.”
A pang of jealousy tightened in my chest. I wished I’d been there. “What all did you two talk about?”
Caleb shrugged. “I told her about my fiancée, and how we live forty-five minutes away from you in California. Other than that, we mainly talked about you.”
“Me? What did you say?”
A sly smile stretched across his face. “Oh, just how much of a scrooge you are. When Jessica told her she wanted to set you two up, Adeline wanted to know more about you.”
“Great,” I groaned. “What better person to ask than you. What kind of crap did you say?”
He burst out laughing. “I just said that you haven’t been home in over seven years, and that every time I ask you to come over for Christmas dinner, you turn me down.”
“She’s seriously going to think I am Scrooge. Thanks for nothing, Caleb.”
He snorted. “What? It’s the truth.”
“Things change. I’m not like that anymore.”
Trent jerked his attention to me. “Since when?”
“I don’t know,” I whispered, not exactly sure where those feelings came from. I couldn’t explain it. Deep down, I knew I hadn’t cared about celebrating Christmas in years, but it was as if something had changed overnight. Suddenly, I wanted to enjoy the holidays.
A knock sounded on the door, and a short woman with curly brown hair stuck her head in. “It’s almost time, gentlemen.” Her focus landed on me and she beamed. “You must be William,” she said, opening the door wide. She held out her hand. “I’m Margaret Grant, the wedding planner.”
I shook her hand. “It’s good to meet you, Margaret.” Her pantsuit was bright red, and there was a piece of mistletoe pinned to her jacket. She patted it with her hand when she saw me staring at it.
“Mistletoe is known to bring happiness. I’m a wedding planner, so I find it to be good luck. So far, none of the weddings I’ve planned over the years have turned into divorce.”
“Then I’m calling you,” Caleb blurted. “I’m getting married soon too.”
Margaret chuckled. “I’d be happy to oblige.” Her gaze met Trent’s and she tapped her watch. “Five minutes before you need to be in the ballroom.”
Trent took a deep breath and nodded. “I’m ready. Let’s go, guys.”
The ballroom was filled to the brim, and once all the family members had been escorted to the front row, it was time to take our places. The music began to play, and Jessica’s sisters both marched slowly down the aisle. Once they were up front, I knew who was coming next. Adeline appeared at the entrance, dressed in her purple gown, holding her flowers. My heart raced, and I couldn’t take my eyes off her. Another feeling of déjà vu swept through me. It was as if I’d seen her before somewhere, and not just in a picture.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” the DJ announced. “It’s time for the bride and groom’s first dance as husband and wife.”
The crowd cheered as Trent and Jessica took the floor. After the ceremony, every time I tried to speak to Adeline, something always got in the way. She would either be pulled away by someone, or I would. Now, she was across the room, watching the dance, and I was nowhere near her. Trent’s friend, Derek, was trying to flirt with her, and I didn’t like it. I’d never been this way over a woman before, especially one who I barely knew.
“Why don’t you go over and talk to her?” a voice called out.
I looked over to see Margaret standing beside me. “To who?”
She giggled. “You know who. I’ve watched you stare at her for the past hour.”
My gaze instantly found her again. “She reminds me of someone. I’m trying to work out who.”
“She has that kind of face, doesn’t she? Almost like an angel. If I were you, I’d go over and rescue her from your brother’s friend. She doesn’t look very happy.”
“I just might do that, thanks.” I turned to nod at her, but she was gone. Looking back to Adeline, she had also disappeared. Weird. Cutting through the crowd, I made it over to Derek. “Hey, where’s Adeline?”
He shrugged. “Don’t know. She just up and walked off while I was talking to her.”
Jessica’s sister, Alexis, pointed at the patio door. “I saw her go outside.”
“Thanks.” Looking out the door, I found her off to the side, almost out of sight. I walked outside, and she didn’t see me, as her focus was on the snow-covered mountains. The sun was almost gone, but it still shined in her golden blonde hair. “Adeline?”
Gasping, she jerked around and grabbed her chest. “Geez, you scared me. What is it with you Blair men and sneaking up on people? Caleb did it yesterday and I spilled wine on my dress.”
I held up my hands and laughed. “Sorry. My plan was to save you from Derek, but it looks like you didn’t need me.”
She snorted. “Derek’s fun to talk to in small doses. I just wasn’t in the mood for his flirting tonight.”
“Yeah, that was hard to watch.” Closing the distance, I walked up to her and leaned my elbows on the rail. She smelled sweet, like raspberries and sunshine. “So, what do you do, Adeline? You don’t work at the hospital, do you?”
“Oh, good God, no,” she replied. “I’m not a big fan of blood.”
We had that in common. “Neither am I.”
She looked over at me, her eyes staring deep into mine. “I’m a high school history teacher.”
“Nice. Do you like it?” I asked.
Her eyes lit up. “More than anything. My grandfather was a historian. I couldn’t help but follow in his footsteps. Now I get to teach kids about it.” She shrugged. “I might not make a ton of money, but it’s what I love doing.”
“I don’t blame you.”
“What about you? Do you love what you do?”
“I do,” I admitted honestly. “It’s a family business; been around for over a hundred and fifty years.”
She nodded. “1866 to be exact, right?”
“How did you know that?”
Her smile was so beautiful. “I’m a history teacher and a die-hard historian, remember? Also, I’ve talked to Trent about it. He said your father wasn’t happy with him when he didn’t want to run the company with you.”
I blew out a heavy breath. “You’re right. It was a huge mess. Then again, Trent was always different. I knew he wouldn’t be happy in an office. Being a doctor is what he loves.”
“And Jessica likes being a nurse. They’re perfect for each other.”
I looked inside, and their dance had just ended. Everyone else was taking to the dance floor. “Would you like to dance?” I held out my hand, hoping she’d take it.
She stared at it and then lifted her gaze. “I’d love to. You can keep Derek away from me.”
And every other male in the room. Holding hands, we walked inside. Reaching the dance floor, I put my hand on her waist, pulling her in close. Her body fit perfectly against mine.
“Are yo
u excited about moving home?”
“A few weeks ago, I would’ve said no, but now that I’m back, I realize California was never my home. I’ve missed this place.” We circled around the dance floor.
A sad smile spread across her face. “I know what you mean. I’ll never leave Asheville. I promised my grandfather I’d never sell Hamilton Manor.”
My eyes widened. “That’s where you live?”
She beamed, but I could still see the sadness in her eyes. “My grandparents left it to me when they died. It’s a huge place all to myself, but I love it. The Hamiltons used to have a huge party each Christmas day as a tradition. The townspeople would gather there, but that was back when Asheville was a lot smaller. Now we just invite our family and friends.”
“That sounds nice.”
She bit her lip. “Would you like to come? Jessica and Trent will be there.”
“I’d love to.” The words came out before I could even think about them.
Her eyes narrowed. “I thought you didn’t like Christmas.”
I looked over at Caleb and glared at him, but he wasn’t paying attention to me. “Caleb told me he said that to you. He’s right, I used to be a little bah-humbug, but lately, it’s growing on me.”
“Why don’t you like the holidays?”
The song stopped and turned into an upbeat one. We cleared the dance floor and sat down at one of the tables. “It’s not that interesting of a story. I don’t want to bore you with it.”
She placed her hand on top of mine and squeezed. “Nothing you could ever say would bore me.” Her eyes looked at our hands, then widened, before she moved her hand away, laughing nervously. “Where will you be staying when you move back?”
“Do you know the house off Malvern Street? It’s an old one, built in 1929.”
“Yes,” she replied excitedly. “It’s an amazing house. The area out there is gorgeous. Not to mention, the acreage. It’s almost as much as mine. In fact, if I’m not mistaken, I think your property runs up next to mine.”