by L. P. Dover
I nodded. “I believe it does. I haven’t had the time to explore everything around there yet. Trent said you have some of the best views.”
“Including a lake and a pond,” she added. “There was always an adventure growing up. I have thirty-five acres of land all to myself. As a child, I used to explore and pretend I was somewhere else. If you want, I can take you for a tour. I know every square inch of it.”
“I’d like that.”
“Good. When you come back into town, I’ll show you around.”
“Sounds like a plan. Do you know how to ride? We could probably see more if we took horses.”
Her mouth gaped in surprise. “You ride?”
“I grew up riding,” I answered with a laugh. “I bought two horses the other week. I was going to say, if you knew how to, you could take one of mine.”
“I do,” she murmured. “In fact, I have my own horses. I’ve ridden all my life.” Her gaze focused on something over my shoulder. That was when I heard my mother’s voice.
“Will.” I turned around and she grabbed my arm. “Want to twirl your mother around the dance floor?”
“Of course. Hey, Mom, you know Adeline Hamilton, right?” I asked, nodding toward her.
My mother’s face brightened. “Of course! Jess has brought her around many times.”
“It’s always a pleasure,” Adeline added as my mother hugged her. “You’re coming to my party on Christmas day, aren’t you?”
My mother winked at her. “Wouldn’t miss it. I’m bringing a pumpkin roll and snickerdoodle cookies.” Then she elbowed me in the side. “The snickerdoodles are his favorite.”
Adeline froze, as if she’d just seen a ghost. “Snickerdoodles?” Her focus landed on my mother. “Let me guess, you colored the dough when he was child, to make them more Christmassy?”
My mother gasped. “Yes, he used to love them. How did you know? I don’t think I ever told you.”
I stared at Adeline and the way she fidgeted with her hands. She cleared her throat and gave a tight smile. “It was just a guess. If you’ll excuse me, I just have to . . .” her words trailed off, and just like that, she disappeared in the crowd.
Twenty-Three
Adeline
“Adeline?” Jessica turned the corner into the bathroom and saw me by the sink, her expression concerned. “You okay? I saw you hurry in here. I thought maybe you had too much wine.”
I snorted. “I wish that was it.”
Her gaze narrowed. “What’s wrong?”
I shook my head. “It’s nothing.”
“Nothing? I saw you with Will, and then you ran off. And speaking of Will, can we please talk about how he couldn’t stop staring at you all night.”
I’d already told her about my dream, but I wasn’t about to tell her about the similarities. Maybe the snickerdoodles were just a coincidence. Lots of people loved those cookies. I’d probably heard they were William’s favorite at some point, and subconsciously thought it up in my dream.
I looked in the mirror to make sure my makeup was okay. “It was nice talking to Will. He’s going to come to the Christmas party at my house.”
Jessica waggled her brows. “See? I knew you two would hit it off.”
If she only knew the whole story. “Sandra’s going to bring snickerdoodle cookies. Did you know they were Will’s favorite?” I looked at her through the mirror.
“Really? I never would’ve guessed that. Scrooge . . . liking snickerdoodles . . .”
Turning away from the mirror, my chest tightened. “So, you didn’t know? Trent didn’t tell you?”
She looked at me like I’d lost my mind. “Why would he? Will never came around during the holidays.”
Swallowing hard, I sucked in a slow breath. “What all do you know about William? He already told me he loves to ride horses. He wouldn’t by any chance love to fish and hunt as well, would he?”
She giggled. “All the time. Fishing is all he and Trent would do when we’d visit him in California. If Will wasn’t working, he was fishing. I know he’s happy about getting those horses. He and Trent both loved riding as kids.”
That just made the feeling inside of me worse. The William from my dream loved to fish as well. There were too many similarities. How could I dream all of that up?
One of Jessica’s favorite songs started to play, and she gasped. “Oh my God, I have to get out there. That’s my jam.”
Laughing, I pushed her out the door. “Go, Mrs. Blair. Shake that booty!”
She giggled and ran out, screaming the lyrics to “Dancing Queen.”
Now that she was gone, there was someone I had to find. After searching through the crowd, it didn’t take long to spot the only other person who’d been in my dream. Margaret was across the room, grinning wide as she watched everyone on the dance floor. She met my gaze, and it was as if something clicked inside of me. By the look in her eyes and the smile on her face, I knew she knew what was going on.
But what exactly was going on? A dream was just that . . . a dream. There was no such thing as magic. Or was there? The thought was ludicrous. It felt like I was losing my mind.
I hurried through the crowd, keeping my focus on Margaret. At least, until I ran smack dab into the arms of the man I’d already fallen in love with.
He steadied me, and his hands slid down my arms. “There you are. You left so fast.”
His eyes took my breath away. They were the same steely gray eyes I’d looked into for hours upon hours in my dream. I’d stared into them so much, I knew every single detail about them. There was a tiny ring of gold around his pupils that added to the allure. All I wanted to do was fall into his arms.
“I’m sorry,” I said, my heart beating out of control. “There’s someone I needed to talk to. She’s right over . . .” I looked at the last spot Margaret had been, and she wasn’t there. Man, she was a slippery little thing. Even in real life, she had a way of disappearing. “Never mind. She’s not there anymore.”
William chuckled. “I’m glad I caught you. I’m going to get up early and unpack some things at my house, but afterwards, I wanted to see if you’d like to get some coffee before I leave.”
The thought made my heart jump, but it also saddened me. It was like I knew everything about him, and yet, I was a stranger to him. “Sure. I’d love to.”
Trent tapped on the microphone, drawing everyone’s attention to him. Jessica jumped up on stage with him. “All right, everyone. We just want to say thank you for helping us make this night magical. Our flight leaves in a couple of hours, so we’re about to head out. If I could have all my groomsmen down upfront, that’d be great. I have something for you.”
William sighed and pulled out his phone. “I have to go. Do you mind giving me your number? I can text you in the morning and we can figure everything out.” Taking his phone, I programmed my number into it and handed it back. “Talk to you soon.” He smiled at me once more, making me slightly weak in the knees, before marching through the crowd.
I wanted to squeal, but reminded myself that he was not the man from my dreams. I would have to stop comparing the two, because it wasn’t fair to Will. No man could live up to the figment of my imagination.
Twenty-Four
Adeline
William: Good morning. Do you still want to meet?
Me: Of course. I’m ready when you are.
William: How about Macy’s café in 20 minutes?
It was one of my favorite places to get hot chocolate; I stopped by every morning before school in the fall and winter.
Me: Sounds great. See ya there!
Thank goodness, I’d gotten up a little early to shower and get ready. I’d just gotten done curling my hair. Unplugging the curling iron, I hurried into my closet, and settled on a pair of jeans, a burgundy sweater, and my boots. It was chilly outside, so I grabbed my peacoat off the rack and slipped it on, before hustling out to my car.
Macy’s wasn’t too crowded when I arrived. Walki
ng inside, I found Will already seated at a table, reading the newspaper. The pang in my chest came back with a vengeance. I couldn’t help it, I missed the William from my dreams.
His head lifted and he saw me, flashing that dashing grin of his. Unbuttoning my coat, I walked over to him. He stood and helped me out of my jacket.
“Thank you,” I said sweetly. He draped it over the back of my chair and held the chair out for me. Even in real life, he was a gentleman. It was hard to find that nowadays.
“You’re welcome.”
“How did unpacking go this morning?”
“Good. I got a lot done. My furniture is all situated. Now, all I have to do is unpack a lot of the boxes when I get back.”
“Ah, the tedious work,” I said with a laugh.
“Exactly. So, after all that hard work, I’m ready for something to drink. Want to go up to the counter with me?”
“Sure, lead the way.”
Macy’s café was a quaint little place not too far from my house. In fact, it was just a couple of blocks away from the spot where Helen’s dress shop would’ve been in my dreams. Right now, there was a bank in that area. The barista behind the counter was Natalie, one of my students from high school.
We stood in line, his arm brushing against mine. I loved being close to him. “What all do you have to do when you go back to California?” I asked, glancing up at him.
He shrugged. “Not much really, other than a little bit of work. That’s why I missed my flight yesterday. I took on a huge client for the West Coast. So, I’ll want to make sure everything’s taken care of before I leave.”
“Your dad must be so proud of you. It’s because of you that Blair Realty is a huge success.”
His lips tilted slightly. “Funny thing is, I never thought it would. And yet, it’s taken off so fast, I haven’t had time to breathe.”
We moved up to the counter and Natalie beamed, her eyes twinkling as she looked at me and William. “Good morning, Ms. Hamilton. How was the wedding?”
Brows furrowed, William grinned at her and then at me, obviously curious as to who the girl was to me. I nodded toward Natalie. “Will, this is Natalie, one of my most clever students. She works here on the weekends and during school breaks.”
William chuckled. “It’s nice to meet you, Natalie.” He moved closer to the counter. “How good of a teacher is Ms. Hamilton?”
Natalie giggled. “She’s the best. Her class is my favorite.”
“Thank you, Natalie,” I said with a wink. “And to answer your question, the wedding was amazing.”
“Awesome.” Then she noticed the line forming behind us. “I should probably get your orders now. You want your usual, a hot chocolate and whipped cream, right?”
I grinned. “Yep.”
She looked up at William. “And for you?”
“The same.”
Natalie grabbed two cups and smiled. “Coming right up.” It took her thirty seconds to make the hot chocolate, and she piled mine high with extra whipped cream.
“Thanks, Natalie. I’ll see you at school.” I waved and then we made our way back to the table. Will took a sip of his drink, and I smiled. “Hot chocolate, huh? I thought you’d be more of a coffee person.”
He took another sip. “Never liked the stuff.”
“Then why did you ask me out for coffee?” I asked with a laugh.
His mischievous gaze met mine. “I hoped you did. It was the only way I thought I could see you this morning.”
My heart fluttered and I looked away, trying my best not to smile like a love-struck idiot. “Actually, I don’t drink it either. But as you can see, I love their hot chocolate.” I met his stare again. “And if you wanted to see me, all you had to do was ask. I can’t complain though, I really do love this place.” I stirred the whipped cream into my hot chocolate and took a sip. “So, tell me . . . how does one move from California all the way to North Carolina?”
He snorted. “It’s not easy.”
“I bet. What are you doing with all your stuff?”
“It’s already on its way here,” he began, wrapping his hands around his cup. “The moving company will be arriving in Asheville tomorrow to drop off almost all of my things. There are just a few small items I plan on bringing with me on the plane.”
“What about your car? Didn’t you drive in California?”
A soft chuckle escaped his lips. “I sold it. I had a BMW M6 convertible.”
“Wow. That’s a nice car. Must’ve been great to ride around with the top down all year long.” I was pretty sure the ladies loved it.
William scoffed. “Sure, when I actually had the time to enjoy it. But usually, I don’t have time to breathe, let alone take joy rides along the coast.”
“You only live once, Will. That doesn’t sound like the way to enjoy life.”
His smile faded. “I know. It feels just like just yesterday I was twenty years old, without a care in the world.”
“I know how that goes.” I took another sip of my drink. “Then again, I’ve never been the owner of a company. I can only imagine the level of stress that comes with that responsibility.”
Finishing off his hot chocolate, he set his cup aside. “It can be a little much. But I don’t want to talk about the stressful stuff. Tell me about you. What made you want to become a history teacher?”
“More like who,” I murmured, feeling the burn behind my eyes. “My grandfather was the one who got me into loving history. He died this past summer, not long after my grandmother. I guess he couldn’t live without her.”
He reached for my hands, rubbing his thumb along my skin. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
It all felt so normal, until he pulled away. I looked up and saw he looked almost shocked that he’d touched me.
Looking away, he shook his head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to come on too strong.”
“It’s okay. I don’t mind.” For that tiny moment, it had felt like we were connected again.
Clearing his throat, he met my stare. “My grandparents are gone as well. Unfortunately, I wasn’t as close to them as you seemed to be with yours.”
“Oh, I definitely was close. I think I spent more time with my grandparents than anyone. My grandfather would take me into the attic and tell me stories about our ancestors. You should seriously see my attic. It’s filled with all sorts of pictures and documents from hundreds of years ago to now. My whole family history is there.”
His eyes widened in shock. “That’s quite fascinating. Not many people have that kind of knowledge about their families. I know the Blairs don’t. I wish I knew more about my ancestors.”
“The Hamiltons were great at passing things down. If you go to the local history museum, a lot of the artifacts came from our land.” I finished off my hot chocolate and set the cup aside. “I have some old registries with several Blair signatures on them. You can always come over and look at them, if you want.”
“I’d like that.” We stared at each other for a few seconds. It was hard differentiating between the Will sitting in front of me, and the William from my dreams. He looked down at his watch and sighed. “I should probably get to the airport. I don’t want to miss my flight.”
Nodding, I stood and reached for my cup, but he grabbed it first.
“I got it.”
While he threw away our cups, I headed outside. Asheville was a beautiful city, especially the small, quaint parts of it, where there wasn’t the hustle and bustle of downtown life.
Gazing down the street at all the shops, I could still see the way it looked in my dream. It’d changed so much over the years though. The trees lining the street were covered in lights, and Christmas music echoed out from the general store across the way. They were playing my favorite song, “It Must’ve Been the Mistletoe.”
The bell on the café door chimed, and Will walked out carrying a small box. “There you are. I got you something for the road.”
I opened the box and inside was a
n apple pastry. My breath hitched, and I gasped. “Thank you. They weren’t in there a few minutes ago.”
He nodded. “I know. They just brought them out. And since you like them, I figured I’d get you one.”
“How did you know I liked them? I don’t remember ever telling you that.”
His smile faded. “You do, don’t you? Or did I imagine it?”
“I do. They’re my favorite. I just don’t remember talking about it.”
Brows furrowed, he stared off to the side, deep in thought. “I don’t know,” he said, lifting his gaze to mine. “When I saw them, I knew I had to get you one.”
That wasn’t just a coincidence, was it? I knew for a fact I didn’t tell him that apple pastries were my favorite, and I knew Jessica wouldn’t have even thought to tell him. “Well, how you know is neither here nor there. I will devour this the second I get home. Thank you. It looks delicious.”
His devilish smile returned. “You’re welcome.” He stepped closer. “So, your school is out on winter break right now?”
I nodded. “Until after New Year’s.”
“Do you mind if I call you while I’m in California?”
My heart skipped a beat. “I’d love for you to. I’ll just be preparing for the big Christmas party on Saturday.”
“All right. I’ll call you. Hopefully, I’ll be back in time for it.”
“You’ll be missing out if you don’t.”
A deep chuckle escaped his lips as he walked backward and waved. Stopping by an old blue truck, he called out, “I’ll make sure I’m back in time.”
I nodded at the truck. “Is that your new car?”
He grinned. “Not exactly new. It was mine as a teenager. I’m going to like driving it again.”
“It suits you.”
Running his hand down the hood, he looked at it with admiration. “I think so too. Take care, Adeline. I’ll see you when I get back.”
“Be safe.”
He hopped in his truck and it roared to life. I waved at him as he drove by and watched his taillights disappear down the road. That was when I remembered the apple pastry in my hand. Things were starting to get a little too weird.