by L. P. Dover
“No,” he replied. “I haven’t had a Christmas tree since I was a kid.”
I had an idea. “Oh, okay. See you in a minute.” We hung up and my heart raced. I wanted him to remember me more than anything. And it just so happened, I had an extra tree in my closet, along with some ornaments. I piled it all in my car.
Once the cookies were cooled down enough, I covered them up and headed on my way. His house was next to mine, which was only a two-mile drive, so I got there in five minutes. Pulling into the circular driveway, my breath caught in my throat. The house was a historic, Tudor-style home, built out of beige bricks and covered in moss. It was breathtakingly beautiful, especially covered in snow.
I couldn’t help but smile at his old blue truck, sitting in front of a house as magical as his. William opened the front door and waved. Grabbing the cookies, I shut my car door and walked up to him.
He held his arms out wide. “What do you think?”
I looked around in awe. “I absolutely love it.”
“Come on in. Just excuse the mess.”
Biting my lip, I walked up the steps and handed him the cookies. “These are for you. I know snickerdoodles are your favorite.”
His eyes lit up. “Thank you. I know what I’ll be eating tonight.” I started back down the stairs. “Where are you going?”
I winked at him over my shoulder. “I have another surprise for you.”
He followed me down to my car and when I opened the back, he lowered his head and laughed. “Seriously?” His eyes met mine and I melted.
“You said you didn’t have a tree. You can’t spend Christmas in your new house without one. If you’re going to be friends with me, you need to embrace the holidays. Besides, it’s just a small, pre-lit tree. I even brought ornaments for it.”
Shaking his head, he reached into my car and pulled out the tree, while I grabbed the bag of ornaments. He led the way inside his house and I sucked in a breath. The architecture was gorgeous, all dark cherry wood. It was open and spacious.
William took the tree to his living room and set it down in the corner, on the same wall as the fireplace. It was going to look beautiful, all decorated and lit, next to a crackling fire. On the other side of the living room, there were piles of boxes, but several of them were empty.
I set my ornament box down and cringed. “You really do have a lot to unpack.”
He shrugged. “I’ve done a good bit of it already. When I set my mind on something, I get it done.”
“I see that. Well, while you’re doing that, I’ll work on the tree. It won’t take me long to get it decorated.”
“Sounds good. I’ll be right over there in the kitchen.” The kitchen was beside the living room, but it was open enough to where I could still see him. He lifted one of the boxes and set it on the counter, flashing that devilish grin of his when he saw me looking at him.
“Did you leave a lot of friends behind in California?” I concentrated on the tree, but I could hear him putting cups in the cabinets.
“A few, but no one real close, except for my partner, Noah, and our secretary, Jeanine. Trent has always been my best friend. I’m looking forward to having my fishing buddy back.”
Giggling, I hung up one of my sparkly icicle ornaments. “I bet. I wish I had a brother or a sister. I always wanted one, but my mother couldn’t have any more children after me. Jessica is like a sister to me though. I’m glad Trent’s a good guy. They’re perfect for each other.”
“Yes, they are. He was scared out of his mind the night before the wedding.”
“What?” I gasped, turning to look at him. “He wasn’t getting cold feet, was he?”
His eyes widened. “No, no. Nothing like that.” After setting the last of the cups in the cabinet, he joined me in the living room and grabbed a stocking ornament out of the box. It reminded me of when he helped me in my dream. “He wasn’t afraid of getting married. He was afraid he wouldn’t be enough for her.”
“Aww, love his heart,” I gushed, holding a hand over my chest. “She loves him more than anything. I think everyone has those kinds of fears though.”
“Have you?” he asked, his eyes staring deep into mine.
I shrugged. “Not yet. Then again, I’ve never gotten as far as marriage.”
“Neither have I.” He hung up the stocking ornament and walked over to the box.
“Do you ever want to get married?”
A small smile spread across his face, but he kept his focus on the ornaments. “I’d like to, one day. Maybe even have a couple of kids. You?”
I picked up one of my favorite angel ornaments and smiled. “I want the same thing.”
He took the ornament from my hand and put it on the tree. “Why aren’t you married, Adeline? You’re an amazing woman. It’s hard to believe someone like you would be single.”
“Well,” I grabbed the last of the icicle ornaments, “I haven’t found a guy I could be myself around. Sure, I can go out to fancy dinners and enjoy luxuries in life, but that’s not all I want. I like those things, but I also like going on picnics, and hiking through mud and snow just to catch a few seconds of the sunrise. It’s the little things that matter to me.” The room fell silent and I turned to look at him. His grin was back, and I couldn’t help but smile. “What is it?”
He shook his head. “Nothing. I just wish I would’ve met you earlier. I’ve never been around anyone like you.”
I laughed. “Hopefully, that’s a good thing.”
There were only two ornaments left, so I handed him one. His fingers brushed against mine. “It’s definitely a good thing,” he murmured. My whole body trembled.
When the tree was finished, we sat down on the couch. “I know you’ve avoided this question before, but why don’t you like Christmas?”
With a heavy sigh, he focused on the tree. “Adeline, it’s not that I don’t like Christmas. It’s just, as an adult who became obsessed with his job, I never really had time to sit back and relax, or take the day off. But I do like it, especially being here with you. I don’t know, it’s like I woke up the other morning and everything was different.”
“How so?” That piqued my curiosity. I sat up and turned my body toward him.
Brows furrowed, he looked over at me. “I don’t know. It’s like, I woke up with a new outlook on life. I know that sounds crazy, but it’s true. Then I met you, and saw your enthusiasm for the holidays, and all I wanted was to be a part of it.”
I snickered. “So, I’m rubbing off on you already? I don’t know whether to be happy or apologize.”
“You have,” he agreed with a nod. “And it’s a good thing, no apologies needed.” A sad expression passed across his face and he sighed. “Christmas was always a blast as a kid. I enjoyed it with my brother.”
“Then what made you turn into a bah humbug?”
He chuckled, but there was no humor in it. “My dad. Every Christmas morning, when Trent and I would open our presents, you’d think my dad would be there.” By the look in his eyes, I could tell he was seeing it all in his mind. “But instead of being with us in the living room, he would be in his office working. The man never knew how to step away from it all. For years, he did that. Trent never seemed to be bothered by it, but I felt like I wasn’t good enough to have my father’s attention. To get it, I did everything I knew of to please him.”
“And that’s why you wanted to expand Blair Realty,” I murmured, already knowing that was the answer.
He nodded. “When I moved away and began building clients on the West Coast, my father was elated. I’d never seen him so happy. We grew closer after I joined the business. It was the only way I could have a relationship with him. Every time I’d land us a huge contract, he’d call and tell me how proud he was. Working just became an addiction. I wanted Blair Realty to be the best out there.”
“And it is,” I said, rubbing his shoulder.
Lifting his hand, he placed it over mine. “Christmas just got lost within
it all. I had forgotten the promise I made to myself when I was a kid.”
“What was that?”
He looked at me and sighed. “That I would always be present with my children. I don’t want them to feel like they have to work hard to get my approval. I lost sight of that, I guess. But now, I’m more determined than ever that work will never take precedence over my family again.”
“I’m sure your mother will be happy to hear that. I know she’s missed you, as I’ve spent Christmas with your family for the past five years. I just hate it took this long for you to come back home.”
“Me too,” he murmured, rubbing his thumb along my hand. He nodded toward the tree. “Thank you for doing this for me. I’m assuming angel ornaments are your favorite.”
I glanced over at the tree and smiled. “They are. It’s all my grandmother would put on her tree. I guess it kind of stuck with me.”
His fingers slid up my neck and he tucked my hair behind my ear. “They’re beautiful, just like you.” My breath hitched and I looked into his eyes, hoping there’d be a spark of recognition. There wasn’t. All he did was smile and sit back. “How about we grab an early dinner before going to the Biltmore House?”
I nodded, but my heart hurt inside my chest. Granted, our relationship was headed in the right direction without memories from the dream, but I wanted him to remember everything we’d shared.
“Okay,” I said, choosing to feel determined instead of discouraged.
I wasn’t going to give up hope.
Twenty-Nine
Adeline
I kept watching William’s face as we rode up the long, winding road toward the Biltmore House, his old truck sputtering the entire way.
“We could’ve taken my car,” I said, grinning wide.
William chuckled. “Big Blue can handle it. Don’t doubt her.”
“Sure, I can do that . . . until we have to walk home, that is,” I teased.
He patted the steering wheel. “She hasn’t let me down yet.”
We were almost to the parking lot at the main gate entrance. In my dream, it was only a dirt road, and we’d walked most of it. That was why I had to change out of my dress and into pants. I could still feel the way his fingers felt as he touched my bare shoulders.
William parked the truck and we walked toward the gate. There were a lot of people around. I couldn’t wait to see all the Christmas trees and lights. “Dinner was great,” I said, still feeling stuffed. We’d eaten at the Grove Park Inn, and it was absolutely delicious. Jessica and I used to go all the time, before she started working long hours at the hospital.
My arm brushed up against his and he reached down for my hand. “I thought so too. I’d never been to the Grove Park Inn before.”
“I can’t believe you’ve lived here most of your life, and yet you never went there.”
“I know,” he said, laughing. “We’ll have to go there again soon.”
I looked up at him. “That could be arranged.” When we walked through the gate and got a good look at the house, I was in awe. “This never gets old,” I breathed. “I love this place.”
He squeezed my hand. “It’s amazing.”
The trees by the fountain were lit with tiny lights, and the house was illuminated by all the different spotlights in the ground. We only had a couple of minutes before our tour time, so we walked to the entrance and they let us in. Every single room on display was decorated from top to bottom for Christmas.
I pulled out my phone and took tons of pictures. Everyone was so quiet, except for an occasional ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ as we all entered new rooms. It took a while to get through the house, but not once did William let go of my hand.
Before we walked out, I stopped at the main Christmas tree in the foyer. “Hold on, I want to get a better picture of this.” William nodded and let go of my hand. I took it with my phone, but then, a woman walked over and smiled at us.
“Do you want me to take your picture in front of the tree?” she asked.
Brows lifted, I looked up at William and he smiled. “Come on.”
We stood by the tree, and he put his arm around my waist, holding me close. The lady held up my phone and the camera flashed. “Looks good,” she said. “You two make a cute couple.”
My cheeks burned. “Thank you for taking the picture.”
“You’re welcome, sweetheart.” She handed me back my phone and I pulled up the picture. It was perfect.
William leaned over my shoulder, his hands on my waist. “Want to get some hot chocolate and walk around?”
I slipped my phone back in my purse. “You read my mind.”
There was a bake shop connected to the Biltmore House, where they served pastries, coffees, and some of the best hot chocolate I’d ever tasted. I ordered mine with extra whipped cream, and after we drank our hot chocolates, we walked past the house to the gardens. It was chilly, but the wind wasn’t too bad. The last time we’d walked this space together, it had been an open meadow. I could still see in my mind what it all used to look like.
“We should come here in the spring, when the flowers are all in bloom.” I leaned against the stone balcony and looked out toward the mountains. It was dark, but there were lights scattered here and there.
William mirrored my stance, his elbow against mine. “You know, I never realized how much I missed home until now. Don’t get me wrong, California is great, and I did a lot of good things for my company out there, but it doesn’t compare to this.”
I giggled. “It’s about time you realized that. My grandfather made me promise I wouldn’t sell Hamilton Manor. He should’ve known I would never leave this place. It’s my home, and it always will be.”
Taking my hand, he pulled me away from the balcony and drew me in closer. His gaze landed on my locket. “I like your necklace. What’s that on the front?”
“My family crest. It belonged to my fifth great-aunt, Adeline-Jane Hamilton.”
His eyes widened. “That’s really cool. You have her name, and you have her jewelry. You really are steeped in family history.”
I nodded. “It’s been passed down through the years. The crazy thing is, I didn’t know anything about the locket until Jessica asked Margaret to buy me something at the antique store. She gave me this necklace, and I fell in love with it. But it wasn’t until I saw a picture of Adeline-Jane wearing the same locket that I realized they were the same.”
“Wow.” He touched the locket and turned it around.
“Margaret had it engraved with my name.”
“What’s inside it?” he asked.
Gently, I opened it up and the piece of mistletoe was still inside. “Margaret said mistletoe can bring happiness, so she put a piece of it inside there.”
His lips tilted slyly. “Are you trying to say I could’ve kissed you this whole time?” When I nodded, he stepped closer. “Because I’ve been dying to, since the moment I met you.”
I shrugged. “Maybe it’s the mistletoe drawing you in.”
“No, that’s not it.” He shook his head. “I don’t know what it is about you, but I feel something that I’ve never felt before.” Bringing his hands up to my face, he looked deep into my eyes. “I don’t want you to think I’m moving too fast, but I can’t seem to think of anything but you.”
“I’m having the same problem.” Holding my breath, I waited for his lips to touch mine. When they did, I melted against him. Everything about him was just as I’d remembered. His scent, his touch, and even the way he kissed me was the same. Closing my eyes, I relished in the moment. I wanted to believe that he’d remember everything after the kiss, but when I looked into his eyes, I could tell he didn’t.
What was it going to take to make him remember?
His phone rang and he sighed. “Sorry about that. Let me see who it is.” He pulled out his phone. “It’s my mother.”
“Answer it,” I said, urging him on. “It’s okay.” He answered the call and I could hear her on the other end, h
er voice excited. Once they were done, he chuckled and put his phone away. “Everything all right?”
He nodded. “She wanted to remind me about our family dinner on Christmas Eve. I wanted to see if you’d like to join me.”
“Ah, I wish I could,” I said, “but I promised my mother I’d bake with her. We do it every year. Guess you can say it’s a tradition.”
“I figured you’d have plans, but thought I’d check,” he replied, taking my hand. We started back toward the parking lot.
“Believe me, I’d be there if I could. There’s just so much I have to get done for the party Christmas day.”
“I know what you mean. I’m going to spend all day tomorrow getting everything settled into my house.”
“Good luck with that. So, I guess the next time I’ll see you is Christmas?”
He nodded. “As much as I’d like to see you before then, it doesn’t look like we have much of a choice.”
We made it to his truck and he opened my door. “What about after Christmas, when our lives get back on a normal schedule? Where does that leave us?”
His devilish grin made me tremble. “We’ll go to work each day, and then afterward, we can spend evenings together. I’m hoping to see you as much as you’ll let me.”
“Does that mean what I think it means?”
He kissed me and leaned his forehead against mine. “It means I want you to be mine. That is, if it’s what you want.”
“Yes,” I breathed.
When he pulled back, I slid into the passenger seat. As soon as he got in the car, he glanced down at my locket and grinned. “In the meantime, do me a favor and don’t tell anyone you have mistletoe in your locket. I’m afraid of what I’ll do if I see another man kiss you.”
Frozen in place, I sucked in a breath. That was exactly what he’d said to me in my dream, when we were on my front porch and we kissed for the first time. Never in my life had I ever believed in magic, but the more time I spent with William, the more I believed it was real.
Thirty