Alice barely heard Charlie’s chatter as she rushed to the stairs, hoping there was something in Alice’s closet they could use. She followed behind, thinking of how she was acting on faith that Paul would even want to see her.
She used to roll her eyes when people would say they received some kind of divine message from God. She was a believer, no doubt about that, but she thought people sometimes looked for signs where there weren’t any. But maybe it was like that famous quote and you “knew it when you saw it.” Well, Alice knew it. She got it. These past weeks had shined a light on the dark places in her soul. And as selfish and petty as she’d been, there was only one thing to do: ask forgiveness and vow to do better.
Whatever happened between her and Paul tonight, Alice knew she had a chance to change for the better. And that was something money couldn’t buy.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Technology is the knack of so arranging the world that we
don’t have to experience it.—Max Frisch
The bass thump of the techno music seemed to be burrowing deep into Paul’s brain. He massaged one temple and tried to smile as he passed a group of screaming gamers lined up at the door. “Mr. Olivier! Mr. Olivier! Paul!” He reached out and shook a few hands, feeling the unnerving tug of many hands grabbing him closer.
Andy played bad cop and pulled him toward the door, not sparing a glance for the disappointed fans who waved posters and games.
“Popular as ever,” Andy said as they got through the front door.
Paul shrugged. He’d never loved this part of the opening. He liked a party, but much smaller and a lot less noise. “Everything’s on schedule. Jared Darren flew in a few hours ago. He should walk on to perform right at midnight. We’ll open the doors in ten minutes.”
They’d been at the store all day, meeting with performers and directing the setup of the stage and displays. They had a great team in place, plus the two they’d flown in from Houston. But both he and Andy liked to be hands-on before the openings. If you want it done right, do it yourself they said. Usually the excitement was like a quadruple espresso shot, keeping him awake through the night.
Andy put a hand on his shoulder. “Let’s get this done and then we’ll get out of here. Straight to the jet.”
Paul nodded. “Sounds good to me.” The words didn’t set well and his stomach twisted with the lie. No part of that sounded good, but he didn’t really have any reason to stay in Natchitoches. He’d teased Andy about spending a month on the river and making a Southern boy out of him, but he couldn’t imagine running into Alice again and again. He didn’t want to go back to New York City and live as if he’d never met her, never fallen in love with her, but he didn’t have a lot of choice.
***
“Alice?”
She turned at the sound of her name and saw Mrs. Olivier walking down the sidewalk. Paul’s mother gave her a long look, then turned to Charlie. “You must be Aalyea, the dragon queen.”
Charlie flipped her blond braid over her shoulder and beamed. “Yes! It took me all week to sew this dress.” The shimmery silver gown crossed in front and then tied around the back, the skirt falling straight to the ground. Alice thought she looked more like a Greek goddess than a dragon queen, but then again, she’d never seen either one.
“And who are you cosplaying, Alice?”
She cleared her throat. “Elizabeth Barrett Browning.” She smoothed down the brown folds of her gown and straightened her lace cuffs. Charlie had borrowed a black velvet coat with lots of small, brass buttons from a friend who’d been the Headless Horseman one Halloween. It was snug on her, but over the brown dress, she did look quite a bit like a nineteenth century poetess. It took a while to get the hairdo right, parted in the middle, combed flat, and falling in ringlets. It wasn’t particularly flattering, but Alice thought it had to be better than an orc costume.
Charlie rolled her eyes. “I tried to explain to her that you’re supposed to dress like someone from the game, some character.”
Mrs. Olivier looked at Alice for a long time, the smile that touched her lips growing wider and wider. “Do you have plans for tonight, Alice?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know. I want to― I’m not sure how―”
Taking her hand, Mrs. Olivier nodded. “I understand. Let’s see what we can come up with together.” And she led them down the sidewalk, joining the packed crowds that surrounded the store. Alice glimpsed Mayor Cointreau getting out of his car.
“Hi, Mrs. Olivier,” a man said, standing at the end of the line, dressed in the black pants and ScreenStop T-shirt uniform of one of the security crew.
“Could you walk us inside?” She grabbed onto Charlie and Alice. “Hold on, girls. We’re going around the line.”
Charlie let out a squeal of glee and Alice glanced around. They were already attracting attention as they jumped forward, the security guard ushering them beyond the ropes. There was a bright red ribbon stretching across the front of the store, just waiting for Paul and Andy to cut it.
“Must be performing.”
“Weirdest costume ever.”
“Who is that?”
“I think it’s Lady Gaga! She wears crazy stuff. Remember that meat dress?”
Alice tried to get Mrs. Olivier’s attention. “I don’t want special treatment. I just wanted...”
“To see Paul? We’re going to have to come up with something to get his attention. These things are a real madhouse.” Mrs. Olivier laughed over her shoulder as they moved to the side of the building. The security guard flashed a badge, and two men waved them through the open, double doors leading into the main area of the store.
“You don’t mind missing the ribbon-cutting, right? We’ve got to get you set up somewhere.” Mrs. Olivier glanced around.
“Set up?” Alice swallowed the lump in her throat. “I’m not trying to ambush him. I just thought it would be nice if I came to the party.” She scanned the room, sure that Paul was going to be only a few feet away. The interior looked like something from a movie. The lights were dimmed, except for spotlights shining on stacks of equipment around the perimeter. There was a stage set up in the middle of the store. Glass and steel gleamed with the reflection of multi-colored laser beams roaming the space above the first floor. There were black-shirted workers standing at the ready, their stations marked by red and black balloons.
“Of course, dear.” Mrs. Olivier squinted toward a counter. “I think you need to be a shopper who needs help. I’ll tell him it’s a friend of mine.”
“Mrs. Olivier, please.” Alice felt panic grip her. “I don’t want to lie to him just to get him to talk to me.”
She turned, reaching out for Alice’s hand. “Honey, nothing I said there was a lie.” She gave Alice a quick kiss and pointed her toward a display of electronics. “You stand right here until the hullabaloo dies down.”
And then she was gone, leaving Alice and Charlie parked in the corner of the store. Alice felt sweat bead on her forehead and she swiped a sleeve over her face. This had been a really bad idea, and she’d only made it worse with her choice of outfit. Now that Paul’s mother was involved, her fate was sealed.
“Miss Alice, I’m gonna go get a game and stand near the check out. I can’t believe we got to pass all those people.” Charlie was already skipping toward a tower of games.
“Sure,” she said, her voice hardly more than a whisper.
There was a roar from outside and Alice jumped. The ribbon cutting had started. Any moment now, Paul would come inside and see her standing there, a nineteenth-century poet in the land of dragon-riding queens.
The front doors opened and a stream of people flooded in, the noise level rising to deafening levels. Alice didn’t see Paul come in and soon she was surrounded by people, most of whom were wearing some sort of armor. She pressed back against the wall and tried to stay out of the way.
“Here he comes!”
“Wait, I have to get my phone.”
&n
bsp; “Can you sign my arm?”
Alice looked up to see Paul moving toward her, a group of people surrounding him like he was some kind of rock star. His expression was pleasant and he stopped for what seemed like an endless stream of selfies. Pretty girls wrapped their arms around his waist and beamed into the camera. Alice watched him, feeling as if she was observing someone she’d never met and certainly never considered a friend.
“Ok, guys. I’ve got to help someone so give me five minutes.” He was moving away from the crowd. “I’ll be right back.”
They let out a collective sigh and dispersed, leaving Paul to finally reach the counter. The smile was gone from his face. His mouth looked tight, although his voice was cheerful enough. “Hey, Tina, my mother said there was a friend of hers here who needed some help?”
The dark-haired girl behind the counter shook her head. “She didn’t tell me anything. I’ve been standing right here.”
Paul frowned and patted his pocket. “I could try to call her but she almost never answers.” He sighed. “Well, if you hear anything, will you―”
Alice stepped out from the shadows. For a moment, Paul’s expression was blank as he took in her costume, from the black boots to the parted hair. One side of his mouth lifted.
She cleared her throat. “I was thinking of buying one of these.” She pointed to an e-reader. “I hear there are some really good books you can only get in digital.”
He didn’t say anything for a moment, just looked her up and down. His smile stretched wider until he was grinning. “Miss Browning?”
Alice laughed, nodding. “Charlie tried to give me some kind of weapon but I told her if I got to dress up, I wanted to be someone I really admire.” The smile faded from her face. “Paul, I know this isn’t really the time or the place―”
He stepped closer and took her hands in his. “It’s just the right time.” He glanced around. “And a pretty nice place, if I say so myself.”
She snorted. “Rub it in.”
They smiled at each other for a moment and then Paul reached into his jacket pocket over his heart. “I was going to have Charlie bring this to you, but since you’re here….” He held out a small envelope. “I put them on another chain.”
Alice took it, opening the flap. She withdrew the necklace, feeling the warmth in the gold where they had rested against Paul’s chest. Her parents’ wedding rings sparkled in the light, a permanent reminder of the love they’d shared, the love that had brought her into being. But ever after, the rings would also be a sign of one man’s generosity.
“Let me put it on you,” he said, taking the necklace back. She turned, letting him fasten it around her neck. She put up a hand, her throat tight with the knowledge that something irreplaceable had been returned to her.
She turned back to him. “I don’t know where to start.”
“Skip to the end,” he said, smiling. “We can talk about the middle parts later.”
Alice swallowed hard. Words ran through her mind. Poems, quotes, famous lines. Nothing fit. Finally, she stepped forward and kissed him. It was a short kiss, just the barest touch. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “Again.”
“And I accept, again.” He said, leaning his head down to hers. “I’m so far from perfect, Alice. The next time, I’ll be the one apologizing. I can promise you that.”
The next time. Alice closed her eyes against sudden tears. She felt his arm reach around her waist and pull her close. Their first kiss bore the freshness and innocence two people who had barely met. The second kiss bore the passion of two people who refusing to give an inch, not able to find that middle ground. This one carried the weight of the days that had passed. It spoke of misunderstandings and mistakes, of hard choices and bad decisions, of anger and heart ache and forgiveness. And most of all, it spoke of hope for all the days ahead.
Alice leaned against him, unable to believe that it had been that simple. The help of a few good friends, a simple apology, and he was there in her arms. She closed her eyes against the flashing strobe lights and the noise of the crowd. Even here, in this place, she felt at peace. Her heart had finally found a shelter ‘out of the swing of the sea’.
Epilogue
Whoever says
To a loyal woman, "Love and work with me,"
Will get fair answers, if the work and love
Being good themselves, are good for her–the best
She was born for
I, too, have my vocation, –work to do,
The heavens and earth have set me, ―
Most serious work, most necessary work,
As any of the economists'.
― Aurora Leigh, Elizabeth Barrett Browning
“I don’t see why I have to dress up. I think a hat and a jacket are enough.” Alice frowned at Charlie as the girl fussed with Alice’s hair.
“I want to get some pictures and I want you to look cute,” Charlie said. She caught Alice’s look. “Cuter, I mean.”
“You have tons of photos of me.” Alice sighed. “I love the Christmas light festival, but I was really hoping Paul could be here.” She held up a hand. “I know he’s busy running a big company. That fact doesn’t escape me.”
“Well, there’s always next year,” Charlie said. “And doesn’t New York have some great parades? You guys can go see something up there.”
Alice nodded, unconvinced. It seemed everybody loved New York City but her. It was so crowded, so noisy. “It’s the festival’s eighty-seventh year, and I just thought it would be so romantic. It took Bix and me all day Friday to put up our lights. I think our building is the nicest.”
Charlie finished Alice’s French chignon and stepped back to admire her work. “You’re ready.” She put her hands together and Alice was alarmed to see tears in her eyes.
“Are you okay?” She stood up from the chair. “Did something happen? I know I’ve been preoccupied with Paul and then I left for that week last month. Is it school? Are you worried about starting college?”
“No, no!” Charlie shook her head. “None of that. And we’re going to be late. Bix and Ruby are holding our seats for the parade.”
Alice frowned as Charlie bolted from the bathroom. She’d been acting strange all week and Alice was worried. Maybe she should reach out to Charlie’s parents and see if they knew anything.
A few minutes later they were headed down the boardwalk. The river reflected the bright colors that draped the buildings all along the waterfront. Long boats floated lazily up and down, their sides and beams strung with twinkle lights. Alice inhaled the chill air of a December in Cane River and she smiled. It was almost perfect. If only Paul― No. She was going to enjoy this night and focus on the people here with her at the moment. She put a hand to her necklace, feeling the warmth of the rings against her palm.
“There they are,” Charlie said, pointing out a familiar straw hat and army-green coat. Bix waved from a chair near the end of the block. Ruby beamed beside him.
“Donne moi un p'tit bec.” Ruby stood up and planted a kiss on her cheek.
Alice started to reply but Charlie stepped in and wiped the lipstick from her cheek. Alice shot her a confused look.
“Pictures,” Charlie said, waving her camera.
“How’s your new grandbaby doing, Ruby? How old is he now?” Alice asked.
“Oh, he’s real fine. And let’s see. He’s not old enough to eat Popeye’s but he can suck on a biscuit.”
She grinned. She could see why Bix got such a kick out of Ruby. They were one of those couples that reminded you true love existed. Her mind went back to Paul and she tried not to sigh. She was as bad as Charlie had been the year she’d been struck with unrequited love for the school quarterback. Paul certainly loved her back, but he wasn’t here. Christmas was a time for family, and she missed him so much she ached with it.
“Bonswe, Alice.”
For a moment, she thought she’d imagined that voice. She turned, eyes opening wide. The next moment she’d launched
herself into Paul’s arms.
He hugged her tight, laughing into her hair. “Surprise!”
She leaned back and socked him a few times in the shoulder. “I hate surprises.”
“Even this one?” he asked, and knelt down.
Alice felt the world stop around her. Charlie had her camera up, trying to take shots while wiping her eyes.
“I love you, Alice, probably from the moment you asked me about the books on my shelf. Definitely from the moment you refused to sell me a book even though you had a whole store of them.” His voice was rough. He held out a small box, a ring glinted in the darkness. “Love and work with me, Alice?”
She looked from him to the ring and back. His words slowly filtered through the shock and she laughed out loud. “Oh, you couldn’t just ask me to marry you the normal way, could you? And Aurora Leigh turns Romney down in that poem, you know.”
“Elizabeth Barrett Browning always says it better. And I figured I’d take my chances.” He was grinning. He knew her answer before she spoke.
“Yes,” she whispered, trying hard to make herself heard. “I’ll love and work with you.”
Bix and Ruby let out a cheer, and Charlie almost dropped her camera as she clapped. The tourists around them turned to look and soon they were surrounded by a crowd of well-wishers. Alice didn’t recognize a single face, but they were all celebrating with the two of them as they stepped out in faith.
He stood up, gathering her close. She felt her parents’ rings against her chest, warmed between them, a connection that was broken and then repaired by grace and generosity.
Paul leaned back, took the ring from the box and reached for her hand. “The heavens and the earth have set you a most serious work, a most necessary work,” he said, quoting another line of the poem. Alice nodded, her throat tightening with the words. Aurora Leigh believed she had work to do and Alice believed it, too. Keeping By the Book open to the people of Cane River was important and Paul saw it as clearly as Alice did.
Along the Cane River: Books 1-5 in the Inspirational Cane River Romance Series Page 29