Eventually, she began to stir. He stroked her cheek, then touched her lips gently with his own. “Hello, beautiful girl,” he said softly.
Lauren’s eyes opened slowly. When she saw him sitting there, with that indefinable look, she reached up and touched him.
He took her hand and kissed her fingers, then apologized for having lost track of time. “We need to think about getting you home,” he said regretfully. “It’s getting late.”
“On the way home can we make a little detour?”
Jonas looked at her. “Of course. Where did you have in mind?”
Lauren only grinned. “It’s a surprise.”
“I see. Hmm!”
Though he was curious, Jonas went along with her, not asking any questions until they got in the car. “I’m going to need directions,” he said as he eased into the traffic.
“For now, head north as usual. I’ll tell you what turnoff to take later.”
“Am I allowed a clue?”
Lauren laughed softly. “No.”
They chatted casually along the way until they approached the tunnel. Lauren instructed him to stay in the center lane once they exited.
“How much farther?” Jonas asked.
“A few kilometers.”
She was enjoying herself, Jonas realized, keeping him guessing. As instructed, he stayed on the highway heading north, having no clue where they were going.
“There is a lane coming up just ahead,” she said after a while. “Take a left there.”
He knew the lane. It wound around the bend before sloping down toward the fjord. He was familiar with the area because a friend had a home nearby. “So,” he said in a deliberately bland voice, “You found out my friend, Rolf Vangen, lives in this area and you want to meet him.”
Lauren turned to him in surprise. “You know people down here?”
“Just Rolf and his family.”
They passed a fork in the road and Jonas nodded toward it. “That road leads to Rolf’s place. It’s not far. Would you like to stop in and meet him?”
Lauren laughed softly. “No, thank you, not tonight. Maybe some other time. There is a clearing coming up with two lanes leading off it. Take the left one.”
“Where exactly are we going?” He knew the area well enough to know there wasn’t much down here except a couple of estates and a few scattered homes.
“You’ll know soon,” she said, still refusing to reveal their destination.
They arrived at the clearing. Jonas took the left lane as instructed.
“The sign says, Private Road,” he remarked. “Should I continue on?”
“Please.”
Jonas drove carefully along the neatly kept lane until Lauren finally instructed him to pull over. She got out of the car and came around to the driver side as he climbed out.
“Come, there is something I want to show you.” She took his hand and led him a short distance, then stopped. “Look!”
Lauren motioned toward a set of wide-open double gates revealing a drive that led to a forecourt and a house partly hidden by a tall hedge. “This is where my mother grew up,” she said in hushed tones. “Isn’t it beautiful?”
Jonas heard the wistfulness in her voice and realized she had brought him to the entrance of one of the two estates in this area. “Very beautiful,” he agreed, taking in the simple lines of the large house and the immaculately kept grounds. Though he had been aware of this estate, he had not known it had a connection to his missing American relations. “It must have been difficult to leave a place like this.”
“My mother said given a choice, she would have preferred to remain here with her father. She told me she cried every night for weeks after they left and begged her mother to let her return home.”
She stood quietly, taking in the beauty of her surroundings, then turned to Jonas. “I was eighteen the first time my mother brought me to Norway. Someone arranged for us to see the house and meet the couple who bought it. The lady was very kind as she showed me around. I fell in love with the house and decided someday I would buy it back and restore it to our family.” She smiled slightly. “Pretty unrealistic thoughts for an eighteen-year-old and completely impractical, of course. But I didn’t think so at the time.”
Lauren led him past the grounds and turned onto another narrow lane. It led down the hill toward the bay. “My first glimpse of the house was from the water while out sailing with friends. It is very striking seen from that side and with the bathhouse and private dock below.”
Jonas listened carefully to everything she said. There was no doubt that she loved this place and felt an attachment to it. He finally asked, “Do you know who owns the property now?”
“Their last name is Viik. They’ve lived here for decades. He was an oil industry executive, I believe, but Jon told me he passed away last year.”
“Any family?”
“Yes, but I don’t know much about them. Jon seems to think Mrs. Viik will sell the place eventually.” She turned and started back up the hill. “Thank you for making the detour, Jonas. I know it’s late, but I wanted to show you where my family used to live.”
He let go of her hand, put an arm around her shoulder, and drew her close to his side. “I’m glad you did.” He placed a light kiss on her temple but said nothing more.
Lauren had given him much to think about.
Jonas pulled into the parking area by the Jansen home, killed the engine, and turned to Lauren. “What are your plans for tomorrow?”
“I’m visiting my grandfather’s grave.”
“Would you like company?”
“Can you spare the time?”
He smiled. “I’ll make time.”
“Then I would love your company. I was planning to do some shopping as well, so I can easily meet you in town.”
“What kind of shopping?”
Lauren grinned. “Shoe shopping. I discovered a little store that carries the most gorgeous Italian shoes and, though their prices are obscene, I intend to spoil myself.”
“I think you’d better take me along,” Jonas suggested. “Shopping for ladies’ shoes will be a new experience for me.”
She looked at him. “You won’t try to talk me out of buying the shoes I want because of price, will you?”
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he assured her. “I want to spend time with you Lauren, and time isn’t something we have a lot of. I leave for Lisbon in a few days, and you’ll be gone when I get back.”
Lauren sighed silently but didn’t respond. The mere thought of their parting caused an ache in her heart.
When she remained silent, Jonas said, “Come here.” He moved his seat back and made room for her. With his arms securely around her, he said, “It won’t be so bad. You’ll return to your life and work and keep busy, and I’ll be there in three weeks.”
“Who are you trying to convince?”
“It isn’t working?”
Lauren shook her head. “Not even a little.”
He held her quietly for a while, then said, “Would you be willing to switch things around tomorrow?”
“As long as I can visit the grave.”
“What if I come for you early, say around ten o’clock? We’ll visit the grave, go Italian shoe shopping, take in a meal somewhere along the way, then head out to the island. We could take the boat cruising for a while and still be back by early evening.”
“Oh yes! But can you take the whole day off?”
“With a little juggling.”
“You are spoiling me.”
“And indulging myself,” he admitted.
Eventually, he opened the car door. “It’s getting very late. Time for you to be in bed.”
The house was dark except for the light over the front door. “I’ll be here at ten. Bring a jacket for the boat, it�
�s supposed to cool off a little tomorrow.” He pulled her close. “I love you,” he whispered softly and gave her a tender kiss goodnight.
Lauren clung to him, wanting him to stay just a little longer.
“Don’t make it harder for me,” he whispered as he loosened her arms from around his waist and kissed her fingers. “I’ll see you in the morning.” And he slipped quietly out the door.
Chapter Eight
“What have you got there?” Jonas asked the next morning when Lauren opened the front door in welcome.
“For the grave, in case it needs a little work,” she said engagingly and held up a bag of small garden implements. “I want to plant some flowers, so could we stop at the little flower shop just up from the cemetery?”
Lauren admired the look of Norwegian graves. Beautiful seasonal flowers surrounded the headstones, planted by family members each spring. She wanted her grandfather to know he had not been forgotten by making his grave beautiful, too.
“Of course,” he smiled and relieved her of the bag of implements. “Don’t forget a jacket. You’ll need it today.”
“I’ve got one. Hang on while I grab my bag and tell Bente goodbye.”
She was back in an instant with Bente on her heels calling a friendly hello to Jonas and reminding him to look after Lauren. As though I am a small child, she thought fondly, instead of a grown woman.
“I’ll return her safely,” Jonas promised gravely, looking directly at Lauren.
Why, he is in love with her, Bente thought in amazement, and he isn’t hiding it.
“We won’t be back too late,” he told her. “Early evening, probably around seven or so.”
“Plan on having dinner with us then,” Bente suggested. “We’d love to have you join us.”
“That’s very kind. What do you say, Lauren?”
“I thought you’d be buried in work this evening.”
“I can take an hour or so for dinner before I head home.”
“Then I say, yes, please! I never turn down one of Bente’s dinners if I can help it.”
“We have something to look forward to then.” He smiled, stretched out his hand to Bente in goodbye and added, “Thank you. We’ll be here around seven.”
They arrived at the grave with Lauren clutching an armful of blooms. She put the flowers down, then stood in silence and looked at the gravestone for several moments before turning to Jonas. “I wish I’d had a chance to meet my grandfather. My mother said he found great joy in his children and loved sharing his world with them. On one of her earliest visits home, he told her it felt as though his whole family had died when they moved away. He didn’t deserve to lose them the way he did, Jonas.”
He heard the break in her voice and pulled her into his arms for comfort until she finally said, “I don’t know what brought that on. It was all such a long time ago. Did you know my grandparents never divorced? They lived apart for over thirty years, but neither of them ever filed for divorce.”
He kissed her temple. “Maybe they never stopped loving each other.”
“It’s a nice thought. I hope they are together now.”
“Anything is possible. You okay?”
“Mm-hmm.” She looked at him and smiled. “I guess we’d better get started. I bought a ton of flowers.”
Jonas’ arms relaxed their hold, and Lauren stepped away. Unpacking the implements, they began working the ground around the gravestone.
“You probably noticed I bought more flowers than I need,” she said after a while.
“Hard not to,” he agreed with a smile, looking at the masses of blooms at their feet.
“See that plain grave?” Lauren pointed to a gravestone one row over. “I have never seen flowers there. I don’t want her to think no one cares, so I always bring extra for her grave.”
Jonas stopped working and looked at her. She felt the pain of a grandfather she’d never met and who had been dead more than twenty years and worried about the feelings of a woman buried for decades because her grave had no flowers. No wonder he loved her. He put down his hand-shovel and said, “Lauren?”
She looked up with a contented smile.
“I love who you are.”
Her eyes glowed at the compliment. It was the only way he could think to describe them. “I’m glad,” she said simply then added, “I love who you are, too. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me.”
My line, he thought. It was amazing how often he felt that constriction in his throat. He had no idea he was so susceptible to such tender feelings until Lauren came into his life.
They labored together on both graves, then stood back and viewed their handiwork.
“They look beautiful!” Lauren exclaimed with satisfaction.
He smiled his approval. “Very colorful. I am sure both your grandfather and his neighbor are pleased.” He gathered up the tools, and they carried the debris to the nearest trash bin.
“There’s a faucet right over there,” Lauren pointed, “where we can clean up.”
She scrubbed her hands the best she could, then looked at her nails critically. “I wonder what the salesclerk in the shoe store will think.”
Jonas lifted her hands and gave each nail a thorough look. They were neatly trimmed, free of nail polish and basically clean. He shook his head. “Hmm! She’ll think with nails like these, you skipped the cost of a manicure so you could afford their shoes,” he said teasingly and pulled her close for a light kiss.
“The only thing saving you from being hit with my bag of garden implements is your charm,” Lauren smiled against his lips. “I’m this close to socking you for impudence.”
Jonas laughed out loud, picked up a giggling Lauren, and carried her to the car.
Once they were settled in the car and heading for town, Jonas said casually, “I talked to Annie this morning. She and William are very anxious to meet you. They suggested getting together tomorrow night.”
Lauren’s eyebrows drew together in a frown. “Tomorrow night?”
He saw the frown, wondered about it, but said calmly enough, “Is that a problem?”
“Well . . . I kind of have plans. But I can cancel.”
Taken aback by her response, Jonas lifted an eyebrow. She’d made plans that didn’t include him? On what would be their last evening together?
Noting the peculiar look on his face, Lauren explained. “Lasse and a few of his friends invited me to go sailing after work tomorrow night. At the time, the only commitment I had for the week was the lunch date with you.” She looked at him, her mouth curved, her eyes amused. “I didn’t think it would be a problem. I was expecting my lunch date to be a man in his sixties, not a fabulous hunk who took my breath away.”
Jonas chuckled despite himself. No doubt about it. Lauren had a way with words.
“And later I rationalized that you’d be tied up with preparations for your conference that evening. Going sailing seemed a good way to keep my mind off how much I was going to miss you.”
“You rationalized wrong. No way am I turning you loose on a bunch of guys on my last night in town. And somebody,” he added pointedly, “had better inform Lasse and crew that you are no longer available.”
Lauren laughed softly. Jonas sounded jealous. “I’m not available to go sailing with old friends? Are you the jealous type, Jonas?”
“I never knew I was until just now,” he grudgingly admitted. “I don’t like the idea of you with another man.”
“Four other men,” she corrected, “and we’ve been friends for years. I’d be perfectly safe as they all insist on looking out for me.”
“I’ll just bet they do!” muttered Jonas, far from placated by that bit of information.
“Is the surprise better than sailing?”
He took his eyes off the road a moment and turned to her. That touch of
jealousy, so foreign to him, vanished when he saw her face. Her eyes were for him only. “Dinner and dancing with Annie and William. Annie’s suggestion. She is not wild for boating. She gets seasick.”
“That sounds rather nice, actually. And I’m very anxious to meet them, too. I guess I’m canceling my sailing date,” she added saucily.
Jonas reached for her hand, kissed it. “Don’t do that to me again,” he said against her fingertips. “My heart can’t take it.”
“Is the restaurant dressy or casual?” Lauren asked after a while.
“The place Annie has in mind is small and quite exclusive, but a simple cocktail dress will do.”
“I only have a very plain black dress with me, the kind that travels well because it doesn’t wrinkle and can be used for a variety of occasions. Definitely not your flirty little cocktail dress, though. Do you think that will do, or do I need to go shopping?”
“I’m sure it will be just fine.”
“You haven’t seen the dress yet. It’s extremely simple.”
“You always look wonderful, Lauren,” he smiled. “You are worrying too much.”
They were nearing town and the shopping enclaves when Jonas asked, “So, where is this shoe store you’ve fallen for?”
She told him the name of a street not far from Torgallmenning Square, the city’s main square. “Parking might be a problem, but you probably know where to park better than I do.”
In minutes Jonas turned into a narrow driveway between two buildings. A gate marked ‘Private’ opened electronically and let him in. Behind the gate was a courtyard with a dozen or so parking stalls.
“Neat trick,” Lauren grinned as he expertly parked the car in one of the designated slots. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to find parking in this city? I want my name on one of those slots next time I’m here.”
Jonas grinned right back. “We have offices here.”
“Who is ‘we’?”
“Juul Enterprises.”
“Your company?”
Because of Lauren: A Love Story Page 9