by Lisa Norato
“Jamie, honey, you’re freezing.” Rick’s hands moved to her shoulders. As he rubbed his hands up and down her arms, Jamie looked into his eyes and absorbed the warmth of his reassuring touch. She smiled at the endearment.
“We might as well call it a night and go back inside the house,” he said.
A memory surfaced at his words “inside the house,” and Jamie pulled out of the embrace to gather her thoughts.
Rick stiffened. “What?”
She glanced up into the anticipation on his face. “When my crew and I started renovations, Boo Boo had no intention of leaving even though I tried to adopt her. Complete strangers were coming in and out with power tools and construction materials, making the worst racket — hammering, buzzing, banging. She never tried to run off. Her attachment was that strong to the house. So don’t you think it strange she would run off now, when her attachment must be that much stronger now she’s living in a loving, secure home? Didn’t you say Vera never actually saw Boo Boo go out the door?”
“She insisted she was supervising the movers and didn’t see Boo Boo once. She sounded sincere, even sorry, but then again, Vera hasn’t been a reliable source lately.” He seemed to be puzzling it over. “What did I miss? I’ve called for Boo Boo, searched her favorite hiding spots, checked under all the beds, behind the shower curtain.”
Jamie acknowledged him with a nod, saying, “But maybe Boo Boo found a new hiding place. Cats are curious creatures. They can get themselves into all kinds of trouble. One of my cousin’s cats, Millie, once crawled behind an open bureau drawer, then couldn’t get out again because she got herself wedged in so tight she couldn’t move. My cousin had to follow Millie’s cries through the house to find her.”
He looked horrified. “You think I could have squashed Boo Boo behind a drawer?”
“No-no.” She took Rick’s hand. “But I do think we need to recheck the house. Every cupboard, drawer, bin, shelf, and box.”
Squeezing her hand, the dimple at the corner of his mouth appeared with a slight quirk of his lips. “I guess it’s worth a shot. At least we’d be doing something. I can’t just sit still, and there’s nothing more to be done out here tonight.”
Back inside the Victorian, Jamie gave him direction as they removed their jackets. “I’ll start upstairs. You check the kitchen again. The cupboards, the pantry, behind every mixing bowl, cereal box. For all we know, she could be curled up inside a pasta pan.”
He didn’t look amused but said, “Okay,” and started down the hall.
Jamie watched him go, then, flashlight in hand, she grabbed onto the stair post and launched up the treads to the second floor. She had a particular spot in mind which she purposely hadn’t mentioned, in case nothing came of her theory, but she knew the nooks and crannies of the Victorian’s construction, probably better than Rick did. She’d even created some of them in the process of reconfiguring the small bedrooms to create a master suite.
With the flick of the light switch, she entered a bedroom of soothing tones of pale gray and lavender. The roman shades had yet to be drawn against the dark night. Jamie bypassed the row of windows on her path around the bed — wrought iron with a simple grayish lavender Matelassé coverlet — to the customized walk-in closet across from the master bath.
She opened the door and turned on the light. Neatly organized business suits, professionally pressed shirts, polished shoes, and folded sweaters filled the space from top to bottom. Her gaze roamed the shelves, tie rack, mirrored cabinets and patterned carpeting.
Boo Boo could have found a comfortable niche in any number of places in here, but Rick would have kept the closet closed. A man who invested in a wardrobe like this would not appreciate cat hair on his clothing. He did mention Vera had snooped around. Had her nosiness taken her this deep into the house? It would have taken Boo Boo only a moment to sneak inside. Cats were stealthy creatures and knew how to pounce at an opportunity.
As the closet was being framed, the pitch of the roof allowed for a crawlspace behind one wall. Instead of sealing it off, Dylan had suggested a small access door at the very back of the closet.
Rick was still in the process of deciding which items from his condo to use and which to store, so it was possible he had been accessing the space.
Jamie switched on her flashlight and dropped to her knees on the carpet. She pushed aside a row of pressed jeans hanging on a lower rack. Behind them lay a door no bigger than two feet square.
And it was ajar.
*
It had been an exhausting night. The kitchen counter lay cluttered with the empty casserole dish, cooking utensils, and ingredients for his cabbage dish, reminding Rick he hadn’t eaten. Not that he had anything close to an appetite, but Jamie must be hungry. This wasn’t the way he’d hoped they’d be spending their evening.
He could use a cup of coffee. He turned on his machine, and while it heated, he went through the motions of opening drawers, emptying the laundry hamper, and peering into the dryer, but in his heart he knew Boo Boo wouldn’t be there.
His steps brought him into the sitting room. He glanced around, his gaze stopping at the vintage mantelpiece and he thought of his gran, also lost to him.
A thickness formed in his throat.
Until his return to Elm’s Corner, Rick hadn’t understood what had been missing in his life. Peace. Contentment. Love. His days had been filled with the pressures and prestige of his job and the benefits it afforded him. With the exotic locales of his travels, the sparkle and bustle of the city, and the glamour of social events.
He’d thought those things were important. That they defined success. Like having a beautiful woman on his arm. He hadn’t yet experienced the joy of having not just a beautiful woman, but a beautiful woman he deeply cared for sharing his life. Her kiss had awakened him to even deeper emotion.
Jamie had turned his world around. He wasn’t the same. Nope. Now he was the type of guy who got his gut all twisted up over a cat.
He heard footsteps, but Jamie didn’t call out. Not a good sign. If she had good news, she’d call out. He didn’t turn around, unable to bear the distress on her face, but as he heard her enter the room, he could not resist a glance into the mirror of the mantelpiece.
She was cradling a small bundle in a blanket. And she was grinning.
A lightness spread rapidly through his body. Hope. Joy. Rick burst into a smile at Jamie’s reflection before whirling around. “Where did you find her?”
“Curled in an old bedspread deep in the crawlspace behind your bedroom closet. It’s a good thing I’m used to exploring tight enclosures in old houses.”
“A good thing.” Relief spilled out of him in the form of a chuckle. With open arms, he approached and enfolded them both in an embrace full of gratitude. “Thank you,” he whispered to Jamie and heavenward.
He kissed the top of her head, then pulled away to give Boo Boo a scratch behind the ears. “I don’t understand how this could have happened. I always keep that closet closed.”
“You could have been distracted. Or in a hurry,” Jamie offered. “You don’t think Vera…?”
“In my closet?” He feigned a shiver. “Ugh. I don’t think so. The important thing is, we’ve got this little one back.” Boo Boo purred, turning her head into his scratching. “I love this little cat.”
“I know you do.”
Rick looked into Jamie’s delicate, angelic face. Her smiling brown eyes shone up at him.
“And do you also know how much I love you?” he said.
She blinked, jerking back slightly with a look of surprise. “Me?” She smiled, a smile that began to grow and grow. “Why, no. This is the first I’ve heard of it.”
“Well, it won’t be the last you hear of it. I love you, Jamie. I don’t know what I was waiting for, but I’ve felt it for a while. If there’s one thing this night, and maybe my life, has taught me, it’s let your feelings be known when you have the chance and your loved ones are near, because
you don’t know what the next day will bring.”
“You are absolutely right. So I’m going to take your advice and seize the moment. I love you, too, Rick.”
His heart felt as if it would explode. He was that happy. This woman, Jamie, was the most beautiful creature he’d ever laid eyes on and she was his. It was his last thought before he leaned down and brought his lips to hers.
Epilogue
Jamie pulled a bubbling cabbage casserole from the oven and set it on top of the stove. Steam rose off the dish with all its deliciously comforting flavors. After removing her oven mitts, she covered it with foil. Everything was ready for her guests. She had no idea where Rick had disappeared to, but taking advantage of the privacy, she wandered into the dining room to admire the table. The china settings glistened. On each silver-edged plate lay a gold cloth napkin, folded into the shape of a maple leaf. The table runner displayed a row of candy apples, mini pumpkins, and lighted votives. Gazing into their dancing flames, she began to reflect.
Could it be? Over a year had passed since her father had sprained his ankle and asked her to fill in as foreman on this Victorian. The house that was supposed to have been hers. A home of her own. To renovate as she wanted. Until some city-dwelling lawyer with deep pockets stole the sale out from under her. She hadn’t wanted the job. No way. Anything but.
And then she’d met the annoying, arrogant owner. The job felt like punishment for something she hadn’t done. This idiota couldn’t possibly appreciate her Victorian’s architecture and history.
But she’d been wrong. So wrong.
A little over a year later, here she was, madly in love with that same man, not an idiota, as it so happened, hosting her mom’s birthday celebration in his dining room. She’d renovated the room exactly as she’d envisioned in a four-color, monochromatic paint scheme of 1887 interior colors. Softy, mossy green covered the walls with a lighter tint of the same on the ceiling. Touches of gold on the ceiling medallion reflected the light, but what really made the room were the custom draperies in period fabric dressing the windows.
Gorgeous.
A flash of movement caught her eye. There on the sideboard was Boo Boo, swatting at a large puffy bow on one of her mother’s gifts, not far from a milk glass cake stand that held the Italian cream cake Rick had ordered from a Federal Hill bakery.
She shooed the kitty down. “You know how Auntie Angie feels about cats that jump,” she scolded.
The little gray stared up at her from the floor with intense olive eyes as if Jamie was the idiota. If Boo Boo could talk, Jamie imagined her saying, “Since when am I not allowed to jump?”
Jamie was about to sympathize when she was grabbed from behind. A soft cry escaped her at the shock and unexpectedness of being enfolded in a strong embrace. She nearly jumped out of her skin before she recognized the arms that held her.
“What are you doing?” Rick asked with a chuckle in her ear.
“What are you doing? You scared me.” The tension left her body and she released the breath she’d been holding. She would have turned around and swatted him, if Rick hadn’t been holding her so firmly.
Her muscles relaxed with each kiss he dropped along the curve of her neck. “So, do you like what you see?” His breath tickled her ear.
Jamie smiled at whatever game he was playing. “I can’t turn around and see unless you let me go.”
He laughed softly. “No, not me. I mean the room. It’s beautiful isn’t it? I hired an incredibly talented contractor. She did an amazing job on the entire house. I’m a lucky man to be living in such a house. What about you? Would you like to live here?”
Duh. He knew full well she had tried to buy the Victorian herself. Of course she’d like to live here. Or … oh … was he asking her to move in with him?
His arms loosened and Jamie turned inside them to look Rick in the face. She expected to see his ever-confident smile, but he wasn’t smiling at all. The unguarded emotion in his eyes struck her speechless. Something dreamy and happy and brimming with love. The moment seemed to freeze in time as Jamie lost herself in the depths of those eyes, so intent upon her.
He slipped something from out of a back pocket and got down on one knee before her.
She gasped.
“What I’m really asking is,” he said, “would you like to live in the Victorian with me? As my wife?”
She already knew her response, but excitement stole her words, her mind too preoccupied with trying to fully comprehend this was actually happening.
He smiled up at her. “I know how hard you’ve worked to make this Victorian beautiful again. You went above and beyond with your skill and creativity. You’ve made it comfortable and homey and functional. Jamie, you’ve brought it alive again for me with all the tender memories you’ve restored, but can I ask for just one more thing? Will you marry me, Jamie, and make this Victorian the home it was always meant to be?”
Jamie was already nodding. “Yes. Yes!”
Rick’s blue eyes shone with joy. He rose, and taking her hand, slipped his grandmother’s vintage ring on her finger. It had been cleaned until the platinum shone, and the diamonds and baguettes twinkled beneath the French crystal chandelier. Jamie stared, amazed at its beauty, amazed it was now hers. She was getting married!
She threw her arms around Rick’s neck and they kissed. Through a haze of bliss, Jamie heard a purring. She felt Boo Boo’s furry body slinking in and out between their legs, the soft padded toes stepping on her feet. She found it comical, or maybe she was just high on happiness, but she laughed against Rick’s lips. She felt his smile and they pulled apart to smile at each other like two giddy schoolchildren.
“I wanted to propose while we still had some privacy. I have champagne hidden in the back of the fridge for when your family gets here.” He smiled. “Are you happy?”
She nodded, her throat tight. Her heart was so full she thought it would beat right out of her chest. She had wanted this Victorian, but now she was getting something so much better than the house of her dreams.
“Me, too,” Rick said. “Even Boo Boo’s happy.” His gaze moved from the feline at their feet to the restored, framed wedding photo of his grandparents hanging above the sideboard. “And I’m pretty sure we have Gran’s blessing. What about Stella? Do you think she’ll mind if we steal her birthday thunder with our engagement?”
“Are you kidding? She isn’t that thrilled about celebrating another birthday anyway. This will make her day.”
The tinkling of the antique bell in the foyer signaled someone was at the door. They looked at each, smiled, then went to welcome their guests. Jamie’s parents, grandfather, her brother Matt, and Auntie Angie stood on the porch with wrapped gifts and covered dishes.
Stella spotted the ring before she even got inside and grabbed Jamie’s hand for a closer look. Hers was a cry of joy Jamie was certain could be heard all through Elm’s Corner.
Acknowledgements
Some very special people have helped me during the writing of this book.
Thank you, Kate Murphy, my long-time friend and critique partner. Your creative input and encouragement have seen me through the journey of this story. My cousin, Linda George Faber, champion of homeless cats and expert on all things feline, Boo Boo wouldn’t have been the same without your assistance. Your insights were invaluable. I enjoyed our childhood reminisces of our beloved “Nanny.” Another dear friend and critique partner, author Lisa Jones Baker, thank you for your friendship and support throughout the decades of our writing careers. I am very grateful to Michael Saitas for his edits, and to Dante Giammarco for answering my research questions. Special thanks to Amy Stratton for sharing your career day experiences with me. I never forgot your entertaining stories.
Thanks and glory to God for the inspiration and creativity I know comes from Him.
About the Author
A native Rhode Islander, Lisa Norato lives in a historic village with homes and churches dating as far back as the e
ighteenth century. She finds inspiration in the quaintness of small town life, the changing New England seasons and visits to the nearby seashore.
For more about Lisa and her books, please visit www.lisanorato.com.
Other books by Lisa Norato
The Promise Keeper
Prize of My Heart
Where Eagles Fly
I Only Want To Be With You