by Jade Kerrion
“All right. I’ll see you back in Havre de Grace,” James said.
Quietly, she followed Connor and Noelle to Connor’s car. No one said anything until they reached the highway. She broke the silence, speaking over the soft blues playing in the background. “How did you know to come for me?” she asked her sister.
“I got a call from Brandon. He said you’d changed your mind and were returning to BWI, but someone was following you. He even knew Peter’s name.”
“Really? How?”
“Apparently, Peter was dating Brandon’s secretary for a while. Brandon fired her when she was caught giving Peter confidential client information.” Noelle cleared her throat. “Apparently, our aunt’s will might have been one of those things.”
A shudder ran thought Holly’s body. “So, he knew about the money. That’s why he came back. That’s why he tried to make up with me.”
“He’s slime. He doesn’t deserve you.”
“You did tell me so.”
“Yeah, although I did try not to say, ‘I told you so.’” Noelle sighed. “After I hung up, I called Connor and James, and we rushed out here. We knew we’d have trouble reaching you before you left the terminal, so Connor went in to get security, while James and I searched the garage.”
“Why James? Why did you call him?”
“Why not? He’s your best friend, right?”
“I…”
“You guys are always going on walks together…” Noelle’s voice trailed into silence as she twisted around in the car seat to look at Holly. “James? He’s the reason you cancelled your weekend in New York? But he’s your boss!”
“Try not to tell the whole town, okay?”
Noelle grinned. “Well, that all makes sense now. Nothing ever upsets James’s equilibrium. He’s the most even-keeled man I know—even more than Connor.” She darted a glance at her husband driving the car. “But he was distinctly agitated on the drive out to BWI. And the way he tackled Peter? I didn’t even know James had it in him. I thought he was going to pound Peter into the concrete for hurting you.” She was silent for a moment, and her smile was pleased. “Wow, James…”
Holly got the feeling Noelle definitely approved.
Noelle’s next question, however, burst the bubble of happiness. “Is that even allowed?”
“Actually, no.”
“So, what are you going to do?”
“I resigned.”
Noelle’s jaw dropped. “You what?”
Holly shrugged. “The only reason to stay would have been to work with Aidan for the rest of the school year, but I think I can do that after school. I don’t think Debra will mind if I offer to watch Aidan after classes let out. In fact, I’ve already sent in my resignation letter. I did it during the plane ride back.” She chewed on her lower lip. If she called the Gazette and told them she had resigned, could she convince the paper not to print the story? It was worth a shot, certainly, but the newspaper offices would be closed for Christmas.
Anxiety thrummed though her. No, she couldn’t wait until after Christmas.
She leaned forward and tapped Noelle’s shoulder. “Do you know anyone at the Gazette?”
“Well, Rebecca Lloyd is the editor there,” Noelle said.
“Friend of yours? Do you have her number?”
“Sure.” Noelle pulled out her cell phone, checked the directory, and called out the number as Holly punched it into her phone.
Holly waited until someone picked up. “Hi, could I speak to Rebecca Lloyd please?”
“This is Rebecca.”
“This is Holly Langford, Noelle’s sister.”
A long moment passed in silence before Rebecca said quietly. “What can I do for you?”
“You know why I’m calling, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do.”
“My ex-fiancé sent you the pictures, and for the record, James Kerrigan and I aren’t in a relationship yet, but we will be soon. I’ve just tendered my resignation.”
“You’ve just resigned. But I was told that James—”
“James, what?”
Rebecca huffed out her breath. “My reporter spoke to the district superintendent, Harry Finn, and told him about the breaking story. Apparently, Harry called back about an hour later and confirmed that James took full responsibility for what happened, and he resigned.”
“James did what?”
“James Kerrigan has resigned as principal of the elementary school.”
“Oh, God.” Holly pressed her fingers to her brow. Her heart clenched. “No, no, it can’t be.”
“Harry sent over a copy of his resignation letter.”
Panic closed her throat, stealing her breath. “Oh…damn.” She disconnected the call without saying goodbye.
Noelle looked back. “I caught some interesting snippets. Do you want to fill me in on the missing parts of the story?”
Holly wrapped her arms over her stomach and nodded. Slowly at first, and then with greater confidence, she told her sister the muddled story of the three men in her life, each seemingly representing the past, the present, and the future. She concluded softly, “As it turns out, the past deserved to be history, and the future was more of a concept than a man. The present—James—turned out to be one.”
“Except that Peter screwed it up for the both of you.”
Holly nodded.
“So, what are you going to do?”
“I came back as much because I love Havre de Grace as I love him, but there’s no work for him in this town.” A sigh tore out of her. “He has no future here, and I have no idea what we’re going to do.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Holly ignored Noelle’s insistence that she lie down and rest the moment they got back to Noelle’s house. Instead, she returned to her home and waited at the front step until James drove up in her car several minutes later.
He parked in the driveway and stepped out. His expression was set in neutral lines. “Shouldn’t you be resting?”
“Resting isn’t going to help my arm get better. Do you want to come in and have a drink?”
“I…” He closed his eyes briefly. “Maybe after Christmas? I’ll go get Mojo, bring him back so you’ll have company.”
“Are you putting me off until the twenty-sixth?”
“I’m not great company right now. I need some time alone.” He turned and walked down her driveway.
She waited until he reached the pavement. “What were you planning on doing besides updating your résumé?”
He stopped walking but did not turn to face her. “You know.” His voice was toneless. “How?”
“Peter told me he sent photographs to the Gazette so I called the editor. She told me.”
His shoulders sagged, a sigh that was more motion than sound.
“Peter was absolutely certain you’d throw me under the bus, and that I’d be forced to quit so that you could keep your job.”
James’s head snapped up, and he stared at her incredulously. “You believed him?”
“No, of course not, but I didn’t think you would resign immediately either.”
“The press wanted its pound of flesh, and I’m the out-of-town guy. It made more sense for me to quit than for you, the hometown girl.” A wry half-smile touched his lips. “I told you people didn’t change. It appears that luck doesn’t change either.”
Holly winced. It was the second time he had lost his job because of a woman. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s just a job. I’ll find something else.”
“Does that mean you’ll be moving away from Havre de Grace?”
“Yeah. There’s no work here for me.” A muscle ticked in his cheek. “Let me go get Mojo before it gets too late.”
“Wait, James.” She ran down the driveway after him and grimaced as the motion jolted pain through her arm.
He frowned at her. “What are you doing? You need to rest.”
“I want to talk.”
“We can talk later.”
“Don’t you want to know why I walked out of JFK, turned around, and walked back in again?”
He paused for a moment before saying, “My resignation shouldn’t affect your decision.”
Holly shook her head, a smile curving her lips. “I made my decision before I knew you resigned. Did you check your e-mail today?”
He looked surprised by the change in topic, but nodded.
“Your work e-mail?”
“No.” James gritted his teeth. “Why would I check my work e-mail when I’m not working anymore?”
“If you did, you’d find an e-mail from me to Harry Finn, copied to you, tendering my resignation.”
His jaw dropped. “Your what?”
“I resigned,” Holly said simply. “I sent my letter from the plane,”
“Damn.” James actually laughed, although the sound was more bitter than amused. “This is almost as ridiculous as that O Henry story, the Gift of the Magi, except that neither of us has a job.”
“I suppose not.” Somehow, Holly could not work up any anxiety over the loss of her employment. Aunt Rachel had left her wealth to Holly to ease her way to finding a partner to love for life, and her aunt had succeeded, beyond Holly’s wildest dreams. “Where are we moving to?”
“We?”
“All through the flight, I fought this feeling of panic, right here.” She pressed her stomach. “I couldn’t help thinking I’d left something important behind. When I arrived in New York, the feeling grew larger and larger, and when I saw Brandon, something seemed to pop in my head.” Her smile widened into a grin. “It made sense; in an instant, it was all perfectly clear. So, I turned around and got back on that plane. I quit my job and came home to be with you.” She held out her uninjured hand to him. “I knew you’d be waiting for me, and now I realize, I’ve been waiting for you too. It’s just taken me a while to figure it out.”
Slowly, he reached out and took it, drawing her to him. A slow smile spread across his face, and his eyes betrayed both relief and love as he lowered his head to claim her mouth in a kiss.
The now familiar slow rise of heat filled her. Inside her shoes, her toes curled with delight and desire.
James drew back from the kiss, but his lips remained close to hers, his breath warm against her cheek. “Are you sure you’re not giving up something better?”
She smiled up at him. “I’ve seen the memories of the past and the possibilities of the future. I’ve never been more certain that love and happiness is here and now, right where we are.”
EPILOGUE
Holly was in the middle of preparing dinner, which came down to arranging the microwaved platters of food on the dining table, when her smartphone rang. She glanced at the number and accepted the call. “Hello, Brandon.”
“Holly, how are you doing?”
“I’m doing great. So, did the sale close?”
“Yes, it did. The real estate agent confirmed that you should see the proceeds from the sale of your New York townhouse in your account by the end of today.”
“Wonderful.” A smile spread across her face.
“How are you enjoying Chapel Hill?”
“We love it here. It has a ton more career opportunities as well as things to do on weekends, but it’s got the same pretty small-town feel as Havre de Grace.”
“Great, I’m glad to hear you’re settling down. And James is doing well, too?”
“He’s the principal of the neighborhood high school. I’m thinking of going back into teaching—at a different school.”
Brandon chuckled. “Lesson learned.”
“Oh yes, indeed.” Holly leaned her hip against the wall. Her smile deepened as James’s car pulled into the driveway. The now-familiar thrill of delight shivered through her. The throbbing pulse low in her belly was lust; the sweet ache in her chest was love. In combination, they kept her craving the warmth and security of James’s embrace. “And how are you doing? I thought you’d be in Italy, visiting your sister.”
“I’m leaving tomorrow, actually, and will be away for about two weeks. I’m on e-mail though, so if you need anything, don’t hesitate to reach out.”
“I won’t. Thank you, Brandon, and have a good time.”
“I’ll try. You take care. Say hi to James for me.”
Holly hung up as the door opened. “Hello, darling.” She set the phone down and stepped into his arms. “How was school today?”
James’s amused tone touched his words with humor. “Twice the size, three times the chaos.”
“And four times the fun?” Holly added.
“Pretty much.” His gaze fell on the dining table. “I see we’re having a gourmet meal tonight.”
She pouted. “I’ll thank you not to make fun of me. It took me all of twelve minutes to put it together.”
“Including reading the microwave directions?”
“Yes, thank you very much.” Holly laughed and flung her arms around his neck. “We could eat now, but the meal’s not so profound that it would be a total loss reheated.”
James loosened his tie. “Are you inviting me to a quickie?”
The way he stared at her ignited the coil of heat in the pit of her stomach. “Our track record with quickies hasn’t been so good.” More than once, they had not gotten out of bed until the next day.
“I challenge you to find a dictionary definition of a quickie that says how long it should be.” James lowered his head to breathe a kiss on her lips. “You know I can’t get enough of you.”
Holly sank into a kiss that tasted of rich and decadent dark chocolate as James’s arms surrounded her, immersing her in love anchored in the present—her perfect present.
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