by Marie Force
“Yes, he was. I appreciate your kind thoughts of him.”
“I ought to get back to work. Let me know if you need anything else.”
“I will. Thanks.”
As she got up, Cameron came rushing through the door and stopped short at the sight of Megan talking with Hannah.
Megan hesitated. “I’m sorry,” she said to Cameron. “For being a jerk. It’s not your fault. And it’s not his. It’s mine.”
“Apology accepted. Thank you.”
“Can I get you something?”
“I’d love a tuna on wheat toast and a Diet Coke, please.”
“Coming right up.”
Wearing a gobsmacked expression, Cameron slid into the booth across from Hannah. “What just happened?”
“I heard Will chewed her out the other day.”
“Yeah. He said enough was enough, and apparently told her so. She cried a little.”
“She was just really sweet congratulating me about the wedding and saying what a nice guy Nolan is and Caleb was.”
“There may be hope for her yet.”
“I’ve known her for such a long time, but I barely know her at all, really. I thought I should make an effort for Hunter’s sake.”
“You think anything will come of that?” Cameron asked.
“Hard to say. He has to know he faces an uphill battle in light of her affection for Will, but you never know what’ll happen.”
“Anyway . . . How are you?”
“All right. I think Nolan and I just had our first fight.”
“Really? What happened?”
Hannah relayed the story, including his heartfelt apology. “I suppose no man is ever perfect, even one who’s perfect for me.”
“That’s true. So listen to this . . . Colton is in New York nursing Lucy through a vicious bout of food poisoning.”
“Oh my gosh! Poor Lucy!”
“I know, right? From what I heard, bad sushi took down the whole office and one of our best clients. I got out of there in the nick of time.”
The words bad sushi made Hannah’s stomach turn.
Megan returned with Cameron’s drink and sandwich.
“Thank you,” Cameron said.
While she ate, they talked about the changes Hannah wanted to make to the inn’s website while Cameron took notes and asked questions that led to more changes.
The scent of the tuna coupled with the overly warm temperature in the diner made Hannah feel nauseated, which was odd because she loved tuna and ordered it all the time. “Is it hot in here, or is it me?”
“I’m not hot, but you’re kind of pasty around the gills, girl.”
“I think it’s you and your tuna.”
“Oh sorry! I thought you loved tuna.”
“I do. Just not today.”
“I’ll get it to go.”
“No! Finish it. I’m fine. I’m just hot. And tired all of a sudden. Really, really tired.”
“Are you sick? Because you aren’t allowed to get sick for the next three weeks.”
“I’m not sick. I just feel weird today. I think it’s the heat.”
“I know this counts as hot to you guys up here in Vermont, but to a city girl like me, unless you can fry an egg on the sidewalk, it’s not really hot.”
“The thought of eggs fried on a New York sidewalk doesn’t do much for my stomach.”
“Sorry.”
“So did Lucy say anything about how it’s going with Colton?”
“She thinks she in love.”
“Really? That’s amazing! Is she going to move here, too?”
“I don’t think so. She’s really tight with her dad, sister and niece. And then there’s the business . . . I walked away. It’s not like she can, too. I feel kind of guilty about that.”
“You shouldn’t feel guilty. I doubt she’d want that.”
“Still . . . What do you think they’ll do?”
“I don’t know. I can’t imagine him anywhere but on his mountain.”
“Having just lived through it myself, I don’t envy them the decisions they’ll have to make at some point.”
“Why does it have to be so hard for two people who obviously love each other and totally deserve to be happy?”
“Because if it wasn’t hard it wouldn’t be worth the payoff.”
“That’s very well stated and certainly true.”
“Are you okay, Hannah?”
Damn her unpredictable emotions these days. Her throat tightened around a lump that had her waving a hand to buy a minute to collect herself. “It’s all very bittersweet,” she finally managed to say, so softly it was nearly a whisper.
“Oh, honey, I can only imagine.”
“I love Nolan so much. I never thought I’d feel this way again.”
“But you’re thinking a lot about Caleb, too. Right?”
Hannah pressed her lips together tightly and nodded. “He’s very present in all of this.”
Cameron dabbed at her eyes. “Of course he is. You both loved him.”
“Sometimes I worry I’m not being fair to Nolan by thinking so much about Caleb.”
“From all I’ve heard, Nolan is better able to understand what you’ve endured than any other man ever could.”
“You’re right. He’s amazing and understanding and everything I could’ve hoped for.”
Cameron reached across the table for Hannah’s hand. “Be kind to yourself, Hannah. Any thoughts or feelings you have right now are yours, and you’re entitled to each and every of them. No one is judging you, least of all Nolan. He’s crazy in love with you.”
“Yes,” Hannah said, smiling through the tears that continued to come despite how much she wished she could talk about this without them. “He is.”
“You should go home and let him give you some TLC.”
“That actually sounds rather divine. I think I’ll do just that.”
Cameron grabbed the check. “I’ve got this one.”
“Thank you for that and everything else.” Hannah hugged her. “You’ve been the most incredible friend.”
“Same to you. You’ve made me feel so welcome in my new home, and I’ll always love you for that.”
“Stop.” Hannah wiped away new tears. “I’m already a hot mess.”
They laughed and hugged like two longtime girlfriends.
“I’m here if you need me in the next two weeks,” Cameron said. “Anything you need. Any time you need it.”
“Thanks, Cam. I’m so glad my brother decided to keep you.”
“So am I. I get him and all of the rest of you, too. What a lovely thing that is.”
They walked out of the diner arm in arm, laughing and talking, and parted with another hug.
Hannah drove home feeling relieved that she’d unburdened herself to Cameron, who was such a kind and understanding friend. But while she felt better to have gotten a few things off her chest, she was still feeling queasy, overheated and tired. The exhaustion was pervasive, so pervasive in fact that she wondered whether she might need to see a doctor. Maybe she was anemic, and wouldn’t that be magical with everything she had coming up in the next few weeks.
She arrived home to a freshly cut lawn but no sign of Nolan’s truck in the driveway. He’d probably left to run an errand or to pick up something from his own house where he spent very little time these days.
With some time to herself, Hannah scooped up Homer and went directly to the sofa in her cozy sitting room to lie down, grateful for the house that was hard to keep warm in the winter but cool and comfortable in the unforgiving heat of summer. That was her last conscious thought until Nolan kissed her awake to a room that had grown considerably darker.
“Hey there.” He held the puppy in his arms as he gazed down at her. “You were out cold.”
Her eyes felt too heavy to keep open. “Mmm, what time is it?”
“Almost six.”
She’d been asleep for close to three hours? How was that possible?
/> “Is everything okay?”
She reached for the puppy, who struggled to break free of Nolan so he could get to her. “Uh-huh.”
“Hannah?”
“Hmm?”
“I’m worried about you. I kept thinking you’d wake up, but you’ve been asleep for hours. It’s not like you to sleep like that in the middle of the day. Would you tell me if something was wrong?”
She nodded. “I would, but I don’t know what’s wrong. I feel sick and tired, and Cam’s tuna sandwich nearly made me barf, and I cry over everything.” She was crying again now and swept angrily at the tears. “It’s ridiculous! I’m getting married, not staring down a firing squad.”
Laughing softly, he reached for her and helped her sit up. Somehow he managed to smoothly arrange things so she was on his lap, cuddled up to him with Homer cuddled up to her. Nolan smelled of freshly cut grass and cologne that made her want to nuzzle closer. “I suspect there might be something else entirely going on here, my love.”
“And that is?”
“Is it possible you might be pregnant?”
“What? No. I’m not pregnant.”
“You’re sure?”
“Of course I’m sure. If I were pregnant, I’d know it. Wouldn’t I?”
“Having never been pregnant myself, I couldn’t say for certain. It just seems that you’re sort of all over the place and tired and hungry—that is, when you aren’t nauseated. I’m certainly no expert on such things, but the thought occurred to me, and . . . Oh God, Hannah, why are you crying again?”
“Because! That’s it! That’s what’s wrong with me, and I didn’t even know it. And what kind of mother will I be if I didn’t even know I was pregnant?”
His body shook under her, and for a moment she thought he was crying, too. Then she realized he was laughing.
“You’re laughing at me? Seriously?”
“Hannah, I love you so much. So goddamned much.” His eyes were bright and full of emotion and tears that probably weren’t entirely due to the laughter. “You have no idea how adorable you are right now. And if you are pregnant, which we’ll confirm one way or the other first thing in the morning, the child we made together will be the luckiest kid in the universe to have you and your great big generous heart as his or her mother.”
“This wasn’t supposed to happen so fast. We just stopped being careful a couple of weeks ago.”
“I can’t help that I’m a stud, babe. You’re just going to have to learn to live with it.”
She poked him in the belly, which made him gasp before he laughed. “Is all of this really happening? Tell me I’m not dreaming.”
“It’s a dream come true,” he said, kissing her. “In every possible way.” He kissed away her tears and then captured her lips in another passionate kiss that cleared her mind of every thought that didn’t involve him and the sublime way he made her feel. “I was promised some naked snuggling,” he reminded her, his lips soft against her ear. The combination of his words and the heat of his mouth sent goose bumps down her arm.
“I always keep my promises.”
He tightened his arms around her and stood, carrying her upstairs. Not wanting to be left out of anything, Homer Junior followed right behind them.
“Nolan?”
“Hmm?”
“Thank you.”
“For what, honey?”
“Everything. You’ve given me everything.”
He laid her on their bed and came down over her, careful not to put too much weight on her. “If I’ve given you everything, why do I feel like the luckiest guy who ever lived?”
“I guess we’re both lucky.”
“Fourteen days until you’re my wife, Hannah. I can’t wait.”
“Neither can I.”
CHAPTER 28
Number of boiling days: 22 (not 23 as reported earlier). March vs. April: April won with 55 percent of the crop.
—Colton Abbott’s sugaring journal, after the boil
“You’re totally cheating! Snood is not a word!”
“Then go ahead and challenge me.” Lying facedown on the floor wearing nothing more than well-faded jeans, Colton was the picture of sexy insolence. His hair was tousled from their earlier nap. Late-day whiskers covered his jaw, and his blue eyes danced with mischief. The stinker was effortlessly gorgeous, and he knew it.
Lucy had already made the mistake of challenging him twice before and came out on the losing end both times. He was kicking her ass rather significantly, and she was beginning to regret suggesting a game of Scrabble. “I had no idea you were such a cheater.”
“I am not a cheater,” he said emphatically. “Just because I have a more intellectually developed vocabulary than you do doesn’t make me a cheater.”
Lucy tossed the Q tile she’d been unable to use at him and hit him square in the forehead.
“That’s a declaration of war.” He moved so quickly she had no time to defend herself before he was upon her.
She let out a feeble squeak of protest but didn’t try too hard to keep him from overtaking her—and disrupting the board. Tiles went flying all around them, which was fine with her. “You ruined our game.”
“You threw a Q at me.”
“Get your snood off me.”
“Ah-ha! So you admit it’s a word!”
“Too bad you messed up the game and can’t collect your forty-six points or whatever it would’ve been this time.”
“Fifty-five, and did you intentionally provoke me to get out of finishing the game?”
“Would I do that?” she asked, batting her eyelashes at him.
“Yes, I believe you would.”
“Sadly, you pounced before we finished, which means your ninety-point lead never happened.”
“And you say I cheat . . .”
“Getting trounced in Scrabble always makes me cranky,” she said. “You wouldn’t want me to be cranky, would you?”
“Don’t you mean crankier?”
She scowled at him. “Speaking of declarations of war . . .”
“There’re so many better things we can do besides fight over who’s a cheater at Scrabble. Like this, for one thing.” He kissed her lips. “And this.” More kisses to her neck. “And this is a personal favorite,” he said of the kisses to the upper slope of her breast.
“Colton?”
“Mmm?”
“My sick day with you was the best day I’ve ever spent with anyone.”
“Your sick day has been one of my favorite days ever, too. I’d say you should get sick more often, but I never again want to see you suffer the way you did last night.”
“I never again want to suffer like that either—or have you see it.”
“You’re still not over that, huh?”
“I may never get over the horror of puking in front of my boyfriend.”
“I love when you call me your boyfriend, even if we’re talking about puke.”
“Again I say there’s something wrong with you.”
He was smiling and coming in for more kisses when the buzzer sounded. “Ugh. Don’t they know I’m busy here?”
“Put it on hold, Romeo. That’s probably my dad.”
“Oh. Shit.” Colton got up comically fast and held out a hand to help her up from the floor.
She patted his bare chest. “A shirt would be good. Just while he’s here though. Then I want it off again.”
“Right. Going to get a shirt now.”
While Colton headed for the bedroom, Lucy went to deal with the intercom.
“Hello?”
“It’s your dad.”
“Come on up.” She buzzed him in and went to pick up the game pieces that were scattered all about on the area rug in her living room. Snood . . . That was not a word.
Colton returned wearing a red T-shirt that was wrinkled but presentable. He’d combed his hair, too. He seemed nervous about meeting her dad, which was adorable.
She was about to tell him he looked good when he
handed her his phone to show her something on the screen.
Snood: a decorative hair net or ribbon worn by unmarried Scottish women.
Damn him! “How do you know about unmarried Scottish women? Do you have one of them in your harem, too?”
He pinched her butt. “That’ll learn you not to challenge the master, babe.”
“You’re an arrogant ass, and I’m never playing Scrabble with you again.”
“You forgot the part about how you love me.” He gave her a gentle nudge. “Now get the door for your dad.”
* * *
Colton stood back and watched as Lucy opened the door to her dad, who came in carrying two brown paper bags. He took a quick look at Colton before continuing to the kitchen with his bundles. “I got chicken noodle for you and beef stew for him.”
At the words beef stew Colton’s stomach let out a loud growl that made Lucy laugh.
“I’d say he approves of your choice.” Lucy took hold of her father’s hand and led him into the living room. “Colton, this is my dad, Ray Mulvaney. Dad, my boyfriend, Colton Abbott.”
Never had the word boyfriend carried more significance than it did at this moment. Colton shook hands with Ray. “Nice to meet you, sir.”
“Call me Ray.”
“I will. Thank you.”
Since he hadn’t been much for relationships in the past, he hadn’t met many parents and wasn’t all that experienced at this. But something about the way Ray Mulvaney sized him up had Colton’s hands feeling clammy and the rest of him sweaty. “You’re a big guy. Spend a lot of time in the gym, do you?”
“Um, no. Never been in a gym in my life.”
“He works on a mountain, Dad, making maple syrup. It’s very physical work.”
“Is that right?”
“Yes, sir. I mean Ray. I’d be happy to send you some of our syrup. There’s nothing quite like it in the world.”
“So I’ve heard. I wouldn’t say no to trying some.”
“I’ll get your address from Lucy.”
Ray sat on one of the bar stools and crossed his arms, settling in. “I understand you come from a big family.”
“There’re ten of us kids.”
“Ten kids.” Ray shook his head. “How many girls?”