by Diane Moody
“I’ve always wanted to see the Aurora Borealis. In person,” she said.
“I’ve always thought how spectacular it would be to take a hot air balloon ride over Napa Valley.”
“I like that one!” She scooped another bite of Rocky Road. “Personally, I want to walk where Jesus walked before I die.”
He waited, confident she was joking, but the serene expression on her face reflected something altogether different. “You want to go to the Holy Land?”
“Well, sure. Don’t you?”
“The thought never crossed my mind. It’s not exactly a safe place to travel these days.”
She dipped another spoonful of ice cream, this time turning the spoon to him. Sharing a carton of ice cream was one thing; sharing spoons felt so . . . invasive. Still, his heretofore stuffy resolve melted away as he drank in the sight of her, those adoring eyes glued to him. He took the bite, never breaking eye contact. Her wink sent a rush of warmth through him.
“I know it’s dangerous over there, but I keep hoping I get the chance to go. A group from our church went years ago, but I had to back out at the last minute. I’ve never forgiven my former appendix for making me miss that trip. Ellen said it was unforgettable, and every Christian should . . .”
He wiped his mouth with his napkin and waited. “Every Christian should . . .?”
“Trevor, I can’t believe we’ve been talking all this time, and I never even asked you—are you a believer?”
“A ‘believer’ in what context of the word?”
She set her spoon on top of her napkin. “Do you believe in God? Does He play a role in your life?”
His heart fluttered at the boldness of her question. “Yes, of course. Anyone with half a brain believes in God. I’m surprised you had to ask.”
She rested her hand on his. “I know, but lots of people say they believe in God but never give Him the time of day. I’m asking if there was ever a time you asked Jesus into your heart to be your Lord and Savior.”
“Well, I’m sure there must have been. As a child, we went to church a couple of times a year. Usually Christmas and Easter. ”
She squeezed his hand as a wave of concern trailed through her eyes. “The thing is, Trevor, it’s not about going to church. I mean, that’s a good thing, of course, but the most important part of being a believer is that initial step of faith, asking God to be Lord of your life. And that’s the question I’m asking. Not to be nosy or invade your personal privacy, but because it’s so important to me. Besides, what kind of a friend would I be if I didn’t tell you about the best thing that ever happened to me?”
He had no idea how to respond. There was no question about her sincerity. She talked about God like He was a close, personal friend.
Olivia took both of his hands in hers and seemed to be studying his eyes, as if searching for answers in his soul. “Hey, we’re both tired. Let’s talk about this another time, okay? I’m sorry if it feels like I put you on the spot. Just promise you’ll give it some thought, okay?”
He nodded. “Sure.”
“Fair enough. Now, if you wouldn’t mind, Mr. Bass, could I impose on you for a ride back to the MacVicar?”
Chapter 14
“That’s it. I’m booking a flight today. I’ll be there tomorrow.”
“Right. Like I believe that,” Olivia teased. “Ellen, I told you. There’s no cause for alarm. Trevor and I are just friends. I promise.”
“Friends who’ve spent almost every waking moment together over the last week or so? Friends roasting marshmallows over a fire pit, surrounded by three feet of snow in the dead of winter? Friends discussing books they love into the wee hours of the morning . . . Have I left anything out?”
“Okay, fine. I admit it’s been a whirlwind week.”
“Well, I guess so! You’ve called me every day for the past ten days telling me all about your romantic days and nights with this bookstore Don Juan. Sounds to me like you two need a chaperone at the very least.”
“HA! I assure you we’ve done nothing inappropriate, Sister Mary Margaret. You’re also starting to sound like my mother back in my high school days.”
“Someone’s got to do it, and who better than me? I need to check this guy out. Make sure he’s good enough for you. Ask him what his intentions are. You know the drill.”
Olivia plopped into the cozy reading chair in her room, and threw her legs over the arm. “Seriously, Ellen, there’s nothing to worry about. You’re more than welcome to come stay with me. I’d love that! As long as you’re not coming just to spy on Trevor.”
“Oh sure, take all the fun out of it.”
“You’re a piece of work. Have I ever told you that?”
“Once or twice. I will say that I love the picture you emailed of you and Trevor standing in front of Walker’s Point. Of course, I’d have liked it better if the Bushes were there with you. But Trevor’s not at all what I pictured. All this time, I’d been picturing someone more like Cary Grant.”
“Cary Grant? Oh, please. Didn’t he die fifty years or so ago? For the record, Trevor is not a geezer, thank you very much.”
“Well, that’s how he sounded from all you’ve told me about him. But now that I’ve seen his picture, I can see he’s younger. Kind of reminds me of Pierce Brosnan. Very handsome. Even debonair. All the more reason I’m concerned.”
“Pierce Brosnan? From Mrs. Doubtfire or when he played James Bond?”
“Does it matter?”
“No, I’m just curious. I guess there’s a slight resemblance, but I hadn’t noticed it ‘til you mentioned it just now.”
“Olivia, it doesn’t matter if he looks like Tommy Lee Jones. I love you too much not to be concerned.”
“I know.” She leaned her head back against the chair. “But can’t you just be happy for me? Because I’m really, really happy for the first time in—well, I can’t remember ever being this happy. He’s such a good man, Ellen. You just have to trust me. At least until you get to meet him.”
Ellen was silent for several moments. Then, “I am happy for you—at least I’m trying to be happy for you. I can hear it in your voice, Olivia. It’s like your whole tone has changed. And I could see it in the picture. Your demeanor is different. You look so carefree and happy, and I want so much for this to be the real thing. But I’m also concerned for all the reasons we’ve talked about before. It’s all so sudden. I just don’t want you to get hurt. That’s all.”
“I know.”
“Are you sure he doesn’t know about the money?”
“How many times do I have to tell you? No, I haven’t told him. There’s no need. At first, he assumed I couldn’t afford a house on the water up here. But that was before we, you know … realized we had feelings for each other.”
“Oh yeah, those ‘just friends’ feelings.”
“Yeah, those. And since then, it just hasn’t come up. So to answer your question—no, Trevor does not know about my recent windfall.”
“Probably best to keep it that way.”
“We’ll see.”
“Just don’t do anything crazy like running off to Maui to get married.”
“Maui. Got it. You’ll be the first to know.”
“Brat.”
“Aloha, Mother Hen.”
“Aloha-ha-ha, Cinderella.”
Olivia grabbed her coat, scarf, and keys, planning to head to Molly’s after breakfast. Trevor would be tied up all morning with some online book auction. A collection of first editions had come up for auction from the personal library of someone he’d always admired and respected. Olivia had never heard of the famous historian, but she enjoyed hearing the passion in Trevor’s voice when he talked about him. They’d agreed to meet for a late lunch after the auction, giving her plenty of time to herself for a change.
Downstairs, she enjoyed a second cup of coffee after a breakfast dish Trig had made for her. “I never would have thought to put spinach in this egg dish. What
a great idea.”
“Thanks. There’s more. Would you like a second helping?”
Olivia waved her napkin at him. “No! I’m sure I’ve put on at least five pounds since I got here.”
“Well, if so, you hide it well.” A funny expression crossed his face. “If you don’t mind my saying so, that is. Not that I was checking you out or anything. I just meant that you look, uh . . . great! You look perfect.” He sighed. “Oh, you know what I meant.”
“Of course I do, but it was entirely too much fun watching you squirm through that one!” Olivia laughed as she set her mug on the table. “I’m about to head over to Molly’s. Need anything?”
He picked up the dishes. “Not that I can think of. Say hi to Molly and Trevor for me.”
She pulled on her coat, deciding to let him squirm a bit more. “Trevor? Why would you—”
“Oh nothing. I just assumed . . . I mean, I heard you and Trevor have been . . . y’know—”
“Really?” Olivia fought the blush creeping over her face. “What did you hear?”
He shrugged. “Ah, never mind all that. It’s a small town. People talk. But the way I see it? It’s about time ol’ Trevor reeled one in.”
“Oh no. Not with the fish jokes again.”
“Y’know, he’s been floundering around all these years, until you came along.”
“Trig.”
“As for me? I’m happy to see Mr. Bass has finally found the gill of his dreams.”
“All right, I’m outta here.
“Don’t forget to tell Trevor hi for me if you get an ‘oppor-tuna-ty.’”
She groaned, pulling the knitted cap over her head. “Enough! Goodbye!”
Ten minutes later, she was chatting with Molly in the stationery aisle when the front door opened and Mimi Overton’s voice sang out.
“Hello, hello! You back there, Molly? You won’t BELIEVE what I just heard about Trev—”
Olivia and Molly looked up just as Mimi rounded the aisle and froze. Her eyes widened; her brows jumped high on her forehead as she plastered an exuberant smile on her face. “Olivia! Hi-hello-nice-to-see-you!”
“Well, nice to see you too, Mimi.”
With her smile intact, Mimi looked at Molly, blinked a couple times, looked back at Olivia, then blinked a couple times more. “Yes, well, just stopped by to say hello. I’ll be going now.” She ducked out of sight.
Olivia couldn’t resist. “Mimi, wait! If you need to talk to Molly, I’ll give you two some privacy.”
Mimi thrust her wristwatch up to her face. “Oh my gosh, will you look at the time. Gotta go! We’ll chat later. Bye!”
As the door clanged shut, Olivia exploded in laughter. “Wish I’d caught that on film. Mimi cracks me up!”
She noticed Molly smiled, but wasn’t laughing. She was also avoiding eye contact.
“Okaaaay, how about you and I have a nice little chat, Molly. I’ll even buy you a cup of coffee. Shall we?” Olivia nudged her toward the coffee bar.
“Oh, well, I probably need to get back to—”
“It’ll only take a minute.” She guided Molly’s elbow in the direction of the bar.
“Oh, well then. Okay.”
As Molly poured two cups of coffee, Olivia didn’t take her eyes off her. “Okay, I need you to shoot me straight. What was all that about?”
“What’s that?”
Olivia pinned Molly’s hand on the counter. “You know exactly what I mean. Mimi was going to tell you something about Trevor, and by the look on your face, I think you know what she was about to say.”
With a long sigh, Molly took a seat across from her. “Might as well just say it. Word is that you and Trevor are seeing each other.”
Olivia had to bite her lip at the expression on Molly’s face, the perfect blend of guilt and curiosity. “Good grief, it’s not a secret. So we’ve been spending time together. Is there something wrong with that? Is he secretly married or something?”
Molly’s eyes widened until she realized Olivia was teasing. “Gracious, no! It’s just that Trevor’s been an avowed bachelor for so long, we’d all given up on him.” A smile finally graced her face as she reached over to pat Olivia’s hand. “My dear, I for one am happy as a clam to hear such good news. If anyone can brighten his gloomy spirit, it’s you.”
“That’s really sweet, Molly. But it works both ways, I assure you. He’s made me—well, he’s brightened my life too. It’s been years since I’ve gone out with anyone, but somehow we seemed to figure it out.”
Molly patted her hand again. “How lovely. Good for you!”
The door opened as Mavis Randolphson ushered her father inside. “Scott, Mavis, come in, come in!”
“Hello, Molly. Hi, Olivia,” Mavis closed the door behind her father. “Brrrr! It’s freezing out there today, don’t you think?”
“Just another warm day in Paradise, if you ask me,” Scott added with a confident smile. “Molly, I’ve come for some sunscreen. I plan a long afternoon sunning myself out by the pool.”
Molly gave him a hug. “Sunscreen, my foot. You came for the prescription you called in. You stay here and chat with Olivia while Mavis comes back with me to settle up.”
“Fine, fine.” His hand searched for Olivia’s. “Tell me, how’s our favorite Georgia peach doing today?”
“I’m fine, Mr. Ran—”
“Ah, ah. It’s Scott, remember?”
“Of course I remember. I’m fine, Scott. Have a seat.” She helped him to a barstool. “Are you enjoying The Count of Monte Cristo?”
“Love it. A riveting story from start to finish. Trevor has excellent taste.” He leaned forward, whispering conspiratorially. “But I don’t have to tell you that, now do I?”
Olivia was glad he couldn’t see the blush heating her face. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
He chuckled, nodding. “Well, then. If that’s your preference, we’ll pretend neither of us know. Though I dare say . . .” He wiggled his finger, urging her closer.
“Yes?”
“It’s about time our elusive bookman found love,” he whispered. “Well done, Olivia. Well done!”
“Scott Randolphson, what shall I do with you?”
“You shall save a dance for me at your wedding!”
“Shh!’ She clapped her hand over his mouth. “Pipe down, will you? You’ll have the whole town breathing down our backs if you keep this up. Now, if I remove my hand, will you promise not to say another word about it?”
He nodded like an obedient child then grinned like a Cheshire cat as she pulled her hand away. “Scout’s honor.” He reached up for her cheek, and she guided his hand, placing her hand over his. “I just want you to know how pleased I am for you and Trevor. I mean that sincerely. For all the years I’ve known him, I’ve never seen him so happy. And yes, even a blind man can see that.”
Olivia leaned over to kiss his cheek.
“What have we here?” Mavis teased as she and Molly rejoined them. “We turn our backs for two minutes and look what happens.”
Scott jostled himself with great effect. “Oh, please, ladies—not a word of this to anyone! Swear on it!”
“Dad, it’s a good thing Trevor didn’t walk in on you two just now!”
Olivia rolled her eyes. “I give up!” She climbed back into her coat and headed for the door. “What did you all do for fun before I came to town?”
“Nothing!” Scott roared. “That’s why we’re so happy you’re here.”
“Riiiiiight. I’m outta here.”
The jingling bell on the door did little to stem the flurry of butterflies dancing through Olivia’s stomach. Thank goodness Trevor didn’t witness all that. For the first time, she wondered what kind of fuss folks had been giving him? Did they tease him to his face? Or did they gossip behind his back? She was just a “lowly tourist” to most of them. But Trevor had lived here for years.
She swallowed hard with equal am
ounts of excitement and nerves battling it out somewhere in the vicinity of her heart.
Chapter 15
“Olivia! Stay right there!”
She turned at the sound of his voice. “Trevor? I wasn’t expecting you for another hour.”
“I know. Wait until you hear!” He hurried along the snow-shoveled sidewalk to catch up with her, then pulled her into a bear hug. “I got them! The books! I won the auction!”
“Congratulations! That’s wonderful!”
“I still can’t believe it! It was so close, and I thought for sure Milford Banks would snatch them away at the last moment, but he didn’t, and I won them and I can hardly—” He hugged her again even harder. “Oh, Olivia, I can’t begin to tell you how wonderful it is to have someone to share this moment with! How can I possibly thank you?”
Before she could answer, he kissed here right there for all the world to see.
Her laughter warmed his ear as hugged her again, then swung her off her feet and twirled around. “We have to celebrate!” He set her down again.
“Let’s!” She grabbed his hand and turned toward the entry to Anthony’s. “A big bowl of lobster bisque! My treat.”
He tugged at her hand. “No, not a bowl of soup. Let’s go somewhere special. I know—let’s go to Boston! I’ve been wanting to take you there, show you the sights. Let’s just do it! All I have to do is put a sign on the door at the shop, and we can be on our way.”
“Are you sure? Isn’t this awfully sudden?”
“Yes! And that’s what makes it so positively delicious!” He hugged her again. “Oh, wait—Charlie. I really shouldn’t leave her alone just now.”
“Oh? Then maybe we shouldn’t—”
“No problem.” He grabbed her hand and tugged her along in the direction of the shop. “I’ll see if Marilyn can watch her for a few hours.”
Olivia had to jog to keep up with him. “Marilyn from the book club?”
“Sorry.” He paused, slowing his pace for her. “Yes, you know the one who knits. The woman’s always knitting. I think she must knit in her sleep. But she adores Charlie, and often watches her for me if I have to be away for a while.”