Chapter Seventeen
Lance got a call from Violet on his way home from work the following day. “I haven’t missed anyone’s birthday, have I?”
“That’s not the only reason I call you, but since you mention it, Aunt Anita has one coming up on the twentieth.”
“Jody and I were talking about that this morning. It’s after seven. You’re not still at Second Time Around, are you? I didn’t think Summer was such a slave driver.”
Violet laughed. “Summer left an hour ago. I’m waiting on Jackson. He’s out showing a house. When he gets back, we’re going to a Christmas party.”
“I’ve got one tomorrow night. What’s the right length of time to stay and not look rude?”
“You wouldn’t be asking these questions if you had a date to take with you.”
Lance chuckled. “I’m out of luck in that department. I can’t even get Jody to go. She says she doesn’t have anything to wear.”
“I heard something the other day I thought you should know.”
“This can’t be good.”
“It depends on how you look at it. At Thanksgiving, you complained that I didn’t give you a heads-up. I’m giving you one now. Chloe Martin recently moved back to Columbus. She’s staying with her parents. Needless to say, Mom is very excited.”
“Chloe and I haven’t seen each other in sixteen years. What’s there to be excited about?”
“It was no secret you had a major crush on her.”
“Back then. Not now.”
“You can’t say that for sure. You haven’t seen or talked to her yet.”
“Yet? What does that mean?”
“Mom and Summer are spinning this as a second chance with your first love.”
Lance couldn’t help laughing. “They’re pulling out all the stops.”
“Looks like it. Too bad I won’t be around to see it. Jackson and I are going to Nashville for Christmas.”
“So the only one who’s on my side won’t be there? Thanks a lot, Violet.”
“I didn’t completely abandon you. I told you what’s coming. Forewarned is forearmed.”
“It would serve them right if I did bring someone home with me.”
“Speaking of that, is there any news about Norah?”
“She hasn’t announced her engagement yet.”
“That’s something at least. Until there’s a ring on her finger, there’s hope. Jackson just pulled in. I better go.”
“Have a nice time at your party.”
She giggled. “You, too.”
There wasn’t much chance of that.
The overdone meatloaf should have been his first clue that something was up with Jody. When she kept losing track of the conversation, the lightbulb finally went on in his head. With Logan sitting there soaking up every word of conversation like a sponge, Lance couldn’t ask her about it. Not that he would have anyway. Jody was an intensely private person where her own thoughts and feelings were concerned.
Thinking she might appreciate some time alone, he took Logan upstairs after dinner to play checkers. Logan proudly showed off his newly-decorated tree, pointing out the paper chains he and his mother made earlier in the day. Lance could remember doing that as well as stringing colored popcorn to use as tinsel.
They were finishing up their third game when Jody came to put Logan to bed. Lance kissed Logan goodnight before going to the room he’d converted into a home gym. He was in the middle of a session on the elliptical when Jody stuck her head through the door.
“Can you come to the kitchen when you’re done?”
“Sure.”
“There’s no hurry. Tomorrow is Logan’s school Christmas party. I’ve got three dozen cupcakes to make.”
Lance finished his workout and took a quick shower before heading to the kitchen. Jody was removing a pan from the oven when he walked in.
“There’s coffee if you want it.”
“No, thanks,” he told her, reaching into the refrigerator for a water bottle. “I’ve had enough caffeine today.”
She removed the oven mitts from her hands before walking over to join him . “Hunter invited me and Logan to the lighting ceremony. I told him we were going with you, and that he was welcome to come along. You don’t mind, do you?”
“Of course not.”
“It’s not like a date or anything. It’s just a group of friends enjoying a night out.”
“That’s right.”
She was worrying her bottom lip; a sure sign there was more to come. “It’s okay for me to do this, isn’t it, Lance?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
“I don’t want you to think…” She stopped, her lips quivering and her eyes bright with tears.
He put his hand over hers. “You don’t want me to think what?”
“That I’m being…disloyal to Nigel.”
“No one expects you to stop living because Nigel is no longer here.”
“It’s only been a little over a year.”
“Grief doesn’t have a time table, Jody. The matter of when you’re ready to rejoin the social scene is something only you can answer. I’ll support your decision whatever it is.”
She laughed unsteadily. “Even if it means you’re stuck with me forever.”
“Even then,” he said, smiling.
* * * * *
Norah was stretched out on her loveseat, strategically positioned to avoid the broken spring, when the doorbell rang. Oliver did his usual disappearing act as she padded over to glance through the spyhole. She almost fainted when she saw Perry’s smiling face.
What was he doing here? He wasn’t supposed to be back in town until Friday. His unexpected business trip had prevented her telling him about her altered feelings. She hadn’t known whether to be relieved about the delay or not. On the one hand, she wanted to get it over with. She didn’t like being in the false position of pretending everything was okay. On the other, it wasn’t something that could be done by phone. Contrary to how Perry handled things between them previously, Norah had every intention of speaking to him face to face.
The problem was she’d resigned herself to having this conversation after the bachelor auction. Now he was standing on her doorstep.
Her fingers were shaking so badly she could hardly unbolt the lock and open the door. Trying to summon a smile was a nearly impossible task. “Perry! When did you…”
That’s as far as she got. He swept her into his arms and kissed her as if they hadn’t seen each other in weeks instead of a few days. If he noticed her less-than-enthusiastic response, he didn’t say anything.
“I got back in town early so I thought I’d surprise you.”
She led the way into the living room. “You certainly did that. I’m wearing the oldest clothes in my closet, my hair’s a mess, and I don’t have on any makeup.”
“So what? You always look beautiful.” He sat down in the recliner and pulled her on his lap. “I did a lot of thinking about us while I was gone.”
She went still in his arms. “In what way?”
“About our future. I asked myself, what are we waiting for? We’re not college kids anymore. We both know what we want.”
Every scrap of color faded from Norah’s face. She had to stop him before he went any further. “Perry! Wait! I need to say something.”
He laughed. “It’s usual to let the man ask first.”
In her agitation, she grabbed his arm. “It’s not what you think,” she said, her voice thick with held back tears and guilt. “I’ve done something awful.”
“There’s nothing so awful that you can’t tell me.”
His understanding at this moment was almost more than she could bear. “You might change your mind after you hear what I have to say.”
“I might not like what you tell me, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t hear it.”
Norah took a deep breath, trying to remember the words she’d rehearsed in front of the mirror. “When we met again, it seemed li
ke the dearest wish of my heart was coming true. Everything fell into place so neatly, so perfectly. I was sure what I felt for you was the love I had all those years ago. But then…things started to happen; things I never expected. I began to think and feel things I shouldn’t have…” Her words trailed away.
He gently loosened the death grip she had on his arm. “You don’t have to say it, Norah. I was right the first time, wasn’t I? You’re in love with Lance.”
She nodded, her eyes filling with tears. “How can you be so calm? Aren’t you terribly angry?”
“Only with myself. My instincts told me you loved Lance, but I couldn’t stand the thought of losing you to someone who didn’t even have sense enough to see what was right under his nose. I should have known this wouldn’t work. You can’t make someone love you, and you can’t stop them from loving someone else.”
“I need to clarify something. I misled you about Lance. For want of a better word, I used him. He doesn’t think of me as anything but an employee and a friend.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. He didn’t want to be part of this. It was all my doing.” She reached for his hand. “I’m so sorry, Perry. I didn’t mean to lead you on.”
“You’re over-analyzing this again. We tried something, and it didn’t work. It’s as simple as that.”
“I wish I could view it that way.”
“You always did feel things more deeply, but you have nothing to blame yourself for. Disappointments are part of life. When they happen, you pick yourself up and go on. As it is, you probably saved us both a lot of heartache.”
Norah realized she was still sitting on Perry’s lap, an action that didn’t seem appropriate anymore. She sat up and moved to the loveseat.
“Is this going to make the auction awkward?”
He laughed. “Not unless you were planning to bid on me.”
“You’re being kinder to me than I deserve.”
“No, Norah. I’m getting what I deserve for walking away from you before.”
He didn’t stay long after that. There was little point. They no longer had anything to say to each other.
Chapter Eighteen
The night Norah had planned for weeks was about to get underway, much to the excitement of the women filling the auditorium of the Charleston Civic Center. From her position in the wings, she had a great view of the action. The mood was definitely festive with a backdrop of beautifully decorated Christmas trees and holiday music playing in the background. Other than a few minor setbacks, one of which was temporarily running out of red tablecloths, everything had gone smoothly.
At precisely six fifty-five, the lights dimmed. Those who hadn’t yet found their seats scurried to do so. Norah felt rather than saw Lance come up beside her. She turned her head to look at him. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach.
“Are you sure I can’t talk you into giving the welcome speech?” he asked, smiling.
“Very sure. I’d faint from sheer fright.”
“Why? You talk to groups of people every day.”
“Not this many at one time.”
“I’ve spoken in front of large groups before, but never one this animated.” He glanced at his watch. “Time to get this thing started.” With that, he stepped out of the wings and walked over to the podium.
“Good evening and welcome to the first ever Jingle Bells Bachelor Bash. I’m Lance Langston. On behalf of Fallen Heroes, I want to thank each and every one of you for being here tonight. Your generosity will have a tremendous impact on countless military spouses and their families.
“Before we go any further, there’s someone else I need to thank. This person worked tirelessly to make this night happen. She took a few half-formed ideas and turned them into the largest fundraising event we’ve ever had. I won’t embarrass her by asking her to come out here, but I did want to acknowledge her efforts. It’s not an exaggeration to say that without Norah Comstock, this bachelor auction wouldn’t have happened.
“I’m going to turn things over to Jim Sampson, host of Good Morning, Charleston. He’ll explain the rules and introduce our first bachelor. Happy bidding, ladies!”
There was a roar of applause along with a shower of whistles. A few women asked if they could bid on him. Lance looked a little embarrassed by the attention, something Norah found both adorable and endearing.
“Thanks for not making me go out there,” she whispered when he rejoined her in the wings.
“I make no promises about next year,” he whispered back.
His reference to the fact that they’d be working together warmed her heart as did his comment earlier in the afternoon when he said they made a good team. They might never be more to each other than what they were right now, but Lance made even friendship something very special.
From the time the first bachelor was announced, the pace of the evening shifted to warp speed. The only weird moment for Norah was when it was Perry’s turn. She hadn’t purposely tried to avoid him, but neither had she sought him out. Two days wasn’t long enough to forget what passed between them. As sad a fact as it was, she hoped it would be a long time before they ran into each other again.
Just before they called his name, Perry said in a low voice, “Some people want love so badly that they see it where it doesn’t exist. With you, it’s the opposite. You fail to see it where it does.”
There wasn’t time to ask what he meant. He was already stepping out of the shadows into the light.
* * * * *
Carolyn came to where Lance was leaning against the wall at the back of the auditorium. “I think we can call this evening a resounding success.”
“I agree. It was worth the price of admission just to watch it all unfold. I can’t think of another experience to compare with it.”
“Maybe the date Iris won with the fireman will turn into something. That would get her out of your hair.”
“We can only hope.”
“Did Jody leave already?”
“Yes. She wanted to be home before Logan went to bed.” Lance didn’t add that Hunter had volunteered to babysit so Jody could have an evening out. He had little doubt that Carolyn would pick up on what was happening soon enough. Like most women, she had a nose for that sort of thing.
“I need to head that way myself.”
“Thanks for coming, Carolyn.”
“I would have come just for you, but there was plenty of added incentive.”
He chuckled. “I noticed. Got any ideas for how I can get all these people to leave?”
“As long as you’ve got shirtless guys willing to have their pictures taken, you’re not going anywhere. I’ll see you on Monday.”
“Enjoy the rest of your weekend.”
As he looked around the room, he realized he hadn’t seen Norah since the auction ended. She had to be here somewhere. She wouldn’t have left without telling him, plus Perry was still here, surrounded by a crowd of admirers. As expected, the billionaire bachelor generated the most excitement and by far the highest bids of the evening. Lance had no particular ax to grind with Perry. He only envied him one thing.
He spotted Louise coming his way. “I think you’ve found your calling.”
She laughed. “Doing things like this is similar to eating a piece of chocolate cake. It’s great every now and then, but it doesn’t work as a steady diet.”
“I take it that means I can count on you next year.”
“I’d be upset if you didn’t. I’ll send some pictures to the newspaper as well as to Shirley. She can pick and choose what she wants to use for Fallen Heroes’ website and social media. Were there any calendars left?”
“Are you kidding? We sold out before the show started. Women were buying two and three at a time.”
“To give as Christmas presents, I guess. I need to find Angela. She and I rode together. I’ll probably have to drag her out of here. She won the date with Perry. Oddly enough, he came by the shop yesterday. They talked for quite a while.
”
“I think they know each other. I saw them together the day we were at your studio.”
“Very interesting.”
“Interesting, how?”
“I sensed lots of chemistry between those two.”
Lance laughed. “Are we back to that?”
“I’m going to make a believer out of you yet.”
It was a good thing Louise didn’t know how tempted Lance was to believe her. “I’ll let you track down Angela. I need to find Norah.”
“I saw her heading backstage with Jim not long ago.”
“Then that’s where I’m going.”
She winked at him. “Remember what I said about those wedding plans.”
He grinned. “You don’t give up, do you? See ya around, Louise.”
Lance found Norah talking to one of the civic center staff. When she finished, she walked over to where he stood waiting.
“I was making sure nothing got left in the dressing rooms. Are things winding down out there?”
“Not much. If you could induce Perry to leave, that might get the ball rolling. I’m sure he’s had his fill of glory for one night.”
She didn’t smile as he thought she would. “I agree, but I’m not the person he wants to see right now.”
“Why? Is he afraid to advertise the fact that he’s got a girlfriend?”
“No, it’s not that.” Her eyes shifted away from him. “Perry and I broke up.”
Lance ignored the sudden roaring in his ears. “When?” he asked more sharply than he intended.
“Thursday night.”
A flame of white-hot rage swept through him. “The arrogance and conceit of this guy is unbelievable,” he said through clenched teeth. “He gets a second chance to make things right, and he throws it away. For someone who’s supposed to be a genius, he’s incredibly stupid. What is his prob…” He felt her hand come down on his arm.
“Lance! Listen to me! You’ve got it wrong. I’m the one who broke things off.”
He could hardly believe what he was hearing. “I…see.”
A New Year's Kiss Page 13