A New Year's Kiss

by Delaney Cameron

  She had just returned to her room when someone knocked on her door.

  “Norah. It’s Lance.”

  She laughed as she let him in. “Who else would be coming to see me?”

  “No one, I hope.” His hands moved to her waist. He bent his head and pressed his lips against the pulse beating in her neck. Norah’s fingers curled into her palms as he trailed soft kisses along her collarbone, up the side of her neck, and finally to her mouth. If she hadn’t been awake before, she was now. “Good morning,” he said softly.

  “Yes, it is,” she said, still pressed against him and in no hurry to move.

  His fingers slid into her hair. “Did I wake you up when I took a shower?”

  She laughed. “No. Someone beat you to it. Look over by the window.”

  He turned his head, a smile breaking out on his face. “So you’ve met Jeeves. I heard him prowling around after I went to bed last night. I guess he figured out he wasn’t the only feline in the house. He and Oliver seem to be getting along.”

  “They remind me of two old men playing chess in the park.”

  “You have such nice thoughts.”

  “Considering most of them are about you, I have to agree.”

  “If you’re ready, we’ll go downstairs and see about breakfast.”

  “All I have to do is put on my shoes.”

  He pulled her in for one more kiss. “I have to enjoy this while I can. Once we leave this room, we won’t be alone again until tonight.”

  * * * * *

  “How long did it take to put together?” Lance asked. He and his father were out in the garage; the object in question was a cedar porch glider.

  “A half hour.”

  “Mom’s gonna love it.”

  “I ordered the six footer with the cup holders. Your mother is never without a glass of sweet tea, and it’s big enough that Keaton and Micah can sit in it with us.”

  “You’re always thinking ahead.”

  His father laughed as they replaced the tarp over the glider. “I didn’t always. It comes with being married to the same woman for forty years.”

  “That’s quite an accomplishment. What’s the secret?”

  “There isn’t one. Marriage is like most things. You get out of it what you’re willing to put in. I haven’t had a chance to tell you yet, but Norah is a very nice young lady. She told me she grew up on a farm. Any girl who can talk knowledgeably about crop rotation gets my vote.”

  Lance smiled. “She’s as real as it gets. I was drawn to her beauty, but it’s her loving nature and the courageous way she tackles adversity that made me fall in love with her.”

  They left the garage and walked back inside the house. April and Summer had arrived while he was gone. True to form, they were in the kitchen arguing about which stuffing recipe to use. On the other side of the island, his mother was calmly chopping onions and celery.

  “Norah’s in the living room with Micah.”

  That’s all Lance needed to hear. The smile Norah sent him when he got there had his breath catching in his throat. When he was with her, the world slowed down and became an exciting and magical place.

  He sat down on the floor beside her. A few feet away, his oldest nephew was playing with a wooden train set. “Having fun?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

  “Micah is showing me how his trains hook together.”

  “It’s magnets, Uncle Lance.”

  “That’s pretty cool. Where’s Keaton?”

  “Home with Daddy.”

  “Did you tell Norah what you want to be when you grow up?”

  “A fireman.”

  “A fireman? I thought you wanted to be a truck driver.”

  Micah shook his head. “I wanna be a fireman and climb the ladder.”

  “Where did you see a fireman climb a ladder?”

  “At church.”

  Lance turned a laugh into a cough. “What was he doing at church?”

  “Looking for some water.”

  “Was he thirsty?”

  “He wanted water for his hose.”

  “Oh, I see. That makes sense.” Lance leaned back against the couch and stretched out his legs. “When I was little, I wanted to be an astronaut so I could fly to the moon in a spaceship. What about you, Norah?”

  “I wanted to be a princess living in a castle.”

  “Knowing you love horses, I was expecting you to say a cowgirl.”

  She grinned. “There would have been lots of horses in the stable behind the castle.”

  April strolled into the room. “The turkey is stuffed and in the oven. Mom’s working on the sweet potatoes, and Summer is walking around putting up mistletoe. You might want to be careful where you stand.”

  “Thanks for the warning, but I no longer have a reason to avoid mistletoe.”

  “Who plays the piano?” Norah asked.

  April answered before he could. “All of us took lessons except Lance, but Violet is the only real musician in the family. Did Lance explain to you about the pictures on the piano?”

  He shot his sister an annoyed glance which she ignored. “We haven’t got that far yet.”

  “Your mom does a great job decorating for Christmas,” Norah said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a lovelier tree.”

  April nodded. “Mom is very creative. She makes most of the ornaments, too.”

  “That reminds me of my grandmother. She never bought anything already made. She sewed her own curtains, tablecloths, and quilts.”

  “That’s something I regret not learning to do.”

  “I heard a vehicle pull in,” Lance said, rising to his feet. “It’s probably Leah and Stratton.”

  As an interruption, it couldn’t have been better timed. He knew April was teasing, but he didn’t want Norah worrying about the pictures on the piano. That was too close to tempting fate.

  * * * * *

  Norah walked over to the kitchen window to check the progress of the croquet game taking place outside. Seeing Lance interact with his parents and sisters had shown her yet another side of his character. He was less the sophisticated attorney and more the playful older brother. Adding to her enjoyment was how easily everyone accepted her. Knowing she was the first girl he’d ever brought home had in itself carried some pressure. Norah didn’t want to let him or his family down.

  “Who wants to help me polish the silver?”

  Norah swung around to face Leah. “I’ll do it.”

  The two of them walked into the dining room.

  “It’s sad that we only get this out at the holidays,” Leah said. “There’s so many memories attached to the items that have been passed down from one generation to the next. When we use them, we remember that we’re part of something.”

  “It’s funny you should say that. I recently unpacked my grandmother’s china and put it in my kitchen. It’s like having her there with me all the time.”

  There was a sudden rise in the volume of voices coming from outside.

  Leah laughed. “Sounds like the game is getting a little intense.”

  “Lance tried to get me to join them, but I’m probably the most nonathletic person on the planet. I didn’t want to disgrace myself in front of him.”

  “I wouldn’t worry about that. I’ve never seen Lance so relaxed. I know that doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it is. I’ve always been of the opinion that he drives himself too hard. He’s so focused on the next goal or the next client, never really taking time to enjoy where he is at the moment. I think having you in his life has given him the incentive to do that.”

  Norah was a little overwhelmed by this. “I’m glad you think so. Lance means a great deal to me.”

  Leah smiled. “I can tell. Your whole face lights up when he walks in the room. Stratton even commented on it to me.”

  “What was Lance like as a little boy?”

  “Mischievous, fearless, independent, loud, and a little crazy. Sliding on the banister wasn’t enough for him
. One afternoon he decided to ride his wooden toboggan down the stairs. The result was a bloody nose and a broken arm. You’d think that would have stopped him from doing it again. Not so. As soon as his cast came off, he piled a bunch of pillows and blankets at the bottom of the stairs to cushion the impact and did it again. He ended up breaking the other arm. A few days later, the toboggan disappeared and was never seen again.”

  “That was probably a good idea.”

  “The funniest thing he did was stand in front of the bathroom mirror singing “You Ain’t Nothing but a Hound Dog”. April and I would peek through the crack in the door and watch him. His Elvis Presley impersonation wasn’t bad.”

  “You’re giving me some great material to tease him with.”

  “It couldn’t have been easy for him to deal with four sisters. He didn’t have any privacy, and he was always outnumbered. Here at home, he tended to treat us like we were the scourge of his existence, but he was very protective about us everywhere else. I didn’t find out for a long time that he put the word out at school that if anyone messed with his sisters, they’d have to answer to him.”

  “I’ve seen that side of him myself.”

  “You work for him, right?”

  “Not directly. I’m one of the tour guides at Wilson-Dawes House.”

  “I still can’t believe Lance bought a house open to the public.”

  Norah laughed. “I, for one, am glad he did.”

  “I keep telling Stratton that we’ve got to make a weekend trip to Charleston.”

  “Spring is the best time to visit. The dogwoods are blooming.”

  A look of sadness entered Leah’s face. “I was in Charleston in the spring a few years ago. It was a trip I’ll never forget.”

  “You and Stratton work together, too, don’t you?”

  “Yes, but not for much longer. I found out yesterday that I’m going to have a baby.”

  “That’s wonderful!” Norah said, impulsively hugging Leah. “Congratulations! You and Stratton must be so happy.”

  Leah’s eyes looked a little misty. “We are. You’re the first person to know. We’re planning to announce it to the family tonight. I shouldn’t have told you, but I’m so excited. It’s so hard to wait.”

  “I can imagine. I wouldn’t be able to hold in that kind of news.”

  “In telling you, I owe Stratton a back rub. I never should have accepted that bet. He knows me too well.”

  “Funny how that works. Sometimes I feel like Lance can read my mind.”

  “Which can be either comforting or downright scary.”

  As if on cue, Lance appeared in the doorway. “I didn’t think anything scared you, Leah.” He started to smile. “Unless it’s finding a rubber cockroach in your bed.”

  “That wasn’t anything to smile about. You almost gave me a heart attack.”

  “You had your revenge. You locked the laundry room window so I couldn’t sneak back into the house. I got grounded for two weeks for breaking curfew.”

  “I missed out on so much being an only child,” Norah said.

  “The rubber cockroach is still in my room somewhere. Just say the word, and it can make an appearance in yours.”

  “I’ll pass.”

  “Is the croquet game over?” Leah asked him.

  “No. I was sent to the bench. Apparently my head isn’t in the game today.”

  “I remember those days.”

  Lance chuckled. “From the way Stratton is playing, he remembers them, too.”

  Leah exchanged an amused glance with Norah. “I think it’s natural for a man who just found out he’s going to be a father again to be a little distracted.”

  Lance’s face split into a big grin. “You’re pregnant?”

  “I believe that’s the correct term for my condition.”

  He leaned over to kiss her cheek. “I’m happy for you and Stratton. I assume you haven’t told Mom yet. She’s way too calm.”

  “We have to space out the good news. She’s already dealing with meeting Norah. You took your sweet time finding someone, but she was definitely worth the wait.”

  “I couldn’t agree more.”

  “Since you’re here, we’re going to put you and all those muscles to work. With twelve people coming for dinner, we’ll need to add some leaves to this table.”

  “Let me take care of this scratch on my arm first. I had a run-in with one of dad’s holly bushes.”

  * * * * *

  Leah and Stratton’s news enlivened what was always an enjoyable Christmas Eve dinner. Following the plan they’d discussed during the football game, the men made an announcement of their own. They would be handling the clean-up operation. The job wasn’t accomplished as quickly or as smoothly as it might have been otherwise, but at least nothing got broken.

  When the last dish was put away, they hung up their towels and walked into the living room. Lance’s glance immediately went to Norah. He’d waited a long time for this. It might seem like a small thing, but there was an immense delight in having someone he loved, someone of his own, to share with him the Christmas traditions he’d grown to love and appreciate. He never spoke of it to anyone, but it hadn’t been easy to witness his younger sisters find the love he wanted so badly.

  The gift exchange was hilarious as usual. It was always a fight to the finish between Summer and April to one-up each other. Then there was the pair of red silk pajamas that magically appeared every year. Once the wrapping paper and bows had been cleared away, everyone settled in with a mug of eggnog to watch Christmas in Connecticut. It was just as well that Lance had seen it at least twenty times because with Norah next to him, her perfume teasing his nose, her silky hair brushing against his skin, and her whispered comments tickling his ear, following the plot would have been impossible.

  No one was in a hurry to leave. It was almost midnight before Lance and Norah were heading upstairs. He stopped outside the door of her room, already a little sad at the thought of being parted from her.

  “You deserve a medal. You survived a Langston family Christmas Eve.”

  She stepped closer to him, her hands coming to rest on his chest. Just that little bit of contact had his head swimming.

  “It’s been one of the nicest Christmas Eve’s I’ve ever had.”

  “For me, too. I don’t think I can wait until morning to give you your gift.”

  Norah laughed softly. “Technically, you only have to wait ten minutes.”

  He dropped a kiss on her cheek. “I’m all for that. Let’s do this in my room.”

  “Slow down, mister,” she said in an exaggerated Southern drawl. “I’m not that kind of girl.”

  He caught one of her hands and brought it to his lips. “The only thing you have to worry about is getting a paper cut when you open your gift. Otherwise, I’m not planning to do anything I haven’t already done.”

  She pretended to consider it. “Well, I do like what you’ve already done. I guess I could chance it. Just this one time. Be back in a sec.” With a swirl of hair, she turned into her room and flipped on the light. Lance smiled when he spotted Oliver and Jeeves stretched out on the bed. When he saw the size of the package in her hand, he understood why she’d brought such a large piece of luggage for such a short stay.

  In his room, he took the box out of her hand and laid it on the dresser. “It’s eleven-fifty-four. I wonder what we could do for six minutes.”

  Norah pointed to the wall. “You could tell me the names of the guys on those posters.”

  He smiled as he closed the door and maneuvered her against it. “Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretsky, Mario Lemieux, Dominik Hasek, and Sidney Crosby.”

  “For some reason, I thought that would take longer.” Norah slid her arms around his waist and lifted her face to his. It was an invitation he had no intention of refusing.

  “It actually took too long,” he whispered as he lowered his head. He teased the corners of her mouth, smiling at her sigh of pleasure, before gliding down the
curve of her cheek to her ear. She pressed closer to him, her hands sliding past his thundering heart to cling to his shoulders. Taking his time, he worked his way back to her lips. The fervor of her response sent his head spinning like a top. He didn’t know where earth ended and heaven began.

  * * * * *

  Lance’s kisses were an intoxicating combination of gentleness and heat, rousing the butterflies in her stomach and setting her blood on fire. He took her to where rational thought had no place and her awareness of everything except him ceased to exist. Just when she thought her lungs were going to burst, he drew back the few inches necessary to see her face, his breathing as affected as her own. The love she saw reflected in his eyes made her feel like the luckiest woman alive.

  “I’m not sure the gifts won’t be something of a letdown after that,” he said, smiling a little.

  She touched his cheek. “We’ll have to find out, won’t we? How did we do timewise? Is it Christmas yet?”

  He checked his watch. “We actually went over by forty seconds. Maybe Mom was right about leaving the door open when there’s a girl in my room. Then again, with four sisters running around, I wouldn’t have been able to get away with anything anyway.” He took her over to sit on the bed. “When I was young, I used to shake all my gifts. It drove my mother crazy.”

  “My grandmother took care of that problem. She didn’t put them under the tree until Christmas Eve.”

  He handed her a gold gift bag. “Merry Christmas, Norah.”

  With fingers that trembled slightly, she removed the ivory tissue. Resting at the bottom of the bag was an old-fashioned jewelry case. She pulled it out and opened the lid. “It’s the cameo pin I saw at Vintage Vogue,” she said in disbelief.

  He laughed. “Yes, I know. I went back the next day and bought it.”

  “The next day? Why?”

  “Because you seemed to really like it, and I didn’t want anyone else to get it before I could figure out when to give it to you.”

  “Oh, Lance,” she said, her voice cracking a little. “This is so sweet, and just like you, too. Thank you.” She leaned up to kiss him. Lance didn’t let it stop with one.