A New Year's Kiss

by Delaney Cameron

  “Time for yours,” she said when he let her go. “I…hope you like it.”

  He smiled as he took the large box from her. “That’s one thing you don’t have to worry about.”

  She sat on pins and needles as he ripped through the gift wrap and slid his fingers under the lid. Then it was off, and he was removing the protective paper. He didn’t say a word as he lifted the canvas from the box and held it between his hands. Unable to stand the silence any longer, she said, “I was inspired by the picture in your office.”

  His eyes shifted from the painting to her. “I worked at Grand Teton National Park one summer when I was in law school. It was like being transported to another world. There was so much wild, unspoiled beauty. I liked early mornings best when the sun slowly turned the mountains to gold. Little by little the image would appear as a reflection on the water. The pictures I took never came close to capturing the magnificence of that moment, but somehow you did. I’m blown away by how talented you are.”

  His words brought tears to her eyes. “So you like it?”

  “Very much.” He propped the canvas against the mirror on the dresser. Then he pulled her to her feet, keeping hold of her hands. “This is special to me not only because you painted it, but also because you gave me the honor of being the first person to see your work.”

  “Painting is part of who I am. I can’t expect to know everything about you without being willing to let you know everything about me.”

  “We already know the most important thing: we love each other. Everything else is just icing on the cake.”

  Those were the last words spoken for a long time.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “What do you think of this one?”

  Lance laughed as he glanced over his shoulder. Jody stood in the doorway of the library wearing yet another outfit. This must be the fourth or fifth time she’d changed. “I’m running out of things to say. You look great in everything you’ve shown me so far.”

  She stepped further into the room. “I think I’ll go back to the blue pantsuit. It’s dressy, but not too much so.”

  “You can’t go wrong with blue. It matches your eyes.”

  “I feel bad about you and Norah having to stay in on New Year’s Eve.”

  “We weren’t going anywhere.”

  “You won’t even be alone. You’re babysitting Logan.”

  “If it doesn’t bother us, it shouldn’t bother you. You’ve earned a night out. Stop feeling guilty at the prospect of having fun without Logan, and stop stressing about your clothes. Hunter’s seen you running around in baggy sweatpants and t-shirts. He obviously finds you attractive.”

  “I don’t mean to be difficult. This is the first time I’ve been out alone with a man since Nigel. I want to go, and yet I’m scared to think I might like it. What’s wrong with me?”

  “You’re human, Jody. You’re in a place you never thought you’d be, about to experience something familiar and yet new. Take one moment at a time. Don’t look ahead to where it might or might not lead.”

  “Not looking ahead is hard for me. I don’t do well with uncertainty. I like to know what’s happening so I can plan for it.”

  “You’re not alone in that. I’m the same way.”

  “Where are Norah and Logan?”

  “They went to get more sparklers.”

  “Two boxes aren’t enough?”

  “Apparently not.”

  She smiled. “Things are going good between you and Norah. You didn’t believe me when I told you that you’d meet a woman you couldn’t ignore.”

  “No, I didn’t. You’ve earned your ‘I told you so’ moment.”

  “That’s just one thing you were wrong about. You also underestimated how long I’d be living here.”

  “How’s that?”

  “When you marry Norah, Logan and I will need to move out.”

  “Where do you get these crazy ideas?”

  “Come on, Lance,” she said somewhat impatiently. “You can’t tell me the thought of marrying Norah hasn’t crossed your mind.”

  “What does that have to do with you moving out?”

  “Don’t be obtuse. We can’t live here after you get married.”

  “Why not?”

  She shot him an irritated glance. “Because you and Norah will want to be alone.”

  “Have you noticed the size of this house? Being alone with Norah won’t be a problem. You were the one who created the ‘moving out when I get married’ caveat. I went along with it because I never imagined the issue would come up. Now that it has, let me settle this once and for all. You and Logan are welcome to stay here as long as I own the house.”

  “If you won’t think of yourself, think about Norah. It’s not fair to ask her to share her new husband and new home with two other people. Don’t make this harder than it needs to be. I’m trying to do the right thing.”

  Lance walked over to where she stood. “Or what you think is the right thing. If and when you go, I want it to be because you’re ready to move on, not because I’m getting married.”

  Tears slid down her cheeks. “You take your promises seriously, don’t you?”

  “I take the word family seriously.”

  The sound of the back door opening and closing ended this conversation. Lance hoped it might end the subject of Jody moving out, too. He had no intention of letting her return to the same bad situation, and everything he knew about Norah told him she’d feel the same way.

  * * * * *

  Norah added the sugar, butter and evaporated milk to the saucepan on the stove. Then she reached for the long wooden spoon belonging to her grandmother. “Now we have to stir it until it gets thick and bubbly.”

  “When will it look like fudge?” Logan asked.

  “That won’t happen until we put in the chocolate chips.”

  “Can I have two pieces?”

  “I don’t see why not. This is a special occasion.”

  “Can I stay up until the big ball comes down?”

  ”Of course. You can help me keep Lance awake.”

  “Mommy drinks coffee when she wants to stay awake.”

  Lance chuckled. “I found something better than coffee for that.”

  Norah lifted her eyes off the pan and met his amused glance. “No comments from the peanut gallery. Your job is to make sure Logan doesn’t fall off the chair.”

  “Should I turn on the ceiling fan?” he asked with a straight face. “You look a little…warm. It must be the heat from the stove.”

  “Boys who misbehave don’t get any fudge.”

  Logan laughed. “You better be good, Lance.”

  “I’ll try, but it’s hard when temptation is so close at hand.”

  Norah sent him another stern glance. He winked in return. She decided it was time to give his thoughts another direction. “Will the floor in the main hall be repaired by Wednesday when we reopen? Showing the portraits is an important part of the tour.”

  The twinkle in Lance’s eyes became even more pronounced. “I’ve been assured it will be ready by tomorrow afternoon.”

  “It’s a shame you had to redo the whole floor because of one spot.”

  “I figured as long as he was doing it, we might as well have it all done.”

  Norah noticed her candy mixture was boiling. Once the syrup reached the right temperature, she pulled the hot pan off the heat.

  “Okay, Logan. You can pour in the chocolate chips. Be careful not to touch the sides of the pan.”

  “Oh, look!” Logan said excitedly. “They’re melting.”

  “That’s what we want. Lance, start putting in the marshmallow cream.”

  Norah tried not to laugh as she watched his efforts to get the white sticky glob off the spoon. He finally gave up and used his fingers. “Whatever you do, don’t touch anything until you get that off.”

  “Now you tell me.”

  She finished stirring the fudge and poured it in the baking pan. “Now w
e have to let it cool before we can cut it.” She turned to look at Lance. He was attempting to lick marshmallow cream off his fingers. It wasn’t going well. There were patches of white sticking to his lips and chin. “Would you like some help?”

  He laughed, his eyes sliding to Logan. “Better not. Things could get out of hand quickly.”

  Color rose in Norah’s face as his implication became clear. “That’s enough out of you.”

  “I guess this means I won’t be getting any fudge.”

  “That remains to be seen.” She gave him a push toward the doorway. “Go get cleaned up. We’ve got sparklers to light.”

  * * * * *

  Lance looked down at Logan, not surprised to find him asleep. “He made it longer than I thought he would.”

  Norah reached for the remote and turned off the television. “I think the fudge might have had something to do with that.”

  “Along with the excitement of you being here.” He picked Logan up in his arms. “I’ll put him to bed. Meet me in the kitchen.”

  “Are you going to need that coffee after all?”

  He laughed. “Not after all that marshmallow cream. There’s something I want to show you.”

  It didn’t take long to get Logan tucked in. Norah was looking out the kitchen window when he walked in.

  “Our neighbors are doing a little more than sparklers and bottle rockets,” she told him.

  “So I heard.” He reached for her hand. “Come with me.”

  She smiled up at him. “Are you giving me a tour?”

  “You could call it that.”

  When they got to the entrance of the hall, he stopped in front of the tarp hanging from the ceiling to the floor.

  She sent him a puzzled glance. “I thought we weren’t supposed to walk through here.”

  “That requirement ended yesterday. I extended it so you wouldn’t figure out what else I was doing. Your fascination with Rutherford Dawes got me curious about him. I did some research and found out he was married to Charlotte Dawes. I think these star-crossed lovers have been separated long enough, don’t you?” He swept aside the tarp and drew Norah into the hall.

  Her hands flew to her mouth when she saw Charlotte Dawes hanging opposite Rutherford. “You moved her! I’ve wanted to do that since I started working here. I was told it wasn’t possible because Rutherford’s marriage to Charlotte was never formally recognized.”

  “New house owner; new rules.”

  She hugged his arm. “This makes me happy. Now Rutherford doesn’t have to be lonely anymore. I think his smile is a little brighter, don’t you?”

  He dropped a kiss on her hair. “Should Charlotte and I be jealous?”

  “My interest in Rutherford is because of his history. Everyone likes a good redemption story. He’s a bad boy who turned good. It’ll be nice to add Charlotte to the tour.”

  “I agree. Now that we’ve settled Rutherford’s affairs, it’s time to talk about our own. Where do you want to ring in the New Year?”

  “On the porch.”

  He laughed. “I had a feeling you were going to say that. Are we star-gazing again?”

  “To start with. After that, who knows?”

  “I like what I’m hearing. Get your jacket, and I’ll grab a blanket.”

  It wasn’t long before they were sitting side-by-side on one of the chaise lounges. Lance took his eyes off the sky to look at Norah.

  “What are you thinking about?”

  She turned to face him. “Everything that’s happened in the last twelve months. Life isn’t static, but it is somewhat consistent. It’s never all good or all bad. There’s just enough of the first to help you get through the second.”

  He nodded. “The world isn’t perfect, but everything I love is in it.”

  * * * * *

  Lance pressed a kiss on each of Norah’s fingers, then her palm and then the inside of her wrist. His touch left sparks in its wake and sent shivers of delight down her spine. His hand rose to cup her chin and then his thumb slowly skimmed her full lower lip. A groan escaped him when she nipped at his finger. The next moment his mouth was on hers, his fevered kisses making everything else disappear.

  Fireworks sounded in the distance. Lance lifted his head, a smile dawning on his face. “Happy New Year, Norah.”

  “Happy New Year, Lance.”

  He feathered his fingers across her lips, cheek and into her hair. “I never imagined that buying my dream house would get me my dream girl. When you opened the door, and I saw you standing there, I knew life would never be the same.”

  “Sometimes we get something we didn’t expect, in the place where we least expect it. The best things in life don’t come easy. They’re usually complicated and messy. And sometimes the moments that make the most sense happen when everything else doesn’t.”

  “We’ve gone from being boss and employee to being friends to being much more than that. I know it’s only been a few weeks, but already you’ve become essential to my happiness. I don’t usually advise clients to rush into major decisions, but asking you to be my wife just seems like the natural next step. I don’t expect you to give me an answer tonight or anytime soon if it comes to that. There’s also Jody and Logan to consider. I’ve offered them a home here. I understand if you need time to think about it. I’ll try not to be impatient, but I can’t promise I won’t strive with every fiber of my being to get you to say yes. Being an attorney, I find it extremely difficult not to argue my case.”

  By the time he finished, tears were inching down Norah’s cheeks. “I don’t need time, Lance. I want more than anything to be your wife. It wouldn’t matter to me if all of your family lived here. I would marry you tomorrow if it was possible.”

  “Never tell me something isn’t possible. I found you, didn’t I?”

  The kisses that followed were soft, warm, and turned her insides into melted wax. As she sank further into his arms, Norah knew with certainty that she’d finally found the kind of love her grandparents had. The legacy of love they’d sown in her had come full circle.

  Epilogue

  Lance closed the file he’d been working on and sat back in his seat. His glance went to the picture of him and Norah standing in the garden surrounded by family and friends. Violet’s words to him last November had been proven true. His second experience with love had revealed his first to be but a mere shadow of what was to come.

  When he walked out of his office, he found Carolyn still sitting at her desk. “You know I like to be the last man standing. Whatever you’re working on can wait until Monday.”

  She twirled around in her chair to face him. “This from the guy who used to think nothing of working until seven or eight every night.”

  “I didn’t have any incentive to do anything different. Norah changed all that.”

  “You gave a great imitation of a man happy with his single state. I seem to remember the term near statistical impossibility being used in connection with the chances of you getting married.”

  “Those were the last, gasping protests of a man who’d already begun to lose the battle.”

  “At least you’re willing to admit it. From what I’ve seen, Hunter and Jody won’t be far behind you and Norah. Being so involved in your wedding probably helped with that.”

  He chuckled. “So getting married is like catching a cold? It’s contagious?”

  “You know what I mean.”

  “You’re coming to Logan’s birthday party on Sunday afternoon, aren’t you?”

  “Edwin and I wouldn’t miss it.”

  “I’ve heard talk of water balloon tosses, three-legged races, and a scavenger hunt. Dress accordingly. I should probably go check on Hunter. He’s been putting together the bicycle he bought for Logan since he got back from the courthouse at two-thirty.”

  “The fact that he’s trying to do something out of his comfort zone says a lot.”

  “It does, and I’m sure Jody will be very…appreciative of his efforts.”


  Carolyn’s lips twitched. “Be nice, Lance. It wasn’t so long since you were on the outside looking in.”

  “A place I never want to return. Enjoy your date night with Edwin.”

  “Will do. See you on Sunday.”

  They parted ways at the side entrance, Carolyn going to the staff parking lot, and Lance heading toward the garage. A tender smile touched his lips as he passed Norah’s seldom-used car. If he hadn’t realized the extent of his wife’s passion for walking everywhere before, he did now.

  Hunter was in the empty bay at the end. Grease was liberally smeared on his hands, face and t-shirt, but the bicycle resting on its shiny, silver kickstand answered Lance’s question about whether assistance would be needed.

  “I guess that Harvard Law Degree you worked so hard for came in handy.”

  Hunter’s tired smile widened. “I was halfway through this whole process when I realized there was no horn. What good is a bike without a horn? So I had to stop everything and run back to the store before they closed.”

  “So it didn’t take you three hours?”

  “More like an hour and a half. I had one or two interruptions. Jody brought me something to drink.”

  Lance nodded. “Yeah. I know all about those interruptions. Before you know it, five minutes turns into thirty.”

  Hunter looked a little embarrassed. “I picked out an engagement ring at lunch today. I’m planning to give it to Jody a week from tomorrow. That will be exactly six months since we went on our first official date.”

  Lance smiled. “I wondered what you were waiting for. Now it makes sense. Jody keeps track of everything. She’ll definitely know how long you’ve been together.”

  “I never cared much about things like that, but now I understand why they’re so important to her.”

  “I don’t think they’ll be any problems with Logan. According to him, you’re right up there with Superman.”

  “Let’s hope his mom thinks so, too.”

  “You analyze juries for a living. I’m sure you have a good idea what Jody thinks about you. It’s almost six. Time for me to track down my lovely wife.”

  * * * * *

  Norah heard the squeaking hinges of the wooden door to the gift shop door followed by the sound of Lance’s deep voice greeting Pam. From his spot in the window, Oliver must have heard it, too. He stood up and stretched languidly before turning to face the doorway. In spite of seeing Lance at lunch, the usual flutter of anticipation curled in Norah’s stomach, making it impossible to remain seated any longer.