My Once in a Lifetime

by Nicole Vidal

  “Nurse Reynolds indicated they would be free to leave this evening, but they can’t fly until tomorrow,” Connor explains.

  “I’ll book some rooms, have some food delivered, and contact Cash. Then take Norah to her townhouse. Hopefully, we can accomplish what needs to be done before this evening,” I inform everyone.

  Maia nods but doesn’t slow her pacing. “That works. Let me know if you need anything from me while I wait here.”

  Retaking Norah’s hand, I lead her back to the parking lot. I hand her back her keys while opening the driver door.

  “You can keep driving; it’s fine with me.”

  “Thanks, but if you drive, I can make all the arrangements on the way.” Entirely lost in my phone and making things happen, I fail to notice that Norah didn’t drive directly to her townhouse. She parks in front of a small building. There are picnic tables scattered on the green lawn.

  “Where are we?” I’m not even angry. Right now, she feels safe and free. Considering Morse is in custody, I don’t blame her. I’ll make certain she feels this way everyday going forward.

  “This is Dunne’s Ice Cream. It’s heavenly even in the winter. They have tons of amazing flavors.” She reaches across the center console and into the glove box. After rifling around a bit, she pulls out some cash. “Come on.” She’s prepared, I have to give her that.

  I round the car and open her door, offering her my hand. As she takes it, I close her door and allow her to lead me to the window. She wasn’t kidding. The flavor list is large. We take our ice cream to the farthest table. She slides the spoon into her mouth and literally moans. She chose the Maine blueberry and black raspberry while I opt for cookies and cream and java crunch.

  “You cannot make those sounds in public.”

  Laughing, she replies, “Don’t you worry, these are different than the ones you draw from me.”

  I feel my skin turning bright red. Holy hell!

  We enjoy the scenery and our scoops despite the chilly temperature.

  “Ready?” I ask. “We have some shoes to pack.” I polish off my ice cream. She’s right, it’s some of the best I’ve ever had.

  “Yes, I’m ready. Want to drive?” she asks, dangling her keys in front of me.

  “Hell yes! Your car is insane.” I pull her against me, kissing her soft lips. She tastes fruity from her ice cream.

  Smiling, she puts her address into the GPS before taking my hand in hers.

  “Is this normal, Norah?”

  “What do you mean?” she asks with a hesitance in her voice.

  “When we started seeing each other, I saw you maybe twice a month. I didn’t really know you as a person.” I left the details about what I did know alone. “Since your text, I’ve learned so much more about you, but you weren’t completely yourself. You were with me because of the Morettis. Is this happy, mostly carefree person you?”

  She leans over, kissing my cheek.

  “What was that for?”

  “Words, Jacob, words. It’s pretty close. I still need to grasp not vying for the partnership and deciding what I want to do with my professional life. The only reason I felt comfortable enough to drive here is because you’re with me and Morse is in custody. Plus, it’ll be a while before I come back here again.”

  I consider everything she just said but decide to leave her last comment alone. It’s just two weeks before the holiday, and Gen still hasn’t apologized for her behavior. I gather that means she doesn’t want to travel back here for Christmas.

  “What do you want to do professionally?”

  “I don’t want to work at Quinn Sterling. I need to resign. Beyond that, I have no idea. I could open my own practice, open my dream store, even do nothing. Still working that out in my head.”

  I want to tell her she doesn’t need to work, but I don’t know how well that will go over. Aside from her nest egg, I have one myself, although mine is a bit larger.

  “Do you want to keep your townhouse?”

  “I don’t need it if you’re still willing to put up with me indefinitely.”

  I pull into her garage and throw the car in Park. “Norah, I love you. Will you move in with me?”

  She smirks. “I love you. Yes, I’ll move in with you.” I tug her closer, kissing her again. “As far as my townhouse, it’s paid for. The monthly carrying costs are minimal. Would it be beneficial to keep it for you or your team to use?”

  “Maybe. We would have to look at the numbers.”

  “That works. I don’t need to decide right now.”

  I follow her inside. She stops short one full step into her home. I didn’t mince words when I said it was trashed. “You weren’t kidding.”

  “No, I wasn’t.” I slide my arms around her from behind, burying my nose in her hair. She is back to her shampoo. The scent drives me crazy.

  She shakes off the condition of her home, stating, “Let’s get started.” She pulls a hair tie off her wrist before twisting her hair on top of her head. I follow her into the office. After pulling out some totes, we move into her bedroom and start packing. I line the totes with her shoes while she goes through the hanging clothes in the closet. Expertly, she sorts them: damaged or keep. She pauses when she reaches a suit that isn’t damaged. Placing it in the keep pile, she moves on. When she pulls her black silk dress out, it appears damaged.

  “That’s too bad. I love that dress.”

  “You may have mentioned that before.” She winks at me. “I’ll have Kelly make me a new one.”

  Making a third pile, she finishes the closet and moves onto the dresser. Most of the clothes in the dresser appear untouched. After packing them into a tote, she moves on to the top of her dresser. Norah doesn’t have knickknacks or other décor in her bedroom. There’s a jewelry box, perfume, a photo of James and Jackson, one of Nick, and one of a striking woman near her bed. She draws her fingertips down the glass before setting it in the box.

  “Your mom?”

  Norah nods.

  “I see where you got it from.”

  She sighs and wraps her arms around me. Kissing her forehead, I ask where to go next. After getting me started in the bathroom, she finishes her night table before moving into her linen closet. We tackle her office together and finish packing her personal items. Lastly, we determine which furniture needs to be removed.

  “I can have Scott come in, remove the damaged furniture and fix the kitchen and office cabinetry,” she suggests.

  “Remind me, who is Scott?”

  “James’s uncle. He works in construction. He did the build out for Kelly’s expansion at So Elegant.”

  I checked him when Kelly hired him to expand. No need to do it again. “Makes sense.” My phone buzzes in my pocket.

  Connor: We’re leaving for the hotel. Do you need assistance?

  Me: No, we’re almost done. We’ll be there within the hour.

  Connor: Roger.

  We arrive at the Union Bluff just before seven. After checking on my team, we order room service and turn in for the night. Curling around her soft curves is even more perfect now that she’s safe.

  Chapter 63

  Norah

  The winter sun is crawling along the sand, casting shades of red, orange, and yellow. I wrap myself in Jacob’s jacket and slip onto the balcony of our room. It’s crazy early. I didn’t want to wake him. The cold, salty breeze is just as soothing as a warm one. Ideally I want to start researching some options for the store. I’m leaning in that direction. I suppose I could still take some private clients as well.

  “Morning, gorgeous.” Just the sound of his voice makes my heart skip.

  “Morning.”

  He takes my hand, pulls me to standing, takes my seat, and pulls me into his arms. “You okay?”

  Here wrapped up in you. Absolutely. “Yup. How are Nolan and Christoph?”

  I’m sure that was the first thing he did this morning.

  “They’re both up and around. Nolan is hobbling along. Christ
oph is sore. Both will be fine in a few days.”

  “Good. What time are we leaving?”

  “Either nine or ten. Cash is checking the weight of your car, personal items, and the passengers. We may need to wait for a different plane based on his determination.”

  We stop at the Perk and fill up on lots of Kelsey’s goodies for the trip as well as the next few days at home. Unfortunately, Kelsey isn’t at the bakery this morning.

  Several hours later, Jacob drives slowly through a small town that looks eerily like York Beach and nearby Ogunquit melded together. There are cute little boutiques and souvenir shops as well as a few restaurants. No amusement park though. I did see a sign for a beach about a half mile back.

  “Where are we exactly?”

  “Crescent Bay, Maryland.”

  “It’s super cute. Just like Maine.” There are groups of people milling around. Across the street from Jacob’s office is a general store, a hardware store, and a chocolate shop.

  “The towns are remarkably similar. Although I think the locals spend more time in town here than in York Beach.”

  He parks in front of a storefront. The door is etched with Blackthorne Security, Inc. After guiding me inside his office, he grabs a pile of mail and a set of keys before relocking the door.

  “Good afternoon, Jacob,” an elderly woman says as he closes the outer door to his office. She’s tiny with perfectly coifed hair. She must have just left her weekly salon appointment.

  “Hello, Mrs. Dwyer. How are you today?”

  “I’m well. Aren’t you lovely?” she says, taking my hand.

  “Thank you. I’m Norah.”

  “About time, Jacob. I hope to see you around, Norah. Have a great afternoon.”

  A smile graces Jacob’s gorgeous face. The small-town vibe is strong here too. Everyone knows everyone’s business.

  “How serious are you about opening your store?”

  I raise an eyebrow. It would be a dream come true. Deep down, I don’t want to work seventy or eighty hours a week as an accountant. I’ll send my resignation tonight.

  “I’m leaning that way, why?”

  He unlocks the door to the left of his office. I step inside before him to an empty storefront. The space is a blank slate, no fixtures or anything denotes what the previous tenant used it for.

  “This space is empty and has been for the last year. If you want it, it’s yours. There isn’t a bookstore within thirty miles of here, and it certainly isn’t one like your dream.” He researched for me. This man is perfection.

  “Are you serious?” I turn to face him.

  He slides his arm around me, pulling me close. “Definitely. I own the building. It’s perfect for you.”

  “I don’t know what to say.” Everything seems to be falling into place. It’s incredible and terrifying all at once.

  “You don’t have to say anything right now. I know moving is a substantial change, as is making professional choices. Think about it and let me know.”

  “This is huge, Jacob. I have dreamed about my own store since I was young.” Is it possible that everything I ever wanted is here? With him. “I may have conditions if I decide to do this.” There’s no way I’ll just use the space. I need to do it as an actual business despite the fact my boyfriend—I agree, it doesn’t work—is my landlord.

  “I would expect nothing less.” He brushes his lips across mine before teasing me with his tongue. “Ready to go home?”

  “Yes, so much!”

  Jacob stops at the gate to his private road to input the code. As we park in front of the house, Gemma and Mr. Blackthorne greet us.

  “Great timing. Nice ride,” he says, hugging both of us.

  “Thanks.”

  “She let you drive?”

  Jacob laughs. “She did.”

  We chat for a bit with Mr. B before bringing my totes into the house. Surprisingly, Jacob lets me help. While I unpack my clothes, Jacob answers a few work calls. On a return trip to the bedroom, Jacob waves me into his office.

  “Of course, Agent Bishop. She’s right here.” I hand Norah the phone.

  “Hello.”

  “Miss Cavallaro?”

  “Norah, please call me Norah.”

  “I have a proposal for you. Your work with the Moretti file was exemplary. I would like to offer you a forensic accounting consulting position with the FBI.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I’ll send the details to you and you can get back to me when you’re ready.”

  “Thank you again, Agent Bishop.” Once I end the call, Jacob rises from his chair to tug me into his lap on the couch.

  “I just moved all my clothes into the closet. I don’t want to move, Jacob. I want to stay here.”

  “That makes me extremely happy. You won’t have to move.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, really. Look it over, and we can talk about it more.”

  “Can we talk now, or do you have more work to do?” I ask.

  “We can talk while we do one thing together.”

  “What do we need to do?”

  He takes my hand and leads me straight into the master bedroom. After guiding me into the chair, he rushes away.

  “How are you winded?” I ask with a chuckle when he returns with a tape measure.

  He shrugs. “How many pairs of shoes do you have?”

  “Overall?”

  “Yes, overall.”

  “More than thirty. Why?”

  He leads me into the closet. “If I remove this mirror, I can build shelves here from floor to ceiling for your shoes.”

  An elated look crosses my face before I jump into his arms, peppering his face with kisses.

  After finishing the measurements, we curl up and discuss all the options for my professional life.

  “What are you thinking about work, gorgeous?”

  “I want to take the offer.”

  “Which one?”

  “Both.” I should be able to pull both off at once. It isn’t as if the consulting will be a full-time job, just when the cases require my expertise.

  “What are your conditions for the bookstore?” he asks, knowing I would never just take the keys and use the space.

  “I need to do this myself. Do you know a local attorney who I can call to start my business?” He nods. “I want an actual lease at a fair rent.”

  “I’ll give you whatever you want. Anything else?”

  “In the spring, I want to build a fenced area for our horses.”

  “Our?”

  “Yes, you need one too. I need to win a race or two.” I lower myself on top of him.

  He kisses the top of my head, clasping his hands at the small of my back. “Anything you want, beautiful. Also, William couldn’t give me your phone back, so I ordered you a new one and transferred all your data. You can call and text to your heart’s content.”

  Oddly, I’m not jumping at the chance to text people. Being away from them really gave me a bit more perspective on how they see me, especially Gen.

  “Thanks. I have been meaning to ask you. When we were skating, you turned on the music from your phone. What service was it?”

  “I created the playlist. Why?”

  “You specifically chose all those songs?” A single tear streaks down my cheek.

  He kisses it away. “Yes. I have been compiling that playlist since you got here. I used the songs to say the words I couldn’t.”

  “You did though, that night.”

  “I did, but I tried so many times before that; I still wasn’t sure I could say the words.”

  Sliding his hands along my jaw, he sets his forehead to mine. “Norah, I love you. I’m ecstatic you’re here to stay.”

  “Me too. I love you.”

  Chapter 64

  Jacob

  Christmas is rapidly approaching. Norah plans to stay home for the holiday. We’ll spend the holiday at my parents’ with the Michelsons. With her help, our home looks festive. I
haven’t had a tree in years. No reason to have one for just me. Now we have a large tree nestled to the left of the fireplace in the living room. Lighted garland hangs from the mantle along with two new embroidered stockings.

  Norah is at a meeting with her attorney to finalize the paperwork to open her store. She plans to have a grand opening in early March. She’s been working in the store every day while I work at my office next door. It’s good for both of us to get out of the house. Working from home was necessary while she needed round-the-clock security, but now home is just for us.

  There’s a knock on my office door. Tank lifts his head and resettles once he notes it’s someone he knows.

  “Come in.” The door opens, and Callen walks in. “Hey, Callen, good to see you.”

  He just finished a long-term job for a client. Miss Goldberg’s father raved about Callen’s job performance on set. Thankfully, it turned out better than I anticipated.

  “Morning, Jacob. I wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas before I leave for my vacation.”

  “Thank you. Have a wonderful time. I’ll see you in a few weeks.”

  As Callen leaves, Gemma appears in my doorway, stating, “There’s a delivery that you need to sign for personally.”

  “Thanks, Gemma. I’ll be right out.”

  I sign for the package and retreat to my office. I resist the urge to open the box, because I have no idea when Norah will return. I’m sure it’s perfect.

  Connor drops into the chair in my office. “What time do you need me to bring your surprise to the farm?”

  “Can you do it by four? Everything is ready in the barn.”

  “Sure. I’ll see you in a few days at Mom’s.” I love that Connor calls my mother “Mom” too. “I’ll handle the calls if there are any. You deserve everything you want, Jake.”

  “Thanks, C.” I’m grateful for him. A lesser man could have shut me out after Mara’s death.