“I’m looking for gifts for my dad and Gladys,” she offered. “You could help me pick those out.”
“Yeah?” He smiled. It was a slow, sexy smile designed to cause the most sensible woman to feel a little light-headed. “I don’t know your dad very well, but I can give you a man’s perspective.”
Together they walked into the convention center. A lady by the main door offered them each a map showing which booths were where. Shep took it and waved away the second one.
“We’re together,” he said. As if that explained everything. Nancee supposed that, at least for the day, it did.
While the outside of the convention center was unassuming—a single-story block-style building—the inside was filled with all things holiday. The smell of cinnamon mingled with chocolate. Christmas songs played over tinny speakers while a couple of posters detailed when live carolers would perform. Vendors offered everything from clothing to custom sleds to artwork to jewelry to food. The number of shoppers was impressive. There were families everywhere, along with couples and groups of girlfriends.
“Any ideas about what you want to get?” Shep asked.
“My dad has a thing for polar bears. I’d like to see if any of the artists have something unique. For Gladys I was thinking of a lap quilt. Last night she got cold watching TV.”
“Nothing for friends at work?”
She pressed her lips together. “I’m not exactly fond of the people who fired me.”
Shep pointed to the overhead sign showing the way to various sections. “Artists first?”
She nodded.
“You didn’t want to leave the law firm.”
He wasn’t asking a question, but she answered anyway. “Maybe someday, but not like that. It was horrible.” She drew in a breath as she remembered the shock and horror of having the FBI show up at five in the morning. “When they came for Sean, they were very polite, but it was clear they were going to take what they wanted. They had a warrant and everything.” She shivered at the memory.
“I work in corporate law. It’s different from criminal. I was so unprepared. And even though I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong, it was hard not to be scared.”
He reached for her hand. Their fingers laced together in a way that was achingly familiar.
“What happened after that?” he asked.
“They questioned me for a couple of days, then let me go back to the townhouse. But I couldn’t leave. After two months they cleared me. A month after that Sean was released on bail. He’s been cleared of terrorism charges, but apparently he was doing a lot of money laundering for some very bad people in a couple of drug cartels.”
She shook her head. “I can’t figure out how it happened. Sean was just a regular finance guy. At least that’s what I thought. There were no signs of anything out of the ordinary. He didn’t have secret meetings, there wasn’t any extra money that I could see. I was so wrong about him.”
“He kept it from you. That’s not your fault.”
“I accept the lack of blame, but why didn’t I know who he really was?”
Shep didn’t have an answer, and she wasn’t sure she did, either. The closest she’d come was to admit that Sean’s steadiness had been a draw. She’d wanted a man who wouldn’t leave. Obviously she should have had slightly higher standards.
“Do you miss him?” Shep asked.
“No. At first I thought I was just in shock, but after a while I realized that we weren’t right for each other.” Being with Sean had been okay, but she’d still found herself thinking about Shep. Her greatest fear was that she was a one-man woman.
“What about you?” she asked. “Are you seeing anyone?”
He came to a sudden stop, forcing other shoppers to move around them. “How can you ask that? I kissed you!”
She did her best not to blush. “It could have been an accident.”
“It wasn’t. There’s only you, Nancee.”
Wow—talk about not knowing what to say next. Fortunately she was saved from answering when an older woman with white hair walked up to them. Nancee thought she looked familiar but couldn’t place her until Shep said, “Hello, Mayor Marsha. You remember Nancee Smith, Gladys’s great-niece.”
“Of course. How lovely to see you again, dear. Welcome back to town. I remember when you used to summer here. We’re delighted to have you back with us.”
“Thank you.”
Mayor Marsha smiled. “Once you’re settled, I’d like you to come see me at city hall. We’re starting a teen program to help our young people be self-sufficient when they’re on their own. Sam Ridge will be teaching personal finance, and Josh Golden will explain how to buy a home. That sort of thing. I thought you could be the fun class on how to make cupcakes and other desserts.”
“Oh, um, sure. That would be great. But wouldn’t you want Shelby to teach that?” Shelby owned the bakery, after all.
“She’s going to be talking about being a small-business owner, so you get to be the delicious entertainment.” Mayor Marsha touched Nancee’s arm. “I’m so glad you’re here with us. You’re going to enjoy living in Fool’s Gold. Shep will see to that.”
Before Nancee could respond, the mayor waved and walked away.
“She scares me,” Nancee admitted.
“She does that. I think she likes being intimidating.” He pointed. “There are the art booths.”
They walked along the aisles, pausing to look at various carvings and sculptures. Shep spotted a ceramic polar bear and another one made out of crystal.
“We should keep looking until you’re sure,” he told her before greeting a couple he knew and introducing her.
It was the fourth time that had happened in the past fifteen minutes, she thought. How many people did he know? So much had changed. She didn’t know which Shep was real. The one who had always been moving on or the man who had obviously made a home for himself in Fool’s Gold.
“When did you finish college?” she asked. She’d known he’d taken a few classes but hadn’t realized he’d continued.
“A few years ago.” One shoulder raised. “I went back after the second summer we were together. You were already talking law school. I didn’t want you to be ashamed of me.”
I...you...but... Thank goodness all her stuttering was in her head, because she honestly didn’t know what to say. Ashamed of him? Because they were going to be together? He hadn’t planned on leaving her? It had just...happened? She wasn’t sure if that made things better or worse.
“But then we were going to get married, and you still didn’t tell me.”
“We were talking about other things.”
Like how much they loved each other, she thought sadly. Where they were going to live and how wonderful it was going to be. He’d sworn he was happy to stay in DC. She’d had her doubts, but with her new job there, she hadn’t had much choice but to hope everything would be fine.
“I finished my master’s a year ago, and when I moved here, the part-time teaching job opened up. I’m enjoying myself more than I would have thought. Some of the students just want to get through the class, but others are engaged.”
“And the girls are all in love with you.”
“Nah. I’m old for them.”
She doubted that. Shep would be the hunky, slightly older professor. Had she been his student, she would have fallen for him for sure. She had anyway. And when he’d proposed, well, that had been a magical night.
She still had the simple gold wedding band she’d bought for him. She wondered what had happened to the ring he’d purchased for her. She started to ask, then decided she didn’t want to know. There was no right answer. If he returned it, that would break her heart. If he’d kept it, she would start to hope. And right now she was terrified to believe in anyone other than her great-a
unt Gladys.
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
She wasn’t going to tell him. “It doesn’t matter.”
“To me it does.”
She shook her head.
He pulled her out of the flow of traffic, between two booths, then faced her. “I never left because of you,” he said quietly. “I wasn’t running from you. I just had to be gone. I hope you can understand the difference.”
“Almost.”
“You could have come with me.”
“You never gave me the chance. You just left!”
“Because you could have said no, and I couldn’t have survived that.” He was still holding on to one hand. Now he took the other and laced their fingers together. “You were the best part of me, Nancee. But until I’d figured out how to fight my demons, I had to always be outrunning them. I’m sorry for that. I’m sorry I hurt you.”
“Me, too.”
“I wish—”
She never got to hear what he wished because right then someone called out his name. They both turned. A couple hurried toward them, and Nancee was surprised to find they both looked familiar. The woman might have been someone she’d known back as a kid in Fool’s Gold, but the man was...was... She blinked. To be honest, he looked exactly like action movie star Jonny Blaze. How funny was that?
Shep released one of her hands and smiled at the couple. “Hey, you two. Shopping for Christmas?”
The woman nodded. “We’re just looking at some of the handmade things.” She turned to Nancee and frowned slightly. “I know you. I know you. OMG! Nancee Smith? Is that you? I’m Madeline Krug.” Madeline laughed. “Or I was. I’m Madeline Blaze now. You’re here! Gladys said something but wasn’t sure if or when and here you are!”
Nancee found herself being hugged, which was really nice. She and Madeline had hung out when they’d been teenagers. They’d always gotten along.
“Welcome home,” Madeline said.
“Thanks. It’s fun being back.”
Madeline released her, then linked arms with the man next to her. “My husband, Jonny.” She turned to him. “Nancee spent a few summers here with her great-aunt Gladys.”
Jonny shook her hand.
Nancee found herself reeling slightly. Not only was the Madeline meeting unexpected but, despite everyone’s calm demeanor, it seemed that, yes, her husband really was Jonny Blaze.
“How long have you two been married?”
“Just a few months.” Madeline gave a little bounce. “I’m pregnant.” She clapped her hands together. “Two months. I know, I know, I shouldn’t say anything yet, but I can’t help myself.”
“Congratulations,” Nancee told her.
Shep hugged her. “I know you’re going to be a great mom.” He and Jonny shook hands. “Nervous?”
Jonny grinned. “You know it. But I’m over the moon.”
They chatted for a few more minutes. As they said goodbye, Madeline promised to be in touch.
“They’re a great couple,” Shep said.
“How do you know them?”
“Jonny’s done some volunteer work with the search and rescue teams. We became friends. He has a big ranch outside of town. I bought some land from him for my house.”
They turned down another aisle. There were people all around and the sound of holiday songs. Still, all Nancee heard was a weird buzzing sound as her mind reeled with the new information.
“You bought land?” she asked. “For a house?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Because you’re really staying here?”
“That’s the plan.” He pointed. “What about that one?”
She turned and saw a beautiful polar bear carved out of pale wood. The work was exquisite, as if the small animal were going to come to life. But the beauty of the piece couldn’t distract her from what Shep had said.
He had a house. Here. A house implied permanence—at least for a man who had always been moving.
She wanted to ask him a thousand questions. She wanted to let herself believe that he really was different. That it was okay now—that he wouldn’t leave her again. But she was so afraid. What if he’d been wrong before? What if he really had been leaving her? She couldn’t get hurt by him again. She couldn’t allow herself to trust him. They were going to just be friends. She would be safer that way.
She bought the polar bear and a few minutes later found a beautiful handmade lap quilt for Gladys. They continued to walk around the event and found themselves at the animal adoption. A large fluffy cat with tiger stripes on his face caught her attention. For a second, her chest tightened. Without warning tears filled her eyes, and she had to look away.
“What’s wrong?” Shep asked.
She shook her head and walked quickly toward the exit. He followed.
“Nancee?”
“That cat looks like Calvin. I miss him so much.”
“The cat your boyfriend kept?”
“Ex-boyfriend and yes. Technically Sean is the one who adopted him.”
“So take him back.”
“I can’t walk into his house and take the cat.”
“That’s the lawyer in you talking. What’s Sean going to do? Physically stand in your way?”
“I don’t know. I’ve sent him a few emails. To be honest, I can’t force him to do anything. Not legally.” She looked back at the cats in the adoption area. “And before you ask, I don’t want a substitute. I want Calvin.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Thanks.” She held her bags in one hand and lightly pressed her free hand to his chest. “I have to get back and start baking. Thank you for today. I had fun.”
“Me, too.”
He bent down and kissed her. Just a light brush of his mouth against hers, but it was enough to make her knees weak.
“I want to see you again,” he told her. “How do you feel about that?”
An interesting question. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “You scare me.”
His gaze was intense. “Is that a no?”
“It’s not a no.”
He smiled. “Good.” He kissed her again. “I’ll see you soon, Nancee.”
She nodded because she was afraid to speak. Not because her voice would shake or something but because of what she would say. Something along the lines of “Stay with me forever” seemed very likely. So she kept quiet and told herself that hope would be very, very foolish right now.
CHAPTER FIVE
NANCEE CHECKED HER CALENDAR. She had a two-day break in her baking schedule. An unexpected but nice thing to discover. She would use the time to make sure she had enough supplies to get her through the rest of the holiday season. Shelby had warned her there would then be a lull until Valentine’s Day.
The timing for that was perfect, Nancee thought as she dried her freshly washed cupcake pans. She would be able to figure what she wanted to do next with her life. Did she want to continue practicing law? Did she want to bake cupcakes? Did she want to try something else? And once she’d answered those questions, there was still the biggie of where all this was going to happen? Here? DC? Somewhere else entirely?
She hadn’t heard from Shep for a couple of days, which surprised her. He’d told her he would be in touch. Not that she was going to read anything into his actions. Or at least she would try not to. Maybe he was giving her space. Or was busy. If things got bad, she could ask her great-aunt. After all Gladys and Shep texted plenty.
But for now she was simply going to go with the flow and think about the next batch of baking she had to start.
The opening notes to “Bad to the Bone” played somewhere from the back of the house. As it was Gladys’s phone, Nancee didn’t pay attention. A minute or so later, her aunt hurried into the kitchen.
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“We have to make chili,” Gladys announced. “A lot of it. I have a recipe. Do you think it would be faster to go buy ground beef or defrost what I have in the freezer?”
“Chili?”
“It’s hot and filling and easy to eat,” her aunt said. “For the search and rescue teams. There are two lost teenagers in the mountains. They went out on snowmobiles yesterday and didn’t come back. I can’t believe no one called me before now. I could have been helping.”
Nancee glanced out the window. There hadn’t been any new snow, but temperatures were well below freezing. A knot of worry formed in her stomach. Not just for the teens but for the people who were out looking. Shep would be one of them, she thought, feeling even more anxious.
“I hope they’re going to be all right,” she murmured, then shook her head. She couldn’t help with the actual searching, but she could cook. She turned on the larger oven.
“What ingredients do you have for chili?” she asked.
She and Gladys went over what was in the pantry and freezer. They decided to use fresh ground beef for one chili and rotisserie chicken for another. Gladys left for the grocery store. Nancee collected the ingredients they would need, then started a large pan of corn bread.
Less than two hours later, they were loading food into Nancee’s Outback. She drove slowly to the HERO offices and found that there were a lot of cars in the parking lot. More than one family was delivering food.
Eddie, Gladys’s BFF, joined them and helped carry everything inside. Nancee set down a large pot of chili and looked around. She was surprised to see how big the offices were. There were lots of computers, a huge screen with a map on it and what looked like dozens of dots moving in different directions.
“It’s all computerized,” Gladys told her. “They have GPS trackers and everything. Very high-tech. Eddie and I volunteer, but they wouldn’t let us go through the training.”
Eddie grimaced. “They said we were too old, if you can believe it. So we stay home with the womenfolk and bake cookies.”
Nancee did her best not to smile. The two friends were pushing eighty. She wasn’t surprised that they weren’t allowed out in subfreezing temperatures to trek through the mountains.
A Kiss in the Snow (Kindle Single) (Fool's Gold) Page 3
