“Hey, everyone.” His voice boomed through the speakers and the music stopped. Everyone in attendance was staring expectantly at Luke.
“I hope everyone is having a nice time. I just wanted to thank everyone for their hard work this year. Maverick’s success is completely a reflection of the people who work here, so you should all be very proud. As a thank you, everyone will be getting their bonus checks on Monday. Spend it wisely.” Luke paused while everyone laughed. “This party is supposed to wrap up in twenty minutes, but I took the liberty of asking management to extend it for two more hours, in case any of you aren’t interested in going home yet.”
The crowd cheered loudly, but my heart sank. I really didn’t want to stick around the party for two more hours.
“Have a great time. Happy holidays.” Luke tossed the microphone to the D.J. and jumped down from the stage.
“Two more hours?” I asked, yelling over the music that had resumed its thumping rhythm.
“Meet me out front in ten minutes,” he said, sliding me a wink before disappearing into the crowd.
It took fifteen minutes for the coat check girl to find my coat and I hoped Luke hadn’t given up on me. When I stepped outside, he was nowhere to be found.
“Kasey.” I turned at the sound of my name. Luke was waiting for me on the corner, holding open the door to a black car. I looked around quickly to make sure no one from Maverick was around.
“You’re sure about this?” I asked him.
He kissed me quickly. “No, but let’s do it anyway.”
“Hey, that’s my line.”
“Where are we going?” I asked once we were on our way.
“It’s a surprise.” Luke slid me a playful smile that made my heart skip a beat.
As we got closer to our mystery destination, he began to fidget anxiously.
“Calm down, jumpy,” I said, putting a hand on his shaking leg.
“You touching me really isn’t going to help the situation,” he said with a wry smile. I slid my hand further up his leg and he laughed.
“I can’t believe it’s snowing again,” I said, looking out the window. “Why are there so many idiots walking around in this crappy weather?”
Luke laughed uncomfortably. “Maybe it’s romantic?”
“Romantic?” I scoffed. “I can’t imagine anything romantic about freezing in the snow.”
The car stopped suddenly just in front of the Art Institute.
“I hope you’re wrong about that because this is our stop.” He jumped out of the car before I could ask him to repeat his crazy words. Then, just as suddenly, the door next to me flew open and he reached in a hand. “You trust me, don’t you?”
I stared stupidly at his hand. “You want me to come out there?”
“That’s the plan.” He grinned. “Come on. Please?”
I couldn’t resist him when he was smiling at me like that. Reluctantly, I took his hand.
“This better be good, Donovan,” I threatened through my smile. “It’s cold.”
Luke quickly shrugged out of his coat and draped it across my shoulders. “No complaining now.”
“Aren’t you cold?” I asked, feeling a little bad that I didn’t feel very bad for taking his coat. It was warm and it smelled like him.
“I’m sure you can think of a way to warm me up.” He winked suggestively and then pulled me forward.
He steered us toward the pedestrian bridge and then pulled up sharply near the top. I was overwhelmed by a feeling of déjà vu. “This is the spot,” I said, remembering. “My secret wishing spot.”
“Two and a half years ago you brought me here to make a wish,” he said, pointing to the roof below that was now covered in snow. “Back then, I wished for us to have a great night together. That wish came true.”
“Okay…” I tried to guess where he might be headed with the conversation.
He pulled a penny from his pocket. “Tonight I want to make another wish.”
I watched as he carefully tossed the penny into the snowy air. It somersaulted through the air and landed without a noise in the soft white blanket. “What did you wish for this time?” I asked.
“I can’t tell you until it comes true.” He cupped my face between his hands, instantly warming my frozen cheeks.
“But I really want to know,” I breathed as he lowered his face toward mine.
“Okay,” he said softly. “But that means this time you’ll have to stay longer than one night.”
Looking into his eyes, I answered confidently, “I’m okay with that.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
The snow had been falling for three days straight and it didn’t show any sign of letting up soon. The weathermen were predicting at least a foot and half of snow in the city and they were urging everyone to stay inside. I was happy to oblige.
A blizzard meant wearing flannel pajamas and fuzzy slippers all day while bingeing on Netflix and daydreaming about Luke. After the wish, we’d had just enough time for a long kiss before his phone rang and he was pulled back to the office to deal with an urgent client matter. I took a cab home and didn’t leave my apartment for the entire weekend.
Luke called Monday morning, just as I was reluctantly getting out of bed.
“Play hooky with me,” he said excitedly.
“What?” I laughed and brushed matted hair from my eyes.
“I don’t want to go to work today,” he said, sounding like a little boy. “Will you come over and play with me?”
I giggled. “Dirty.”
“Yeah, I just heard that myself. Sorry. I didn’t mean it that way.” He cleared his throat and tried again. “The weather is terrible and no one is going to be in the office anyway. Instead, you should come over to my place and we can drink cocoa in front of the fire.”
“That does sound like a good offer,” I said, giving it serious consideration. “Okay, why not? I’m in.”
“Yes!” He sounded genuinely excited. “Now come outside.”
“What?” I bolted upright. “Are you here?”
A car horn blared from the street and echoed through the phone. “Put on a bunch of layers and get out here,” Luke demanded.
“I just woke up,” I protested, tugging at my flannel snowmen pants.
“After dreaming about me?” he guessed.
I sighed- he was right. “Fine. Give me ten minutes.”
Fifteen minutes later, I stepped into the blustering snow. Nearly a foot already covered to the ground and I was glad I had gone with my tall snow boots.
Luke was waiting for me, leaning against an expensive looking car.
“It’s about time!” He greeted me with a big, warm smile. “Nice hat.”
“You like?” I pulled at the furry earflaps. Maybe it wasn’t the most stylish hat, but it was definitely the warmest. “If you’re going to make me come out in this weather, I’m going to dress appropriately.”
“This isn’t Siberia,” he said, still grinning. He pulled open the car door. “Get your cute hat into the car.”
He had left the engine running so it was nice and toasty inside. My butt was instantly warmed. “Seat warmers?” I asked.
“Only the best for my favorite lady’s rear-end.” As he put the car in drive, he commented, “It’s a good thing this road was recently plowed. This car wasn’t exactly designed for blizzard driving.”
“Yet another reason why this is a crazy idea.” As an afterthought, I added, “But I’m really glad you came up with it.”
“Me too.” He reached over and took my hand. “I hope you’re ready to spend the whole day with me.”
I was about to answer affirmatively when I suddenly realized what day it was. “Shoot! I can’t.”
“What?” The light in front of us changed to red and he hit the brakes hard. “You’re kidding, right? It’s a blizzard outside. You can’t possibly have other plans.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be acting like a crazy person, but I have a prior commitment
today and I just remembered.”
“What kind of commitment?” Luke’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.
“Do you remember that place I told you about? The shelter where I help out?” I couldn’t believe that I had forgotten about my commitment.
“I remember.” The clench of Luke’s jaw said that he was thinking about my abusive ex-boyfriend, not the shelter.
“Today they are having a Christmas party, and I’m sort of in charge of it.” It had been my idea, actually. The shelter had about a dozen kids, and most of them didn’t have a lot to be happy about. I wanted to do something to cheer them up, even if it was just for a day. “I need to be there in twenty minutes to get everything set up.”
“I see.” Luke nodded slowly. “Not a problem. I’m going with you.”
“No, you’re not.” I hadn’t meant the words to come out so harsh, but Luke’s head snapped in my direction. “I’m sorry. I just mean, you don’t have to feel obligated to go. Really. You should go home. I can come over in a few hours.”
“I don’t feel obligated,” he said, his voice tight. “I don’t do things out of obligation. I want to go with you.”
I didn’t want to argue with Luke. It was wonderful that he wanted to go, but the shelter was a sacred place. Most of the women and children didn’t trust men. I didn’t know how to explain it to Luke without offending him. “And I want you to go, Luke. But you might not be comfortable there.”
“You don’t have to worry about my comfort. I’m sure I can handle it.” Luke’s eyes flashed at me. “I told you about my father.”
“I’m sure you can handle it,” I agreed quickly, and lowered my voice. “But they might not be able to handle you.”
Understanding passed over Luke’s face. “I see.”
“These people have been through a lot of bad stuff and they don’t exactly trust men.” I shrugged helplessly. “I can’t blame them for that. I know it’s unfair, and that you aren’t like those men, but they don’t know that.”
“I get it.” Luke smiled tightly. “I wouldn’t be welcome there. Rightfully so.”
“No, it’s not right.” I frowned, wishing there was a solution. Luke was a good man and he wanted to help. Surely he would be the best possible example for these kids that didn’t have a positive male influence in their lives.
“You should come,” I decided. “If anyone is uncomfortable, you can always leave. But if you want to, you should come.”
Luke tilted his head uncertainly. “Are you sure?”
I nodded confidently. “Yes. You of all people know what these kids have been through.”
“Alright then, it’s decided. Give me the address,” Luke said.
We were able to drive within a couple of blocks of the shelter, but then we had to stop because not all of the roads had been cleared.
“Can you give me a minute to make a quick call?” he asked after we had parked.
“Sure.” I exited the car reluctantly, not looking forward to waiting in the cold. The sun was reflecting off the blanket of snow and I had to squint until my eyes adjusted to the light. The air was fresh and crisp as I sucked it in, and then let it out in a slow puff.
“It’s a beautiful day,” Luke said as he locked the car. He took my cold hand in his and it began to warm instantly.
We stepped out onto the unblemished snow covering the sidewalk and began to make our way as carefully as possible. It seemed like everyone else in the city had stayed inside, warm and dry.
“I hate snow,” I said when my feet slid out from under me for the third time. Luke kept me on my feet.
“You really need to learn how to walk without falling,” he said with a laugh. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pressed his cold lips to my cheek. “Not that I mind saving you.”
I leaned into him, reveling in his warmth and steadiness. “You may end up regretting you said that. I need a lot of saving.”
He didn’t respond and we continued on in relative silence. Our steps made loud crunching noises as we traversed through the snow. The shelter was only four blocks from where we left the car so it didn’t take us long to reach it. It had been converted from an old senior living center and despite being in an affluent neighborhood, it was fairly rundown.
“Don’t worry,” I said when Luke hesitated outside the door. I pulled him forward. “It’s much nicer inside.”
The volunteer staff went to a lot of trouble to make the inside of the shelter has homey and welcoming as possible. The furniture was all second-hand, but clean. We were alone in the foyer and Luke helped me out of my coat.
“How is this place funded?” Luke asked as I hung our coats in the closet.
“There are a few female business owners in town that do most of the funding. A couple of churches also help out, and we hold fundraisers, too. It’s a group effort.” I reached for his hand. “Come one. I’ll give you a tour.”
I led him around the first floor and pointed out the living area, kitchen, dining room and playroom. One of the volunteers must have recently cleaned because all of the toys were put away for once. A few of the shelter’s residents milled about and they all eyed Luke suspiciously. For his part, Luke went above and beyond to be as charming as possible. Fortunately, it played to his strengths.
“How long have you lived here?” he asked Sue, one of the residents I had come to know quite well. We found her in the kitchen, making a snack for her children. She had three children, and six months ago they had left their home in the middle of the night after her husband had smacked one of her sons in the face. They had been in the shelter ever since.
“Six months,” Sue said with a stubborn chin in the air. She didn’t like pity and refused to feel sorry for herself. “Kasey found me a job a couple of weeks ago, and soon I’ll have enough saved for my kids and me to get our own place. It won’t be much, but at least it will be ours, ya know?”
Luke nodded and I detected a haunted look in his eyes. It was a lot for anyone to take, but I thought he was handling it well. Sue grabbed the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and left us alone in the kitchen.
“How old is she?” he asked, nodding his head to the door Sue had just exited.
“She’s twenty-two.” I opened one of the cabinets and began removing party supplies. “She has three kids under the age of six and had her first one when she was sixteen.”
“And her husband hit her?” Luke took the stack of tablecloths from me.
“All of the time. Her kids, too.” I looked him in the eye. “You’re going to see and hear a lot of stuff today. If you’re not up for, I completely understand. Now is the time to decide.”
“Do you really think that little of me?” Luke placed his armful on the counter and did the same with the bags of food I held. He took my head in both his hands and kissed me gently on the lips. “I’m not leaving. Not leaving here, and not leaving you. Deal with it.”
“Don’t say it if you don’t mean it,” I pleaded, ever-so-quietly. I wanted very badly to believe Luke. I needed someone like him in my life- someone to stand by me. But it was a lot to ask.
“Just give me a chance. I’ll prove it to you.” Luke kissed me again, and I knew in that moment I would give him a million chances to prove it to me.
CHAPTER NINE
It only took a few minutes of watching Luke mingle with the shelter residents to realize that I had underestimated him. The women were skeptical when I would first introduce him to them. Many of them had ended up in the shelter precisely because they had fallen for charming, attractive men. But it didn’t take long for them to see that Luke wasn’t like those men. The way the kids flocked to him, scampering for attention, made the mothers smile.
I didn’t have time to stand around and smile. I had food to make, decorations to set up and kids to entertain. At one particularly frazzling moment, I stood in the kitchen staring at the floor where one of the kids had just knocked over an entire container of eggnog. I needed to get the ham out of the oven, b
ut now a river of liquid Christmas stood in my way.
“How can I help?” Luke asked, noticing that I was about to tear out my hair. He reached for a roll of paper towels and tore off a bunch before handing me the roll.
It wasn’t until I looked over at him that I realized the child responsible for the mess was cowering in the corner of the kitchen, quiet tears sliding down his cheeks.
“Timmy, what’s wrong?” I forgot about the mess and knelt in front of the boy. Luke stepped up behind me and Timmy crouched in fear.
“Hey, it’s okay,” Luke said, startled.
“Timmy, look at me,” I said, as gently as possible. Timmy peaked out at me from behind his hands. “It’s okay. No one is mad at you. It’s just a little spill. No problem.”
Timmy stayed frozen, looking from me to Luke. He finally lowered his hands. I held out my arms to him. “Come give me a hug. Please?”
He kept his eyes on Luke as he crawled toward me, looking away only after I held him in my arms. I motioned for Luke to crouch next to us.
“Luke isn’t going to hurt you,” I whispered in Timmy’s ear. He lifted his head and glanced at Luke.
“You promise?” he said in his tiny voice.
I squeezed him tighter. “I promise. I would never let anyone hurt you.”
Timmy wouldn’t take his eyes off Luke, who was doing his best to look unintimidating. “I won’t hurt you, Timmy. I swear.”
Timmy swallowed and wiped tears from his cheeks. “Okay.”
Luke tilted his head at him and smiled warmly. “I was thinking, if you want to, maybe we could go outside and build a snowman. Does that sound fun?”
Timmy nodded shyly. “Okay.”
“Cool.” Luke held out his hand and Timmy took it after just a second of hesitation. Luke glanced at me. “I’ll take the other kids outside, too.”
“What an excellent idea.” I returned Luke’s smile. Watching him talk to Timmy as they left the room, holding his tiny hand, made my heart melt.
“He’s good,” Sue observed, grabbing the paper towels that Luke had abandoned. She stooped to clean up the mess. “Timmy doesn’t trust anyone. Well, anyone male anyway.”
About that Night Page 6
