by Noelle Adams
“She’s still outside talking with your grandparents.”
Ean nodded and then looked at her expectantly. She knew he was probably wondering why she was here alone with him in the basement. They were never alone, and she’d certainly never sought him out for conversation.
“So are you excited about college?”
“Sure. I’m ready to move out and move on.” There was a long pause and Lacey inched just a little bit closer. Ean cleared his throat and shifted a little further away. “We’ll finish packing tomorrow and then my folks are driving me up to Massachusetts. The summer semester starts next Monday.”
“What?” she cried. “You’re leaving tomorrow? I thought you’d be home all summer!”
He looked at her like she was crazy. “No, I wanted to start right away. I can’t wait to get away from this town and start working toward getting my own company started. That’s certainly not going to happen if I sit around here all summer long.”
She was crushed. Ean, the great love of her life, her reason for living, was leaving. Worse, he didn’t even seem to realize that he was slowly killing her. “Oh, well, that’s great. Ava didn’t mention it,” she mumbled. Taking a deep breath, Lacey realized it was now or never. “Listen, Ean, I think that you are amazing. You’re so smart and so talented and I think that you are going to be the absolute best at…” she had completely forgotten what he was going major in, “…whatever it is you choose to do!”
Ean gave a genuine smile, and in that moment, Lacey was sure he understood her feelings. How could he not? She believed in him! She was encouraging him! Certainly now, finally, she could make her move. With more enthusiasm than finesse, Lacy leaned over and kissed him. Her lips had barely touched him when he grabbed her by the upper arms and shoved her away.
“Geez, Lacey, what are you doing?” Her green eyes went wide with shock. “For crying out loud, are you crazy? Why would you do that?” There was a hint of annoyance in his tone, but first and foremost was confusion.
Lacey forced herself to speak. “Wh…Why?” she stammered. “Because I wanted to, because you’re amazing and because I love you!”
Now it was Ean’s turn for his eyes to widen. “Love me? Love me?” Pushing his glasses up on his nose he stood and looked down at her on the couch. “Are you insane? You’re like what, fourteen? I’m going off to college! You’re like family, like a sister! You’re Ava’s best friend!” He was pacing and when he finally stopped he looked at Lacey, dismissed her and essentially shattered what had been her dream of happily ever after.
Lacey had run from the basement as if the hounds of hell were after her and went to wait for her parents by their car, refusing to interact with anyone else at the party. All she wanted was to go home, lock herself in her room and cry until she was numb. When her parents found her and asked why she’d been waiting by the car and not saying good night to everyone, she pleaded a headache and climbed into the back seat.
The whole way home, she cursed herself for being so stupid. Of course a college man like Ean wouldn’t be interested in her. No one would be. She was an idiot for even trying. Luckily Ean’s visits home would be few and far between. No one would know about their basement conversation, and if she lived to be 100, she’d never speak of it. If she learned one thing from this night it was to never trust her instincts where boys were concerned. Her heart was broken, and Lacey never wanted to feel like this again. Ever.
For years, she had managed to avoid seeing Ean. It wasn’t hard to do. He rarely came home for visits; the Callahans always went to him, and on his longer breaks, he took internships overseas to help with his degree. Yes, avoiding Ean Callahan had been a relative breeze for almost twelve years.
Until now.
Until this stupid wedding and the Christmas cottage that was quickly becoming a thorn in her side.
“I can’t wait to see Ean,” Ava was saying. Who knows if she had been saying anything else, so lost in her own misery Lacey had been. “I can’t even remember the last time he was home for more than a weekend, can you?”
“No.”
Her flat response went completely over Ava’s head. “When was the last time you two even saw each other? What was it, his graduation, right?”
Lacey closed her eyes and counted to ten. “I really don’t remember, Ava, okay.”
Clearly that response got Ava’s attention. “What’s the matter? Don’t you want to work with Ean on this for me?”
“It’s not that, it’s just…”
“Oh, gosh, is this because you used to have a massive crush on him?”
“WHAT?”
“Please, you were never good at hiding your emotions, and for years I watched you watching him; then after he left for school, you were always asking about him. I never could understand it because, basically, Ean is a major geek, but hey, if that’s what floats your boat…”
“Ean does not float my boat and you have no idea what you’re talking about,” Lacey said defensively, searching the apartment for her purse and keys so that she could finally leave and process all of the things that had happened here today.
“Look, it’s no big deal to me. For a while I thought he had a thing for you, too. He always asks about you, but you know, he went away to school and all that and you never came around when he was home and it was sort of ‘out of sight, out of mind’ for me. So is that what has your bitch factor on right now?”
“I don’t have a bitch factor…”
“Oh, please, you so have a bitch factor going on right now. You forget, Lacey Quinn, you and I are closer than sisters and I know everything about you. You may think that you hid your tracks well, but you didn’t. You had a crush on my brother. So what? He’s here for my wedding, he’s Mason’s best man, and if it’s all no big deal to you, then working with him should be a breeze, right?”
For a moment, Lacey considered slapping her. It wouldn’t solve anything but right now she just wanted to hit something and Ava was handy. But rather than risking a friendship, she merely shrugged. “Of course I don’t have a problem working with Ean on the cottage. When he gets into town, give him my number and we’ll coordinate our schedules. He’s probably not going to be around for long, so I’ll most likely end up doing the shopping and prepping on my own. It’s no big deal.”
“Mm-hmm,” Ava purred. “That’s what I thought.”
Lacey rolled her eyes and grabbed Ava for a hug. “I’ve got my assignment, Captain, and I’m prepared to take it on. Your Christmas cottage is going to be a living, breathing dream come to life! Ean and I will make sure of it.”
Ava held on tight. “You are my best friend in the whole wide world and I knew I could count on you.” When she finally let go, she looked Lacey in the eye. “It means the world to me that you and Ean are going to work on this together; you are the two people I trust most in this world. I love you.”
“Love you, too.”
Lacey stepped off of the porch and headed out into the cool night air to the parking lot. She turned once and gave a quick wave to Ava. For her friend’s sake, she’d do everything in her power to make this cottage-thing look the way she wanted, but there was no way she would do it with Ean. No, by the time Ean Callahan decided to stroll into town, everything would be done and though she’d make sure he got some of the credit, anything he was going to do, he’d be doing on his own.
This time, she’d be the one dismissing him.
Two
Ean Callahan was home. Well, not home, exactly, but at his family’s mountain home. He’d get to Raleigh, eventually, but right now, he needed a break from his hectic pace and to find some peace and quiet. Right now, there was no place more peaceful than the mountains of North Carolina.
The weather was crisp and cool, and even though logic had dictated that he fly home, the thought of driving and seeing the fall foliage had been impossible to ignore. With no schedule to adhere to, he’d left his home in Boston bright and early Monday morning and spread the fifteen hour driv
e out over two days. With no one but himself for company, the quiet had been a little unnerving at times. He spent most of his days surrounded by people wanting something from him, or more accurately, demanding something from him. His time was never his own anymore, and for that, Ean had grown weary.
Ava’s wedding could not have come at a more perfect time. This time of year, most of his employees were distracted with the holidays and shopping and partying and celebrating. He couldn’t get a decent work day out of half of them. When his mother had called and inquired if he was truly sure he wouldn’t be home for his baby sister’s wedding, he decided to throw caution to the wind and take a much needed vacation.
That’s not to say he won’t be working. With a quick glance at the luggage that he just hauled in, Ean knew he had everything here to make a decent home office. The main benefit was that he could have some peace and quiet to work, and actually be able to hear himself think.
Work had never bothered Ean before, but lately it wasn’t enough. There were so many things that he’d accomplished over the last eight years since he’d graduated from college, and even if he were being modest, he could say with great certainty that he’d done everything he’d set out to do. Unfortunately, there were no great challenges ahead, no mountains to climb, metaphorically speaking. His career was in maintenance mode, and while that was a good thing and kept him financially secure, Ean couldn’t help but wonder what to do with himself next.
Well, first up was getting unpacked and then it was off to town to buy some food so that he could truly settle in. Ean had thought of letting someone know that he was coming here, but then his much needed peace and quiet time would have been a distant dream. He felt a little guilty for keeping his family in the dark about his time in Asheville, but he knew that by doing things this way, he’d be much better company when they were all to be together for what promised to be a very long, festive Christmas week.
Stopping to buy food on the way into town would have been a more logical plan, but Ean had been anxious to get to the house. It had been years since he’d been here, and he knew that it had recently been renovated and so he wanted to see first-hand what had been done. Plus, checking out the pantry would help him know what supplies he’d need.
Once his unpacking was done and he was settled into his old room, Ean moved to his father’s office and set up his own equipment. The temptation to check emails and make calls was strong, but his stomach growling proved to be the stronger pull. Work could wait, his hunger could not.
The drive into town was uneventful and it was nice to be able to pick out exactly what he wanted. Back in Boston, he had a housekeeper who shopped for him and cleaned his home once a week. She did most of his cooking too, but she at least asked if he had any requests. The freedom of walking through the supermarket and choosing foods at whim was more pleasant than Ean would’ve thought possible.
Looking around, he noticed that the store was particularly crowded. When he saw a harried stock boy quickly tossing canned goods on to a shelf, he let his curiosity get the better of him. “Is there some sort of sale going on that I’m missing?” he asked lightly.
The boy had to be maybe sixteen and turned to him, eyes wide. “No sir, everyone’s stocking up because of the snow.”
“Snow?” Ean asked incredulously. “It’s only the second week of November.”
“Yes, sir. I know that and you know that, but it seems that Mother Nature doesn’t really care. The weatherman’s predicting almost a foot of snow tonight!” And with that bombshell, the boy turned back to his task at hand.
Snow? Well, he’d certainly be getting the peace and quiet he’d been looking for. He just hoped he had the electricity to compliment it. With a new sense of purpose, Ean made his way around the store buying everything he could think of and still had a bit of a spring in his step. Snow wouldn’t be a problem for him. He’d stop and get gas for the generator, he had snow boots at the house and he knew where his father kept the shovels and snow blower. No, sir, this storm was not going to ruin the first day of his vacation.
The checkout line seemed to be a mile long. There were easily a dozen lanes open and each was about ten people deep. With nothing left to do but people watch, he scanned the crowd. There were several mothers with children who were practically dancing on their toes at the thought of snow. He heard many “Will we build a snowman?” and “Can we have snowball fights?” The questions made him smile because he remembered feeling that exact same way when he was a boy.
There were business people like himself who, judging by their business attire and the annoyed looks on their faces, were clearly here on their way home from work. He was definitely familiar with that feeling, too.
The lines moved slowly and a quick glance out the window showed the first snowflakes starting to fall. He pulled out his iPhone and was about to check the weather when a flash of cobalt blue caught his eye two lanes over to the left. The woman had long wavy auburn hair, and although the noise level in the store made it nearly impossible to hear yourself think, he heard her laugh and felt a tightening in his gut that he hadn’t felt in a long time.
Ean strained to get a better look at the woman. The color of her hair reminded him of home; of Lacey. He was sure they’d see each other for the wedding especially since she was Ava’s maid of honor. It had been twelve years since he’d seen or talked to her. Would she still look the same? Well, not the same, but familiar? The woman two lanes over had the same color hair, and it had him wondering if Lacey wore hers long or short now? It was somewhere in between all those years ago, but that really didn’t mean anything.
The woman turned and he saw her fix her cobalt blue wool coat, flip an emerald green scarf around her neck – the same color as Lacey’s eyes he thought absently – and waited, with breath held, to see if she’d turn his way. A glimpse of her profile was all he could see; ivory skin, a straight pert looking nose and rosy cheeks, all surrounded by that mane of auburn hair.
Damn.
Clearly he was just feeling nostalgic because of being home. There was no way that the woman in the checkout lane was Lacey. From what he knew from his mother, Lacey still lived in Raleigh and was working for an interior design firm. So it couldn’t be Lacey, could it? No, that would be too much of a weird coincidence for Lacey Quinn to be shopping in the same small town grocery store as him in a town that neither of them lived in.
Too weird.
Too coincidental.
Totally impossible.
Ean shook his head to clear it and realized the cashier was looking at him expectantly. Somehow he had managed to lose track of the fact that he was currently having his order checked out and bagged. He smiled apologetically and paid for his order, all the while looking out through the front window for the woman in the cobalt blue coat. The cashier thanked him and wished him safe travel, and Ean walked out in to the lightly falling snow.
If he could be thankful for a small miracle, it would be for the fact that the snowstorm was taking its time in hitting the area. He’d have some time to get to the gas station and then home before the roads got particularly treacherous. With the last bag safely placed in the back of his SUV, he turned and saw the woman climbing in to her own SUV; hers was at the end of the same aisle his was. Without conscious thought, Ean started to head towards her, but she pulled out and away before he was even halfway there.
It was all for the better. What was he going to say to her? “Hey, I’ve been staring at you for several minutes and you remind me of a girl I grew up with. Do you want to get a drink?” Geez, he was out of practice with the art of approaching women. Wait, who was he kidding, he never had the art of the approach. Work and school had been his life. He never dated much and when he did, it was with like-minded women; ones that were too involved in their jobs to really want to get into a relationship. He met most through mutual acquaintances, and after a couple of dates, they’d each moved on.
He sighed with an opportunity lost, then headed back to h
is car and continued on to finish his errands so that he’d be home before dark.
***
The ride back to the ranch took a little longer than Ean was comfortable with. He was used to the snow up in Boston, but he wasn’t used to driving up a mountain in it. There was quite a difference. He hurried into the house with his groceries, and then went back out to grab the gas cans and put them in the garage near the generator, just in case he needed them. Once his task was complete, Ean headed back to the kitchen and looked at the clock. Four o’clock. A little late for lunch, a little early for dinner, so he opted for a sandwich to tide him over until he felt like making something more substantial.
The sandwich looked very promising and Ean lifted it, anticipating how good it was going to taste when a flash of headlights on the far end of the property caught his attention through the full wall of windows at the back of the house. Who in the world would opt to drive up here in the snow when it was getting dark, he wondered? Thinking that whoever it was may be a neighbor that he didn’t know about, he went back to his sandwich.
Twenty minutes later, with a somewhat full belly, Ean went into the office to check his emails and see how business had gone that day without him. He was about to close the plantation shutters when he noticed a soft light off in the distance. Now, he knew he hadn’t been up to this house in many, many years, but if he wasn’t mistaken, that was the guest house with all the lights on! Who in the world would be up there? His parents didn’t rent the place out, the renovations were done, so no one should be up there.
Trespasser? Squatter? Ean had no idea, and now he had no choice but to go and find out. Dammit, this was not part of his plan! He was here to relax; he was here to unwind. He was not here to have to fight off some would-be trespasser from his family’s guest house! Grumbling the entire way, Ean went to the mud room and found a pair of snow boots, a coat, gloves and a hat before grabbing his keys and heading out into the dusk.
