One Perfect Day

by Jennifer Youngblood

  “You mean, there’s more than one?”

  She laughed. “There are probably half a dozen on Main Street.”

  His eyes widened. “Oh, man. I hope I can find the one Milo and his buddies went to. If I lose my nephew, my sister will kill me … after she hangs me up by my toenails.”

  A chortle rumbled in her throat. “The closest one is a few doors down. I suspect that’s where the boys went.”

  He grimaced. “I hope you’re right.”

  “You have a sister who lives here?”

  “Yes.”

  “You’re visiting her for Christmas,” she surmised.

  “Yep. Chalk one up for you.”

  “Visiting from where?” She was itching to know more about him.

  When they reached the ice cream shop, Noah opened the door for her.

  “Thank you,” she said as she stepped into the shop. “You’re a gentleman, I see.”

  He nodded. “Of course.”

  Milo and his friends were sitting at a table. When they saw Noah and Piper, they waved.

  “It seems that I’ll live another day,” Noah said with a breath of relief.

  “Yes,” Piper laughed. “And, you’ll get to keep all your toenails.”

  “Whew,” he exhaled, swiping a hand across his forehead.

  She shook her head, grinning.

  “How’s the ice cream?” Noah asked loudly. He removed his gloves as Piper did the same.

  Milo held up his cone. “Delicious! Thanks, Uncle Noah,” he grinned. A round of parroted thanks ran through the guys.

  “You’re welcome,” Noah said offhandedly as he placed a hand on Piper’s back, navigating her to the back of the line. The gesture felt so natural and yet it was exhilarating. Was Noah real or merely a figment of her overactive imagination? He was handsome, considerate, good with kids, conversational. Piper’s rational mind brought back up the point that she knew very little about him. It was too soon to dub him perfect. However, her heart was insistent on shouting otherwise.

  The shop was busy, alive with the lively chatter of patrons. “It seems like you’re not the only one who has an ice cream fetish,” Piper remarked.

  A grin slid over Noah’s lips, making him look boyishly adorable. “It’s the American way.”

  Once they had their ice cream, they sat down at an empty table near Milo and his friends.

  Noah took a large bite of his strawberry ice cream. “Mm, that’s good. How’s yours?”

  “Really good.”

  “Let me try a bite.”

  Her insides tightened in surprise. Sharing ice cream felt intimate. Then again, she’d contemplated a few short minutes earlier how it would be to kiss Noah. It seemed silly to balk at sharing food. “Sure.” She held it out to him. He leaned over and took a generous bite.

  “What do you think?” she asked.

  “It’s good,” he said lightly, “not as good as the strawberry, but good.”

  “Ah, I don’t believe that. Let me try yours.” She leaned forward as he held it out. She took a large bite, the sweet tartness of the berries zinging against her taste buds. She swallowed, licking her lips. “Wow, that’s good.”

  “Yep, better than the chocolate,” he said confidently.

  “Yes, it is,” she admitted.

  He pushed out a heavy breath. “If I were a real gentleman, I’d trade you.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t expect you to do that.”

  His eyes danced with laughter. “Whew, that’s a relief because this is too good to trade.”

  A giggle rose in her throat. She shook her head, taking another bite of ice cream. “I guess I’ll have to make do with the chocolate.” Piper couldn’t remember the last time she’d had this much fun … and all they were doing was eating ice cream. “You were about to tell me where you’re from.”

  “I was?” His expression was one of mock confusion.

  “Yes, you were.” She sat back in her seat, eyeing him with an expression she hoped would convey that she wasn’t letting him off the hook.

  “Boulder, Colorado.”

  She frowned. “Really?”

  Amusement colored his features. “You don’t like Boulder? It’s very similar to here.”

  “Yes, it is,” she agreed, rushing on. “It’s just that I thought I detected a Southern accent.”

  He gave her a congratulatory look. “I grew up in Nashville.”

  Piper was rather pleased with herself. “Yep, I heard the twang.”

  “To hear my siblings talk, I’ve lost nearly all of it.”

  “It’s still there.” A grin tugged at her lips. “A smidgen.” She switched gears, thinking of Boulder, Colorado. “Do you ski?”

  “Do I ski?!” He wiggled his eyebrows. “Does a cat have a climbing gear?”

  She shook her head, laughing. “Alright, funny guy. What do you do for a living? A comedy act?”

  “I’m afraid I’d starve,” he said drolly.

  “I doubt that.” She waited for him to answer. When he didn’t, she leaned forward. “So … what do you do for a living?”

  A faint amusement twinkled in the depths of his eyes. “I’m a trust fund baby.”

  She rocked back. “Really?” Her insides tightened. Kudos to him for having everything handed to him, but how was she supposed to find any commonality with that? Her dismay must’ve shown on her face because he chuckled.

  “Just joking. I’m not a trust fund baby.”

  She shook her head. “Funny,” she said dryly. She sat back. “What do you do?”

  He wagged a finger. “Oh, no. You got one answer. Now it’s my turn. What do you do for a living?”

  She made a face. “You don’t wanna hear about me. I’m boring.”

  “Trust me. Nothing about you is boring.” His eyes caressed hers.

  Her eyelashes fluttered as she blinked several times. Was this really happening? It was magical, surreal. She kept expecting to wake up from a nap and find herself back at the gallery with her dragon boss breathing down her neck. “Thank you,” she finally said. “I work at an art gallery.”

  His eyebrow lifted and she could sense his interest. “Oh? Which one?” He took another bite of ice cream.

  “The Landin Gallery. It’s just up the street. I was on my lunch break when our paths collided.”

  A smile curved his lips. “I prefer to think of it as connected.”

  “Huh?”

  “When our paths connected.” He gave her a meaningful look. “Remind me to thank Milo and his buddies for initiating that snowball fight.”

  A bubble of happiness burst in Piper’s chest, spreading a warm glow throughout her body. She’d heard of instant connections and love at first sight, but it had never happened to her … until now. This was strange and thrilling. She took another bite of ice cream.

  “What type of work do you do at The Landin Gallery?”

  “I wear lots of hats, from running the floor and waiting on customers, to ordering inventory and paying invoices. In a nutshell, I’m the owner’s assistant.”

  “Are you an artist?”

  “A photographer.”

  His eyes rounded. “That’s impressive. What type of photography do you do?”

  “People mostly. A few landscapes.”

  “Is your work in the gallery?”

  She grunted. “I have a couple of prints, tucked away in the back. Someone would have to go digging through the racks to find them.”

  “Well, at least it’s a start. The Landin Gallery is hard to get into.”

  “Yes, it is.” She tipped her head. “You must know a little something about art if you know that.”

  “I’ve visited The Landin Gallery a few times.”

  Piper choked on her ice cream.

  Noah cast her a concerned look. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine.” She coughed again, hitting the center of her chest. “Sorry, that bite went down the wrong way.” Noah hadn’t been in the gallery when Piper was t
here. His was a face she would remember. “When did you last visit the gallery?”

  He looked thoughtful. “Last year sometime.”

  “Oh, that explains it. I’ve only been there for six months. You’ll have to come in again.”

  “I’ll do that. I’ll have to check out your photographs.”

  “You’re kind.” Her voice swung upward. “You should come back after the first of the year. The owner of the gallery is hosting a coming-out reception for me in either January or February.”

  “Done. It’s a date. You just say the word.” Noah took his last bite of the cone, wiping his hands on a napkin.

  Piper liked how he’d called it a date. It ran through her mind that a tentative date in the future felt hollow. “We’re having a reception this Friday,” she blurted, desperate to have a concrete opportunity for them to meet up again. His expression tightened, making her fear that she’d overstepped. “It’s for Nolan Vant, our most popular photographer.” Her words gushed out in a nervous jumble as she laughed. “While I’m not a big fan of Vant’s work, everyone else seems to love it. I know it’s the day before Christmas Eve, and you probably already have plans.”

  His brows darted together. “Nolan Vant … the landscape photographer?”

  “Yes.” She finished off her cone, making sure to keep her mouth closed as she chewed. Sheesh. It was hard to be delicate when she was chomping the cone.

  He frowned. “You don’t like his work?”

  She swallowed the food down. “Yeah, I mean, don’t get me wrong, in the world of digital photography I admire anyone who works in film. There’s a certain artistry in the old-school technique.”

  He sat back, looking thoughtful. “What do you shoot with?”

  “A medium format camera. Mamiya RB67.” It occurred to her that he probably knew nothing about cameras. She offered a sheepish grin. “I’m getting off track. What were we talking about?” It was hard to hold her train of thought with him so close and gazing at her with such adoration. She felt like she might melt into a puddle of goo on the spot.

  “You were telling me why you don’t like Vant’s work.”

  “Oh, yeah.” She shifted in her seat. “His stuff is okay, if you like watered-down commercialism.” She rolled her eyes. “Let’s be honest. How many renditions of daybreak or sunrise can a person do before it starts to get monotonous?” She rushed on, answering her own question with a chuckle. “Evidently, a lot if you’re Nolan Vant. His early works are genius, but now it just seems like he’s churning them out fast to make a buck.” She realized that she was blabbering like an imbecile. Noah was looking at her funny. She waved a hand. “I’m sorry, I tend to ramble when talking about photography.”

  “I don’t mind. I admire your passion.”

  “You do?”

  “I do. Tell me about your photos.”

  “Really?” She searched his handsome face. “I’m not boring you stiff?”

  “Not at all. I want to learn all about Piper …” he grinned “… I don’t even know your last name.”

  “Kell.”

  “Piper Kell.” He spoke as though he were committing it to memory.

  “What’s your last name?”

  “Romeo.”

  Her eyes rounded, laughter gurgling in her throat. “Romeo?” She half-expected him to say he was joking. “Are you serious?”

  “Yep.”

  She flattened her lips. “Hmm … I don’t believe you.”

  His eyes twinkled with laughter. “Would you like to see my license?”

  “Yes, I would.”

  “Alright.” He leaned to one side as he removed his wallet from his back pocket. He held it open, showing his license, tucked inside a clear plastic sleeve. There it was … Noah Romeo with a Colorado license.

  “Noah Romeo. It has a nice ring to it.”

  “I like to think so.”

  Her eyebrow slid up. “So, Noah Romeo, are you a Romeo?” she teased, but there was an underlying element of truth to the question.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Do you play the field?”

  His answer was immediate. “Nope. That honor belongs to my brother Jaxson.”

  The sincerity of his words was comforting. “Good to know.” She couldn’t stop the smile that spread over her lips. A couple minutes later, Piper’s heart clutched as she glanced at the clock on the wall. She needed to get back to the gallery, but she didn’t want to leave Noah for fear that she might not see him again. Was she actually awake or was this all just a dream? It felt like a dream … too good to be real. Piper pushed aside the negative thought, refusing to let it take root. Why couldn’t she meet a terrific guy that she clicked with? It happened to people all the time. Why not her? Yes, she had to keep thinking positive thoughts.

  “I hate to say it, but I need to get back to work.” Ask for my number, she silently pleaded as she scooted back her chair, preparing to stand.

  He touched her hand, sending a tingle through her when their skin connected. “Don’t go.” His eyes held hers. “Spend the day with me.”

  Oh, how she wanted to! All she could think about was how his hand felt over hers, his warmth flowing into her. She let out a hesitant laugh. “I wish I could.” Could she spend the day with him? The idea rolled around in her head, sparking hope. Deidre was gone for the day, preoccupied with Nolan Vant. Scotty probably wouldn’t mind. If there were any day that Piper could play hooky it was today. Everything was set for the reception on Friday, and she’d gotten all the inventory logged in. All she would be doing the remainder of the day was helping customers, which Scotty could do.

  Noah leaned forward. “Think about it. Me and you, sharing a perfect day.”

  “Okay,” she heard herself say dreamily.

  His eyes lit with pleasure, rimming them in gold. “You will?”

  “Let me call my co-worker and make sure he can cover for me.”

  “Sure.” His eyes sparked excitement. “How do you feel about tubing?”

  “Tubing … as in riding an innertube down a hill?”

  “Yup.” A large smile spread over his lips. “I promised Milo and his friends that I’d take them tubing.” A lopsided grin pulled at the corner of his lips.

  Piper didn’t care what they did, as long as she got to spend more time with Noah. “Alright, I’m game.” She reached into her coat pocket to retrieve her phone. “Let me just make a quick phone call.” She thought of something else. “Oh, I’ll need to get my purse from the gallery if we’re spending the rest of the day together.” Piper lived only a few blocks away from the gallery and had walked to work this morning. At least she wouldn’t have to worry about her car.

  “Sounds good.” He hesitated. “Do you want me to go with you to get it, or should I stay here and keep these turkeys out of trouble?”

  Piper could tell that Noah preferred to stay here, and that was probably better. Scotty was already going to tease her relentlessly when he realized she was ditching work to spend the day with a guy she’d just met. Piper preferred to just speak to him alone about it. “You know what … since I’m grabbing my purse, I’ll just talk to Scotty in person instead of calling him.”

  He frowned. “Scotty?”

  The faint hint of jealousy in his voice gave her a sense of pleasure. “My co-worker.”

  “Oh.” He looked relieved. “Alright. I’ll see you soon.” He winked. “Turn your hat around.”

  It took her a second to realize the meaning of his words. It was his way of saying hurry back. “Will do.”

  As she was walking away from the table, she heard one of the boys ask. “Is your girlfriend leaving?” His voice was laced with teasing.

  Noah didn’t skip a beat. “Don’t y’all worry. She’ll be right back. We’re spending the day together.”

  Piper grinned, her feet hardly touching the ground. She couldn’t get to the gallery and back fast enough. As she stepped out into the nippy air, she looked up at the bright coin shining in the clea
r azure sky. “Yes, indeed, a perfect day,” she hummed.

  3

  Piper’s throat tightened as her eyes spanned the length of the steep slope that stretched farther into the distance than the eye could see. Tubing hadn’t seemed like a big deal in theory. However, now that they were at the top of the snow-covered lane they were about to go down, it was disconcerting. Cori had been pestering Piper to take ski lessons, but Piper was a wimp. Just riding the ski lift up to their current location had been petrifying. Although she’d done a pretty good job of hiding her fear, if she did say so herself.

  “Are you okay?”

  The concern that flickered across Noah’s chiseled features was touching. Piper threw him a tight smile. “I’m fine.” Maybe she was more transparent than she thought.

  “Liar,” Noah drawled, amusement sprinkling his perceptive eyes with gold flecks.

  “Okay, I’m a little apprehensive,” she admitted, impressed that he could pick up on her feelings. Interesting that she felt so connected to Noah.

  Noah stepped closer to her. “I’ll be with you the entire time.”

  Her heart pumped faster at his nearness. For a second, she forgot about the glittering slope and the people around them. It was just her and Noah, cocooned in this incredible chemistry.

  They were at a park that rented innertubes. The lanes were smooth and sectioned off, which made her feel a little more at ease. She and Noah were riding down together. They were near the front of the line with only two couples in front of Milo and his friends, who were each going down separately.

  Noah’s phone buzzed from inside the front pocket of his jeans. He’d gotten several calls when they were on the ski lift, but he ignored them. He fished the phone out and looked at the screen.

  Piper tried to get a read on his expression. She detected a slight tightness of annoyance around his eyes and mouth. “You can get that if you need to.”

  “Nah, it’s just work. It can wait,” he said. “In fact, I’ll put the phone on silent so we won’t be bothered anymore.” Just like that, the tension faded, giving way to a magnetic smile that caused her heart to flip. Noah was handsome anyway, but when he smiled, it nearly took her breath away. Piper’s mom was a huge Dennis Quaid fan. Noah reminded her of a young Dennis Quaid—an all-American heart throb. Curiosity was nipping at her insides. “You never did tell me what you do.”