They were planning on allowing Ralph to eventually accompany Josh here at the home, which would help him adapt, but Josh had admitted rather ruefully that, even though Ralph was much more subdued, he was still a handful, so it was way too soon.
Finally, it was Thanksgiving, and Nina was slightly nervous about accompanying Josh to Luke and Kelly’s house. Josh had been so busy concentrating on his rehab, he hadn’t even visited there himself yet. Luke had insisted it was just as easy for him to visit Josh here, until Josh was feeling more confident about finding his way around with a walking stick.
Nina had the afternoon off and would be driving Josh to Luke and Kelly’s after stopping off at home first and changing her clothes. The weather had changed drastically again over the past week, and temperatures had fallen into the twenties after a couple of inches of snow had dropped down and blanketed the area a few days earlier.
Luke had been sure to tell them that there would be skating at the ice rink near their home at Dragonfly Pointe. Supposedly, Luke and Kelly had begun a new tradition with an open house during all the big holidays, and so far, they’d celebrated Christmas Eve, Easter and even the Fourth of July with friends and family.
With Josh sitting beside her, Nina pulled into the driveway of her house in the Dragonfly Falls Subdivision. After Nina’s mother had passed away, not only had Jake and Danielle Loughlin assisted Nina with her plans to go to nursing school, they’d also insisted on arranging for the home improvement loan Nina had long since paid back.
Repairs had been done while Nina was still living in the home during her last year of high school, but once she’d gone away to school some big-time construction had taken place. Jake had talked Nina into building an addition and garage as well as finishing up the basement, and the interior had been nearly gutted to allow for new plumbing and electrical. They’d saved some of the beautiful architectural features of the home like the pine overlap siding in the dining room and the beautiful wide plank floors. Because her property was in a prime location, it was worth it to spend the money, Jake had claimed, and nearly fifteen years later her home and surrounding property overlooking the Crystal Rock Lake had quadrupled in value.
“I can’t believe you’ve managed to hold onto this place, Nina,” Josh said, stepping out from her truck with his walking stick.
“Yeah. I never wanted to sell after my mom passed away, and somehow Jake knew that. I don’t know what I would’ve done without Jake and Danielle to advise me about my options. I couldn’t believe they were willing to sponsor me to become an emancipated minor.”
“That doesn’t surprise me too much.” Josh answered, as Nina guided him to the front door while he used his cane. “Pretty much everyone here in town knew that you were your mom’s primary care giver, even though you had help during the day.”
“You know what I found out later?” Nina unlocked the door and guided Josh through the doorway. “Just walk straight ahead, Josh. It’s all open concept, so you’ll run into the back of the couch. I don’t have a whole lot of furniture for you to fall over anyway. There’s just my desk along with an end table, one recliner and a big leather ottoman that I use as a coffee table—plus it opens up to store extra blankets. Half the time I doze off on the couch because there’s such a beautiful view outside through my new windows. At one time, this was where my mom’s hospital bed was set up, so she could see outside.”
“It smells really nice in here—kind of like cinnamon.”
“My only decorative element in the entire house for the holidays is cinnamon scented potpourri, besides the easy to light cinnamon scented logs I like to use in the fireplace, that is.”
When Josh laughed, Nina grinned.
Josh had already seated himself on the sofa. “Okay—what was it you found out later?” he asked.
She shook her head dazedly, trying to remember what she’d said. That’s right, she’d been ready to reassure him about returning to Crystal Rock. “I was dealing with a bunch of new problems after you disappeared from town. Turns out, Mom didn’t have much time left. But there was this really sweet nurse that came out of retirement to take care of my mom for those last few months. Would you believe that a bunch of the townspeople got together and asked her if she’d be willing? I was kind of frantic at the time, because I couldn’t afford to pay my mom’s regular nurse anymore. For some reason, there was a glitch with the government funding—something about a change of Medicaid, Medicare benefits. Mom’s bills were humongous and the savings were all gone. I was actually to the point of thinking I would have to drop out of high school, for sure. If I’d have had to sell the house, where would we have gone?”
“Isn’t it funny how some of our worst problems here in Crystal Rock seem to mysteriously get solved?” Acting almost like he was talking to himself, Josh had a wry smile on his face.
Nina paused. “You’re right, it is kind of strange. You don’t s’pose...?”
“I do,” Josh answered softly. “Why do you think I’ve turned up here in Crystal Rock having the last name of Loughlin?”
“Jake and Danielle seem to have made it their mission to look out for any of us who need help.”
“And I gotta say that that’s probably an understatement,” Josh said with humor in his voice.
Nina smiled. She’d never seen Josh this animated before. He must be really looking forward to going to Luke’s.
“I’m going to go get changed, I’ll be back in about ten minutes. Want the television on?”
“Nah, I’m good. I’ll wait here.”
“Alright, I’ll hurry. I know you’re anxious to see Luke.”
* * *
Anxious to see Luke? Yeah, right.
One thing was for sure, he wasn’t so worried right now about his response to women anymore. He’d walked into this house with Nina, and the first thing that’d come into his mind was the fact that they were finally alone. And judging by his response, another part of Josh’s anatomy seemed to be working not so independently of his brain.
Had Nina noticed how quickly he went walking into the house so he’d be able to sit down? Luckily, he was wearing a brand-new parka, he thought wryly. But he had a feeling it’d been a close call. What if Nina would’ve offered to hang up his coat?
Wait a minute, Josh thought. She was interested in him too. Why was he making such a big deal about it?
Because he wasn’t nearly as experienced as everyone in the world seemed to think. What’d had happened to him as a kid, and then later as a teenager, had almost ruined him for life.
Almost being the key word here—or, so, the psychologist had said to him just yesterday.
Meeting the right woman, one who would accept him for everything he was, that’s what was most important to him, he’d realized. So, what, if he’d been unable to perform in the past?
Everything was different with Nina. First and foremost, they were friends, and Josh had a feeling it was something meant to last.
He heard Nina walk into the room.
“You look...strange,” she said softly.
Josh stood up and pulled her into his arms. “Man, you smell good.”
“Is something wrong?” she asked with definite concern.
“Not a thing. It’s just the opposite. Here I am—I can’t see, and because of it, I don’t have a clue what’s going to happen with the future. But for some strange reason, I’m more content than I’ve ever been in my entire life.”
“That’s because you’re letting friends and family back into your life, Josh,” she said quietly.
“And maybe there’s more to it than that?” he asked softly.
“Maybe,” she answered in a whisper, and then she laughed softly. “But maybe it’s a little too soon to say more than that?”
He chuckled. “Yep, maybe.”
Nina laughed. “C’mon. Let’s get over to Luke and Kelly’s place.”
* * *
Kelly and her mom were laying snacks out for guests when Nina arrived with Jo
sh. They walked inside the kitchen through the garage, where the overhead door had been left open for everyone’s convenience. Supposedly, even the workout room built at the back of the garage had a beautiful view overlooking the lake.
“You can tell that the same construction company that remodeled my family home built this one, cause there’s a lot of the same cool features,” Nina said to Kelly Callahan’s mother, Jenny, who had once been her mom’s closest friend. Callahan Construction was Jake Loughlin’s primary contractor for the Dragonfly Pointe Inn.
“My husband and my daughter, Kate, do an excellent job, don’t they?” Jenny answered, pulling Nina into her arms. “I’m glad you’re taking time to make a few new friends, Sweetie.”
“It’s doesn’t surprise me that Kate went into business with her dad,” Nina answered, hugging Jenny firmly. “She was always prowling around town looking for any scraps or pieces of furniture she could use for those fantastic mosaic tables she used to build.”
Kelly smiled. “She never really quit. I guess you didn’t know that Kate has a huge side business now? You wouldn’t believe how much she makes from what she designs. She’s even gotten into doing ironwork. Now me? I don’t have an entire creative bone in my body.”
Luke walked in through the door. “Hah,” he answered. “You design your look, don’t you—with the clothes you wear?” Turning to Nina, he winked. “Heck, with all the extra clothes and shoes she says she simply has to have, we had to build a second walk-in closet for her down in the basement. And there’s still not enough space.”
Reaching over, Kelly lightly slapped Luke’s arm, and Nina began laughing.
Luke grinned, turning to Josh. “Good to see you, Bro.” he said, pulling Josh into his arms.
“You’ve sure a heck of a lot more affectionate than you were as a kid,” Josh muttered. But Nina could tell that Josh was becoming a little emotional.
Luke chuckled. “C’mon. Let’s get you guys geared up to go for a walk and maybe do some skating while Kelly and Jenny finish preparing the food.”
“Skating?”
Josh looked uncertain, until Luke jabbed him in the ribs with an elbow.
“Hey, you used to always be up for a challenge. Besides, you used to be pretty good. Remember that old pair of skates you found in the trash? You thought you’d found gold. You were so frickin’ excited.”
“Okay, but I also kind of remember thinking I’d be able to put ‘em on and play hockey like a pro.” Josh grinned wryly. “And then I fell flat on my face.”
“Yeah, but as I recall, it didn’t take you long to learn. It wasn’t nearly so easy for me.”
After a few more minutes of light conversation, Luke wrapped an arm around Kelly, giving her a quick peck on the cheek. “Need help with anything, Babe?”
Kelly smiled. “Nah. Go spend some time with Nina and Josh and just enjoy yourself, Luke. Dad will be here soon if we need anything else.”
Luke squeezed Kelly affectionately before letting her loose from his arms.
“C’mon you two, let’s all get down to the ice.”
Luke’s expression became pensive walking beside Josh and Nina. “I always looked up to you Josh,” he said quietly, with a hand wrapped loosely around Josh’s arm. Having been forewarned about Luke’s regular routine with his guests, Nina had suggested Josh leave his stick in the truck.
“I know, Luke.” Josh answered. “I’d have done anything for you, too.”
And that seemed to be enough. Apparently, they still had a lot of talking to do, but it was probably going to take some time for them both to open themselves up.
That part of Josh’s past was off limits to Nina for now, but hopefully he’d eventually let her in. They were taking baby steps, at least for now, and maybe they’d be getting to the point where Josh would be able to open himself up to her as well.
It was an easy stroll down to the lakefront since the path had been cleared of snow, and Luke led Nina and Josh toward the small shed that’d been constructed near the bleachers where the rental skates were stored. The house that Luke and Kelly had purchased had originally built for a caretaker, and Jake Loughin had supposedly given Luke an extra set of keys for the outbuildings around the point so Luke could keep an eye out for trouble.
Nina hesitated when Luke asked what her shoe size was. “I don’t think...that is, I’ve never learned...”
“Oh, no,” Josh muttered. “You’re not getting out of this so easy. Give her some skates, Luke.”
Luke laughed. “You heard the man.”
“All right, I wear a size six,” she answered, grimacing.
“Hmm. You have small feet. I think there’s a pair that’ll work though.”
Soon, Luke was handing her the skates and leading Josh through the shed so he could find another pair that would fit him.
After walking outside from the shed behind Josh, Luke led Nina and Josh to a bench near a bonfire blazing near the edge of the ice.
“I wouldn’t mind just sitting here and staying warm,” Nina said in a teasing voice.
Josh laughed. “Oh, no, you don’t. I don’t know if I can get these skates on by myself anyway.”
Not really thinking, Nina answered, “Well don’t look at me for help.”
Josh answered dryly, “I won’t.”
Nina snorted and Luke barked out a laugh.
“Don’t worry, I’ll help both of you,” Luke said. “Where’d you get the pretty parka, Josh?”
“Nina helped me picked it out. I don’t look like a wuss, do I?”
“A wuss?” Nina slapped Josh on the shoulder.
Luke winked at Nina. “Well, as long as you like the color pink...”
“Shut up, Luke. That’d be something more like you would do to me,” Josh muttered, looking slightly uncertain.
Nina started to laugh. “Don’t look nervous like that. I think you’re teasing me, aren’t you? I guess I never told you it was dark green?”
He smiled. “Yeah, you did, but I just wanted to make sure, especially since there’s fur around the hood. That’s a new look for me.”
All three of them were still laughing when Josh and Nina stood up.
Glancing at the trail leading down from the house, Luke slapped Josh on the back. “Looks like I’ve got some more guests on their way. I’ll be back a little later, once you’ve had enough.”
Nina smiled. “Thanks, Luke.”
Josh held onto Nina while they both made their way awkwardly toward the ice.
Luke grinned, giving Josh a look of approval, before winking at her again while walking away.
“I used to come here a lot to watch the kids on the hockey team play. That’s where I first noticed Tim Atkinson. He was a fantastic hockey player,” Josh mumbled. “Oh, no, not again,” he groaned, slipping and sliding over the irregular surface of the ice.
“Be careful, Josh.” Nina went to grab him and went tumbling down backwards, with Josh falling on top of her.
“Okay, that does it,” he said. “The third time’s the charm,” he growled, rolling over so he was laying beneath her, and then kissing her on the lips.
Amazingly, there’d been no hesitance with his mouth finding hers, and his kiss left everything else fading from her mind. Tingles ran down her spine as his fingers tightened over her shoulders, and there was a hungry gleam in his eyes telling her that he was feeling the same need that she was.
His gloved hand moved through the hair that was loose over her shoulders, cupping the back of her head, and Nina closed her eyes, sinking into the kiss, feeling her senses come alive. The cool crisp air, the sun shining brightly in the deep blue sky overhead, and even the laughter echoing through the air made it feel like it was the most magical moment of her life, and incredibly more powerful than that first sweet kiss they’d shared fifteen years ago.
Nina heard someone giggling over her shoulder, and she broke away from Josh dazedly, just in time to see two young girls whizzing past her and Josh on their skates.
<
br /> She noticed Josh was looking pretty darn flustered himself, so she pulled herself up from the ice, reaching for his hand and helping him get his bearings.
“I thought you knew how to skate?” she asked with pretended frustration.
“Hey—it’s been a while,” he answered, laughing softly.
But something had changed for them in a very good way. So much so that Nina was feeling a little shaken. Josh’s future was so uncertain, and even he didn’t know what he’d be doing next.
What if he left Crystal Rock? There was no use fooling herself at this point.
She’d be heartbroken.
Hobbling along, Nina managed to drag him into the middle of the ice where Josh took over, skating with ease, guiding her effortlessly over the smooth clean surface while Nina steered him clear of the rougher patches of ice near the rink’s edge.
A half hour later, they had their moves so much in sink, Josh was speeding up and taking a chance with some tighter spins. Luckily the other skaters were steering clear of them, because Nina nearly fell down a few more times, and she probably would’ve taken a tumble for sure if she wasn’t holding onto him so tightly.
She couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed so much.
They’d been tired after an hour of skating, so they returned to the house to eat. Unfortunately, there’d been no more kisses between her and Josh during the rest of the afternoon.
But Kelly made sure she introduced Nina and Josh to all the guests at the house, which included some former patients from the wounded warrior home, and it seemed like all they did was laugh the entire time they were there.
Nina and Josh were conversing with Zach Logan and his wife Beth, after having seen their seventeen-year-old special needs son, Alex, attempting to steal food from the buffet. Nina had reached Alex just in time to stop him from dipping his finger into the cheese dip. Alex was a client of the Crystal Visions Vocational Center, so Nina knew him knew pretty well.
Beth was thanking Nina. “It’s amazing how he can resist cake and cookies, and even potato chips. But put any kind of cheese in front of him? He goes nuts.”
Two Hearts Find Christmas Page 8
