A New Year's Kiss

by Delaney Cameron

  As they passed through the solarium on their way outside, they ran into Norah again.

  “Finished already?” she asked.

  Jody shot him a teasing glance. “Lance can’t believe it, either. I don’t know what I’m going to do with all that space.”

  “If you’re like me, you’ll find stuff to fill it with.” Norah bent down in front of Logan. “Which bedroom did you pick?”

  “The blue one. I can see the maze from my windows.”

  “Good choice. You’ll get to watch the tourists getting lost.”

  “Do you have to rescue them?”

  “If they can’t find their way back to the entrance, we do.” She straightened and addressed Jody. “One of the girls brought in caramel apples. Would it be okay for Logan to have one?”

  “Yes. He’d love that.” Jody didn’t say anything else until Norah and Logan were well out of earshot. “I bet she doesn’t have any trouble keeping people interested.”

  Lance hid a smile. “I don’t know what you mean.”

  “Yes, you do. I saw the look of pure male appreciation on your face when we walked in earlier. You better tone that down a little. She works for you now.”

  “A man can appreciate a woman’s beauty without being interested.”

  “That’s not what you were doing.”

  “You’re attempting to introduce facts not in evidence.”

  “You have an answer for everything.”

  “I have something to say to everything. It’s not at all the same thing.”

  Chapter Four

  The sight of gray clouds piling up on the horizon wasn’t going to stop Norah from enjoying her day off. Tossing aside the covers, she went into the bathroom to take a shower. Not quite an hour later, she was bidding Oliver goodbye and walking out the front door. She smiled as a brisk breeze stirred the ends of her hair. She loved this time of year when the days grew cooler and the leaves on the trees began to change from green to crimson, orange, and gold.

  Her route to the bookstore passed by Wilson-Dawes House. Based on the number of people lined up outside the entrance, Kathy and Todd were in for a busy morning. The change in ownership had been surprisingly smooth. Even the renovation of the rooms for Lance’s office was being done at night so as not to disturb the tours. Norah saw little of Jody, Logan or Lance, but she did make the acquaintance of his secretary, Carolyn, and his partner, Hunter. She’d almost managed to forget her weird reaction to her new boss, something she wisely attributed to a combination of nerves and being caught off guard. There couldn’t possibly be any other reason.

  Pushing open the door of The Book House, she greeted the elderly lady behind the counter before making her way to the travel section. People were amazed when she admitted she’d never been out of the state of South Carolina. Norah hadn’t thought of this as unusual until it was pointed out to her. She’d been perfectly content spending her vacation and holidays with her grandparents. When things reached the point where they needed her with them all the time, she hadn’t hesitated to leave Charleston and move back to Gable, the farming community where she grew up.

  Nine months had passed since that awful day when she handed the keys to her grandparents’ house to a stranger. Norah was still adjusting to being alone in the world. It wasn’t easy to start over when everything that had made up her life was gone. For months she’d been dealing with a restlessness that was entirely foreign and for which she hoped seeing a little more of the world might cure. If nothing else, it would be interesting to visit places she’d seen in movies or read about in books. The only problem was deciding where to go first.

  As luck would have it, one of the travel guides she wanted was on the top shelf, well out of reach of her outstretched hand. She blew out her breath in annoyance. Being short was so inconvenient sometimes. Her search for a stepstool came up empty. Movement in the next aisle had her peering through the gap in the shelves. A rueful smile tugged at her lips.

  The man facing away from her was definitely tall enough. Before she could decide whether to bother him, he turned in her direction. Once again she was caught in a position where she couldn’t hide. Worse than that, she’d been caught spying on him like some kind of adolescent stalker.

  Lance tossed her his lazy smile, the one that made her stomach do funny things. “Day off?”

  “Yep.”

  “Me, too. Our first stop was a bookstore. I wonder what that says about us.”

  “I don’t think it’s anything bad.”

  He walked around to where she stood. “Let’s hope not. I like to think that reading books will someday come back into fashion.” He nodded toward the printed section sign above her head. “Are you planning an escape?”

  “Right again. I’ve narrowed it down to three places, but Vermont is eluding me.”

  “How so?”

  “I forgot to wear my stilts. Would you mind?”

  “Not at all. Which one do you want?”

  “Englebert’s Guide to New England. It’s the thick paperback with the blue cover.”

  He retrieved the book and held it out. “Here you go.”

  “Thank you. You saved me doing a bad imitation of a monkey attempting to climb the shelves.”

  “Glad to be of service. I wonder if I could ask a favor in return.”

  “I don’t see why not. One good turn deserves another.”

  “I need to get a birthday present for Jody. She’s into antique jewelry, but I have no idea where to look or even what to buy. Can you point me in the right direction?”

  The mystery of why Jody was living with Lance had been explained to Norah during a conversation with Carolyn. She was impressed by the lengths he’d gone to take care of his cousin and her young son as well as honor the request of his best friend.

  “It’s your lucky day. Vintage jewelry is one of my things, too. I’ll be happy to show you some of my favorite places.”

  He looked both relieved and uncertain. “I didn’t mean you had to go with me.”

  “I know, but wouldn’t that make it easier?”

  * * * * *

  The answer to that question wasn’t as simple or straightforward as it seemed. Lance was already thinking about Norah too much which wasn’t smart considering she worked for him.

  “It would, but I can’t take up so much of your time.”

  She dismissed this with a wave of one small hand. “I was planning to hit several antique stores today anyway.”

  “I’m not sure I believe you, but I’m desperate. Picking out gifts for the females in my family hasn’t always been successful.”

  The smile she sent him had him running his finger around the collar of his turtleneck shirt. At the rate he was warming up, he wouldn’t need the jacket he was wearing.

  “Maybe I’m trying to score points with the new boss.”

  Mission accomplished. “Whatever the reason, I appreciate it.”

  “Let me pay for these books, and we can be on our way.”

  While he waited for her to check out, he mentally reviewed all the reasons boss-employee relationships never worked out. It was a flimsy defense to put against his growing interest in her, but it was all he had at his disposal.

  “Your car is beautiful,” she said as he helped her inside. “What kind is it?”

  “A Tesla. It’s a win-win. I get a cool vehicle to drive that’s good for the environment.” He closed the door and walked around to his side. As he buckled the seatbelt and started the engine, he asked, “Where to?”

  “We’ll try Vintage Vogue first. It’s on Meeting Street.”

  It was only a few minutes before Norah was pointing out the little shop with the green awnings situated between an outdoor café and a pottery shop. Once inside, she led him to several glass display cases running the length of one of the walls.

  “You’ll see a little bit of everything in here,” she told him. “Jody is about my age, so I recommend passing on anything too heavy or ornate. Do you know if she has
a locket?”

  “I’ve never seen her wear one.”

  “I ask because there’s a really nice one on the bottom row, fourth case from the left. It’s yellow gold, circa 1890 to 1900. The front lid has an engraved star and crescent moon.”

  “What are the stones in it?”

  “Looks like pearls and opals. It has a beaded chain, too.” She leaned down closer to the glass. “I can’t see a price on the tag.”

  “Maybe that means they’re willing to negotiate.”

  “Never hurts to ask, but something of this quality won’t be cheap.”

  “You get what you pay for. Is this something you’d choose for yourself?”

  “Definitely.”

  “That’s all I needed to hear.”

  A movement of his hand brought over the middle-aged man who’d been eyeing Norah appreciatively since they walked in. Lance didn’t blame him. He was having a similar problem staying focused.

  “Can I help you, sir?”

  “I’d like to see the locket on the bottom row, the round one with the moon and star.”

  The man slid open the door of the display case, removed the locket, and laid it on a piece of black velvet. “This came in a few days ago from an estate sale in Sumter. Hardly a scratch on it.”

  Lance picked it up and looked it over. Then he turned to Norah. “Would you mind putting it on?”

  “Not at all.” She turned around and lifted her hair out of the way.

  In the few seconds it took to lower the necklace over her head and work the tiny clasp, Lance’s brain registered the tantalizing scent of her perfume and the silky tendrils of hair clinging to the nape of her neck.

  “Got it,” he said in a voice nothing like his normal one.

  She swung around to face him, her gorgeous green eyes smiling right into his. It was like the rush of a sky dive multiplied by a thousand.

  “So…what do you think?” she asked.

  He didn’t have to think. He knew what was happening. Just because it had been a long time didn’t mean he’d forgotten all those intense feelings of attraction.

  “It’s perfect.”

  “Are you sure? We can look around some more.”

  “No need. This one has the Norah seal of approval.”

  She removed the necklace and handed it to the now beaming shop owner. “Please let me know what she thinks about it.”

  “I will.” Lance reached for his wallet. “Thanks for your help.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  While he was occupied at the register, he saw Norah looking at something in one of the other display cases. An older lady emerged from the back of the shop, introduced herself as Ginger and offered to get it out. When Lance joined Norah, she was holding a cameo pin. Etched into its porcelain surface was the profile of a young woman.

  “This piece has an interesting story,” Ginger was saying. “The husband of the young woman pictured here carved this cameo for her. He carried it to war with him, and it must have brought him luck because he returned safely. Later generations of the family ran into hard times, and the items belonging to the estate were sold.”

  “It’s never easy to part with family heirlooms,” Norah said. “It’s like you’re giving away a piece of yourself.”

  Lance wondered at the sadness in her voice. Was she speaking from experience? “The woman on here looks a little like you, Norah. Maybe you’re related to her.”

  “Wouldn’t that be something?” Ginger asked.

  “I don’t think any members of my family were wealthy enough to have an estate worth selling.” She fingered the cameo, a small smile on her lips. “It’s lovely on its own, but knowing the story behind it makes it even more meaningful.” With some reluctance, she handed it back to Ginger and looked at Lance. “Ready to go?”

  “If you are.” As they walked back to his car, he said, “That didn’t take long. What’s next on your agenda?”

  “I’ve got a hair appointment at one. I might even splurge and get my nails done.”

  “Would you have time for an early lunch?”

  “You don’t have to buy me lunch. I was returning a favor.”

  “All I did was hand you a book. You saved me hours of walking around. Taking you to lunch is the least I can do. Besides, it’ll give us a chance to get to know each other better.” And maybe find something about her that wasn’t so darn adorable.

  “Are you planning to take all your new employees to lunch?”

  He opened the car door so she could get in. “Maybe. I’ll have to see how today goes.”

  “So I’m the guinea pig?”

  “You and guinea pig should never be spoken together in the same sentence.” He walked around to his side and got in. Then he turned to look at her. “What’s the verdict?”

  She smiled at the pun. “Is this an example of what you do in court?”

  He’d never been this distracted in court. “Not even close.”

  “Even so, I bet you’re a hard person to lie to.”

  “That doesn’t stop people from trying, or you from stalling. I need an answer. The GPS in this car works great, but it can’t read your mind.”

  Chapter Five

  Norah took the plunge. One lunch with her boss wasn’t going to do any damage. “My stomach says yes.”

  “Great. Is O’Malley’s okay?”

  “That’s fine.”

  The Irish-themed restaurant was located along Shum Creek. After a brief wait, they were shown to a table overlooking the water. Norah studied the menu with interest. She hadn’t been to O’Malley’s in ages.

  “Do you know what you’re getting?” she asked after a few minutes.

  “Grilled salmon and spinach salad.”

  “That sounds good, but I think I’ll try the blue crab cakes.”

  He laid his menu aside. “That reminds me of when I took Jody and Logan to the seafood festival in Savannah back in April. You should have seen Logan’s face when he saw the waitress bringing the crab legs to the table. He kept asking if they were alive.”

  “I would have done the same thing at his age. I grew up in the middle of the state. The closest town of any size only had about fifteen hundred people. I wasn’t exposed to fresh seafood until I moved to Charleston.”

  “What brought you here?”

  “College. I’ve bounced back and forth between here and Gable since I graduated.”

  “I’m from Georgia originally, but I went to law school in Virginia. One of my professors hooked me up with a huge practice here in Charleston. I stayed there long enough to make a name for myself, and then I talked Hunter into leaving with me.”

  “Why did you want to leave?”

  “I didn’t like being told what clients I was going to represent based solely on how much money their cases would produce for the firm.”

  A waitress walked up to their table. When she saw Lance, her eyes lit up.

  “Lance! Oh, my goodness! I was just talking about you yesterday.”

  “No wonder my ears were burning.” He stood up and returned her hug. “How are things with you, Taylor?”

  “Wonderful. Thanks for asking.”

  “Is Brendon still taking guitar lessons?”

  Taylor nodded. “He says he’s going to be in a rock band. I keep telling him we’ll see about that. Mallory just started gymnastics. She’s not very good, but she tries hard.”

  Lance looked at Norah. “Taylor was my first client when I opened my own practice.”

  Taylor smiled. “Lance is my hero. He took my case when no one else would. It didn’t matter that I couldn’t pay him. He helped me get my kids back from social services after some trouble with my ex-husband.”

  Given what he’d been willing to do for Jody, Norah wasn’t surprised by this. It was obvious Lance cared about people. “I’m glad things worked out for you.”

  Taylor suddenly looked self-conscious. “Here I am going on and on when you two want to be alone.”

  Lance sent
Norah an apologetic glance. “This isn’t a date. Norah works for me.”

  The other woman’s face fell. “That’s too bad. You two make a really cute couple.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Why do women always see romance where none exists?”

  Taylor plucked the pencil from behind her ear and removed the order pad from the pocket of her uniform. “For the same reason men always try to deny the obvious.”

  “This is when a wise man changes the subject.”

  Not long after they ordered, Lance’s phone rang. He checked the screen and then looked over at Norah. “It’s my mom. Do you mind if I take it?”

  Most of the guys Norah knew wouldn’t even have asked. “Not at all. Go ahead.”

  * * * * *

  Lance smiled his thanks as he touched the screen. “Hey, Mom. I’m sorry about last night.”

  “That’s okay. I called Jody. She told me what I wanted to know. It’s very noisy. Where are you?”

  “I’m having lunch with one of my new employees.”

  “A female employee?”

  He laughed. “How did you guess?”

  “I could tell by your voice.”

  “That’s not very scientific.”

  “Maybe not, but it’s very accurate. Is she pretty?”

  “She’s very pretty. Beautiful, in fact.”

  The blush that entered Norah’s cheeks told Lance that she’d been following the conversation.

  “What’s her name?”

  “Norah.”

  “What a lovely name.”

  “I agree.”

  “You better be careful. Taking beautiful female employees to lunch has caused problems for many a boss.”

  “Thanks for the warning.”

  “I won’t keep you any longer.”

  “Love you, Mom.”

  “Love you, too, Lance.”

  He pocketed his phone. “She missed her calling. She should have been an attorney. She’s as good at interrogating a witness as I am.”

  “It’s only natural for her to be curious. You’re her son.”

  “Worse than that. I’m her only son, I’m in my thirties, and I’m still single. It’s the trifecta of doom and gloom.”