“I’m always amazed by how much local talent we have here.”
Lance laughed. “Honesty forces me to admit that this isn’t something I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about.”
“You’re too busy making sure justice is served to worry about things like this. When I was in college, one of my professors gave extra credit for attending art contests. What started out as a desire to bring up my grade became a habit. Nowadays, I do it for fun.”
“Do you draw or paint yourself?”
A curious smile passed over her lips. “A little.”
“I’d like to see something you’ve done.”
“My work is nothing to get excited about. Most of what you see here is better than anything I’ve done.”
“That doesn’t make me any less interested in it.”
“Tell me what you think of this one,” she said, pointing to the drawing in front of them.
“Is this a test? Because if so, I’m going to fail. I know nothing about art.”
“You don’t have to know anything about art to appreciate it. Just tell me what you see and feel when you look at it.”
“I’m feeling intimidated at the moment.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re an attorney. That means you’re incapable of being intimidated.”
“Wrong. It means I’m somewhat skilled at hiding it.”
She nudged him with her shoulder. “Stop stalling and focus on the drawing.”
He laughed. “The competition for my focus is pretty stiff right now.” He knew by the way her eyes fell from his that she got his meaning. With a grin, he turned toward the panel. “Okay. The first thing I notice about this drawing is the lack of color. It’s done in what looks like charcoal gray chalk. It’s so detailed I can see the individual strands of hair that make up the fur on the deer. The deer are standing at the edge of the woods about to enter a clearing. Their mood is watchful, maybe even a little fearful, at the prospect of being so exposed. Is that right?”
“There’s no right or wrong answers. Art is open to interpretation.”
“If that’s true, then there’s no reason why I can’t see your work.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I see what you did there. You’re good. I hope I never have to face you in court.”
“Me, either. I’d have to recuse myself. I wouldn’t be able to be impartial. How I feel about you would create a conflict of interest.”
“Because we’re friends?”
He reached for her hand. “There’s a little more to it than that.”
The look of confusion mixed with hope in her eyes was his undoing.
* * * * *
The intensity of Lance’s gaze brought the color surging into Norah’s cheeks. Heat simmered in her veins, warming her from the inside out. When his glance dropped to her mouth, a thrill ran through her. She closed her eyes as his head bent toward her. The brush of his lips was gentle, easing the knot of tension in her belly and clearing her mind of everything but him. He didn’t try to deepen the kiss; instead he tilted his head so that the touch of his mouth sharpened every sense even as it soothed. It was the kind of kiss that made her want more; the kind she wished would never end.
“Do you see what I mean?” he asked as he drew away. “I can’t adequately build a case against someone I want to do that to.”
Norah completely understood. “I guess that would be a problem.”
He let go of her hand to trace the curve of her face, his touch sending tiny shivers down her spine. “It’s been a problem for a while. This isn’t the first time I’ve wanted to kiss you.”
She took a deep breath. “As long as we’re laying our cards on the table, this isn’t the first time I’ve wanted you to kiss me.”
He laughed softly. “I’d like to hear more about that.”
“You go first.”
“It was the night of the storm when I found you in Crystal’s office.”
Norah had no trouble remembering that night. It was burned into her memory. “What stopped you?”
“The fear of messing up our friendship and the fact that I knew how you felt about Perry.”
She felt the start of tears in her eyes as a strange mixture of delight and guilt welled up inside her. “You’re a much better person than me.”
A puzzled look entered his eyes. “What are you talking about?”
“The night you’re referring to is when it happened for me, too. It was a wake-up call of the worst kind. I knew something had to be wrong with me. A woman in love with one man doesn’t want to be kissed by someone else. I tried to shrug it off, but I couldn’t. It made me question whether I was really in love with Perry, or just caught up in the emotional and nostalgic feelings of what he used to mean to me. I think I know the answer, but it’s not easy to say where love begins and ends.”
“I understand, Norah. More than you know. It’s human nature to hold on to memories and give them more significance than perhaps they deserve. In some cases, we use them as an excuse for not moving on. That’s what I’ve been doing. In others, they can become a distraction that blinds us to reality. Maybe that’s what you’ve been doing.”
“Whatever it was, it’s a relief to have it clear in my mind at last.”
His smile was gentle. “It’s a relief for me, too. I’m finally able to tell you that I don’t much like fake relationships. I’d rather be a real boyfriend with all the rights and privileges therein. Is that something you might be interested in?”
Norah blinked the tears from her eyes. “Yes. Very much.”
* * * * *
There was really only one way for Lance to respond to that. Norah tasted like butterscotch drops and something else that was uniquely her. He felt her fingers feather through his hair before moving down to caress the skin at the nape of his neck. His brain turned to mush at the same time his body slammed into overdrive. When he finally came up for air, he wasn’t sure his legs would be able to support him.
He’d kissed more than a few women in his life; none of them had moved him like this. He was reeling from the sweetness of Norah’s lips and the eagerness of her response. She hadn’t merely let him kiss her; she participated.
“It’s, um, almost nine,” he said reluctantly. “Unless you want to miss what you came for, we better get going.”
The look she sent him had his knees weakening again. “I got much more than I came for.”
That was the understatement of the year. He’d be dreaming about those kisses all night long.
They joined the crowd standing behind the barricades surrounding the massive live tree. During the mayor’s welcome speech, Lance felt Norah’s fingers slide around his. He turned to look at her, his breath catching at the look of anticipation and delight on her face. A few seconds later, he saw the reflection of the lights in her eyes.
“Isn’t it beautiful?”
He smiled, his glance never wavering from her. “I’ve never seen anything more so.”
She turned her head. “You’re not even looking at the tree.”
“I don’t feel as if I missed anything.”
“So you’re glad you came?”
He slid his arm around her waist. “I’ve produced a mountain of evidence to support that.”
Later when they were walking up the stairs to Mrs. Worsley’s porch, Lance remembered the night he drove by and saw her with Perry. He’d been so angry and frustrated. It had seemed as if fate was once again having the last laugh. He never imagined that a few weeks later he’d be here with her instead. Maybe his mother was right; maybe Christmas was the time for miracles.
Chapter Twenty
Norah’s feet still hadn’t touched the ground when she woke up the next morning. It wasn’t just the memory of Lance’s kisses that made it hard to go to sleep last night. It was his understanding about her confusion over Perry. He made her handling of that situation seem natural instead of something to be ashamed of. That went a long way in enabling her to enjoy his company without reserve
or doubts. She didn’t have to worry about Perry casting a shadow over whatever might happen with Lance.
By the time she got to work, the butterflies in her stomach had worked themselves into a frenzy. This was somewhat pointless given that the chances of her actually seeing Lance were slim. Right before he kissed her goodnight, he told her about his plans to take Logan shopping today for a Christmas present for Jody and then to the theater to see a movie.
Norah didn’t mind the packed tours and impatient tourists complaining about the long wait. Being busy made the time pass more quickly. Before leaving for the day, she walked out to the garden shed tucked away behind the maze to give George the gift bag containing the scarf and mittens. She received a loaf of homemade spice bread in return.
As she rounded the corner of the house on her way to the staff parking lot, she saw Lance leaning against the side of his car. Her breath hitched in her chest even as her steps instinctively quickened.
“Been flirting with George again?” he called out to her.
Norah laughed as she closed the distance between them. “Again? Have you been spying on me?”
“Let’s just say you’ve had my attention for some time. Are you free for dinner?”
“I am.”
“Instead of going out, how about I fix something for us at your place?”
“That would be wonderful. I haven’t had a home-cooked meal in ages. We’ll have to stop by the store.”
“I did that on the way home from the movie.” He pushed away from the car door and opened it. “Hop in.”
Norah waited until he joined her inside to ask, “How was your day with Logan?”
“Fun and exhausting. Keeping up with him is more of a workout than an hour on the elliptical.”
They drove the short distance to her apartment. Once there, Lance removed a box from his trunk and followed her inside. On the way to the kitchen, she greeted Oliver who was in his usual position in the window.
“He’s waiting on you to come home, isn’t he?”
She nodded. “I don’t know what I’ll do when he’s gone. He’s the last link to my grandparents. As you can see, my kitchen isn’t as roomy as yours.”
Lance put the box on the counter and reached for her. “It’s definitely cozier.” He bent his head to kiss her. The feel of his lips on hers was like the warmth of the sun on her face when she used to ride Jasmine. His arms slid around her waist, pulling her close. She gripped the front of his shirt, the muscles of his chest hard against her fingers.
An insistent meowing broke them apart.
Lance laughed as he let her go. “I better get started on dinner before I forget why I’m here.”
He wasn’t the only one who needed reminding. “Let me feed Oliver, and then I can help.”
He shook his head. “I want to do this for you. On a practical note, things will move a lot quicker if I do it alone. You’re a little distracting.”
“Really? I’ve never been told that before.”
“Now you know.” He shooed her out of the kitchen. “I’ll come get you when it’s safe to return.”
* * * * *
Lance normally found cooking to be very relaxing. It was less so tonight. His only prior experience with falling in love hadn’t ended well. He’d been forced to keep all his thoughts and feelings about Holly bottled up inside. He’d thought that seeing her get married would give him closure, but every time he heard about her or saw her, it was like the reopening of a wound that never completely healed.
Until last night, he’d been doing the same thing with Norah: putting a lid on his feelings and pretending an indifference that was slowly eating away at his soul. Maybe that’s why kissing her had been so much more than physically satisfying. It had been emotionally liberating. And maybe that’s why he was finding it so difficult to stay in the kitchen when his brain as well as his body kept reminding him every few seconds that she was in the next room.
Once the pork chops and vegetables were in the oven, he set the table with the fancy paper plates, plastic cups and silverware he purchased from the party store. There was a reason everything he was using was disposable. Lance didn’t intend to waste time after dinner doing dishes.
When he went to get her, Norah was sitting on the loveseat doing a crossword puzzle. She’d changed out of her work clothes into a chunky sweater and slim-fitting jeans. Released from its more business-looking daytime bun, her wavy hair tumbled over her shoulders and down her back. It was a picture that brought a lump to his throat and set fire licking along his veins. While he was trying to get his brain to work, she looked up and saw him.
“What’s a five letter word for clearheaded?”
The irony of her question had him laughing inwardly. “Try lucid.”
She penciled it in. “You’re so smart.”
“Only about some things. Dinner is ready.”
She put down the crossword puzzle and stood up. “I don’t know what you fixed, but it smells awesome.”
He waited for her to join him. “It’s what my mother used to make every Sunday for dinner: baked pork chops with apples, onions and sweet potatoes.”
“Mmm. That’s way better than the turkey sandwich I was planning to make.”
They walked into the kitchen. She smiled when she saw the table. “I like the way you think.”
He laughed as he pulled out her chair. “I hope that trend continues.”
“I have no reason to doubt it.”
As Lance took the seat opposite, he wished he could see her sitting across from him every morning and evening.
After a few bites, she said, “You definitely know your way around the kitchen. This pork chop is perfectly moist and the vegetables are fork tender.”
“Thank you. Both my parents enjoy cooking. I guess it rubbed off on me.”
“Are either of them attorneys?”
“I was the only lawyer in the family until my sister Summer married Garrett.”
“Why did you go into law?”
“It was a combination of reading John Grisham and watching shows like The Practice and Law and Order. I began to understand not only the power of law, but how it affects every part of life. I wanted to be that attorney who was on the side of right, who tried to restore order and balance, and who was willing to find the truth no matter how far down the rabbit hole he had to go.”
“I can see where that would appeal to you. You’re obviously very cerebral, and you enjoy solving problems. The sheer amount of information you have to know is mind-boggling.”
“Anyone can remember what interests them. I happen to like law. You happen to like art. You evaded this subject yesterday, but I was serious about wanting to see your work.”
She dipped her head slightly. “I wasn’t trying to be evasive. I get a lot of enjoyment out of painting, but I’ve never been brave enough to show my pictures to anyone.”
“I get it. It’s something you do for yourself. Like keeping a journal.”
“Do you have a hobby?”
He laughed. “Along with reading John Grisham and others like him, I’m a hockey fanatic.”
“That would explain the hockey jerseys I’ve seen you wearing. Do you play yourself?
“I started at eight and played competitively until I went to law school. Now I play in a much more relaxed league with a bunch of has-beens like myself who still like to get out on the ice and pretend we can hang with the younger guys.”
“I don’t know much about hockey, but I’d love to watch you play sometime.”
“That’ll have to wait until after the holidays.” He hesitated, unsure if this was the right moment to broach the subject that had been weighing on him since Norah told him she broke up with Perry. “Speaking of the holidays, I remembered this will be your first Christmas without your grandparents. I was wondering if you’d like to come with me to Columbus.”
* * * * *
Lance’s invitation brought tears to Norah’s eyes. She couldn’t accept, of cours
e, but she would never forget that he asked. “That’s so sweet of you, but I couldn’t intrude on your family at such a time.”
“I can’t think of a better time. Isn’t that what Christmas is all about? Peace on earth; goodwill toward men. As for ‘intruding’, I’ve never heard anything so ridiculous.” He reached across the table and took hold of her hand. “It would mean…so much to have you there. I can’t say more than that right now. This is only our second date. I have to show some discretion.”
She laced her fingers through his. “You’re the sweetest, kindest, most thoughtful person I’ve ever met. I’m no longer surprised that I fell in love with you. What’s surprising is how long it took me to figure it out.”
He sat very still for a few seconds. Then she felt his fingers start to tremble. “You love me?” he asked in a low voice.
“Yes.”
Another shudder went through him. He slowly rose from his seat and came around to stand next to her. With gentle fingers he tilted up her chin. “I love you, too, Norah.” The kiss that followed was soft, lingering and full of promise. He drew back just enough to see her expression. “Please say you’ll come to Columbus. I’ve been waiting such a long time to have my own special someone to be with during Christmas.”
A tear slid down her cheek. How could she refuse after hearing that? “Then I’ll come.”
This prompted another long, sweet kiss after which Lance returned to his seat.
“Now for the reality check. I’ve never brought anyone home before. I can’t overemphasize how excited my family will be. Dealing with the paparazzi would probably be easier.”
“I don’t mind. As an only child, I always wondered what it would be like to be in a large family.”
“I’ll warn you now. It’s not quiet or peaceful.”
“That’s okay. You’ll be there. That’s all that matters.”
“You said it took you a long time to figure this out. What did you mean?”
“I liked you from the first moment we met, but you were my boss. So I ignored all those weird reactions and feelings. Then Perry came along, stirring up memories of my first love. I got caught up in the whole second chance thing, never realizing that I had already started to fall in love with you. Things came to a head the night you found me talking to Rutherford Dawes. That’s when I knew I’d made a mistake. It was you that I loved. I couldn’t believe I’d been so wrong about something so important. And of course, I felt awful about hurting Perry.”
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