darn
boss a girl could hope for. Lucy stared out the window at the drifting snow,
realizing how foolish she’d been. Thinking she might actually hear from the Kinkaids in general. William,
in particular. Naturally, now that she’d gone, they’d all returned to their lives
as normal.
That thought didn’t stop her from racing to the door a few
hours later when the doorbell rang. She opened it to find a florist standing
with a huge white box. “Two dozen of our best,” he said merrily. She thanked
him with a blush and hurriedly took the box inside, ripping into its card. This time, I promise, I won’t let you down.
Love, Mitch.
Lucy gave a melancholy smile, thinking Mitch wasn’t such a
bad guy. In fact, he was a great guy, and the right guy for her. While it was
true he got distracted at times, he was basically a decent man with a good
heart. Someone who cared for her, and probably only overworked himself in order
to do right by her. Besides, they’d been going out forever and sort of fit . He wasn’t a bad man and would treat
Lucy right, wouldn’t run around on her, or purposely be unkind. Over time,
they’d work out the baby thing. Once his business had settled down and he
wasn’t so stressed, he’d be more willing to talk about it.
Lucy eyes misted at the memory of reading to Carmella by the
fire and singing her early morning lullabies. Even Justin had seemed to be
coming around. Perhaps slowly, but she had a gut instinct she could break
through to him if she just kept trying. But these were silly things to dwell on
when she had a wedding to plan. She and Mitch were getting married— married— in just a few days. There
were so many things to check on, and loose ends to tie up.
Lucy felt a tad guilty for not being overwhelmed with joy at
the thought of her upcoming nuptials, but knew that she’d get into it
eventually. She was sure that when the big moment came, she could look Mitch in
the eye and say I do with the hopeful
expectation of any bride. The sooner she put the illusion of William meeting
her at the top of the aisle instead of Mitch, the better. William was this
banker prince, and here she she was, this diner Cinderella. It would do her
good to keep her life in perspective and stick with the world she knew. At
bottom, it was the only world she had.
William sat by the fire with his parents, sipping eggnog. “I
want to thank you both for everything you did to help with Brid—I mean,
Lucy.”
“Takes some getting used to, doesn’t it?” Grant asked.
Emma smiled. “Lucy’s a nice name. Comes from Lucille, bearer
of light.”
“And that’s how she was, too,” William said thoughtfully.
“Just like a candle in a window that had been darkened too long.”
“Why son, that’s very poetic,” Grant said with surprise.
William shot his parents a sad smile. “And the funny thing
is, I haven’t thought much about poetry, or anything else romantic, in a very
long time.”
“We know, son,” Emma said kindly. “And we’ve kind of been
hoping there’d come a day when those things would change.”
“What your mother means is, we’ve been wondering when the
day would come when somebody special would turn your head.”
“We just never dreamed she’d get dropped down the chimney!”
Emma said.
William set down his drink and stared at her in surprise.
“Why Mom, aren’t you a little old to believe in Santa Claus?”
“Oh no, honey. It’s never too late to…” She swigged from her
glass. “…renew one’s faith. Is it, Grant?” she asked, glancing at her husband.
Grant drained his glass and winked at William. “Never too
late, indeed.”
A ways beyond their view and at a high bend in the steps,
Justin had been sitting and eavesdropping on their adult conversation. He’d
never seen his dad this way, all moping about like he’d lost his best friend.
When his mom died, his dad had been tough. Super strong for all of them. Justin
saw now that maybe that was
boss a girl could hope for. Lucy stared out the window at the drifting snow,
realizing how foolish she’d been. Thinking she might actually hear from the Kinkaids in general. William,
in particular. Naturally, now that she’d gone, they’d all returned to their lives
as normal.
That thought didn’t stop her from racing to the door a few
hours later when the doorbell rang. She opened it to find a florist standing
with a huge white box. “Two dozen of our best,” he said merrily. She thanked
him with a blush and hurriedly took the box inside, ripping into its card. This time, I promise, I won’t let you down.
Love, Mitch.
Lucy gave a melancholy smile, thinking Mitch wasn’t such a
bad guy. In fact, he was a great guy, and the right guy for her. While it was
true he got distracted at times, he was basically a decent man with a good
heart. Someone who cared for her, and probably only overworked himself in order
to do right by her. Besides, they’d been going out forever and sort of fit . He wasn’t a bad man and would treat
Lucy right, wouldn’t run around on her, or purposely be unkind. Over time,
they’d work out the baby thing. Once his business had settled down and he
wasn’t so stressed, he’d be more willing to talk about it.
Lucy eyes misted at the memory of reading to Carmella by the
fire and singing her early morning lullabies. Even Justin had seemed to be
coming around. Perhaps slowly, but she had a gut instinct she could break
through to him if she just kept trying. But these were silly things to dwell on
when she had a wedding to plan. She and Mitch were getting married— married— in just a few days. There
were so many things to check on, and loose ends to tie up.
Lucy felt a tad guilty for not being overwhelmed with joy at
the thought of her upcoming nuptials, but knew that she’d get into it
eventually. She was sure that when the big moment came, she could look Mitch in
the eye and say I do with the hopeful
expectation of any bride. The sooner she put the illusion of William meeting
her at the top of the aisle instead of Mitch, the better. William was this
banker prince, and here she she was, this diner Cinderella. It would do her
good to keep her life in perspective and stick with the world she knew. At
bottom, it was the only world she had.
William sat by the fire with his parents, sipping eggnog. “I
want to thank you both for everything you did to help with Brid—I mean,
Lucy.”
“Takes some getting used to, doesn’t it?” Grant asked.
Emma smiled. “Lucy’s a nice name. Comes from Lucille, bearer
of light.”
“And that’s how she was, too,” William said thoughtfully.
“Just like a candle in a window that had been darkened too long.”
“Why son, that’s very poetic,” Grant said with surprise.
William shot his parents a sad smile. “And the funny thing
is, I haven’t thought much about poetry, or anything else romantic, in a very
long time.”
“We know, son,” Emma said kindly. “And we’ve kind of been
hoping there’d come a day when those things would change.”
“What your mother means is, we’ve been wondering when the
day would come when somebody special would turn your head.”
“We just never dreamed she’d get dropped down the chimney!”
Emma said.
William set down his drink and stared at her in surprise.
“Why Mom, aren’t you a little old to believe in Santa Claus?”
“Oh no, honey. It’s never too late to…” She swigged from her
glass. “…renew one’s faith. Is it, Grant?” she asked, glancing at her husband.
Grant drained his glass and winked at William. “Never too
late, indeed.”
A ways beyond their view and at a high bend in the steps,
Justin had been sitting and eavesdropping on their adult conversation. He’d
never seen his dad this way, all moping about like he’d lost his best friend.
When his mom died, his dad had been tough. Super strong for all of them. Justin
saw now that maybe that was
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