Lucy nodded.
“Nick called just as I was leaving work to say that he’d finished with the last project in his new house and wanted to move in on Saturday, so he asked if we could meet to finish that fireplace for Aiden’s school program on Friday.”
“Based on how distracted you’ve seemed all day, I’m guessing it went well?”
She hadn’t realized she’d been distracted enough for others to notice. She had to get her head in the game…Afterthisconversation. She definitely needed to get it all out first. “As much as I had joked about it with Nick that night, it was actually hard! I don’t love last-minute plan changes.”
“But?”
“But my need to see him very much outweighed my desire to have things scheduled.”
“Oh, I wish Court wasn’t out of the office today—she would be so freaking proud of you right now, she’d probably have tears in her eyes! Okay, knowing Court, she probably wouldn’t. She’d just act all businesslike and give you a ‘good job’ nod. ButIhave tears in my eyes! This is exactly the kind of thing we were hoping for when we made that bet with you.”
Rachel folded her arms. “So, really, the entire bet was so that I would be spontaneous and change my Friday night plans to spend time with a guy?”
Lucy shrugged a shoulder. “Basically.”
Rachel chuckled, shaking her head. She should’ve known.
“So things are going well?”
“Yeah. I really like him.” She paused a moment, trying to decide if she wanted to share even though she knew she was going to, whether she offered it on her own or she waited for Lucy to ask. “We kissed.”
“And?”
Rachel took a long, slow breath before answering. “I didn’t know that kissing him could be so great. Before experiencing Nick’s kisses, my brain couldn’t even imagine it could be so incredible.”
Lucy fanned her face with her hand.
“He was just so sweet! He kissed me like I was so…” She waved her hands, trying to find the words. “Important. Cherished. Like he was simultaneously trying to treat me with such great care, yet completely taking my breath away. The whole night was just the kind that you know you’ll rememberfor the rest of your life.” She could hear the longing in her voice, the craving to be near him. Yet, she also felt the uncertainty, and Lucy picked right up on it.
She cocked her head. “Why do I feel like there’s abutcoming?”
Rachel picked up a pen from her desk and started playing with it. “I don’t know. It’s all just too much. I feel like Aiden and I are busy every second of the day. Relationships just take a lot of time—especially new relationships.”
“But it’s a good way to spend time, right?”
“It’s the best.” She sighed just thinking about it. “I told him a couple of weeks ago that my mom used to leave Dove chocolates on my pillow for me and that doves at Christmastime, especially, are special to me. Even though he’s been crazy busy all weekend getting moved into his new house, I got to work this morning and when I passed by reception, Shelly said a man dropped something off for me. It was a package of Dove chocolates with a note from Nick that said he hopes I have a peaceful week. How thoughtful is that?”
Rachel leaned back in her chair and looked up toward the ceiling. “We’ve been staying up late every night talking on the phone for hours after both of our kids have gone to bed. Sometimes he’ll just text in the middle of the day to let me know that he’s thinking of me.” She put her hand over her heart. “It’s the sweetest thing, and it just blows me away to know that someone cares about me that much.”
“Oh! My heart just melted for you!”
“But do you know how little sleep I’ve got lately? We’ve been staying up so late that I completely slept through my alarm this morning.”
“That was why you were late?”
She nodded. “And there’s just so much to do.”
“Is that what you’re worried about?” Lucy asked. “Because the busyness isn’t going to be an all-the-time thing. It’s just crazy right now because Christmas is this week and this is our busy time of year at work. It’ll get better.”
Rachel looked down at the pen in her hand and then set it on her desk again. “It isn’t just that. Friday night, we laid a blanket on the floor of Nick’s empty dining room and had dinner sitting down with the kids. I brought cookies—”
“Homemade?”
“Lucy. Remember the part about being busy all the time? No, I didn’t make them. Sugarplum Fairy Bakery did.”
“Mmm. That’s the next best thing.”
