I stared into his face, tears pouring down my cheeks, and realized I was in love with him. Three days, three weeks, or three years. The length of time we’d known each other didn’t make any difference; I was completely gone for this guy. And since there were no words to adequately describe what I was feeling, I kissed him.
“You’re a bit of a nympho, eh?” he teased when we finally pulled apart, playfully patting my backside.
“Apparently. But breakfast before any more of that!”
He just chuckled and climbed out of bed.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Remy
* * *
We spent the rest of the day helping Rudy and Vera shovel and blow the snow both in front of their bed and breakfast and the rest of the street. From there, we headed to the arena to check on things and while we were making sure there were no leaks or anything else that needed attention, I called my attorney to talk to him about Noelle’s passport situation.
“I’m glad you called,” Dennis Curry said when he answered. “Guy named Ryder Long left a message. Says he’s interested in the Garland Grove Ice Arena.”
“What?” I was shocked. I’d had no idea someone would not only want to buy it but was reaching out to me before I even put it up for sale. “How did he know it’s for sale?”
“No idea. Told him we’d get back to him after Christmas.” Dennis paused. “You are going to sell it, right?”
I sighed. “I don’t know yet. Give me a few days.”
“What’s up with you?” he demanded. “You were supposed to be there two days. And now you’ve been there almost a month.”
“Long story,” I said. “But that passport thing I mentioned the other day? I need you to get on it. I need one for her ASAP.”
Dennis chuckled. “Jesus Christ. I thought it was a myth.”
“What?” I grunted, though I had an idea what he meant.
“This is about a woman. You skated on that damn rink and fell in love or lust or something.”
“I pay you to take care of shit for me,” I muttered. “Not to give me shit.”
He laughed. “I can’t wait to meet her. I’ll send you some paperwork that she’ll need to fill out and take care of the passport.”
“And as soon as possible, we need to work on getting her a visa so she can stay in Florida with me.”
Dennis burst out laughing. “Oh, now I really can’t wait to meet this woman.”
“I swear to God, I’m going to fire your ass.”
“You’ve said that at least a dozen times in the decade we’ve been working together.”
“I’m not kidding,” I growled, though I had no intention of firing him. Dennis was one of the people I trusted most in the world, and I knew from experience how hard it was to find people like him.
“Okay, settle down. Let me find out what’s what and I’ll call you back, okay?”
“Thanks. I also need you to order a few things for me and have them shipped to my mother’s house in Vancouver.” I gave him a list of what I wanted.
“Anything else?” he asked.
“I’ll let you know. And thanks.”
“Talk to you later.”
I disconnected and took a deep breath. Why did the ribbing about Noelle bother me so much?
I already knew the answer, of course. I was falling in love and didn’t want anyone to make fun of that. Even in jest.
“Hey, are you ready to go?” Noelle came around the corner.
“Yup. I was just talking to my lawyer about your passport. He doesn’t think it’ll be a problem to get it by New Year’s Eve so we can head to Florida.”
“Oh, wow. I didn’t think it would be that fast.”
“I’m sure he has it under control.”
“I made a few calls and found out that most of the shops are staying open late so people can get their shopping done since everything was closed for two days.”
“Perfect. You ready to do some Christmas shopping?”
“Yes.”
* * *
We started at the toy store. I bought Alexander a bike, some superhero figurines, and a bunch of coloring books, crayons, and regular books. We got more practical things for Daphne, including a swing so Connie didn’t have to hold her all the time and some developmental toys that would keep her busy while also helping her learn. From there we headed to a clothing store where we stocked up on things for both kids, as well as for Connie. I wasn’t going to buy anything for Craig since Connie was kicking him to the curb anyway, but we were also going to the grocery store tomorrow to buy them enough food to last a few weeks, as well as a feast for Christmas.
We made a few more stops, buying wrapping paper rolls and tape and bows since we didn’t have any of that stuff, and we sat up until almost three in the morning wrapping presents and talking. I’d never been in this kind of relationship, where being together around the holidays not only felt natural but was also the most fun I’d had outside of hockey.
I’d paid careful attention to everything Noelle looked at and touched, making mental notes and then leaving requests for the store owners to put certain things aside for me so I could pick them up tomorrow. I was going to surprise Noelle for Christmas whether she wanted me to or not, but I had a feeling she was coming around. Her experience during the blizzard had changed her view of things. Or at least how she viewed me, and I was good with that.
I harbored no illusions that this thing between us had anything to do with magic, but whenever we were together, I felt like I was under a spell. Whether it was the idyllic small town, the holiday season that reminded me of being here as a kid, the woman herself, or some crazy combination of all of the above, I was already comfortable with the emotion I’d begun to feel. It made no sense, but things in my life rarely did, so I’d learned to go with it.
Now that Noelle had finally opened up to me and I was aware of her background, everything between us had become effortless. It seemed like my wealth still made her a little uncomfortable, but she was getting better about it. Seeing the look on Connie’s face when we’d shown up with gifts and groceries had been enough to change Noelle’s outlook, and we’d talked about it in the car after we’d left.
“I can’t remember the last time I saw Connie so happy,” she said. “Thank you for what you did for them today.”
“It was my pleasure,” I told her. “And I have another idea to help Connie too, but it depends on you.”
“On me?” She looked over at me in surprise.
“If you want to be with me in Florida.”
“I…I mean, I do, but what does that have to do with Connie?”
“I’ve been looking over everything about the arena and it desperately needs a manager. Someone to keep up with scheduling, turn in accurate numbers for payroll, make sure the concession stand is correctly staffed, stuff like that. I can make it a full-time job with benefits, and she can have the baby with her when she has to.”
“This means you’re assuming I’m not coming back,” she said after a moment.