“It was worth it,” she answered for me. “I can see it written all over your face.”
When I looked back at her, I tried to keep my giggle in but let out some weird sound with my lips before I covered my mouth. With a single nod, I dropped my hand. “So worth it.”
She giggled like a little girl.
“Have you and Shawn crossed that line yet?”
“Nope.”
“Really?” I asked, surprised. “I’m impressed. You guys are really taking this seriously.”
“It doesn’t hurt he likes his head between my legs and mine between his.”
“Ugh. My gosh, Kristin! Really?” I glanced around and sighed in relief when I realized no one had heard her.
“What? I’m simply stating a fact. At this point, I say we go for it, but Shawn wants to make our second time more romantic than the first. I think it’s sweet, but he better hurry his ass along. I’m losing my patience.”
I laughed and stood. “I’m not in the mood to work out. Want to go last-minute Christmas shopping?”
“Hell, yes! I thought you would never ask!”
After showering and changing, we headed out into the frigid cold to do some shopping in downtown Salem. I had a few last-minute stocking stuffers I needed to get and had ordered a leather journal for Lucas I needed to pick up. Today was the last day before all the stores would be closed. It was for when he was out in the field working; he could write notes in it. Even with his dig site shut down for most of the winter, I knew he would love it when he would be able to use it. Right now, he used these little notebook pads, and they were everywhere.
“I’m surprised you’re not at Rose’s house making sure everything is ready for the bridal shower tonight.”
I picked up the book that I had heard Tim, Lucas’s father, mentioning he wanted to read, and decided to get it for him, along with a reading lamp he could clip onto the book. Rose mentioned more than once how Tim would keep her awake with the light on while he read before bed.
“This will be perfect,” I mumbled to myself before I looked back at Kristin. “I stopped by yesterday and finished up most of the decorating. Mindy is there now making sure everything else is in place and ready to go.”
Feeling her gaze on me, I looked up at her. “What?”
She gave a one-shoulder shrug. “Nothing. I’m just surprised you’re letting your assistant handle that.”
“She can handle it, and I promoted her. She’s no longer my assistant but an associate planner. Most of the setup was yesterday, and I was there for that. Today is more like a test for her. If I decide to take a few months off, then I’ll know whether she and Joan will be able to handle it.”
“So, Lucas talked to you about Ireland then?”
I paused before I picked up a vase, I thought my mother would love. Turning my head, I gave Kristin a questioning look. “Ireland?”
By the look on her face, it was clear she had made a blunder. I was instantly curious. The photos that Lucas had been studying were from Ireland. “What are you talking about?”
Spinning away from me, she was suddenly very interested in a crocheted wine holder. “Oh, look at this. How…um…how different.”
“Kristin,” I said in a calm but stern voice, “what do you mean, he talked to me about Ireland?”
Dropping the wine holder back on the table, she spun back around, a horrified look on her face. “Shawn told me, but I don’t think he was supposed to tell anyone, and he made me promise I wouldn’t say anything to you, but when you started talking abouttaking time off, I just naturally assumed Lucas had told you and that you had agreed it was a good idea and that was why…” She sucked in a deep breath and went on. “…you said you were taking some time off. I thought it was to go to Ireland.”
“Why would I go to Ireland?” I patiently asked, even though inside, I was pretty sure I knew why.
Chewing on her lower lip, she shook her head. “Can you not just forget the last, like, three minutes? I’ll totally buy you whatever you want. Anything! Even this, um, cute little wine holder thingy.”
My arms crossed over my chest. Well, they tried to. I had my coat draped over one arm. “Spill it, Kristin.”
She shook her head. “No, please don’t ask me to, Hollie. It needs to come from Lucas and not second-hand.”
“Is Lucas going to Ireland?”
She shrugged.
