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“Lights time!” Derek called.
“If everyone wants to go out front, I’ll turn the switch on so you can see it when they light up,” Clark offered, and everyone else nodded, making their way to the front of the house.
“We just got out of our coats,” Noah commented, humor lacing his tone as he shrugged back into the puffer coat he’d taken off just moments before.
“It’ll be worth it.” Mindy gave him a quick smile as she shrugged on her own coat and followed everyone out the door.
They all stood shoulder to shoulder, and there were more people there that night than Mindy had seen at one time throughout the week they’d been working on the place. People had been popping in and out whenever they saw fit, some during the day, some during the evening, and pitching in whenever they could.
Sarah and William were there, as were Colette and Zach, and Shelley and Matthew. Her friends gave her a quick hug of welcome as everyone continued to file into place and turn to face the house.
Mindy knew that Valerie and Clark had chosen white icicle lights for the exterior of the house this year, as opposed to the multi-colored round bulbs that usually decorated it. She was excited to see how it all turned out.
“How long will it take? I’m dying to see them!” Noah whispered to her out of the side of his mouth, and she gave him a playful jab in the ribs with her elbow.
“Be patient,” she admonished.
As if Clark had heard him, the front yard was suddenly filled with light as they all flickered on at once. She heard a small intake of breath from Noah, and she glanced sideways to find him staring at the house with awe.
The lights were bright enough that she could see his face clearly, noticing the way his grin was tugging up his cheeks, making his eyes crinkle. She turned to face the house herself, wanting to steal a little bit of that joy as well, and as her eyes raked over the lit facade of the manor, she had to admit that it looked stunning.
The white icicle lights hung low across the eaves of the building, and the reflection of them glinted off the windows.
She felt a tug on her hand and looked down to see Noah lacing his fingers with hers. Once again, her heart seemed to flutter up into her throat, and Mindy had to work to stamp down the giddiness that welled up inside of her.
Be smart,she thought to herself.Remember that he’s the one that wants to hurt the spirit of your town. It doesn’t matter how much you love spending time with him. He wants to ruin everything.
But as she stood there, staring at the house she loved alongside the people she loved, the words rang hollow, even to herself. Because the truth was, while she may have thought that Noah was the enemy when he’d first arrived at town, she no longer thought that was the case.
She had seen a change in him over the last couple of weeks, and it was such a departure from the man she had once known that it often left her breathless when she thought about it. He squeezed her hand, and heat flooded her body at the reminder of that touch, the reminder of the connection that they were sharing as everyone around them chatted amongst themselves.
“Thank you,” Noah murmured under his breath, and Mindy turned to look at him. His eyes were soft, his expression open and vulnerable as he gazed down at her.
“For what?” she asked quietly.
“For allowing me to see this part of your life, even if it’s only for a little while.”
Mindy gave him a little smile and leaned her shoulder against his in answer before turning her attention back to the house. She didn’t want him to notice the fact that his words had hit her like a physical blow.
If only for a little while.
Those had been his words. A reminder and a confirmation that their time together, while amazing in so many ways, would soon be drawing to a close. She had let him into her world, and soon he would go back to his big city life.
She had thought she would be okay with that, constantly telling herself that she’d take what she could get for the moments that she was having with him. And Mindy still felt certain that it was true—she would much rather have these few weeks with him than not have anything at all.
But now there was a small voice in her mind wondering if maybe there was also room amongst all that acceptance for a little bit of something else.
Perhaps, Mindy thought, there was room for hope as well.
* * *
Lacy closed the door of Piper’s room softly so that she wouldn’t wake the little girl before tiptoeing down the hallway. As she made her way into the living room, she saw Derek shutting the front door after paying the babysitter. He glanced up as she came into the room, a smile lighting up his face the moment he laid eyes on her.
“Is she still sleeping?” Derek asked, keeping his voice low so that it wouldn’t travel too far.
Lacy nodded before pointing toward the kitchen. “Want to make hot chocolate?”
“Do you even have to ask? Of course I want hot chocolate.”
