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“Not royalty.”Elise waved a hand away.“More like a pain in the ass.”
“You said your niece doesn’t know you’re here right now.”
“Well, she knows I’m at the inn since she brought me like she does every year.I like to come up at Christmas to take in the decorations and the festivities.There’s nothing quite like Christmas time up here.”
“I can appreciate that.”
“But I wanted to be alone tonight, and I knew she had some work to do.She always does.”Elise sat up straight, looking pleased with herself.“So I told her I was off to bed early and snuck down here.”
“You’re quite the rebel.”Maureen laughed.
The older woman winked and sat back as Max reappeared with a tray laden with a fresh pot of tea, muffins, and a bowl of grapes.It wasn’t until he left under assurances from Elise that she would let him know if there was anything else she needed that Elise picked up the thread of her story again.
“Adam’s news must have put quite a damper on the rest of your summer.”
“Not at all.”Maureen shook her head.She chose a muffin off the tray and picked at the paper wrapper.“In fact, we didn’t talk about it at all.”
“How could you just ignore such a thing between you?”
Maureen looked seriously at her new friend.“Probably the same way you did with Alex.”
Elise sat back in her chair.She was silent for a moment but then she nodded.“Sometimes it’s just easier to pretend than to face the truth.At least for a little while.But it never works forever, does it?”
Maureen could sense that Elise wasn’t ready to tell her more about Alex.At least not yet.
“No,” she admitted.“Hiding from reality didn’t work forever.But it definitely worked for a little while.”Her face warmed with the memories of their summer together.“And I’m sure glad it did.”
Thirty-Seven Years Ago
It had been weeks since Adam had brought up the awful idea of moving to Africa at the end of summer.Maureen had put it out of her head.Mostly.Only occasionally did she let herself think about what it might mean if the opportunity came to fruition.Would he really leave Cedar Springs, and her, at the end of the summer?Sure, she had planned to leave Cedar Springs at the end of August, too.But that was different.She’d be going to college.This was so very different.Adam was talking about Africa.
Africa!
It was a whole world away.
Ever since that evening on the dock, they’d managed to avoid discussing the future in any specific way.Sure, they spoke about generalities and how one day Maureen dreamed of children and a family of her own.But mostly, they spoke about the present and they lived for the moment.
And living in the moment was exactly what Maureen planned to do that night.
Her mother and father had gone to the city for a few days, and she’d begged and bribed her older sister to sleep at a friend’s house.It had cost her a week’s worth of chores and her favorite sweater, but it would be worth it to spend time alone with Adam.
They’d planned to spend the evening on the beach at a bonfire with their friends, but when Adam came to the door to pick her up, Maureen held it open.“Why don’t you come in for a bit first?”
She batted her eyelashes in a way that felt ridiculous, but judging by the way Adam looked at her, had been just as effective as she’d hoped.
“My parents are gone for the night,” she added when he hesitated.“Linda is at a friend’s.We have the house to ourselves.”
Realization as to what exactly she was saying to him dawned slowly on Adam’s handsome features until his mouth hung open slightly.“You mean…you want…I should…”
She nodded and held out her hand.
He took it and allowed her to lead him inside.“I wasn’t expecting this.”He held her gently in his arms, and she knew in that moment she’d made the right decision.Sue Ann would be scandalized to know she wasn’t planning to wait until marriage, but Maureen had never felt anything more right than when she was with Adam.There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that they would be together forever.
He lowered his head and kissed her gently.“I love you, Maureen.”
The words flowed through her, lighting little explosions of happiness throughout her body.Her heart soared.“I love you, too, Adam.So much.”
He kissed her again, more urgently this time.
