Chapter 21

21

"Elinor! Look out!" shrieked Frankie.

Elinor turned in time to see the car, an older midsize model, and froze.

Happily for Elinor, William didn't. Neither did Mitch, but William, with his longer legs, beat him to the rescue, grabbing her and hauling her back onto the sidewalk where they both tumbled to the ground just as Mitch got to them.

The car slid to a stop, narrowly missing one of the remaining few parked at an angle in front of the stores. A middle-aged woman jumped out and slid over to them.

"Are you all right?" she asked Elinor.

Elinor looked at her, dazed.

"She came right out in front of me. I almost didn't see her," the distraught woman said to Frankie.

"I know," Frankie said. "You weren't at fault."

Which would have been small consolation if the woman had taken Elinor down. Thank God she hadn't.

William got to his feet. "Can you stand, Elinor?" He reached down and held out his hand.

"I think so," she whimpered, and took it.

Mitch got on her other side, and the two men helped her up.

The woman began wringing her gloved hands. "I'm so sorry."

"No, it's my fault," Elinor stammered. "I wasn't paying attention."

"Are you all right?" the woman asked again.

Elinor bit her lip and nodded.

"No harm done," said Mitch.

"If you're sure you're okay..." the woman began, and Elinor nodded again. The woman let out a huge sigh. "Thank God. I think this took ten years off my life. I'm on my way home right now. I hate being out in this stuff."

Elinor wasn't aware of her leaving. She was too busy looking adoringly up at William. "You saved my life," she told him.

Mitch backed away and positioned himself next to Frankie, who was busy eavesdropping.

"I told him she needed a hero," she whispered to Mitch.

"Nice of you to provide the car," he teased, and she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Are you sure you're all right?" William asked Elinor. "Maybe we should go over to Sips and get you some brandy."

She nodded, and the shy-bookseller-suddenly-turned-hero put an arm around her and led her to the crosswalk.

As they walked away, Frankie could hear William saying to Elinor, "Maybe you'd better let me drive you home."

It was a proud moment, and Frankie beamed as Elinor smiled up at him and nodded. Frankie had done all she could. The rest was up to William.

"Now that you've got them squared away, how about I leave Brock to close up and we grab something to eat?" Mitch suggested.

"At home. Out of the snow," she said.

"I'll follow you to your place."

That sounded perfect, and an hour later they were standing at her counter, chopping vegetables for soup. After that it would be gin rummy and sidecars. They had a fire going in her fireplace, and her tree was still up, its lights softly glowing. Mannheim Steamroller was playing in the background. Outside, the snow had stopped, and the street wore a white blanket.

"This is a perfect way to end the day," she said.

"Oh, I think we're gonna get a lot more perfect before the night is over," he said, slipping an arm around her. Then he kissed her.

"You know, I think you're right," she said.

Stef was surprised to see Griff's name come up on the screen when her phone rang. She said a cautious, "Hello."

He didn't say hello back. Instead, he said, "Awkward moments suck."

It made her sad all over again, remembering. "Yes, they do. Last night was a little more than awkward, though, wouldn't you say?"

"It was hard. Are you going to give up on me?"

She didn't want to. "Should I?"

"Yeah, you probably should. But I'm hoping you won't."

"If you're not ready, I understand," she said. It had taken her long enough after her disastrous marriage to decide she was ready to try again.

"I am ready. I miss what I had with Kaitlyn."

Wrong thing to say. "I'm not Kaitlyn, and I can't be her duplicate."

"I wouldn't want you to be. Stef, I'm so tired of being alone. I want to be with someone I can laugh with, someone who's kind and smart and who likes kids. I think that someone is you. I'm sorry about last night, I really am. I just have these moments... It's hard to put into words. They're like phantom pains. You know, like when you lose a limb? Only..."

"You lost a person," she supplied. "How about your heart? Did you lose that, too?"

"It's still beating."

That wasn't enough. She took a deep breath. "Look, I'm not out to erase your wife from your mind. Or even your heart. I just want to be sure there's room for me, too."

"There is. In fact, I could almost believe she sent you. I want to get back to happy. It's going to take me a while is all. Can you help me get there, Stef? Will you?"

She felt like she was standing at the edge of a cliff, poised to jump, but she couldn't see what was below.

"Please," he added.

Her pulse was climbing. Jump? Back up? Run away? She needed a sign.

"I'll even write Santa. Maybe if I'm lucky, he's putting in overtime."

There it was. She smiled. "You know, I'm feeling like Chinese food," she said.

She could hear the smile in his voice. "Funny, so am I. I've got snow tires and all-wheel drive. Corky and I will be right over to pick you up. We have plans."

An hour later, Stef was at Griff's house, eating takeout Chinese along with his sister, Jenn, and her boyfriend. Corky sat between his father and his aunt, beaming across the table at Stef as if she was the sugar plum fairy come to life. She gave her arm a surreptitious pinch to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

She wasn't. She was with a good man with a good heart and a darling kid. She had a feeling she and Griff's sister could easily become besties. Now, if his mother turned out to be as nice, she'd know she'd won the love lottery.

The grown-ups entertained Corky by playing Wii games, and after he was in bed, they switched to a trivia game. Stef came close to winning but decided coming in second after Griff's sister wasn't a bad thing.

"She's too smart," joked Jenn's boyfriend.

"I'd say you're pretty smart," Jenn told him. "After all, you're with me."

Ah, the confidence. Stef was finally getting hers back. Lucky Jenn wouldn't have to face such a challenge. The man she was with was secure enough in who he was not to be threatened by her.

"We've got a couple of smart ones here," said Griff.

Stef swallowed those words whole and was instantly warmed.

Later he drove her home while Jenn and her man watched over Corky.

"Did you have fun?" he asked.

"I did. I like your sister."

"She's okay. I owe her big-time for keeping on me. I want to keep this going."

Stef smiled. "Me, too."

"Have you got plans for New Year's Eve?"

She cocked her head to the side. "Let me see. Chris Hemsworth was asking. I haven't said yes yet."

Griff chuckled. "Good. Then how about spending it with me? I'll get my parents to take Corky for the weekend. You can come with when I drop him off if you want. My mom's itching to meet you. Jenn's already told her all about you."

"Good things, I hope?"

"Of course. So, how about dinner at La Bella Vita, then dancing at Carol's Place?"

"And he dances, too," she cracked. Total love lottery win.

"I can manage a couple of steps," he said. "So, what do you say?"

"I say yes." To anything he wanted.

"It looks like William finally figured out how to win over Elinor. Does she even remember who Mitch is?" Adele joked when the family gathered around her table for their Sunday evening dinner.

"I don't know. Right now, William is pretty high on her hero list," said Frankie.

"That's so romantic," Natalie said with a sigh.

"Hey, I'd pull you out of the way if a car was coming at you," her husband said to her.

She put a hand to Jonathan's cheek. "I know you would."

"Warner, you want to grow up to be just like your daddy," Adele informed her great-grandson.

"Daddy's the best burper," Warner said, and tried a big burp of his own.

"You don't need to become a great burper," his mother informed him, and frowned at her husband, who smirked.

"It looks like it's going to be a great new year for us all," Adele said.

Yes, it did, thought Frankie as she smiled at Mitch.

Stef's phone rang, and she stepped away from the table to answer, cooing a hello.

"Gee, I wonder who that might be," Adele teased.

"Oh," Stef said, sounding disappointed.

All three women at the table exchanged worried glances.

Until Stef said cheerfully, "No, that's not a problem. In fact, I think that will be fun."

"What was that all about?" Adele asked when she rejoined them.

"It was Griff. His parents can't babysit for New Year's Eve. They're sick."

"That and Valentine's Day, the two hardest days of the year to get a sitter," Adele observed.

"But it's okay. I'm going to his place, and he and Corky and I are going to party together."

"Perfect," Frankie approved. "But before any of us do our own thing, we have to make sure we all go over to Carol Reads for William's happy hour."

The snow had finally moved on to bother other regions, the snowplows had done their job, and both the air and the streets were clear. And the residents of Carol were all ready to party in the new year. Several of them were starting out at Carol Reads.

William looked properly literary in his suit and tie, and Elinor was wearing an elegant black dress and red cardigan that she'd picked out...with no help from Frankie. Viola and her husband were present, and she was showing off pictures of her refinished bathroom on her phone.

"And to think you did it all without my help," Frankie joked.

"You've had your hands full helping everyone else," said Viola. "Good job, sista."

Several of William's other customers had shown up, and everyone stood around with plastic glasses filled with white wine or sparkling cider. Elinor had picked up appetizers at the store and was happily circulating, offering people mini quiches.

"You can stop looking so puffed up," Mitch teased Frankie as she looked on proudly.

"I can't help it. I feel like I had a hand in their happiness."

"Your instincts were good. For once," he added.

"My instincts turned out to be pretty good where you're concerned," she said.

"Finally," he said, and she kissed him.

He checked his watch. "We should probably take off. There's a quiet corner at La Bella Vita waiting for us."

And after that, a celebration for two at his place. Happy New Year!

Stef followed Griff and Corky home from the bookstore party. Griff had bought Corky a book and insisted on buying one for her as well—a romance novel that Elinor had recommended entitled Happy Ending .

"I think it's appropriate," he said when she thanked him. "I feel like I'm well on my way to one thanks to you."

"And thanks to our sisters," she added. "Sometimes we all need a little help."

"We do," he agreed. "But I think we can take it from here." He squeezed her hand.

Later, after Corky was in bed, they had their own party for two. They turned on the TV in time for the countdown to the new year, and as the crowds in New York City went crazy and Griff's neighbors shot off their fireworks, he said, "This is the happiest new year I've had in a long time thanks to you."

"I could say the same about you," she said.

"It's going to be a good year."

"Promise?"

"I do."

"Well, you know how we seal promises."

He grinned. "I do," he said, and kissed her.

"Happy New Year," Mitch whispered in Frankie's ear as they sat cuddled on her couch, then kissed her.

It was, indeed.

That night she had a dream. She and Mitch were standing in her mother's living room, surrounded by family and friends. She wore a simple cream-colored cocktail dress, he was in a black tux, and they were toasting each other with champagne. Elinor and William stood arm in arm, each raising a glass. So did Adele and Mario and Stef and Griff. Natalie and her family were present, and so was Mitch's.

"I know you two are going to have a great life together," the minister told them.

And come Valentine's Day, just like they'd planned, the dream came true.