Lucie Ferrara knew it would be a mistake to come to Times Square on New Year’s Eve. She’d so much rather be curled up in bed with a good book.
What had she been thinking?
Instead of indulging herself with a good read, Lucie had let Jazmine and Catherine talk her into going with them into the madhouse of this New Year’s Eve celebration. Lucie’s own mother had teamed up against her, insisting Lucie worked too hard. She needed to get out of the house and enjoy herself with her friends.
Some fun this had turned out to be. Jazmine and Catherine were nowhere to be found and Lucie was trapped in this huge mass of humanity, unable to move in any direction. People pressed against her from all sides and all she wanted to do was escape. The subway station was within sight and if she could simply make her way …
All at once the crowd started to shout. A cacophony of noise erupted all around her as a cheer rose and “Auld Lang Syne” was blasted through the cold night air.
To make her feel even more alone, all the couples around her were either hugging or kissing. Everyone seemed to belong to someone. Everyone, that is, except her.
Unable to watch and feeling detached, Lucie closed her eyes. Her mother had wanted her to enjoy herself with her friends. It’d been weeks since Lucie had been out. She needed a free night, Wendy had gently reminded her. All work and no play would cause her to lose her focus.
Her mother, however, was right. Lucie did need a break, and she probably did work too hard. Putting a restaurant together wasn’t a simple thing. There were decisions to be made and compromises, too. They’d found a great location in Brooklyn, not far from their apartment. While the space was perfect for what they needed, renovations were necessary and permits took time, money, and effort.
Furthermore, Lucie had a responsibility to her mother, who had invested the entire life insurance money they’d collected from her father’s death into making this restaurant a success. Her mother’s faith in her was both a blessing and a curse. If Lucie failed she’d never be able to forgive herself.
Suddenly Lucie was jarred from behind. She stumbled forward. “Oh, sorry.”
“Sorry.”
Her eyes flashed open, the apology already spoken, when she stared into the face of the most amazingly good-looking man she’d seen outside of a movie. He was taller than she by a good six inches and had the warmest, gentlest brown eyes. A lock of dark brown hair fell across his wide forehead.
“You okay?” he asked. “The crowd …”
“I know; it’s crazy. No worries, I’m fine.”
His hands braced her shoulders as if to catch her from stumbling. He didn’t drop them, and for the longest time they simply stared at each other. Surprisingly, he didn’t seem to be coupled with anyone. He was alone in the crowd, too.
“Shall we?” he asked.
Not fully understanding, she blinked.
Then with barely a pause, he lowered his mouth to hers.
Standing on the tips of her toes, Lucie wrapped her arms around his neck and welcomed his kiss. Why not? It was New Year’s Eve and this was tradition.
The kiss lasted through what remained of the song, and Lucie enjoyed it immensely. The earth didn’t move, the sky didn’t fall, but the exchange was warm, soft, and above all pleasant. Very pleasant. She almost groaned in protest when they broke apart.
He smiled at her.
Lucie smiled back.
“I’m Aren Fairchild.”
“Lucie Ferrara.”
The crowd started to break apart. The people that had been standing so close just seconds before were leaving. All at once it seemed everyone had somewhere else to go.
Lucie and Aren remained motionless, standing in the same spot. He continued to cup her shoulders.
“I got separated from my sister,” he explained.
“I don’t have a clue what happened to Jazmine and Catherine.”
“So you’re alone?”
Lucie nodded.
“I am, too. Perhaps we can find a place for a glass of wine?”
“I’d like that.” Her heart fluttered with gentle excitement at his invitation. Maybe, just maybe, this entire evening wouldn’t be a disaster after all.
Lucie’s phone chirped, indicating she had a text message. Digging in her purse she retrieved it and saw that the text was from Jazmine. Where are you?
Lucie quickly texted her back. Still in Times Square.
C and I R heading to the subway.
Talk tomorrow.
OK
When Lucie finished she noticed Aren was busy tapping away on his phone, too. He glanced up when he’d set his phone inside his coat pocket. “I let my sister know I’d find my own way home.”
“I told my friends the same thing.”
He reached for her hand and off they went. After a number of attempts to find available space at a wine bar, they gave up and settled for a booth in an all-night diner.
It felt good to sit down. Lucie shrugged off her coat. Aren unbuttoned his overcoat.
“I’m sorry. I’m unfamiliar with the area or I’d know of a place.”
“I doubt it would have mattered,” Lucie assured him. “On a night like this every seat is taken. We were lucky to get a table here.” After she spoke she realized he must be new to the city. “You’re not from New York?”
“Seattle,” he explained.
In other words he was a tourist. Well, that was probably for the best, seeing that she didn’t really have time to invest in a relationship, if indeed this turned into one. Oh dear, she was getting way ahead of herself.
“I recently moved to the city.”
“Oh.” Instantly her spirits lifted, even though her circumstances weren’t going to change for a long while.
“What about you?”
“I live in Brooklyn.”
“I haven’t been there yet, but my sister tells me it’s fast becoming the place to be. I’ll need to find an apartment soon and she suggested I look there.”
“You’ll like it.” Lucie had lived in Brooklyn her entire life and was part of the community. Their apartment was just off Jamison Street. Their restaurant, once they opened, would be relatively close. They’d decided to name it Heavenly Delights.
“What brings you to New York?” she asked.
“A job. I’m a writer and a good friend recommended me for a position with the New York Gazette.”
“The Gazette. Wow, you must be very good.”
“I’d like to think so, but time will tell. What about you?”
Lucie hardly knew where to start. “Well, I recently graduated from culinary school, and my mother and I are working toward opening a restaurant.”
It looked as if Aren was about to say something but changed his mind. “That takes a lot of work.”
“Tell me about it.” She stopped herself from elaborating on the trials and difficulties, the expense and the fears. This wasn’t the time for that.
“You’re looking thoughtful,” Aren commented.
Lucie smiled. “Just before we bumped into each other I was thinking that I’d much rather be home than standing alone in the cold.”
Aren chuckled. “Funny, I was thinking the same thing. The only reason I agreed to go was because I didn’t want my sister to be alone. She had a recent breakup and is taking it pretty hard. Actually, I was wondering if I’d find my way back to my sister’s apartment.”
“You’re lost?”
“Not exactly,” he said and looked a bit embarrassed. “Understanding these street directions is driving me nuts and testing my intelligence. What do you mean when you say on Fifty-third between Sixth and Seventh when the address is something completely different, like twelve Madison Avenue? I used to think I had a good sense of direction. No longer.”
Now it was Lucie’s turn to laugh. “Don’t worry, you’ll catch on soon enough.”
“I hope so.”
The harried waitress approached their table and handed them menus. “Coffee?”
“Please,” Lucie answered. She was going to need it if she intended to stay awake much longer, and she sincerely hoped that she was. Her day had started at four that morning, meeting with contractors and dealing with what seemed like a dozen problems that all had to be resolved that day.
Aren righted his coffee mug and glanced at the menu. “I don’t generally eat this late, but Josie insisted we’d find something on the street.”
Josie must be his sister. “And you ended up not eating.”
“The truth is I spent half the evening in a frantic search for my sister. We were continually separated.”
That had happened to Lucie as well with her two friends. The cops had directed them into a fenced-off area, but the crowd still seemed to move her away from her friends. She probably should have been a bit more aggressive, but that simply wasn’t her nature. And she was nervous to leave her spot because she knew the cops wouldn’t let her back in.
“What do you hope for the new year?” Aren asked, after sipping his coffee.
“Oh my, so much.” Lucie sat up straighter and talked nonstop for a good ten minutes, until she realized she’d completely dominated the conversation. More than a little embarrassed, she shook her head. “Enough about me. What do you hope for the new year?”
“No, no, continue,” he insisted, and then added, “Actually, there’s something important I’m waiting to hear.”
“And what would that be?”
His smile was warm. “What about the men in your life?”
Lucie shrugged. “At the moment there’s only one.”
“So, there’s someone important in your life?”
“He’s a bit possessive, too.”
Aren’s smile faded. “Really? Tell me about him.”
“His name is Sammy, and we’ve been together five years. Actually, he lets me sleep with him.”
“I beg your pardon?” Aren laid the menu aside and frowned.
“Sammy’s a fifteen-pound mixed-breed dog my mother and I adopted. He does allow me to sleep with him and makes sure I know I am there only by his generosity.”
Aren laughed. “In other words you’re currently not involved with anyone … human.”
“Correct.” Lucie was thrilled he’d asked. “What about you? Any women in your life?”
He sighed heavily. “I’m two years out of a divorce.” He looked down at his coffee.
Lucie watched as the sadness and disappointment sank Aren’s shoulders.
“Katie and I were married for five years. She fell in love with someone else.” He said it as if the pain lingered still.
“Children?”
“No, thankfully we avoided that complication. I wanted a family but Katie kept coming up with excuses. In retrospect, I’m grateful.”
“Have you dated much since?”
“Very little. But getting back to you, because I want this to be clear between us. You’re not involved with a man, or currently married, right?” He posed the question as if he feared a repeat of the mistakes in his past. “You see, the man Katie left me for was someone she was once involved with.”
“Oh, no worries there.”
He frowned now. “Why not? You’re wonderful.”
She blushed with his praise. “No time. First, it was because I was in culinary school and working part-time to pay tuition. And now, well, now Mom and I are struggling to get our restaurant up and running. There simply aren’t enough hours in the day to do all that needs to be done, let alone have much of a social life.”
The waitress returned to the table for their orders and they each chose a light breakfast. The conversation didn’t lag once.
Their plates had long since been removed and they’d each drank two or three additional cups of coffee before Lucie happened to glance at her watch and notice the time.
“My goodness, it’s almost four,” she gasped as her hand flew to her heart. The hours had simply evaporated. She found it shocking to realize they’d been sitting in the all-night diner for the better part of three and a half hours.
With a sense of panic Lucie reached for her purse, and slid out of the booth. “I have to work today.” She couldn’t believe she’d let the time get away from her like this. She’d be fortunate to get three hours’ sleep before working a twelve-hour shift. Her mother had urged her to take New Year’s Day off, but Lucie didn’t feel she could refuse the extra hours. Not when the restaurant paid time and a half for working the holiday. They could use the money.
Right now every penny counted. Their goal was to open Heavenly Delights on March first, but seeing how much time everything took, Lucie had come to realize that that was an optimistic estimate.
Aren reached for her hand. “Let me walk you to the subway.”
“Okay.” She didn’t want to leave, but she really didn’t have a choice. As it was, Lucie had already been up for the last twenty-four hours. “I don’t mean to rush away but …”
“It’s all right, I understand.”
“Oh, Aren, I can’t remember when I’ve enjoyed myself more. You’re so easy to talk to.” For a good portion of their evening she’d found herself sharing with him things she hadn’t told her coworkers and friends. Her eyes had filled with tears as she spoke of her father, who had passed away eighteen months earlier of complications from what should have been a routine surgery.
Her brother lived and worked in Texas and had a young family, so it was just Lucie and her mother. And Wendy had health issues of her own. As a type 1 diabetic, Lucie’s mother had to carefully watch her diet and insulin levels.
Aren reached for his overcoat. “I was just thinking how interesting and fun you are.”
He’d already taken care of their tab, so they were free to leave.
“I’d like to see you again,” he said as they walked down the sidewalk toward the subway station.
“I’d like that, too, but …”
“But,” he said, finishing the thought for her, “you don’t know if a relationship is possible just now.”
“Yes.” She was grateful he’d put it into words for her.
“I understand, but we both just said what a good time we’ve had. I don’t think we should be so willing to simply walk away from each other. The least we could do is get to know each other a little better. I can’t speak for you, but this is the first time in two years that I’ve felt like myself. I’m starting over and I’ve met someone wonderful and I don’t want it to end after one night.” His steps slowed to match hers as they continued walking. “According to my sister I’m a great guy and—”
“You are a great guy.”
“And I happen to think you’re pretty wonderful yourself, so what do you say?”
They arrived outside the subway station and Lucie hesitated.
“Can I kiss you again?” he asked. “Maybe that will persuade you.”
“Yes, please.” She leaned toward him and automatically slipped her arms around his neck.
Their first exchange had been pleasant. The second, after coming to know each other a bit more, was several multiples better. This time she did hear music, but it was the sound of a happy heart.
As soon as they broke apart she realized how badly she didn’t want to abandon this fledgling relationship.
Aren held her gaze, awaiting her response. Bracing his forehead against hers he offered a suggestion. “Tell you what.”
“What?”
“Rather than walk away, give this some thought, okay?”
“What do you mean?”
“I think I know what you’re thinking. We’re high on emotion and caffeine, and more than a little exhausted.”
That had been exactly her thought process.
“Take a week.”
“A week,” she repeated.
“If you decide this feeling is something you’re interested in exploring then we’ll meet again on January seventh at four o’clock.”
“January seventh at four o’clock,” she repeated.
“Seven days,” he repeated, “to think this through properly.”
At the moment seven days seemed entirely too long to wait. Lucie was ready to make her decision right then and there, feeling as she did now. Still, a heavy responsibility had fallen onto her shoulders in regard to this restaurant. Now wasn’t the time to get involved with someone, even if that someone was as wonderful as Aren.
“Where should we meet?” Lucie asked. “At the diner again?”
“No,” he said, and ran his finger down the side of her face. “I’ll admit I’m a bit of a romantic. Let’s meet at the top of the Empire State Building.”
“Why there?” she asked, smiling at his suggestion.
“That’s where I’d like to kiss you again.”
“Okay,” she agreed, “but you understand … I might not come. I hate the thought of you just waiting for me there in the cold.”
“Then don’t keep me waiting.”
“Oh, Aren, I don’t know …”
“Not now you don’t. Give it a week? Okay?”
“Okay.”
Aren walked her down the stairs to the subway and waited with her until her train arrived. Lucie stepped inside and automatically went to the window, pressing her hand against it. Standing on the other side, Aren pressed his palm against hers, with the glass between them. As the train started to move, she blew him a kiss.
How wise he was. A week would give her time to think, time to decide. And how romantic of him to suggest the top of the Empire State Building. Biting down on her lower lip, Lucie wanted so badly to continue their relationship … but the timing was all wrong. Yet, would she ever have a chance like this again? That was a question she was afraid to answer.
Lucie’s eyes burned as she hurriedly dressed for work after less than three hours’ sleep. Even though she was physically dragging, emotionally she was on an all-time high. She didn’t harbor a single regret. Her trip into the city had been amazing. Meeting Aren had set her heart spinning with possibilities. They’d clicked as if they’d grown up together, rediscovering a deep connection to each other after a long separation.
Before her father died, and before Lucie had started culinary school, she’d dated often. With other men there’d always been that awkward getting-to-know-you period with long pauses in conversation as they struggled to find a connection. It hadn’t been that way with Aren. He’d been so interesting and interested in her. She’d never met a man who wasn’t keen on talking about himself, dominating the conversation and looking to make an impression. Aren had been so comfortable with who he was that he didn’t seem to feel the need to babble on and on about his career or his influential friends. The connection had been there from the very first, which made her decision all the more difficult. How could she walk away from this promising relationship? How would it be possible to maintain even the semblance of one, stretched for time as she already was?
Lucie ran a brush through her dark, shoulder-length hair and then pinned it away from her face, looping the long strands behind her ears. Once she was in the restaurant kitchen, she’d secure it with a net and a chef’s hat. She wore the hat with pride. She’d worked hard for the privilege.
Her mother paused in the doorway to Lucie’s bathroom. “What time did you get in last night?”
“Late.” Lucie wasn’t about to tell her mother exactly what time she’d slipped into bed.
“Did you have fun?”
Sighing, Lucie nodded. “I had the most amazing night.”
Her mother’s face brightened. “I knew getting out would do you a world of good. Lucie, I worry about you and all the hours you work. I’m happy you took my advice and went out with your friends.”
“I’m happy I did, too. Don’t worry about me, really, Mom, it won’t be like this much longer.” Once the restaurant was up and running Lucie would be able to take a breather. She hoped. Heavenly Delights needed to be a success. It was their future, their dream, and Lucie was determined to make it a winner. She simply had to, seeing that her mother had invested so heavily in it. Wendy had trusted Lucie with her life’s savings and life insurance money and Lucie couldn’t, wouldn’t, disappoint her family.
“You met someone, didn’t you?”
“Mom!”
“Didn’t you?”
Reluctantly, Lucie nodded.
“Why so secretive? Tell me about him.”
“Mom, I don’t have time. I’m late already.”
Her mother remained undeterred. “Well, at least tell me how you met.”
Lucie couldn’t have contained a smile if she’d tried. “We met in Times Square at midnight and Aren kissed me.”
Wendy’s eyes widened. “Well, of course. That’s how I met all the men in my life,” she teased.
“I lost Jazmine and Catherine in the crowd and I was standing alone while everyone was ringing in the New Year. People were singing, hugging, and kissing one another. Aren and I bumped against each other and before I knew it we were kissing, too.”
Her mother’s shoulders rose with a deep sigh. “That is probably the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard.”
Lucie finished putting on her makeup, took one last look at herself in the mirror, and decided it was good enough. Once she was finished with work, she’d eat a light dinner and go straight to bed. She needed to be careful in the kitchen, working around knives and fire while sleep deprived.
“When are you seeing Aren again?” her mother asked, following Lucie into the kitchen.
“I … I don’t know. He’s new in town and busy.”
“Lucie …”
“Yes, Mom?” she said, forcing a light tone into her voice.
Her mother faced her, hands on her hips. “You’re not telling me something. I told you when you were just a girl that you don’t need to be afraid to tell me anything. I’m your mother.”
“And you’re the best mother in the world, too,” she said and kissed Wendy’s cheek.
“But …” her mother protested.
“I’ll tell you more after work, okay?” Lucie didn’t have time to chat, and besides, she wasn’t sure how little or how much to explain. That warm feeling had stayed with her through the night. Her dreams had been full of Aren. He’d been so certain, confident they should meet again. Although he had given her only a few details of his divorce, she knew he’d been badly hurt. Yet he was willing to set aside his fears for her, and in essence was asking her to overlook the obstacles in her life and give them a chance.
Aren was new to the city, looking to make a new life for himself. And he wanted to start by dating her. Her mind continued to buzz with questions, with doubts, with longing and fears. The newspaper probably had a probation period for its writers. Their meeting and the instant attraction they’d experienced had come as a surprise. To Aren as much as Lucie. Neither had expected anything like this. Still, the timing couldn’t be worse.
“You’re looking thoughtful, sweetheart,” her mother said, cutting into Lucie’s thoughts. “Are you sure there isn’t something you want to tell me now?”
“I’m sure.” Lucie forced herself to smile. “Just that Aren is simply wonderful.”
Her mother gripped Lucie’s hand. “It’s time you found someone, Lucie. At your age I was already married and pregnant with your brother.”
“Stop, Mom, you make me sound like Aunt Adele.”
“She didn’t marry until she was forty-three,” Wendy reminded her.
“Yes, but Aunt Adele traveled the globe, swam with stingrays, started two companies, and married when she found the man she couldn’t live without. I haven’t met that man yet.”
“How do you know?” her mother challenged. “It could be Aren. Give him a chance, Lucie. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen your eyes sparkle like this when you talked about a man. I haven’t even met this Aren and already I like him.”
Rather than comment, Lucie grabbed her purse and headed out the door. Her mother could be right, but she didn’t have time to think about any of this just now.
Once she was at work Lucie was so busy the hours passed by with incredible speed. At the end of her shift, she was exhausted to the point she could barely think straight. On the subway ride home, she nearly fell asleep. As she expected, her mother was waiting for her, along with Sammy, who greeted her with a tail wagging with such enthusiasm it shook his entire rear end.
“Lucie, you’re exhausted. Oh dear, I was afraid of this.”
“I’m okay, Mom.”
“Did you eat today?” her mother asked.
“I did,” Lucie said, stretching the truth. She had taken the required break but she’d used that time to rest her eyes; just before it was time to return to the kitchen, she’d snatched a roll, slathered it with butter, and called it lunch.
Lucie sat and chatted with her mother for several minutes while giving Sammy attention. Her mother insisted on fixing her some scrambled eggs. Lucie objected but Wendy wouldn’t listen, and actually Lucie was glad for the late dinner. Sammy sat obediently at her side.
After Lucie finished her eggs, Wendy laid her head back against the cushioned chair and closed her eyes. “Tell me more about this young man you met.”
“Mom, are your blood sugars okay?”
“I’m fine, don’t worry about me. I keep a close eye on my insulin levels. Now tell me about Aren.”
“I’m not sure what to say … just that he’s funny and charming and witty. After the ball dropped we went to an all-night diner and talked nonstop for nearly four hours. He’s a writer, and he must be very good because he just got a job with the New York Gazette. He has one sister; he’s living with her until he can find his own place and he’s worried about her.”
“Oh?”
“Apparently she broke up with someone she’d been seeing for a couple of years. They had been engaged, but then something went wrong and they called off the wedding and aren’t seeing each other any longer. It sounds like Josie is having a hard time of it.”
“Aren sounds like an exceptional young man.”
“He is.” Of that Lucie was certain.
“When will you see him again?” her mother pressed.
“We haven’t decided that yet … exactly.” Lucie didn’t want to explain their arrangement, because she knew her wonderful mother would encourage her to meet Aren at the prescribed time and place and wouldn’t take no for an answer.
“Did you exchange phone numbers?” Wendy asked.
Lucie shook her head and then realized her mother was resting her eyes. “No, we didn’t.” She had entertained the idea of asking for Aren’s cell number and she felt fairly certain he would want hers, too. But having the necessary contact information might make this decision all the more difficult. This way there was no turning back, no second chances. It was January 7 or nothing.
“He wants me to meet him on the seventh at the top of the Empire State Building,” she blurted out, unable to stop herself. Eventually her mother would drag it out of her one way or another.
“Then you should go.” Opening her eyes now, Lucie’s mother frowned as though confused.
“The thing is, Mom, the timing is all wrong,” Lucie whispered.
“So? If you wait until everything is perfect you might lose Aren, and I don’t want that to happen.”
“I don’t either. We decided to give it a week. We’d been up nearly all night and the sparks were there but, like I said, the timing couldn’t be worse for me. Aren’s starting a new job; I’m already overwhelmed with the restaurant and—”
“My goodness, Lucie Ann, don’t you know by now that falling in love is never convenient? I met your father just a short time before he shipped out for the Vietnam War. We had a single day together and then we wrote to each other. Your father wrote the most amazing, beautiful letters.”
Lucie had heard the story a thousand times and never tired of it. “A year passed,” she continued for her mother.
“Thirteen months. I was in my sophomore year of college and one day out of the blue your father showed up on campus.”
“A man in a uniform wasn’t exactly the most welcome sight in those days, especially at the university.”
“That’s putting it mildly.”
“But you loved him.”
“I did, but I had health issues and I wasn’t entirely sure I’d be able to have children.”
“And Daddy batted down every objection because he loved you.”
“He was determined, all right,” Wendy said, her eyes gleaming with the memory.
“And Daddy gave you a deadline.”
“Just the way Aren is doing.”
“This is different, Mom.”
“Not so different, my dear girl. Not so different at all. Like I said, finding the right person doesn’t fall into a tidy, neat schedule. You don’t turn twenty-one and instantly meet the man of your dreams. It happens when it happens.”
Lucie knew that was true from her parents’ own love story. Her father had to work hard in order to convince her mother that they should marry. Wendy resisted, and insisted George didn’t know what he was getting himself in for. Although the circumstances were different, this was like history repeating itself.
“Promise me you’ll meet this young man.”
“Mom …”
“I know this is what your heart is telling you, Lucie. You can’t fool me, sweetheart. You never could.”
That was true. Lucie found deceiving her mother impossible and she disliked it intensely when others deceived her. “Give me time; I’ve got an entire week to decide.”
The morning of January 7, Lucie woke convinced she knew what she wanted. Her mother had worked on her the entire week, talking up the romantic aspect of the meeting. Repeatedly she reminded Lucie of her own starry-eyed courtship with the young army officer who became Lucie’s father.
“This afternoon is the date,” Wendy casually mentioned over breakfast.
“Yes, Mother, I know.”
“Tell me you’ve decided to meet Aren, because if you don’t, I swear I’ll go to the Empire State Building to meet him myself.”
“Mom.”
“Well, okay, I probably wouldn’t, but Lucie, I wish you could see how your eyes light up every time you mention him. I felt that way about your father, and sweetie, we had all those wonderful years together. I want you to find that same happiness.”
“I know, Mom …”
“Set my mind to rest—just tell me your decision.”
Lucie had tried to keep this low-key but clearly she couldn’t. “I’ll be there at four and Aren will be waiting for me.”
Wendy rubbed her palms together as though it was impossible to contain her joy. “You let that young man know I want to meet him, will you?”
“Of course, Mom. You’ll have plenty of opportunity to meet Aren.”
Lucie loved her mother’s enthusiasm.
“I’ve arranged to get off work early,” Lucie explained. “I’ll take the subway into the city.”
“Perfect. You’ll call once you’re there, won’t you? I refuse to be left in the dark. I want to know what happens when he sees you, okay?”
“Give me a few minutes to at least greet him.” She’d phone after that kiss Aren had promised her. Lucie had trouble holding back a smile. After all, it’d all started with a simple kiss. Well, in truth, it hadn’t been that simple. Things rarely were.
Lucie had never been a clock watcher, especially on the job. That day, however, her gaze bounced against the wall several times as she counted the hours away. At three o’clock, a full hour before the scheduled rendezvous, Lucie changed clothes, refreshed her makeup, and headed out the door to the subway station. She was just about to descend the stairwell when her cellphone rang.
“Is this Lucie Ferrara?” a woman’s voice asked.
“Yes.”
“This is New York Methodist Hospital. We have your mother here. She took a bad spill and broke her arm. I’m afraid she’s going to need surgery …”
“Oh dear. Is Mom all right? She’s diabetic.”
“Not to worry, her blood sugars are stabilized.”
Lucie grimaced at the thought of her mother in pain. “I’ll be right there,” Lucie said, doing her best to control the sense of panic she felt. She paused at the top of the stairwell and looked out at the city. The view of the Empire State Building showed in the background. There was no help for it now. No way would she be able to make the appointment with Aren. Disappointment settled into the pit of her stomach. This was divine intervention. Despite her decision he’d be there waiting for her … and she wasn’t going to show.
Lucie was at her mother’s bedside when Wendy woke following the surgery. Her mother blinked at Lucie and then frowned.
“You met Aren, didn’t you?”
Rather than respond verbally, she shook her head.
“I told the hospital not to call you.”
“Mom, I needed to be here to talk to the doctors. What happened?” Lucie already knew. Her mother’s blood sugar had dropped again and she’d fallen. Thankfully she was within sight of a neighbor lady who immediately called 911.
“Oh, Lucie, I feel so bad for you. This is all my fault.”
“Mom, it wasn’t meant to be.”
“No, no, I don’t believe it. I just don’t believe it.”
Her mother tightly squeezed her eyes shut and her lips started to move.
“What are you doing?” Lucie asked.
“Sh-h, I’m praying.”
“Praying for what?” Lucie teased.
“You and Aren. I’m asking God to bring you two together again in His timing. He’s going to do it, you know. Trust me. God is going to work this out because He knows I’ll never forgive myself if you lost out on meeting the love of your life because of me.”
“That’s very sweet, Mom, but I believe God’s got more important prayers to answer than this.”
Wendy scoffed. “Don’t be a silly goose. And don’t be surprised if you and Aren cross paths within the next few days. Mark my words on that. Mark my words.”
“Yes, Mom.” Although Lucie agreed, on the inside she had a storehouse of reservations that Almighty God really cared about something as minor as this. And at the same time she couldn’t keep from hoping He did.