Authors: Heather McCoubrey
“Edward?” Kate said as she chanced a quick peek at his
face. They were only a couple blocks from the the hotel.
He returned her look. “Hmm?”
“I think that twelve weeks is a long time. I wonder
how you’d feel if maybe we had a few phone calls between now and when I come
back?”
She watched as a smile lit up Edward’s face and Kate knew
she’d been right to suggest it.
“Splendid idea! I was just trying to figure out how I
was could suggest the same thing. I didn’t want to scare you off,” Edward
said.
“Truly?” Kate asked. This whole thing seemed too
good to be true and she was a little afraid to trust it.
He stopped and raised their clasped hands to his lips.
Lightly brushing a kiss across the back of her hand, he nodded. “Truly,
Kate. I would love to be able to talk on the phone with you over the next
few months. Actually, I’d love to be able to spend time with you, but
this is the next best thing. I’ll take it.”
A huge smile broke out on Kate’s face and she heard Edward
suck in a breath. “You are so beautiful,” he said just before he lowered
his head and kissed her senseless again.
Kate lost all sense of time and space. She felt dizzy
when Edward lifted his head and gazed into her eyes. “We’d better get
going,” he said softly.
Again unable to form coherent words, Kate nodded her
head. Edward grinned at her reaction and led her away toward the hotel.
By the time they reached the hotel, Kate had herself pulled
together. She felt a tiny bit foolish at her reaction to him, but at the
same time she reveled in the feelings. Twelve weeks felt like a long
time.
“Mary, it’s time for dinner. Come, let’s wash your
hands.”
“Mo-om!” Mary whined. “I want to play!”
Kate laughed. “We can play after we eat,” Kate said as
she guided Mary over to the sink.
It had been a month since she returned from England.
She hadn’t spoken to Edward since their last “date” the night before she
left. She hadn’t really expected they’d talk all the time, but was still
a bit surprised that they hadn’t spoken yet. She was busy with Mary and
she’d gotten a promotion at work. She was now in charge of all the
marketing for the new clothing line. The days flew by too quickly.
Mary’s birthday was coming up and Kate hadn’t planned
anything yet. She made a mental note to pick up some invitations this
weekend and get it planned. The phone rang as she was helping Mary into
the booster seat at the table. Kate let it go to voicemail. Because
Kate worked long hours during the day, she made sure dinner was a special time
and Kate avoided distractions as much as she could. They typically rushed
out of the house in the mornings, and Kate would try to have lunch with Mary at
least twice a week. Kate made sure to spend as much down time with Mary
as she could.
It wasn’t until Kate was getting herself ready for bed that
she remembered the phone call. Curious, she picked up her cell. Her
heart in her throat, she listened to the message. “Kate? Hello,
this is Edward calling. I apologize it’s taken me so long to get in touch
with you. I was called out of town Monday after you left and I just got
back last night. I hope you and Mary are doing well. I’ll be in and
out all day tomorrow, but would be honored if you’d give me a ring back.
Take care.”
She couldn’t believe it. He’d called. She felt
like a giddy school girl with her first crush. Glancing at the clock, she
quickly did the math. Ugh, four in the morning. She would have to
wait until morning to call. Sliding between the sheets, she set her alarm
and then drifted off to sleep.
Kate’s morning dragged by. She had decided to call
Edward on her lunch break and when it finally arrived, Kate grabbed her lunch
out of the fridge and rushed up to the rooftop garden to make her call.
She dialed the number and waited out the rings.
Disappointment coursed through her when his voicemail picked up. “Hello,
this is Edward. I’m unavailable to take your call right now. Please
leave a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as I’m able.”
“Um, hello Edward? This is Kate, returning your
call. I’m on my lunch break, so if you get this message in the next
little bit feel free to call me back. Mary is usually in bed by eight my
time, and I’m free after that. Looking forward to talking to you.
Bye.”
Hanging up, she set the phone down next to her. She
took a bite out of her salad and relaxed at the table. She glanced around
the garden, taking in the view. The roses were blooming, the air was
clear and she could see across the city with ease. It was a beautiful
day. She enjoyed the peace that came with taking her lunch on the rooftop
garden. No ringing phones, no one poking their heads in her office, no
deadlines. It was just Kate and nature. She relished the feel of
the warm sun shining on her. Taking Mary to the beach this weekend would
be a fun excursion, she thought to herself.
Kate was packing up her leftovers when her phone rang.
She quickly snatched it up. “Hello?” she answered breathlessly.
“Kate? It’s Edward.”
“Edward! Hello! How are you doing?”
“I’m good. And you?”
“Same. Enjoying some sunshine before I head back in to
work.”
“I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to get in touch with
you. I’ve been away.”
“I’m glad you called. Where did you go?”
“I was in Jamaica. Beautiful country and amazing
people. I almost didn’t want to come home. Of course, it’s raining
and chilly here, so now I do wish I was back in Jamaica,” Edward laughed.
Kate laughed with him. “It sunny and seventy here
today. It’s perfect weather. I’m thinking of taking Mary to the
beach this weekend. She loves to play in the sand.”
“That sounds like a fun idea. How have you been,
Kate?”
“I’ve been good, busy. With Mary, with work. I
got a promotion, I’m now in charge of marketing for our new clothing line.”
“That’s brilliant, Kate! Congratulations!”
“Thank you. And you, how have you been?”
“I’m glad to be home. I love to travel, but it’s
always nice to be home. Stopped in at Tempo last night. Ricardo,
the server, asked about you. I told him you’d gone home to America, but
would hopefully be back soon,” Edward said wistfully.
“It won’t be for another six to eight weeks.”
“Six to eight weeks? That’s too long, and I think I’ll
be out of town when you’re here next. When will you know the exact
dates?”
“I imagine Erin will be telling me within the week so I can
make the arrangements,” Kate said as she twisted a lock of hair around her
finger. “Are you really that anxious to see me, Edward?”
“I am. It’s crazy, I know. You’ve really made an
impression on me, Kate. The whole time I was in Jamaica, I thought of you
constantly. You would pop into my head at the craziest moments and my
concentration would be blown.”
“The same thing happens to me with you. I’m sure the
time will go by quickly, Edward,” Kate said trying to be positive.
“Impossible. It’s already felt like forever since I
saw you last. Would you think it completely daft of me if I were to
travel to you before I leave again?”
Kate was speechless. Was he really that eager to spend time
with her? She couldn’t form a coherent thought. Had they really
clicked so completely? She had told the truth when she said it had been
the same for her. He popped into her thoughts at odd moments throughout
the day and evening. Not hearing from him since she’d returned had made
her think she’d made up the whole thing. If not for Erin asking her on
and off if she’d heard from him, she really would have thought she’d made it
all up.
“Kate? Are you there? I scared you, didn’t
I? Ugh, I’m so daft. I knew it. I told myself not to say
anything. I’m sorry, Kate.”
“No, no. Edward, stop please. I’m fine, it’s
fine. I was trying to find the words, I’d love for you to come
visit me. I’m still having a hard time believing that you’re real,” Kate
laughed.
“Ah, Kate,” Edward sighed.
“You’ll really come to visit?” Kate asked.
“I’m on the next plane,” Edward promised.
About an hour after she returned from lunch, Kate received
an email from Edward with his flight details.
Kate,
Leaving for the airport now. My flight gets in around
10:30p your time. I’ll catch a cab to your apartment. See you soon!
-Edward
Shivers of excitement ran through her. How could this
be possible? How could she be so lucky twice in her life? Kate
couldn’t get rid of her smile for the rest of the day. Erin sent several
questioning looks her way, but couldn’t ask since she was on conference calls
all afternoon. Kate was grateful for those calls, she wanted to savor
this moment.
Erin finally caught up with her as Kate was heading toward
the elevators to go home. “Soooo, what’s with all the smiling this
afternoon?”
Kate laughed. “I had a phone call at lunch that just
made my day.”
“Oh? Would it be the mysterious Edward?”
“It would,” Kate said. Barely able to contain her
excitement, she whirled around and faced Erin. Grabbing Erin’s arm, she
excitedly told her about the phone call. “And he’s on a plane, right
now!” Shaking her head, she pierced Erin with her gaze. “Can you
believe this? Because, I can’t. I’m excited to see him again.
Like crazy excited. But at the same time, I’m scared. Is that
crazy? Am I crazy?”
“No, Kate. You’re not crazy. And you should be
excited. You met a man. A man who seems normal and likable, and who
obviously adores you.”
“You don’t think it’s weird, though? I mean, we met by
chance. We’ve had four dates over a period of four months. I don’t
really know him. And now, he’s flying across the ocean to visit with me
for the weekend. I’m going to introduce him to my daughter,” Kate said.
“Kate,” Erin grinned. “You need to calm down.
Just go with it. He could be your Happy Ever After. Don’t mess it
up with all your questions and panic. Enjoy it. You’ve been sad a
long time…you deserve some happy.”
Kate paused and searched Erin’s face. Realizing she
only saw truth in her eyes, Kate nodded. “I’m over-thinking it, you’re
right. We hit it off and I really like him.” Kate blew out a deep
breath. “Okay, I’m okay now. Thank you, Erin.”
“You’re welcome,” Kate laughed. “So, I guess you won’t
be in tomorrow?”
“What? No, I’ll be here. I’m sure he’ll be
exhausted and want to sleep.”
Erin stared at Kate for a moment. Shaking her head,
she said “Kate, now you really
are
crazy. The man is flying seven
hours to see you. The last thing he’s gonna want to do is
sleep
.
Take tomorrow and have a great weekend. I want all the deets on
Monday!” Erin opened the door to the daycare and waved to her
daughters. She signed her name to the list, showed her driver’s license
and then lifted her daughters over the gate.
Kate copied the same process Erin did and when she picked up
Mary, her heart almost burst from the happiness. An unexpected three-day
weekend that she would spend with Mary and an incredibly fascinating man.
Could life be any better?
Kate sailed through the evening on cloud nine. She
couldn’t wait to see Edward, to introduce him to Mary. The closer it got
to Edward’s arrival, the less Kate could sit still. She’d worn an
imaginary path in the carpet between the couch and the window. Even
though she was expecting him, she was still startled at the knock on the
door. Her palms grew sweaty and she couldn’t catch her breath as she
raced toward the door. Fumbling with the lock in her haste, she finally
managed to wrench the door open.
And there he stood. Complete perfection and exactly as
she remembered him. “Edward!”
He stepped forward with a bouquet of flowers. Kate
barely saw them as she was enveloped in his arms. “I’ve missed you,” he
whispered into her hair.
Kate sighed and sank into his hug. It felt so good to
be held and missed. “Come inside, you must be exhausted,” Kate said as
she ushered him and his belongings into her apartment. “Here, come sit on
the couch. Do you want some wine?”
“Please!” Instead of sitting down, he walked over to
the windows and looked out. “Nice view, Kate.”
“Thanks!” Kate called out as she walked into the kitchen for
the wine bottle and another glass. “I love living in the city and being
close to everything. I’m only a few blocks from work, Mary and I usually
walk everyday.”
She passed him his glass of wine.
“Come sit with me, Kate,” Edward said as he sat down on the
couch.
More than happy to oblige him, she snuggled under his arm,
resting her head on his chest. “I’m so happy you came,” Kate
whispered. She was surprised at how comfortable and safe she felt sitting
here with Edward. “Erin gave me the day off tomorrow, I’m completely free
to do whatever you’d like. We can play at being tourists, or see a show,
or just be lazy. Whatever you want to do is fine.”
“I just want to spend time with you. You mentioned
going to the beach with Mary. We should do that,” Edward suggested.
“Absolutely. At some point this weekend, I need to
pick up some invitations and get them out for Mary’s birthday party. It
shouldn’t take me long,” Kate laughed. “I have no idea what I’m going to
do for her birthday. She’s still young, so probably just a small,
intimate party here again this year, with her friends from daycare and our
family.”
Edward took a sip of his wine, and studied Kate’s
face. How amazing that he’d gotten attached to her so quickly. He
didn’t regret packing up and flying to see her. Not for a second.
He did regret waiting a month to talk to her. He hadn’t been able to get
her out of his mind after their final date in London. He’d gone home and
dreamt of her, as he’d done almost every night since.