Snowed in with the Doctor. Dara Girard
what? What’s bothering you?”
Justin sighed. “There is a woman but...forget it.”
Oliver’s eyes brightened. “Really? You’re interested in someone? Who is she? What’s her name? Do I know her?”
Yes, he did know her, but Oliver didn’t need to know that. “There’s a problem.”
“She’s married?”
“She hates me.”
Oliver waved his hand, annoyed. “Then she’s a stupid woman, and you’re better off without her.”
“Exactly, which is why I am here.”
Oliver folded his arms. “Forget this woman and find another. There are so many.” A sly grin spread across his face. “If I were your age and had that face of yours, I’d hardly be in the office, and every morning I’d have bags under my eyes.” He snapped his fingers. “Actually, there is this one woman in particular that Anya has been eyeing for you.”
Justin laughed. “For how long?”
“A couple of months. She met her at one of her grief counseling sessions.” Oliver’s wife, Anya, had started attending the group after the death of their three-year-old granddaughter from a rare form of leukemia. “She says the woman is smart, kind and in her thirties, the right age for marriage and children.”
“I’ll be lucky if I make it to forty.”
Oliver’s tone hardened. “You promised me never to speak like that again. You will live a long, full life.”
“I’m sorry,” Justin said quickly. He hated to see his friend upset. “Okay, what’s her name?”
“They don’t share real names in the group to keep a sense of anonymity, so, Anya calls her Lillian.”
Justin poured apple juice from his thermos, then took a long swallow. A date would be something to distract him from thinking of Lora. What was the harm? “If she’s willing to meet me, I’m open.”
Oliver beamed and patted him on the back. “Good boy. That’s my Justin. You’ll really like her. Just remember to be a bit more...” He searched for words.
“What?”
“Gracious.”
“I am gracious.”
“Tactful then. At times you can be too ‘to the point’ with people.”
“I like to be honest.”
“You can be honest without being inconsiderate. Those who know you understand you, but to others...”
“I’m a cold bastard. I know what they say. I’m not going to soften my words because people have self-esteem issues. I’m running a lab, not a kindergarten class. And when it comes to women, I don’t believe in false flattery.”
“You’ll have to soften your stance for the right woman, and she’ll be worth it.”
“Have you met her?”
“No, but from everything Anya has said, you’ll like her. Also, we have a great gift for you this holiday. Remember that party I told you we’re having this Saturday?”
“Yes.”
“We’re expecting quite a crowd, so we rented a hall for the event. There’ll be great food, live music and great company. I want to see you there. Let’s head out now, and I’ll tell you more. You need to eat.”
“I’ll take a rain check.”
“Promise to work no more than an hour.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll be back to check.”
“I know.”
Once Oliver had gone Justin sat back in his chair, no longer able to focus on work. His friend wanted him to have the life he had stopped hoping for. But perhaps he could hope again. Perhaps he could let himself dream about having a family of his own. He could imagine his home filled with the scent of his wife’s perfume and the bright smile of a son and daughter greeting him at the door. He’d take them on vacations to the beach and holidays in the South Seas. Perhaps this would be a true season of miracles. He thought of Lora and Rappaport. The image of them together still stung, but his friend had given him something else to think about. It was then, at that moment, that he realized he would give up the Pointdexter Fellowship and all it promised, if it meant he could have the right woman by his side.
* * *
As she sat in the circle, Lora wondered if she was finally ready to move on from grief counseling. The meetings had helped her cope with Suzette’s death three years ago, and she did feel stronger.
The holidays were always hard for her. It was as if they magnified every pain, every heartbreak, but somehow this year, for the first time, she felt as if she could survive. She felt as if she could be happy again, live again. She knew that’s what Suzette would have wanted. After returning home from the mall and calling her sister, she’d been surprised that her thoughts hadn’t gone to Warren but rather Silver. He seemed to always fuel her into action. Justin made her angry, and somehow she welcomed it because he was the one person who continued to make her feel. Before him she had stopped feeling, ever since Suzette’s death from sickle cell anemia. She’d buried herself in her work and had been sleepwalking through life until she’d seen Justin Silver again over a year ago. Just seeing him filled her with fire, and it was both a pain and pleasure. No other person could make her react as he did, but it was good because it forced her to feel. It forced her to act.
She would beat him in the competition, and then she’d transfer to another lab while putting her love life in order. She knew Warren was the perfect choice. She no longer wanted to grieve—she wanted to rejoice.
At the end of the counseling meeting a short, silver-haired lady she called Annabel came up to her. She always looked ready for a good time, as if she’d host a tea party with cups filled with gin. “You’re looking pretty today,” she said. “What’s the occasion?”
“It’s part of my plan.”
“Plan?”
“Yes. I’ve been reading this book called 30 Days to Romance.”
Anya pinched her lips as if she’d tasted something sour. “A book?”
“What’s wrong with a book?”
“Nothing, it’s just...why didn’t you tell me you wanted romance? A book can’t tell you anything about men that I don’t already know. If you want a man, just say the word.”
“I already have one in mind.”
“So do I. And I bet you my choice is better than yours.”
Lora giggled at the thought of her friend setting her up. “Mine is successful, funny and handsome.”
“So is mine, but he is also very kind and considerate. He’s thirty-six and never married, but he wants to be, and he treats his family well.”
“He sounds like the ideal man.”
Anya grinned. “Curious?”
“Definitely.”
Annabel clasped her hands together. “Good. This is what I’ll do. I’m hosting a party this Saturday, and I’ll introduce you then.”
Lora remembered Annabel handing her the invitation two weeks ago, but she hadn’t responded. “I’ll be there.”
Lora left the meeting wanting to sing despite the bitter cold brushing her face and the bare trees shivering in the light breeze. Could it be this easy? Would she really find a match this year? She trusted her friend. She was always honest and had helped Lora through some of the dark days following Suzette’s death. Now was the time for hope and light.