Page 104

“Yeah?” Elizabeth smiled at her.

Palmer nodded and looked around the greenhouse. Then, she moved away from Elizabeth, apparently found what she’d been looking for, clipped a flower, and returned, handing it to Elizabeth.

“Heliotrope,” she explained. “My dad told me this one means devotion.” She kissed Elizabeth’s cheek. “That’s what you have from me, among other things.”

“Other things?” Elizabeth asked, looking up from the purple flower.

“Yeah, like my heart.”

Elizabeth held on to the flower as she pulled Palmer in to kiss her again. The song played for the third time. They swayed together until the snow outside began to really pile up, and then Palmer gave Elizabeth her coat, insisting she wear it until they were inside. They walked, hand in hand, back up the path to the back door of the house. Elizabeth made Palmer a cup of coffee to warm her up, choosing a cup of tea for herself.

“You need to teach my mom how to make it right,” Palmer reminded.

Elizabeth took a few sips. Then, she moved to sit between Palmer’s legs on the chaise portion of the sofa. Palmer wrapped her arms around Elizabeth’s middle.

“Can we finish the movie we were watching earlier? I’ve never seen it. I’d like to know how it ends.”

“You’ve never seenA Christmas Story?”

“No.”

“It’s always on this time of year. I’m sure we can find it. We might just end up at a different part, maybe even back at the beginning.” Palmer reached for the remote.

“That’s okay. I don’t really want to go anywhere for a while anyway.”

Palmer found the movie on a different channel, near the beginning, and they just lay like that, with Elizabeth between Palmer’s legs, her head resting against Palmer’s chest, feeling her heart beating fast and loving the feeling of being this close to someone again.

“Are you asleep?” Palmer asked as the credits rolled.

“No,” Elizabeth muttered.

“Liar,” Palmer said, chuckling.

The vibrations moved through Elizabeth’s body, and she turned a little on her side to snuggle in closer.

“Babe, I’d love to let you sleep on me like this, but my family would have a pretty big surprise when they come downstairs tomorrow.”

“I know. You’re just so comfortable.”

“Come on. I’ll be just as comfortable upstairs.”

“I like that you call mebabenow,” Elizabeth told her, forcing her eyes open.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. I’ve never been ababebefore.”

“Oh, you’vealwaysbeen a babe. Trust me on that one,” Palmer replied.

And Elizabeth laughed until they made it to Palmer’s room to get some sleep.

CHAPTER 34

“I’m going to miss you,” Elizabeth said.

“Me too,” Palmer replied, running her hands up and down Elizabeth’s sides. “Is it okay for me to kiss you in here?”

“I asked them to give us some privacy. We’ll be alone until you…” Elizabeth faded out.