She waved to get Lamar’s attention, and he returned her greeting with a wide grin. Her smile faded when he came closer. Kendra ran ahead of him. Nydia noticed his face was thinner, and she wondered if he had been sleeping well or if he was working too hard. They spoke to each other on average of three times a week and usually before he retired for bed. He had a lot more to tell her than she did him because most of her days were uneventful. His firm had won another bid not far from the state’s capital to restore a long-abandoned antebellum mansion purchased by a tech guru who wanted to use the property as a family winter retreat.
Kendra, shouldering a backpack, appeared to have grown in the few weeks since Nydia last saw her. She hugged the girl. “Welcome to New York.”
Kendra smiled, and Nydia noticed the brackets on her braces were red and green in keeping with the holiday colors. “Thank you, Miss Nydia. It’s snowing a little bit.”
“I know. That’s why I told your father to make certain you pack winter clothes, especially gloves, scarves, and hats.”
“I think he packed too much,” Kendra whispered in Nydia’s ear when Lamar was only a few feet away.
* * *
Lamar set down his carry-on and leaned over to press a kiss to Nydia’s check. “How’s it going, snow bunny?”
He thought she looked absolutely adorable in a white ski cap and matching jacket. Lamar had deliberately kept himself busy so he wouldn’t have to think about the woman with whom he had fallen in love. He had spent many sleepless nights fantasizing about having her in bed beside him. When he finally did fall asleep, it was time for him to get up and go to work. And work he did, seemingly around the clock to the point of exhaustion, dividing his time between overseeing the restoration of the plantation north of Baton Rouge, around the town of St. Francisville, to checking on the installation of the elevator at Hannah McNair’s DuPont Inn.
Lamar had deceived himself when he’d believed he had gotten used to sleeping alone, but once he got into bed with Nydia, the moment he gazed upon her naked body, and the instant he joined their bodies he realized he’d lied to himself. And since making love with her Lamar knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Nydia Santiago.
“I’m good,” Nydia said, smiling. “I’m going to take Kendra with me to get the car while you wait for your luggage. I’ll be parked at curbside.”
“Okay.”
Turning, Lamar went back to the baggage claim area. He smiled. His last trip to New York had been to run interference for Nydia when she’d been hounded by the media, and now he was back this time to celebrate Christmas with her family. And he’d promised himself not to think of anything that remotely hinted of work for the next ten days.
His luggage was among the last to appear, and he grasped the handles and wheeled them out of the terminal. A blast of frigid air and lightly falling snow greeted him as he glanced up and down at the cars and taxis idling at curbside.
“Daddy, we’re here.”
Lamar turned and spied Kendra waving at him through the side window of a dark gray BMW. The hatch opened as he neared the SUV with New York plates and a NYPD placard in the windshield. He stored the bags in the rear, closed the hatch, and came around the vehicle to sit in the second row of seats behind his daughter.
“The heat feels good.”
Nydia glanced at him over her shoulder. “It’s not as cold as it is raw.”
Lamar rubbed his hands together as he stared out the side window. “How far is your brother’s house from here?”
Signaling, Nydia pulled out into traffic. “He lives less than fifteen minutes from here.”
“How old are your nieces?” Kendra asked.
“Eleven and thirteen,” Nydia answered. “I also have two nephews. They’re only nine and ten.”
“What are your nieces’ names?” Kendra continued with her questioning.
“Noemi and Brianna, but everyone calls them Mimi and Bree.”
Lamar closed his eyes, slumping down in the leather seat, and listened to the interchange between his daughter and Nydia. It was as if time and distance hadn’t been a factor during their separation. Kendra wanted to know everything she could about Nydia’s nieces before meeting them. There was no doubt that Kendra was her mother’s child, because not only did she look like her, but both found it easy to make friends, while he had been more cautious when opening up to strangers. He never was able to bond with his college roommates the way it had been with Ignacio Gonzalez.
“Daddy, we’re here!”
He opened his eyes, unaware he’d fallen asleep during the short ride from the airport to Nydia’s brother’s home. She had parked the SUV behind a row of vehicles lining a driveway with enough room for at least six cars parked side by side. The gleaming white, three-story colonial was set on a hill with magnificent views of the Hudson River. A towering pine tree on the front lawn was decorated with tiny winking white lights that reminded him of twinkling stars in the night sky. The property was decorated for the season with large wreaths adorning the double doors painted vibrant royal blue, and tiny electric candles were in the many windows.
Lamar got out and had unloaded the bags from the cargo area when Nydia reached for Kendra’s hot-pink luggage with four wheels.
“I’ve got this,” she said, smiling.
Lamar returned her smile. “It’s heavy. My daughter thought she was staying a month, so she tried to pack everything she could find and would fit into that bag.”
Nydia gave him the “you’ve got to be kidding” look. “It does have wheels.”
