“Mom,” Lila rolled her eyes. “Trust me, Aunt Eve and I have been having a great time exploring and shopping.” She grinned at Eve. “Right, Aunt Eve?”
“We have,” Eve confirmed as they walked out of their rooms and down the stairs. “I do think, however, that St. Augustine’s historical society should open the whole day, every day of the week.”
“You went to a historical society?” Mia asked, looking from her daughter to Eve.
“We tried to,” Lila explained. “But we got there a moment too late as they were already closed.”
“Yes, we saw it when we were exploring,” Eve told her, “and decided we wanted to learn a bit more about this beautiful town.”
“Well, maybe you can go back tomorrow,” Mia suggested. “I could come too.”
“Please, Mom.” Lila laughed. “Aunt Eve and I know how you feel about museums and historical societies.”
“Yes, sweetheart,” Eve agreed. “Don’t worry about us. You do your thing. We’re just very happy that you’re enjoying yourself. After all, we came away for a change of scenery for you.”
“Thank you,” Mia said, stopping at the bottom of the stairs, her eyes misting over. How did she get so lucky to have such wonderful people in her life? “I’m sorry I’ve been such a basket case these past few weeks.”
“Mom, we understand,” Lila assured her. “But you do put too much pressure on yourself. You need to learn to let go and be spontaneous.” She smiled and kissed Mia’s cheek. “Like you have been with Nolan.” She grinned, her eyes moving to the doorway. “Speaking of Nolan...”
Mia turned to see him standing near the door.
To her surprise, her heart skipped a beat.
He looked so handsome in dark jeans, a slightly open-collared cotton shirt, and a black bomber jacket. He smiled when he saw them, and the expression made him even more handsome as he moved toward them.
“Hi,” he greeted them warmly. “Thank you for letting me join you tonight.”
“Of course,” Eve was the first to speak. “It’s nice to finally get to spend some time with you.”
Mia caught Eve’s eyes and shot her a warning look, but Eve gave her a smug smile and ignored it completely.
The outdoor ice rink was everything Mia hadn’t known she needed.
Strings of lights crisscrossed overhead, casting a warm glow over the ice. Music played from speakers mounted on poles around the perimeter, a mix of classic rock and holiday songs that made people smile as they glided past.
Nolan turned out to be even more charming and fun than Mia could have imagined. He was terrible at skating, which he admitted immediately, and spent the first twenty minutes clutching the wall while Lila tried to teach him the basics.
“You’re supposed to glide, not walk,” Lila called, demonstrating with easy grace.
“I am gliding,” Nolan protested, his legs splaying awkwardly. “This is what gliding looks like when you’re me.”
Mia laughed so hard she nearly fell herself.
Lila seemed to take to him right away, drawn in by his self-deprecating humor and genuine interest in her puzzles and codes. Eve took a little longer, watching him with the careful assessment of someone who’d spent decades protecting the people she loved.
But by the time they were all breathless and their stomachs sore from laughing, Eve had relaxed too, her smiles coming easier and her guard dropping.
They were also starving.
The ice rink coordinators pointed them to the food tent, which was serving a variety of meals, including, much to Lila’s delight, pizza.
They found a picnic-style table and settled in, the warmth of the tent a welcome contrast to the cold air outside.
Nolan’s phone rang just as they were digging into their food.
He looked down and rolled his eyes. “It’s my editor. Excuse me, I have to take this.”
Mia nodded, her eyes catching the name on the screen.
