CHAPTER FIFTEEN
After lunch, we wander down by the waterfront before heading up Princess Street. I pull Kieran into Card’s Bakery & Goods, my favorite bakery in Kingston, and we load up on fancy cookies and squares.
From there, I lead him down back streets toward the Queen’s campus. A permanent smile etches itself on my face as he marvels at the huge old houses, many of which have wonderfully unique architecture. He stops every few feet to take pictures on his phone.
“We could be in Europe,” he says, pausing to snap a shot of a Victorian house surrounded by towering trees.
“That’s always been part of why I love Kingston,” I tell him. “When my wanderlust first started, my mom said she wasn’t the least bit surprised. While other kids were at the park, I was wandering the streets, admiring all the old buildings, and learning about the city’s history.”
He gives me a soft smile as we start walking again. “Why did you move to Bellevue if you love Kingston so much?”
“I was offered a job at the travel agency there right after college. I’d still come home most weekends when I wasn’t traveling, though. I’ve been tempted to move back here a few times, but now that my mom is…now that I’m not coming here to visit her regularly, the desire to be here full-time isn’t as strong. Plus I love my job at the Village, and all my friends are in Bellevue.”
The air around us feels heavier than it did a few minutes ago. Wanting to lighten the mood once more, I take a mental inventory of where we are and what’s nearby. For an architecture student like Kieran, Kingston is a dream; there are tons of unique buildings, some of which date back hundreds of years, but there’s one in particular that comes to mind, and it’s not far from here. Tugging on Kieran’s hand, I direct him down Sydenham Street. He shoots me a curious look, which I answer with an innocent smile that makes him chuckle.
I know the moment he sees it because his hand goes loose in mine. “It’s a castle! It’s a bloody wee castle.” His delighted laugh and the way he all but drags me down the sidewalk has me feeling instantly lighter.
“If you thought we were in Europe before…” We stop in front of McIntosh Castle, a miniature Gothic revival style castle built in the late 1800s. While it’s always been a private residence as far as I know, I’m ever hopeful it’ll eventually be turned into a B&B so I can see inside. I watch Kieran as he takes in the castle, his eyes lingering on the turret, which is my personal favorite part. His grin is infectious. When he finally turns to me again, I grip his shoulders and lift up on my toes to press my lips to his.
“I’m so glad you’re here with me, Sunshine,” he murmurs against my lips. “You make everything so much better.”
With my heart all aflutter at his words, we stand in front of McIntosh Castle kissing and laughing before parting to take selfies. I’m smiling so wide my face is aching, and I probably look deranged in half the pictures, but I don’t care.
This is what happiness feels like. I want to hold on to this feeling and this moment, and remember it always.
*****
I walk with Kieran the rest of the way to the Queen’s building where his first lecture is, and tell him I’ll meet him later back at the house.
I take my time wandering the familiar streets of the city I grew up in, the city that was my first love before I fell in love with dozens of other places in countless other countries. Since I have the afternoon free, I head downtown and pop into shops, some of which I’ve been to a million times before and others that are new to me.
A sexy blue nightgown entices me into a lingerie store, where I weave through the racks, fingering lace and silk, and wondering what Kieran might like to see me in. The numbers on some of the price tags make my eyes pop. It used to be nothing for me to pay these prices; I’ve got pieces in my collection from Paris and Milan that cost a small fortune, but have served me well. Those days seem like a lifetime ago now.
I find a tiny sales rack tucked into a back corner of the store. I almost laugh at the selection—it’s mostly housecoats and a few standard bras, with a leather bustier and some silk stockings thrown in. I’ve just about given up when something on the floor catches my eye. I pick up what turns out to be a sheer pale-blue negligee that looks like it would fall to the tops of my thighs. It’s my size, and—I hold my breath as I flip over the sale tag—within my budget. I break out in a little happy dance, then peer around surreptitiously to make sure no one saw my embarrassingly geeky moment.
Five minutes later, I walk out of the shop with a grin on my face and my new negligee wrapped in tissue paper and tucked into a black and pink paper bag. After a few more stops I’ve got fixings for a simple dinner at the house. I doubt Kieran will protest a night in, especially once he sees what I have in mind.
*****
“Some of those Queen’s buildings made me feel like I was at Hogwarts.”
Kieran has been back at the house for half an hour, practically bubbling over with energy after his lecture. I spent the rest of the afternoon reading—a rare treat for me these days—and then I did as much dinner prep as I could so it would be ready for later. I debated greeting Kieran with the negligee on when he returned, but decided it would be better to ease into things, so I’m wearing it under my dress.
“I’ve thought the same thing,” I tell him, handing him the glass of water I just brought from the kitchen. “We’ll have to come back in the summer when the campus is pretty much deserted. It’s incredible to wander around with the whole place to yourself.”
A slow smile spreads over Kieran’s face, lighting his eyes. I assume it’s because he’s enamored with Queen’s and excited to see it without hundreds of people swarming around, until he says, “That. That’s what I meant earlier about making plans. I want to make plans for the summer and for the winter and for next year and the next.” He rises from the couch and closes the distance between us, wrapping his arms around me and lifting me off my feet.
I let out a surprised squeal followed by an uninhibited giggle. I bury my face in Kieran’s neck and hold onto him tightly, even after my feet have returned to the floor.
Kieran releases me and goes to say something, but his attention shifts to my shoulder, where my dress has slipped. His eyes light with something completely different than they did a few minutes ago. “Well now, what’s this?”
“Oh, just a little something I picked up today after walking with you to the university…” I ease my dress further off my shoulder. He swallows hard as he tracks my movements. When his eyes return to mine, I say, “Bedroom?”
He nods once. “Bedroom.”
Gripping each other’s hands, we walk together in silence to the bedroom. It’s that time of day between late afternoon and early evening, when the sun is getting lower and it casts the world in a pale, almost magical glow I’ve always loved. I look around the unfamiliar room with its giant, comfortable-looking bed. A trio of candles sits on a table under the window, and I wonder for a moment if I should light them or do something else to set the scene.
“Meredith?”
