My heart is the head of a river
always leading me to you.
RACHEL WAS ABSOLUTELY gorgeous in her wedding dress. Vic looked at her with so much love and happiness Cora had to hold back tears more than once, especially as they started saying their vows.
She’d been there at the start, as Vic and Rachel had fallen in love. And watched over the last two years as that love had grown and deepened. They’d both been such wonderful friends to her, had given her an example of what a committed, working partnership was.
And now they were married and having a baby girl in six months. By summer there’d be a new friend to snuggle and love. And she was there when it started. Well, not that part. But their romance and the first steps into their happily-ever-after.
“May I have this dance?” Beau asked her as he approached.
She took the hand he held out and he drew her close.
“So glad I wore the really high heels or I’d be looking at your chest right now. Wait, that sounded like a complaint and really it’s not. I could happily look at your chest for hours. But now I can see into your eyes and your lips are close enough to kiss.”
He gave her one, slow and sweet, to underline her point.
“You look really beautiful in this dress,” he said as he pulled back from the kiss. “I’ve been to a few weddings but most of the bridesmaid outfits looked like costumes.”
“Thank you. As little black dresses go, yes, it’s a great cocktail dress. I can wear it to events at the gallery, which is always nice. But you in a tux? I have plans to strip you out of it all James Bond style when we get home tonight.”
His laughter tightened things low in her belly.
“License to fuck you?” he asked in an undertone, his breath against her earlobe.
“You qualify for expert rating, that’s all I’m saying.”
Mrs. Orlova clucked over Rachel several times during the rest of the reception. Making sure she wasn’t tired. That she ate. It was so sweet, even if Irena was one of the scariest people on earth when she wanted to be. It made Cora happy to see Rachel spoiled and cared for the way she should be. Made her certain her friend’s future was a good one.
“We were all a little lost when we first met. Rachel and Maybe had just moved here to Seattle and we clicked right away. They made me their sister. Made room for me in their lives and have been at my back. Each of us struck out on our own to make a life as grown-ups,” she told Beau. “First Maybe found a job and then love with Alexsei and then later, the healthier Rachel’s heart and mind got, the closer she and Vic became until it all fell into place like it was supposed to. I was on that plane back here from London, feeling lonely and adrift. Wanting some roots and security and to finally claim the direction I’ve wanted for years. And there you were.”
“Lucky me, right? I show up to make dinner at a friend’s house, and then you walked in. I never believed in fate until that moment.”
“We’re so schmoopy,” she told him through a big smile.
“Is that a sex thing?” he asked.
“Do you want it to be?”
He hugged her closer. “I always want it to be a sex thing when it’s you.”
“Damn, you have some of the best pantie dropper lines ever.”
“If I let my game slip I might lose you to some suave younger guy. Gotta keep you buttered up and happy.”
As if.
The song ended and he took her back to their table, where Maybe and Alexsei were enjoying a glass of champagne.
“Do you think your aunt could be convinced to try my cabbage rolls? I’ve been working on a recipe for a few years and Cora tells me she’s the one who made the ones we had tonight. She could give lessons,” Beau said to Alexsei after handing Cora a glass and clinking his to it.
“She’ll be totally flattered. Lead with that line about the lessons and how it took you years and her recipe is still better,” Maybe said. “And listen, what person wouldn’t be flattered by you telling them that? Irena’s a very real person. She’ll sense that in you too.”
“If not, she’ll tell you,” Alexsei said, tone dry, though he was totally serious.
“How does she get along with Walda?” Beau asked, thinking that the two very strong women had a lot in common.
Cora choked on her champagne. “They don’t. Get along I mean. It’s an old story and it has to do with bread. My mom is set in her ways and she didn’t take any care when she related her bakery preference to a woman who runs a family bakery. Then she got slapped for it and that was a thing for a while. But now mainly they ignore each other if and when they run into one another, which we try to keep rare.”
“Irena was yelling in Russian and Walda was yelling back in Portuguese. It was scary because they’re both pretty intense people. But it was also fascinating, and even though I only understood about a third of what was being said, I wanted to just watch and eat some popcorn. Don’t tell Irena I said that though.” Maybe looked quickly over to where both of Vic’s parents stood speaking with the newlyweds.
The wedding and reception that had followed were very much indicative of who Beau had come to know Rachel and Vic to be. Intimate and small. Less than forty people total. He hadn’t been lying about wanting to talk to Irena about her cabbage rolls. She and the ladies at the church had put together countless slow cookers full of them. All based on her recipe and from what he understood clearly as her direction. There’d been a really nice dinner from a caterer, but Rachel and Vic loved the cabbage rolls so much she’d made them for the reception.
“Did you know she and Evie, Vic’s sister, made the cake at the bakery?” Cora pointed at the beautiful cake, covered in a sea of roses and violets cascading down three tiers. Instead of a bride and groom, birds in flight topped it.
“The birds on top are spun sugar. Evie made those,” Maybe said. “My sister loves birds. Vic did it as a surprise. The violets are sugar too. Lots of buttercream because Rachel’s not a fan of fondant.”
He was so glad Cora had these people in her life. This family she’d made. They were kind to one another. Close-knit and protective. But they could fight too. He’d witnessed a spat between Cora and Maybe and wondered if they were ever going to speak to one another again but a few hours later they were apologizing and moving on.
Glad too, that they’d made room for him in their family. Cora was a package deal. With her, came this group of people. What they thought was important to her and they had very few secrets from what he understood.
Gregori had been part of that too. That he and Beau were close meant a lot to them because they trusted Gregori. His friend was one of their family, both in the sense of biology and of the heart.
Again, he was clearly meant to be there in Gregori’s kitchen that day so he could be part of this family. Include Ian when his friend actually took time off.
“That’s beautiful. The cake. The story behind it. The cabbage rolls and this venue too. All because people love Rachel and Vic,” Beau said. One of Wren’s friends had a rental property just north of the city and they gave it to Rachel and Vic for the day. It was one of those houses people often used for family reunions or work retreats so it fit the party perfectly.
Cora’s face lit with love and happiness for her friends. “Yeah. All that. The wedding has been as special and unique as they are. And you got to meet Rachel’s aunt and uncle. They’re really nice too. They deserved a day that fit them both. I think this hit the mark.”
Cora was so pretty. All dressed up in a long-sleeved dress. Short enough to show off her legs. Not too snug, but it had a vintage feel to it, which always seemed to work magic on her. Roses with bits of green holly sat just behind her ear. Part of the bun thing she had her hair pinned into. Her lipstick matched the deep velvet red of the roses.
She was a total knockout and all his.
And she was blissed out for her friends.
“Is it weird that I’m worried that Jezzy might need to go out and we’re not there and she’s so sweet and doesn’t want to pee in the house so she’s trying and we’re not helping,” Cora said, just a tiny bit drunk.
“Yes,” he told her before he grabbed her bag and helped her into her coat. “Let’s go home and save Jezzy from loneliness.”
“It’s nearly midnight so it will be by the time we get to the house. So we should open presents then because it’ll officially be Christmas,” she said like it just occurred to her instead of the fact that she’d been pestering him about opening presents early for the last week.
“I’m totally sure you were just making up holidays,” he said, one brow up.
“I have no idea what you mean. Let’s find Maybe and Rachel and say good-night,” she told him while tugging him toward the door.
“Like for instance Day of Delight wasn’t part of my religious education.”
She snickered. “Look, there very well could be a holiday where you’re allowed to open a present or two early. In fact, in the entirety of human existence I refuse to believe there isn’t one. And since I didn’t know the name of it exactly, I just gave it the name it should have. Because clearly if you have a day where you get to open presents early, it’s a fucking delight.”
“I really like drunk Cora,” he told her as they approached their friends to say goodbye.
Rachel pulled Cora into a hug after kissing her smack on the lips. “You are the best. Vic and I just can’t say thank you enough.”
Cora had gone to Rachel’s aunt and Irena and had gotten photographs from them, together with the ones she’d taken since they’d begun dating, Cora created a custom photo album telling the story of Vic and Rachel.
That’s when Beau had really known asking Cora to do the photos for his cookbook was the right thing. She was not only talented, but she knew how to take the resources and create something new with them. Knew how to create a feeling with whatever she did.
“I love you two and I love you as a couple. I’m so glad I got to be part of this day. I’ll talk to you later. Call me when you’re bored with newlywed sexytimes. Merry Christmas in about forty minutes,” he was pretty sure he heard her say as they hugged one another.
Then Maybe came over and there was more with Wren until finally he managed to get her in the car and them back home, where Jezzy had been napping.
He liked this Cora too. A little messy. Tipsy. Silly and not a small amount profanity laced. She’d still put her shoes under the bench in the front entry carefully and neatly.
She got changed while he took the dog out and by the time he came back into the house, she padded out in yoga pants and a snug T-shirt with Santa riding a unicorn on it.
Holiday music played softly in the background and she’d turned on the fireplace and the lights on the tree they’d decorated together not too long after he’d moved in. Now that she’d started living there, new elements had shown up on the tree. Her own ornaments on what was their tree.
“I’ll be back out shortly. I’m done with tuxedos.”
“Until a week from today when you wear one to my parents’ New Year’s Eve party,” she called out.
“Oh joy,” he muttered as he headed to their room.
They were headed over to the Silvera’s the following afternoon to exchange presents and have dinner. Beto and Finley were going to be there as well, and he liked them both so it’d be easier than if it had just been the four of them.
Back in the living room, she and the dog had settled on the chaise near the fire. Jezzy was on her back, her belly exposed to the warmth and Cora was already under blankets. It wasn’t even cold, but he didn’t say that because he wasn’t stupid and he certainly had no complaints about her wanting to get close enough to soak up his body heat.
Though that often ended up with sex because once they started snuggling, it wasn’t too rare that it progressed to naked snuggling, which, given the near-insatiable need to fuck her, wasn’t such a surprise.
“It’s officially Christmas, let’s open presents,” she said with a bright smile.
“You’re absolutely unrepentant,” he told her, thinking about which present he wanted her to open first.
“I have lots to repent for—don’t get me wrong. But loving presents isn’t on that list,” she explained. “Thing is, I love giving presents as much as getting them, so sit and let me choose the first present.” She flipped the blanket back and jumped to her feet.
“I love to watch you in action. You never do anything halfway,” he told her as she left the room.
“Nothing worth doing is worth doing halfway,” she called back. “Okay, so close your eyes.”
* * *
CORA NEARLY GIGGLED with nervousness and probably also margaritas, which had been the signature drink for everyone who wasn’t knocked up.
It was the most important present she’d ever given. Her first Christmas with Beau. Her first Christmas in love. She wanted to give him something that would tell him she listened. That he was worth listening to.
She brought out the painting and faced it toward him. Cora had already staged it the day before so she knew just how to lean it so it would catch the best light.
Once she’d stepped back she told him to open his eyes.
It was a hyperrealistic painting of an elephant. A close-up of one side of her face. Close enough to see the life in her eyes and the fringe of her lashes. Every wrinkle was done so well. The personality of the elephant just radiated from it.
He sucked in a breath, taking a few steps closer to examine it better. “Cora, this is amazing. I’m stunned. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“I thought it would look good in the bedroom. On the wall behind the bed. The light would be perfect and because it’s grays and blacks it’s a good neutral.”
“Where did you find it?”
“I saw it last month. Well, not this one but another from the same artist. And I got in contact with her and she had this one. The minute I was able to look at it in person I knew. It’s the angle, the emphasis on the individuality of the animal. The intelligence and knowledge in her eyes. There’s a story about this particular elephant that came with the painting. She’s the matriarch of her herd. Her mom was before that.” Cora clamped her lips closed before she babbled anything else.
“It’s incredible. You took this thing I love and you not only found a present for me, but the perfect present. Yes to all that art stuff you said about the angle and perspective. She’s so real. You chose this for me a month ago?”
She was so pleased he loved the gift she had to clear her throat before speaking. “Yeah. It’s a thing. Okay? I like to spend time finding gifts for people. And I knew you were going to be moving and would have space and so I called the sanctuary and spoke with the director there and he mentioned this husband and wife team who did photography and painting and that’s how I found the artist. They live in North Bend of all places so it wasn’t that hard to go out to her studio.”
“Wasn’t that hard? Cora, you called an elephant sanctuary halfway across the world to talk with them because I love elephants and you wanted to get ideas about different types of art they might want to recommend? Then you tracked the artist down, drove out to her studio, which is an hour and a half or so from your place to look at a painting in person to be sure you had the exact right one for me. Just another Tuesday for Cora perhaps, but the rest of us are mere mortals and that level of detail is beyond us. You made real effort for me. For no other reason than to please me. Thank you.”
He straightened and moved close enough to give her a hug.
She swallowed back her emotion, not wanting to cry and get snot on him. “I’m glad you like it.”
“Now, how can I even come close to that?”
“It’s not a competition,” she said. “But it if was, I win.”
That broke the seriousness, making them both laugh as he pulled her out to the back deck. Jezzy raced past them, heading for her ball no doubt. And that’s when she saw the new handrails on the steps leading down into the yard.
When she saw her poetry had been written into the wrought iron work.
“Dancing drops of rain light your skin like diamonds.” Scrolled down the right side and on the left was “My heart is the head of a river always leading me to you.”
“You left me the second one scribbled on the back of our order ticket from that diner. Remember?” he asked.
“I do now. I remember that you looked at me a certain way and it made my heart sort of swell. Left me breathless. This is really beautiful.” It added to their home. Gave it her stamp. Made it theirs. Which meant he’d listened to her that day they’d had the discussion about whether or not she was going to pay rent. He’d listened to her and shown her just that with the railing.
“Come in now. It’s cold and there are more presents, including part two of this one.”
Part two, which was the scribbled poem on the back of the order ticket from a greasy spoon. He’d had it framed. “I thought it would be good in our bedroom too. Looks like we have complementary thinking on liking to spend a lot of time in there.”
There was some jewelry she should have been embarrassed by loving so much, but she did. Gorgeous dangle earrings with emeralds and diamonds, as well as a watch he’d seen her admiring in a shop window in downtown.
After everything had been unwrapped, and then cleaned up, they headed off to bed sometime after two.
Cora didn’t need Santa. She had Beau, who made her dreams come true.