Chapter Thirteen

Howie’s hands were shaking as he drove to the cabin.

“Why didn’t I correct her right away?” he muttered. “She doesn’t know who I really am.” He frowned as the realization sunk in. “She doesn’t know who I really am!” he repeated. “Oh man, she doesn’t know I’m famous, she doesn’t know I’m rich, she, ah!”

His mind began to work furiously. Maybe this was a blessing in disguise. She would get to know the real him, albeit with a different name, but him nonetheless. She wouldn’t have to face the fans or the spotlight right away because she’d have time to adjust. If he worked this in just the right way, it could turn out to be the best thing to happen to him besides the Backstreet Boys.

He was so busy thinking this through that he almost missed the driveway of the cabin. He hit the brakes and turned into it, hoping Lori didn’t notice he had been distracted.

“Okay, Dorough, are you ready for this?” he asked his reflection in the rearview mirror.

Lori parked beside him and hopped out of her jeep.

“Need some help?”

Howie smiled and passed her a bag of groceries. She took it from him, allowing their hands to touch. His smile turned slightly goofy as he turned towards the front door.

“The key’s around here somewhere,” he said, picking up flower pots and looking underneath.

Lori did the same. “Found it!” she said, dangling a key in front of him.

Howie took it and unlocked the door, holding it open so Lori could step inside first. It was a little dusty, but not bad.

“Ahh, you’re still a gentleman, I see,” she said as she passed him.

“You’ll find I haven’t changed much at all.”

They walked to the kitchen and began putting away the food, but leaving out the things for their meal.

“All righty, start talking,” Howie said with mock sternness. He stood at the sink and rinsed off a head of lettuce.

“Where to start?”

“How about the day you left? What happened?”

Lori pursed her lips and placed a carton of eggs and a bottle of orange juice in the refrigerator. “Well, it was after I got home from a date with you. I was trying to sneak back into the house but I got busted by Dad. We had this huge argument, and he told me I was leaving, that night. He’d already packed for me and the limo was waiting to take me to the airport.”

“He just shipped you off like that? Why?”

“You.”

“Damn. I had always hoped it wasn’t me.”

Lori moved to stand beside him, set the lettuce on the counter and took his hand. “I never blamed you, if that’s what you think. I blamed myself for not standing up to him. For God’s sake, I was happy, I had friends, I was just starting a really good relationship and I let him ruin it all.”

Howie gazed into her eyes and sighed. “I visited your house a couple days later. Your dad made it very clear I wasn’t going to find you there, or anywhere.”

“I was sent to Geneva to live with one of Dad’s cousins. She was nice and all, but I missed home.”

“Did you ever come back to visit?”

“Nope. I figured that if my own father didn’t want me here, then what was the point?”

Howie lowered his voice and asked, “What if I wanted you here?”

The world stood still for Lori at that moment. She tilted her face upward a little, so their lips were just inches apart. “Did you?”

“Yes I did.”

And then he kissed her softly. It was rush of emotion for each of them as they were taken back eight years to their first kiss. They’d been nervous and almost scared of each other, but the moment had been perfect and they’d just gone for it.

When they broke apart, Lori’s eyes were closed and Howie smiled. She looked so beautiful and he playfully nudged her nose with his own. She opened her eyes and buried her face in his shirtfront. Howie frowned at this action.

“Lori? Are you. . . crying?”

She shook her head and whispered a muffled, “No.”

He didn’t know what else to do but hold her, so that’s what he continued to do, rubbing her back in slow, even strokes to calm her. After a minute, she sniffled and raised her head. Tears shone in her eyes.

“Liar,” Howie said. “You were crying.”

She let out a little laugh and hugged him. “I missed you. And your kisses. No man has ever been able to kiss me like you do.”

“Oh? And just how many other men did you kiss over in Europe?” he teased.

“A few. Kissing is a way of greeting people over there, you know.”

“Oh, I know.”

“Have you been to Europe before?”

Howie swallowed. “Actually, yes, a few times. On business.”

“Really? What is it that you do?”

He thought fast and blurted out, “Real estate.”

“That must be how you met John then.”

“Huh?”

Lori stepped away from him and began searching the cupboards for a large bowl to make a salad in. She found a bowl, a cutting board and a sharp knife.

“John Dorough, he said he was a friend of yours. I rented a condo from him. Really nice guy. He told me he was going to try to get ahold of you for me, but he was having a hard time with it,” she explained, chopping the lettuce.

Howie gripped the counter’s edge, his mind reeling.

“John Dorough rented you a condo?”

“Yeah. He does know you right? I mean, he wasn’t just playing with me, was he?”

“Oh no, he knows me. He’s known me for a looong time.”

“Good. I really like the condo, it’s a beautiful place to live.”

“Yeah I know. I live in one myself, in that neighborhood.”

Lori paused in her chopping. “You do?”

“I got a great deal from John. I haven’t been living there long, but I like it.”

“Are you telling me that we’ve been within spitting distance of each other and didn’t even know it?”

Howie shrugged and said, “I guess so.”

Lori whistled. “Life has a funny way of playing with us, doesn’t it?”

“You got that right. But it’s also given us a second chance, and I for one am not going to waste it.”