Page 114 of Lee

Pushing away from the door, she went to the pedestal sink. She braced her hands on its smooth rounded edges, staring down at the cream-colored porcelain and trying to put off having to face her reflection in the oval mirror on the wall above the sink.

Finally, she looked up, wincing when her assumption became reality. Her reflection told the truth of how terrible she looked.

It was going to take more than splashing water on her face to repair the damage. She was glad that she always wore waterproof mascara or else she’d look even worse.

Reaching up, Rori pulled the band out of her hair because it had gotten all messed up while she’d sobbed in Lee’s arms. She had no brush, so she had to settle for using her fingers to smooth the wayward strands back into a ponytail. Once that was done, she turned on the water and washed her hands.

Reluctant to douse her entire face, Rori lightly dabbed cold water onto her cheeks and nose, hoping to alleviate the redness brought on by her recent bout of tears. Yet, despite her efforts, the warmth of embarrassment stubbornly clung to her complexion, refusing to be washed away with mere splashes of water.

When there was nothing more she could do, she dried her hands and went to the door. She opened it to find Lee leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets and head bent. He looked up as she stepped into the hall, his worry clear in his brown eyes.

Had he been there the whole time she was in the bathroom?

“Are you doing okay?” he asked as he reached out to take her hand.

“I’m fine.”

His head tilted as he gazed at her. “It’s okay if you’re not. I’d rather you be honest about it.”

She gave him a smile, hoping to reassure him. Unfortunately, she had a feeling her smile was too weak for that. “I really am okay. Thanks to you. Of course, I’m embarrassed beyond words, but other than that, I’m okay.”

“Don’t be embarrassed,” Lee said. “We’ve all had our moments.”

Rori wasn’t sure about that, but she decided to accept his word. “I hope they haven’t been waiting for us.”

“I think they’re all outside.”

She took a deep breath. “Okay. Let’s go.”

Keeping hold of her hand, Lee guided her to the kitchen. Her steps slowed as she saw balloons, streamers, and signs proclaiming happy birthday in bright colors. There was one sign that looked like it had been made by the kids which said, “Happy Birthday Rori. We love you.”

Tears pricked at her eyes again, but this time she was able to keep them at bay. “They did such a good job.”

“They did. Considering they only had a few hours to pull it all together.”

She looked at him. “How did you find out it was my birthday?”

“That call from Cheryl? She wanted to let me know it was your birthday. She’d meant to tell us sooner so that we could plan something for you at work, but it slipped her mind.”

“She’s had more important things going on,” Rori said.

“More important to her. Your birthday is more important to me, which is why I called Charli for help. And boy, did she come through.”

“I’ll have to thank her,” Rori said.

She took a step toward the back door, but Lee stayed put. She gave him a curious look.

“I want you to know that I don’t have a gift for you because I had such short notice,” he said. “But if I’d had some advance notice, you’d absolutely be getting the best gift ever. I’m going to get you something, it’s just going to be late.”

She took a step to bring her closer to him, then gazed up into his eyes. “You don’t realize you’ve already given me a wonderful gift. Being with you like this is more than I could have ever hoped for. You never need to give me another thing.”

“Maybe I don’t need to, but I definitely want to.”

“Don’t worry about a gift for this year. You can plan for next year.”

That brought a smile to his face. “Next year? I’m definitely getting you the best gift ever. I can’t wait.”

His smile lightened her emotions further, and this time, when she tipped her head toward the back door, he nodded and led her out onto the deck.

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