Chapter 12
Twelve
P addy had only been with her for a little over a week, but it felt like a lifetime. That was the thing about dogs—they slipped into your heart effortlessly, filling spaces you hadn’t even known were empty.
Norah stood at the water’s edge, the rhythmic sound of waves filling the air as the ocean stretched out before her. Paddy sat beside her, his tail wagging lazily, utterly unaware of the weight pressing down on her chest. Every so often, he would glance up at her as if sensing something was different today.
“I’m going to miss you.” She crouched beside him and hugged his neck.
He licked her face, and she didn’t mind the dog slobber at all.
The faint rumble of engines caught her attention. She turned, looking back toward the road. Matt’s truck pulled into the beach turn-off. Behind him came the delivery truck.
Paddy’s ears perked up, his body tensed. He let out a soft whine, his nose twitching.
“Easy, boy,” Norah murmured. He recognized the vehicle.
Matt climbed from his pickup and waved to her, but her focus stayed on the delivery truck as it rolled to a stop. A man in his thirties stepped out, followed by a boy.
Paddy’s entire body quivered with excitement. He whined again, his tail wagging furiously.
“Oh, Paddy.” Her hands trembled as she unclipped his leash but held on to his harness for one last moment. “Go on, boy. It’s time.”
Then Norah let go.
Paddy shot off like a bullet, kicking up sand as he raced across the beach.
The boy—Finn, she remembered Matt mentioning his name—ran to meet him, legs pumping as fast as they could carry him. The reunion was instant—Paddy leaped up onto Finn, barking joyfully, his tail a blur of motion.
Norah watched, tears pricking at her eyes. Jeff, the boy’s father, moved more slowly, his face soft with relief.
Matt appeared beside her. He didn’t say anything, just wrapped an arm around her waist.
“I didn’t think it would be this hard.” She rested her head on his shoulder.
“I know,” Matt said.
She couldn’t take her eyes off Paddy—no, Gonzo—as he wagged his tail furiously, running circles around Finn and occasionally glancing back at her. Probably her imagination, but she could have sworn she saw a flicker of “thanks for the memories” in the dog’s eyes.
Norah raised her hand in a small wave, a bittersweet smile tugging at her lips. “Go home,” she whispered. “Go be with your boy.”
Paddy barked once more before turning back to Finn and heeling at his side.
Jeff reached her then, standing a few feet away, his voice thick with emotion. “Thank you for taking care of him. We didn’t think we’d ever find him.”
Norah managed a nod, her throat too tight to speak. She watched as Jeff, Finn, and Gonzo made their way back to the truck.
Once they were gone, Norah sank into the sand, buried her face in her hands, and let the tears flow. She’d known this moment was coming from the start. She’d known Paddy wasn’t hers to keep. But that didn’t make it any easier.
Matt sat beside her and pulled her into his arms.
She tried to wave him off, her voice shaky. “Your scrubs are gonna get covered in sand.”
“I don’t care. You’re all that matters.”
Norah laughed weakly, wiping at her tears. “I feel so ridiculous. I knew this was going to happen, but I let myself get attached anyway.”
Matt brushed a tear from her cheek with a sandy finger. “It’s not ridiculous. It’s what makes you who you are.”
She sniffled. “I didn’t think I’d care this much… not after just a week.”
He smiled and tugged her closer. “That’s because you love fully, Norah Wells.”
Norah rested against him again, the weight of the past two decades pressing down on her as they sat quietly together. She tried to think of another reason for him to leave her alone. But the fact that he stayed meant he knew she didn’t want that at all.
Not to be alone now. Not to be alone at Christmas. Not to be alone ever again. She wanted to be with him, even if it was just the two of them, forever and always.
She just wasn’t sure how to tell him that.
“Do you think I’m being ridiculous?” She stared down at her hands.
Matt pulled back slightly and looked down at her. “Why would I think that?”
“Because I knew from the start he was only going to be with me until we found his family. But I still let myself get attached.”
“That’s what you and I do with strays. Cats, dogs… people.”
Norah looked over at him, and without asking, she knew what he was referring to. “You were never a stray.”
He chuckled. “And yet your family took me in as if I were another one of their rescues.”
“What are you talking about? You had lovely, loving parents. My family took you in the same way your folks took in me and Nate. Best friends. Not strays.”
Matt paused, his expression softening. “I was thinking more about you.”
Norah’s breath caught in her throat. “I tutored you. I drove you to school. You were my friend, too.”
Matt nodded. She felt the movement of his head as he held her tighter, bringing her even closer.
“We are friends,” he said. “But we’re more than that. I think it’s time we admit it. Because I don’t want to waste any more time.”
Christmas morning and the soft glow of the tree lights cast a peaceful glow over the room, illuminating the scattered gifts beneath its branches. Outside, the sound of gentle waves filled the quiet morning air, mingling with the faint rustle of the pine needles. Norah sat on the couch, her legs tucked under her, a blanket draped over her lap. She stared at the small pile of gifts she and Matt had exchanged earlier, her mind drifting to the events of the past week.
It still amazed her how much had changed in such a short time. She wasn’t used to letting someone in, to trusting, but with Matt, it felt different. Easier. As though she’d been waiting for this all along without even realizing it.
The front door creaked open, and Matt stepped inside, his presence filling the space with joy. He smiled at her, and Norah’s heart fluttered the same way it always did when he looked at her that way.
“Merry Christmas,” he said, crossing the room to sit beside her on the couch.
“Merry Christmas, Dr. Gray.”
Matt reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small square box wrapped in gold paper. “I have one more gift for you.”
“Matt, you’ve already given me more than enough. I don’t need anything but you.”
“This one’s special.” He fixed his gaze on her.
She unwrapped the gift and revealed a small velvet jewelry box. Her breath caught, and she raised her gaze to meet Matt’s.
“Go ahead.” His smile deepened. “Open it.”
With a thumb, she cracked open the box. Inside, she found a gold locket. “It’s beautiful. Thank you!”
“Look on the back.”
She flipped it over to find the locket inscribed with All my Love, Matt.
“Aww, I absolutely love it!”
“Look inside.”
Norah cracked open the locket and sucked in a breath. It held an old faded photograph of the two of them as teenagers, with Matt’s boyish grin as he mugged for the camera, and Norah had her arms thrown around her beloved Goldie.
Her throat tightened, and she blinked back tears. “H-how did you…?”
“I found that picture a while back when I was going through some old boxes.” His gaze never left hers. “I put it in the locket as a reminder of where we came from, but also as something we’re moving toward.”
Norah swallowed hard, her chest tightening with a mix of emotions. She stared at the picture for a long moment, her mind swirling with memories—of their past, of the years they’d spent apart, and of the unexpected way they’d come back together.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “Goldie… and us.”
Matt reached out to take her hands in his. “I wanted to give you something more than just a memory, Norah. I want to build a future with you.”
Norah’s heart raced, her mind spinning. She had always been cautious, never getting too close to anyone. But with Matt, it was different. He wasn’t just someone she could trust. He was someone she wanted to share her life with.
“I found something else with the photograph,” he said.
“What’s that?”
Matt sank down beside her and took something from his shirt pocket. It was a band, a ring, a ring made from a red French fry sleeve. It still smelled of salt and grease. After all these years. How in the world was it still in one piece?
“You don’t have to wear it,” he said, unwrapping it from the collar and slipping it over the third finger of her left hand. He adjusted the fit, making sure she could get it off, then reached into his pocket for a glue stick.
“Matt!” she squeaked, laughing and crying at the same time.
“It’s been a lot of years. It’s seen a lot of miles and weather. I’ve kept it dry and tucked away in a plastic bag in a lidded container. It should last until you can decide if you want a replacement.”
“I never want a replacement. Ever. Ever.”
“I’m not sure that one will hold up. You sure won’t be able to pass it to our son to give to his wife in twenty-five years, give or take.”
Tears streamed down Norah’s face. She was crying and laughing and didn’t know if the tears were joy or relief or the fact that Matt was hilarious. Kids. As if. Puppies, maybe, depending on how many they rescued.
She looked at him then, the words, so right, so perfect, spilling out before she could think twice. “Will you marry me?”
He leaned close, nuzzling his nose to hers, and she kissed away his tears. “I thought you’d never ask.”
Tears filled her eyes as she looked into his. The enormity of the moment washed over her—years of friendship, of missed chances, of her heart forever on the edge of retreat, but not anymore. Not today. Not with Matt.
She opened her mouth to speak, but the words stuck in her throat. She didn’t want to rush this. Didn’t want to take this for granted.
Matt held her gaze, his eyes full of warmth and patience, as if he understood what she was feeling. “I’ve loved you for a long time, Norah, and I’m willing to wait as long as you need.”
Norah’s breath caught, and for the first time, she allowed herself to genuinely believe in this—believe that Matt wasn’t going anywhere, that he wanted to be with her just as much as she wanted to be with him.
He gathered her to him for a world-spinning kiss, and finally, when they pulled apart, Matt whispered, “Merry Christmas, my love.”
She smiled, her heart packed full in a way it hadn’t been in years. “Merry Christmas, my best friend.”
And as they sat there together, Christmas strewn all around them, Norah knew—this was the start of something beautiful. She wasn’t running anymore. She was right where she should be.
In Matt’s loving arms.