I looked up at him. "Were you serious about the pie?" He laughed, rolling on top of me and pinning me to the bed.

"I'll even feed it to you in here," he murmured, kissing and licking my neck.

"Naked?" I replied, breathless from his ministrations. He hummed in agreement, continuing to kiss me, working up to my earlobe and playfully nibbling at it. "You're so good at that," I purred.

He looked over at my alarm clock, and I saw his brow furrow. "Not much time," he said. "Gonna have to be quick."

"I like quick," I giggled. I began to reach for him, but he had other ideas. He pushed the covers back and knelt between my legs. I propped myself up on my elbows to see, curious about what he was doing. He pulled my pajama pants down swiftly, groaning with desire when he saw I hadn't been wearing any underwear all night. I grinned, watching him. He lunged at my lower body, pushing my legs apart. When his tongue made contact, I nearly flew off the bed. He pushed my hips back down.

"Ohhhh," I moaned, falling backwards onto the pillows. He licked and sucked, driving me up to a frenzy. I came hard, grasping the sheets in my fists, shouting his name. He eased my pants back on as my breathing began to slow. "What about you?" I gasped, trying to reach for him again.

"No time," he said, shrugging. I could see his sweats tented from his arousal.

"Come on, Luke," I tried to persuade him, gesturing toward his erection. "Let me." He waved me away, getting off the bed and heading towards the bathroom.

"Later," he called. "Remember, tonight? Pie?"

"Are you going to recreate American Pie for me? Kinky!"

He stuck his head back out of the bathroom. "What?"

"The movie," I explained. He gave me a blank look. "Never mind." I began to search through my closet, looking for something else that was new and fun to wear.

I practically skipped into the kitchen of the Dragonfly later that morning. It was hard to play it cool when I was so damn happy. Sookie was eyeing me with an amused look.

"Good date?" she asked. I watched her move around the kitchen, weaving around the rest of the staff in a practiced dance.

"Great date," I confirmed, grinning like an idiot. "I don't know why I was so surprised, but he can skate pretty well."

"He used to play hockey so I'm not surprised." She poured me a cup of coffee and pushed it across the island toward me. "Hungry?" she asked and I nodded.

"How do you know that?" I asked. I knew that Sookie and Luke had known each other when they were teens but only as acquaintances; plus, there was a slight age difference.

"I had a crush on one of the guys that he used to play with," Sookie explained, plating a flaky looking pastry and setting it next to my cup.

"Mmm," I hummed after taking a bite. "Well, he held his own. Although, I think he enjoyed testing my movie knowledge the best." After taking a big gulp of the coffee to wash down my breakfast, I continued, "This roller skating place has these huge screens mounted on the walls. I guess most of the time they just play music videos but this week is their 'Tribute to the 80s' or something, so they played clips from famous 80s movies. He kept asking me to name the movie." I started to laugh. "They showed a clip from Porky's and I thought he was going to die from embarrassment right there. You know, for someone so free in the -" I stopped abruptly. Sookie looked at me with a wicked grin.

"Free in the where, Lorelai?" she asked, her face lit up gleefully.

I tried to backpedal. "Uh, in the kitchen. You know. The man just refuses to use a recipe! Always needs to improvise!"

Sookie rolled her eyes. "I guess he was showing you his kitchen skills last night." She pointed a vegetable peeler at me, an eyebrow raised suggestively. "You're glowing."

I blushed. "And this morning," I confessed. Sookie giggled. I cleared my throat. "I wanted to run something by you," I said, changing the subject before I got myself in deeper. "Michel recently suggested that we give him more responsibilities. After I was revived with smelling salts, I decided to talk it over with you and see what you think."

Sookie paused in the middle of what she was doing. "But Michel hates to work," she said, puzzled.

"That's what I said!" I laughed. "He says he's bored. He wants to be challenged." Sookie resumed her prep work, dumping her vegetables in a metal bowl, which her sous chef - Manuel? Manny? - artfully grabbed as he walked by.

"Well, give him a challenge," she said, shrugging.

"He also wants a slight pay increase," I added, watching her reaction. She was shaking her head before I even finished the sentence.

"And the shoe drops," she sighed. "Whatever, let him prove his mettle and we'll figure something out."

"Thanks, Sook," I said, smiling.

"No, thank you," she giggled. "I'm going to be musing on your description of Luke's kitchen skills all day!"

Michel and I finished up the planning for the Meyers' wedding anniversary party fairly quickly. Books with sample linens and photos of centerpieces were spread over my desk, and I began closing them and arranging them into piles in preparation to be stored once again. Michel slid the completed order forms into a file folder, then pulled something out of his jacket pocket.

"We received a call for an 80th birthday party," he said, looking over the piece of paper. "It is in two weeks. Should we start planning that one, as well?" I looked at him for a moment, mulling over what I was about to say.

"Why don't you spearhead this one?" I suggested. "It could be a trial run for you maybe taking over all the events. If the event planning gets to be too much, we can either split it evenly between us or hire another desk manager. What do you say?"

"I say let me get started," he said, trying to hide his smile. He left the room, already musing aloud about what type of flowers the guest of honor would like.

After Michel was gone, I closed the door quietly and started typing into the search engine on my computer screen. I started with the phrase 'memory loss', since that was what I had, but quickly realized that wasn't exactly the problem. I could remember everything just fine, except for the two years between January 5, 2003 and January 5, 2005. So I typed amnesia, even though it sounded too much like a plot for a bad Lifetime movie.

"Retrograde amnesia," I murmured, my eyes flicking over pages of text. An advertisement popped up on my screen for a neurologist that specialized in memory disorders based in Hartford. "Perfect." I dialed the number, listening to the ringing on the other line apprehensively.

"Dr. Finley's office," the woman answered in a bored tone.

"Hi, I'm interested in making an appointment with Dr. Finley at his earliest possible availability." I heard fingers tapping on a keyboard.

"New or established patient?"

"New."

"Reason for being seen?"

"I recently experienced some unexplained memory loss consisting of a large chunk of time."

"How large?"

"Several days." I paused. "Actually, I'll be honest. Two years."

"Two years?" the woman exclaimed, her tone bordering on shrill.

"Yes," I replied through gritted teeth.

"Oh, well that's... different," she said. I heard more clacking. "Dr. Finley has a cancellation Monday morning at 9. He can fit you in then. I would eat a very light breakfast. I imagine he will be ordering some lab tests."

"Of course," I replied. She transferred me to a nurse to take down a medical history after giving me directions to the doctor's office. I answered the best I could, despite having a complete blank on anything recent.

After I hung up, I took a few moments to breathe deeply before dialing Rory. I informed her of the appointment time and location, and she promised to meet me.

"See you at dinner tonight," she said before we hung up.

"Yes, you will," I replied grimly.

"So, Rory, how is Mr. Huntzberger doing?" My eyes snapped up, looking at Rory. She had the decency to look embarrassed as she met my gaze across the table.

"I don't really know," she mumbled. "I haven't seen him since before winter break."

"Well, you really should keep in touch," my mother continued. "Don't forget what an excellent contact he could be for you! And he's very handsome," she added, spearing a bite of her salad. I was fighting an internal battle with myself to ask a multitude of questions, not knowing if I knew about this guy or not.

"Logan is just a friend," Rory said firmly, her voice gaining some strength. "We work together on the paper and we are pleasant to each other, and that's it."

"If you say so," my mother said in a sing-song voice. I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "What's the matter, Lorelai, don't you think Logan Huntzberger is a fine young man?"

"Have I even met him?" I asked, not really directing my question to anyone in particular.

"You haven't," Rory said quickly.

"Well, then I guess I have no opinion." I busied myself in my salad. The evening had been just as insufferable as I had imagined it would be. After stilted and awkward pre-dinner drinks in the pool house with my father, we were now having stilted and awkward dinner with my mother. Although the drinks portion hadn't resulted in an inquisition of our respective love lives.

"It's not too soon to get back out there, Rory," my mother went on, seemingly oblivious to how tense the atmosphere in the room had become. "I know that Dean didn't work out - again - but there's no need to become a nun. Find a nice Yale boy, someone who can keep up with you."

"Dean," I stated, staring across the table, willing Rory to look up. She was now inordinately interested in her dinner. "How long has that been over, again?"

"Two months," she replied, still absorbed in her food. I took a large drink from my wine glass. No wonder Dean wouldn't look me in the eye at Doose's the other day.

My mother was still unaware of the tension between us. She turned to me. "And how is your diner owner?" she asked, with more than a hint of disdain.

"Luke is great, Mom," I said, willing the evening to end. I could tell from her expression that she was not impressed with the fact that Luke and I were together. I knew she could be condescending and snobbish, and I cringed inwardly thinking about what would happen if he came for one of these dinners. No doubt she would passively aggressively humiliate him at every turn. I started trying to visualize the pie that had been promised in order to ward off the bad vibes I was getting from the head of the table.

"Well, that's wonderful," she replied, in a tone that meant it was anything but.

"Oh, Rory," I said suddenly, remembering my date the night before. "You'll never guess where Luke took me on our date last night."

"Where?" she asked. She looked relieved for the subject change.

"To a roller skating rink," I said, eagerly anticipating her answer.

"Luke? Luke roller skated?" she asked in disbelief. I nodded emphatically.

"He wasn't super jazzed about it, but he did. He refused to touch my nachos though."

"Well, at least some things don't change."

My mother looked back and forth at us as if watching a tennis tournament. "He took you roller skating?" she asked, her lip almost curling in disgust.

"Yeah," I said, setting down my fork beside my plate. "It was fun."

"The things that amuse you two," she muttered. She leaned back in her chair, head turned toward the kitchen. "Patricia! We're ready for the next course!" She wiped the corner of her mouth with a napkin. "Honestly, I don't understand the difficulty in having the meal served in a timely manner." Rory and I shared an amused look as the harried maid quickly rushed into the room with warm plates of braised lamb.

After we were finally ushered into the cold night, I grabbed Rory's arm. "Dean?"

"Dean," she sighed.

"Spill."

"Well, I hadn't been seeing anyone for awhile, and Dean and I were talking again, and..."

"And?" She rolled her eyes, and looked away, and I could tell she really didn't want to tell me the story. "Out with it," I demanded.

"He was in a relationship with another girl, and we, uh - kissed - the night of the test run."

"Oh, Rory," I said.

"I know, I know, it was really bad." The words burst out of her in a rush. "And she found out and it was awful and we decided to try it anyway, but he just couldn't do the long distance and he saw me with Logan and got the wrong idea. He just bailed. And I realized that things between us would never be the same again, so I just let him go."

"And this Logan guy, there's nothing going on there?"

She kicked the ground with her feet, still looking down. "There is an attraction there, I won't lie. But I'm not his type."

"What type are you?"

"The relationship type."

"Ah, a rich playboy," I said knowingly. "Knew a lot of those guys growing up. And apparently he runs in the same social circles as the Gilmores."

"Yep," she said. She finally looked up, and I noticed a strange look on her face.

"So that's it, with you and Dean? Nothing else happened?"

"No, that's it."

I nodded. "Okay, well, I guess I'll see you on Monday."

"Yep, see you on Monday." We hugged, and went to our respective cars. She pulled out of the driveway first, while I sat in the Jeep waiting for the heater to warm a little. I had this nagging feeling like there was more to the story, either with Logan or with Dean, but I decided not to pursue it right now. Besides, I had Luke and pie to get home to. With a smile, I put the Jeep in drive and started for home.

I could see the light of the TV through the front window when I pulled up to the house. I felt lighter just knowing that I was about to see Luke after being harangued by my mother for two hours. He looked up after I stepped inside the front door. I hung up my coat and scarf, and went into the living room.

"I asked Lane about the American Pie thing," he said. "You have a sick mind." I laughed, easing onto the couch beside him. I tucked my toes under his thigh, and he reached his hand out to rest on my knee.

"Whatcha watching?" I asked, propping my head with my arm, leaning my back against the armrest.

"Sports Center," he replied.

"Who's winning?" I joked. He rolled his eyes.

"Pie's on the kitchen table," he said, not looking away from the TV.

"What happened to feeding it to me in bed?" I asked, pretending to be offended.

"Save some of it." I shoved him a little, and he looked over, favoring me with that sexy half smile again. I felt a warmness spread through my lower body. Oooh, I was gonna show him.

I got up from the couch and walked over to the kitchen. Just as he said, the pie was on the table, a layer of plastic wrap loosely draped over it. I lifted the covering and inhaled. Boysenberry, of course. "Perfect, perfect man," I murmured. I checked outside to make sure the lights were out at Babette's. I didn't think she could see inside, but I also wouldn't have been surprised to see her and Patty camped out with binoculars. I slid off my dress and my pumps, leaving just a black lace-covered bra and matching thong. I grabbed a fork and the entire pie, and sauntered back into the living room.

"You find it alri-" he stopped mid-word, as he looked up to see me licking pie off the fork, in considerably less clothing than when I had gone into the kitchen, striking a seductive pose.

"Is this seat taken?" I asked suggestively, sitting in his lap. His hands immediately began roaming my body. I dipped the fork into the pie again, taking a huge bite. "Mmmm," I moaned, playing it up. I felt him shift beneath me. I made a show of looking at the TV and feigned contriteness. "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm disturbing your sports watching. I'll move." I began to get off his lap, but his hands closed around my hips and he held me to him.

"Don't you dare move now," he growled.

I gyrated wantonly on his lap. "You like that, huh?" I asked breathily, dipping my fork back into the pie.

"God, you're sexy," he said, his voice low and deep. His hands began to wander around my bare skin, exploring my curves, and fingering the lace of my underwear.

"Back atcha," I mumbled around my mouthful of pie. He grabbed the pie and fork and placed them on the coffee table. "Hey!" I said, reaching back for my dessert. He grabbed my hands and gently twisted me closer.

"Later," he whispered, burying his face into my breasts. The tip of his tongue traced the edge of the cups slowly, sending shivers up my spine. I gripped his shoulders and moved my leg so that I was straddling him.

"What about Sports Center?" I teased, as his hands cupped my breasts.

"What's that?" he murmured, pulling down one side of my bra and brushing his thumb against the nipple, letting it harden with his touch. He leaned forward and took it in his mouth, swirling his tongue around before sucking deeply. His other hand was working on freeing the other side, and he lavished the same treatment to it. My eyelids were growing heavy from desire. He reached around and opened the clasp, letting the garment fall between us. He tossed it aside then slipped his hand under the scrap of material between my legs, pulling it aside to test my arousal. "Oh god," he moaned, seeing how wet and ready I was. In a flurry of motion, I lifted and his belt was unbuckled, his jeans and boxers pulled down. I guided him to me with my hand, then sank down hard, my thong just pushed aside in our haste. For a moment, we were still, enjoying the moment of connection, our hearts pounding in unison. His hands went back to my hips and he steadied me as I rose and fell onto him, meeting his thrusts eagerly. I cupped his cheek, looking into his eyes. My thumb brushed his lips and he sucked it in, caressing it with his tongue.

The friction from the underwear was directly stimulating me, and before I realized it, I was close to orgasm. "I'm coming," I gasped in disbelief, feeling light headed and fuzzy. Both hands went back to his shoulders. Luke groaned, and began thrusting with more speed. As my climax hit, my head fell back and I moaned, "Oh my god, Luke!" He followed me with a strangled cry, gradually slowing our pace to a stop. Our foreheads together, we sat in silence, just breathing deeply.

"Better than pie?" he asked eventually.

"So much better," I assured him, kissing him softly on the lips.

After we disentangled ourselves, I carried the pie upstairs while he shut off the TV and locked the door. I didn't bother with the pretense of pajamas. I wanted naked Luke in my bed, and I figured me eating pie with nothing but a scrap of lace on would motivate him to lose the clothes. The reaction I got when he stepped through the door was entirely worth it.

"Only black articles of clothing allowed," I said, pointing my fork at him. He didn't hesitate, stripping off both shirts and dropping the jeans he hadn't even zipped back up. He went to get under the covers but I shook my head. "Nuh-uh," I said, with a click of my tongue. "Those boxers are green." He rolled his eyes, but shucked them off. I snuggled into him with my pie, offering him a bite with the fork, which he declined.

"This is barely clothing," he said instead, slipping a finger underneath the elastic of my thong.

"Are you complaining?" I asked, looking up.

"And if I was?" he said huskily. I smiled as he leaned forward and kissed me. "Finish your pie," he grunted, pulling away. I reached my hand toward his lap, seeing he was already semi-erect.

"Who knew pie would make you so hot and bothered," I giggled, lifting another bite to my lips. He snorted, leaning back onto the pillows. I looked at him sprawled on my bed, hot and naked, and my appetite for pie vanished. I set it on the bedside table, brushing the crumbs off the covers. I scooted down to lay next to him, and he wrapped his arm around me. "We're so good at this," I whispered.

"Good at what?" he asked, lazily stroking my arm with his finger tips.

"Being together."

"Hrmm," he murmured in agreement, brushing his lips against my hair. "Didn't think we would be?"

"I tried not to think about it."

"Me neither," he admitted. His hand wandered to my hips again, and he tugged at my underwear. "This needs to go," he muttered. He pulled it down, one side at a time, until he had it all the way to my ankles. I slipped my feet out of it, and he covered my body with his own. He captured my lips in a searing kiss, his tongue seeking entrance to mine. He stopped suddenly, and pushed up slightly. I whimpered, trying to pull his body back to mine.

"Wait," he whispered. I opened my eyes to look into his. "You know it's not just about this, right?"

"Oh, Luke," I said softly. "Of course I know." He smiled, and our lips met again. Our earlier rendezvous on the couch had been about passion and lust and craving, but as his body covered mine and our lips gently brushed against each other, I knew this time was about more than that. It was more like that first time, a few days ago, full of promises and tenderness.

He tangled one hand in my hair, lifting himself up on his elbows. He entered me with a sigh, and we moved together languidly, sensually. His lips never left mine, teasing and gentle, tongues meeting briefly. "God, you feel good," I sighed against his lips. He chuckled, kissing me again. Adjusting his position for added friction to my clit, he continued the slow rhythm, building me up so slowly. I whimpered again, and he knew I was close. He drew my lower lip into his mouth and sucked. I could feel the warmth spreading through me in waves.

I moaned, and he whispered "Let go, Lorelai." I gripped his shoulders, digging my nails into his muscles. My climax unfurled, spreading through my body and making my muscles liquid and relaxed. He wasn't far behind me, whispering my name over and over. He rolled to his back, pulling me with him without disconnecting our joined bodies. I collapsed on top of him, too weak to move. His arms went around me, holding me tightly.

When I woke up some time later, Luke was snoring and the bedside lamp was still on. I eased myself off of him carefully, and went to the bathroom. I quickly washed the makeup off my face and brushed my teeth. When I came back to the bedroom, he hadn't even shifted. I stared at him, watching as his chest went up and down with each deep breath. God, he was beautiful. The blankets were shoved to the end of the bed and I took the time to admire him, muscled legs and chest, strong arms and long fingers. His hair was a little on the longish side, curling in the back. He had a few days' accumulation of stubble, giving him a rugged look. I couldn't really name what I was feeling. There was an ache in my chest that I couldn't describe. I stood there, stark naked, staring at his sleeping body for what felt like hours but was only minutes.

Eventually, I shook my head, clearing my tumbling thoughts. The air was cold and I shivered. I switched off the lamp and got back in bed, snuggling into his warm body.

The next morning, I woke alone in the bed. I rubbed my eyes groggily, looking around. His watch and wallet were still on the bedside table, so I assumed he was still here. I was wrapping the blanket around myself when I heard footsteps on the stairs and smelled the spicy aroma of coffee.

Luke stepped inside, a steaming mug in his hand. He had put on his sweatpants, evidently too shy to wander my house naked. "Morning," he said, handing me the cup. I took it with both hands, inhaling deeply before taking that first delicious sip.

"Morning," I replied, my voice still hoarse from sleep. He kissed my forehead and sat on the edge of the bed.

"I have to get to the diner," he said, brushing some hair behind my ear. "Caesar needed tonight off so it's just me and Lane." Lane worked at the diner?

"How is Lane?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Things with her mom aren't so great. She's still not happy about the living arrangement." I nodded, pretending I had a single clue what the hell he was talking about. "Will you come by the diner after closing?"

I nodded, taking another drink from my mug. "Sure, I'll be there. I might check in at the inn later."

"Are you off tomorrow?" he asked, getting up and sorting through his discarded clothes on the floor.

"No, I switched my day off for Monday. Got errands to run," I said. I watched as he dressed in yesterday's clothes, wrapping his watch around his wrist and stuffing his wallet in his pocket.

"I'll see you tonight," he said, bending down for a kiss.

"Tonight," I repeated, watching him leave the room. I listened until I heard him close the front door, then leaned back against my pillows. I couldn't get my thoughts away from how I had been feeling the night before. It had been more than desire, more than lust. He had an amazing body and was probably the best lover I'd ever had, but I still couldn't place exactly what was causing me to feel this way. Being here without him was leaving me feeling empty, and I didn't understand why.

The phone rang downstairs, jolting me from my thoughts. I set the half empty mug on the bedside table and went downstairs, grabbing my robe and throwing it around my body as I descended the stairs. "Hello?" I said breathlessly.

"Hey sleepyhead!" chirped Sookie. "Did you forget we were going shopping today?"

"No, of course not," I lied. "I'll be ready in ten minutes."

Several hours later, Sookie and I each had dozens of shopping bags, filled to bursting with maternity and baby items. She collapsed on a bench outside the store we had just come out of, excitedly chattering about something, but I was still thinking about the strange feelings I was experiencing.

"Lorelai?" I heard her say. I snapped my focus to my friend.

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay? You've been pretty quiet all day."

I sighed. "I've just been thinking, you know, about my relationship with Luke."

A funny look crossed over her face. "Thinking what?" she asked, her tone sounding sharp. I recognized the tone and where the conversation was headed.

"No!" I said emphatically. "No! This is not what you're thinking." I shook my head. "This is not the getaway dance!" She narrowed her eyes. "No," I repeated firmly.

"So what is it, then?" she asked. "Please don't hurt Luke, he loves you. You know he does."

"Okay, see, that's part of it," I said, twisting the handle of the bag I was holding in my hand. "He's been so patient with me, especially with that whole... part."

"I'm lost," she said, pulling the bag out my hands before I could damage it any further.

"We haven't said 'I love you'," I said. "At least, I don't think."

"You don't think?"

"I know," I said quickly. He would have said it at least once in the last several days if that's something we said, right? "I mean, he's made it clear that he feels deeply. We just haven't said those exact words."

"So, what are you getting at?" she asked.

I stared at my hands, clasped in my lap. "I think I do. Love him, I mean."

Sookie clapped excitedly, garnering a few strange looks from other shoppers who were walking by. "Oh, this is so great! Lorelai!" She grabbed my hands and bounced, grinning from ear to ear. "So are you going to tell him tonight?"

"Don't you think it's too soon?" I asked nervously.

"Soon? Oh sweetie, I've been waiting for this for years! And so has he! You need to tell him. He'll be overjoyed."

"You think so?"

"Oh, I know so. I've told you before, you can see it all over his face. It's been there. It's even more obvious now. He is crazy about you. The only reason he hasn't said anything is probably because he's waiting for you to say it first." She smiled encouragingly.

Sookie and I sat on the bench, watching people pass by. I went back to my thoughts. It seemed impossible to be in love with him after only being aware of our relationship and his feelings for me since Wednesday. Only 3 full days! But I didn't know how else to categorize my feelings.

Sookie jumped up abruptly. "We need the perfect 'I love you' seduction outfit for you!" she squealed, grabbing her bags and pulling me up with her. I let her lead me, trying to push my confusion aside to enjoy this time with my friend.

I walked into the diner after dropping off Sookie at her house that evening. My brain was overloaded with everything that we had discussed. Luke walked into the dining area from the store room.

"Hey," he called, dropping a box onto the counter.

"Hey," I replied tiredly.

"How was your day?" he asked, opening the box and taking out sugar packets. I slumped onto a stool and set my meager two shopping bags on the counter.

"Sookie decided she needed to buy every pregnancy and baby related thing in the mall," I groaned. "I'm wiped."

He smiled. "You hungry?"

"Nah, just tired," I said. "We ate not that long ago." He set aside the box, and came over to where I was perched.

"If you want to stay, you can go on upstairs," he suggested quietly, out of earshot of the few stragglers still finishing their meals.

"Okay," I said easily. I stood, grabbing my bags and purse, and gave him a quick kiss before slipping past the curtain and going up to the apartment.

Looking around the quiet apartment, only lit by a lamp near the couch, I noticed the flannel shirt I had woken up in that fateful morning. Quietly, I undressed and slipped it on, then snuggled deep under the covers. Between the heavy conversation that Sookie and I had had and the physical effort of chasing her around the mall, I couldn't keep myself awake. I stirred when I felt Luke climb into bed, wrapping an arm around my waist and kissing my hair. Moments later, I was sound asleep again. Any declarations of love would have to wait.

Later the next day, the cold afternoon air swirled around me, as I shut the door of the Jeep and started walking toward the house, anxious to get out of my dressy work clothes and into something warmer and more comfortable. I sniffed the air appreciatively. No snow yet, I thought.

"Hey, sugah!" I heard Babette's husky voice call out. She was curled up with a mug and a heavy blanket on her front porch.

"A little cold to be sitting outside!" I called back.

"Morey's coming back from his gig in New York today," she replied. I walked closer to her, pulling my coat tight. "He's due back any minute, and I wanted to see him the second he got back."

"That's sweet," I said, smiling.

"We're going to the Carnival after. Are ya going?" Ooh, a carnival. I loved those! I wondered if I was able to drag Luke to one of those now that we were together.

"Of course! I'm going to change into something warmer and go check in with Luke. He's off today, but I bet he's working anyway."

"Been spending an awful lot of nights together lately, huh? Honeymoon period ain't over yet!" I looked away, embarrassed. "Aw, it's okay, sugah. You two are so good together. You both seem so happy."

"We are, Babette," I replied cheerfully, "We really are."

After I said goodbye to Babette, I quickly went upstairs, pulling a warm sweater and corduroy pants on. Spying the beautiful leather boots again, I pulled them on and headed out the door. I waved at Babette again as I made my way toward the Carnival. I walked through the town square, peeking into all the different booths on my way to the diner.

"You!" I heard a hoarse voice call out. My head whipped around. I saw an older woman, hunched over a table. Madam Zrak, read the sign overhead. She had tarot cards spread out over her table, and she was staring at me. Or, right through me. Her gaze was more chilling than the wind.

"Me?" I asked, pointing to my chest. Her eyes narrowed.

"You're not supposed to be here," she snarled. My eyes widened and my heart began to pound.

"What?" I gasped. Before she could respond, I felt a strong arm around my waist.

"Thought I'd find you here," Luke said, giving me a quick one-armed hug. He pulled away and looked over Madam Crankypants' booth. "Taylor went all out this year," he observed. I pulled Luke away from the woman's piercing stare.

"Yeah, this lady is really committed to the whole fortune teller mystique," I quipped. "Let's get something to warm me up." He gave me an amused look and I gave him a playful shove. "I meant hot cocoa," I teased. He chuckled, and led me toward the booth in question.

Several hours and many snacks later, Luke walked me to my door, and gave me a kiss. "I can't stay tonight," he said regretfully, preempting any requests.

"Yeah, I have a doctor's appointment in Hartford tomorrow," I agreed.

"An appointment?"

"Yeah," I waved my hand nonchalantly. "Just a routine visit, no big deal." He nodded. "Hey, Luke?"

"Mm?"

My conversation with Babette had been playing in the back of my mind all night, and the question nagged at me. "Do we spend too many nights together?" Surprise colored his face.

"Do you think we spend too many nights together?" he asked, his brows knitting together.

"No, I love it," I assured him. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay with it. I mean, you are pretty used to being on your own."

"Trust me," he replied, pulling me in for a hug. "Being with you is preferable to being alone."

"Good," I smiled up at him, and we kissed softly. "Goodnight," I said, grinning, as he backed away.

"Goodnight," he replied. He held up his hand in a half wave, and walked to his truck. I waited until he got inside the cab, then opened my door and went inside, still smiling to myself. Suddenly, the memory of the creepy tarot card woman came back to me. I dropped my purse and shed my coat, then reached for the phone.

"Rory? Wait until you hear what happened to me tonight!"

"This sounds interesting."

"I went to the Winter Carnival after work today, and I was just going along, checking out the booths, minding my own business, and then this really bizarre tarot card lady practically cursed me out!"

"Cursed you out? What did she say?"

I sat down on the couch, holding the phone between my shoulder and ear as I examined my cuticles absently. "I don't remember exactly what she said, but it sounded like I don't belong here or I'm not supposed to be here, or something like that."

"That's weird."

"I know! I'm actually kind of curious about what she meant. Maybe I should go see her again. Maybe it will be the missing piece to this whole farce.

"You can't be serious."

"Why not?"

"Let's see what the doctor says tomorrow, first."

"Always the sensible one," I sighed. "Okay, I guess I should get to bed."

"See you tomorrow, Mom," she said, laughing. We hung up, and I went up the stairs to my room. I slipped into my pajamas and crawled under the covers. I could still smell Luke on the pillowcase. I curled up with it, and fell asleep still tasting his kiss on my lips.