Countdown To A Kiss (A New Year's Eve Anthology) Read online

  ***

  Later, when all the catching up was done between the sisters and their mother, and each of them had shuffled off to take care of various errands before the party, Annabelle found her father in his library watching a football game. “Which bowl is this?” she asked, coming in and sitting down on the leather ottoman in front of him.

  “The Nissan-Hair Remedy For Men.com-Fly Your Bags for Free or some such nonsense, Bowl. I swear to God. Give me the Rose or the Sugar or even the Fiesta Bowl. But all this sponsorship stuff can make a fan nutty.”

  “I hear ya. Who do you have in the Orange Bowl?’

  “I took West Virginia and the points.” Annabelle turned toward him in shock. “Don’t look at me like that. I may be Tar Heel born and Tar Heel bred and on and on until I’m dead,” he said, making a mockery of the Carolina fight song, “but my money has no allegiance whatsoever.”

  Annabelle turned back to the TV. “I hear that,” she mumbled.

  Her dad sprang forward, putting a hand on her shoulder. “What? You didn’t take Carolina either?”

  She turned and gave him a withering look. “Between you and me, it’s a total fluke that they won the ACC. The Mountaineers are going to roll all over them.” She turned back to the TV. “And it’s gonna hurt.”

  “I hear that.”

  They watched a few uneventful plays in silence.

  Annabelle finally glanced at her watch. “Do I need to…”

  “All taken care of, sugar bee.”

  She turned her head and asked, “You talk to Brooks or Vance?”

  “Vance. He was on his way to City Hall to wait for you. Apparently Brooks had to make an urgent run to Raleigh.” That got a smile out of Annabelle. Her father went on. “I told Vance we’d settle up tonight.” She nodded at that. Then she got up and came over to kiss her father’s cheek.

  “Thanks for setting all that up for me, Daddy. You were right. I think I just might like this Officer Friendly.”

  Her father grabbed her hand as she started to walk away. “His name is Duncan James, sugar bee. And it wasn’t long after I met the boy that I thought he might be perfect for my Annabelle. After all, I know just how picky you are. He’s got good manners, a firm handshake and solid eye contact. Word is he works hard, but is no stick in the mud. He lives in Raleigh so he can go home to his own damn place after a date. And although he made the poor decision to go to NC State, we won’t hold that against him because he got his law degree at Carolina.”

  Annabelle laughed.

  “You go have fun tonight and see what you think.” Annabelle nodded and started to walk away. “Gotta be better than swapping spit with old Lewis Kampmueller.”

  “I hear that,” she heartily agreed.