A Christmas Hope

Years had passed since Nori had last been out to the Hudson Estate with Tracy.

The winding road with spectacular views generated a sense of awe around each curve. When she drove around a rocky hillside covered in sagebrush, native grasses, and colorful blooms, her mouth dropped open as she gaped at the scene before her. Hudson House stood like a sandstone castle that had been erected in an endless sea of wildflowers.

“Wow,” she muttered, wondering when she’d seen anything as lovely as the sight of the house with the flowers surrounding it, blue sky above it, and the drop of the bluff to the flowing Columbia River below it.

She followed the road to the parking area at the end of a manicured lawn that covered several acres. A cobblestone drive went up one side of it of a grassy expanse curved in front of the house, then came down the other side of the verdant lawn. A fountain gurgled in the center of the lawn with tulips and daffodils blooming in beds around it.

Nori parked behind a new Jeep she assumed must belong to Alex. She stepped out of her vehicle and walked around to the passenger side to retrieve her bag and camera, but a happy bark drew her attention to Lucy. The dog raced around the corner of the house and barreled toward her.

With a laugh, Nori dropped down to one knee and greeted the dog with affectionate pats. Only by lifting her chin did she avoid a canine kiss to her mouth.

Alex appeared on the front steps, looking tan and gorgeous in a blue T-shirt that matched his eyes and a pair of worn jeans that fit him like a glove.

Suddenly, thoughts of kisses made her wish it had been Alex who’d greeted her with the exuberance of the dog.