There’s nowhere better to spend the holidays than with New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery in the town of Fool’s Gold, where love is always waiting to be unwrapped…

Noelle Perkins just got a second chance at life, and she intends to make the most of every minute. That’s why she ditched a frustrating legal career to open her own store in Fool’s Gold, California. The Christmas Attic celebrates everything that’s magical about her favorite season. Business is booming, and as a bonus, gorgeous army doctor Gabriel Boylan has offered to help out during the holiday rush.

Gabriel’s memories of Christmas past contain more sour grapes than sugar plums, thanks to a drill sergeant father who ran his home like a boot camp. Spending the holidays with his family while he recuperates from injury sounds as appetizing as last year’s eggnog. Still, there are some enjoyable distractions in town, including sunny, sexy Noelle…and the red-hot mistletoe kisses they can’t stop sharing.

Gabriel didn’t think he was made for happily-ever-afters. But when fate hands you a love as sweet and surprising as this, only a fool could refuse.…

Christmas on 4th Street

Yours for Christmas

A Fool’s Gold Romance

Susan Mallery

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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To those who serve our country. Soldiers, support staff, healers and those who sometimes have the most difficult job of all…waiting at home. May your holidays be a time of love and happiness.

To my cheerleaders—I adore each of you. Thank you for all you do.

Finally—to my readers. You inspire me every day. In return, I try to make your Fool’s Gold dreams come true. As promised, in this book is a scavenger hunt. Sixteen objects, suggested by readers on Facebook. To get the list, visit the For Fun page at SusanMallery.com and click on Freebies.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Title Page

Dedication

Christmas on 4th Street

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Yours for Christmas

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Extract

Copyright

Christmas on 4th Street

Susan Mallery

Chapter 1

In real life, snow was not nearly as delightful as it appeared in movies and on TV, Noelle Perkins thought as her spinning car finally came to a stop in a snowbank. She’d been driving up the side of the mountain, not making any sudden moves, when it happened. Although she wasn’t exactly sure what the it was. There’d been a swoosh and a swerve and then the world twirling around her. There might have been a scream or two, but as she was alone, she wasn’t going to admit to that.

She glanced around, noticing how the nose of her car was firmly planted in the wall of a surprisingly firm drift. The good news was she was pretty close to her destination. The bad news was she was going to have to figure out a way to get down the mountain when it was time to leave.

That was for later, she told herself as she turned off the engine then unfastened her seat belt. First she had a puppy to let out.

Noelle opened the door and started to stand, only to discover why her car had gone whirling around. Snow, it seemed, was slippery. Her feet started to go out from under her and she had to grab the door frame to keep from falling.

“This is so wrong,” she murmured, finding her balance and carefully closing the car door. She started walking very tentatively toward the house at the end of the long driveway.

Snow had come early to Fool’s Gold. There had been several inches in late October, then it had all gone away. More had fallen in early November and now this blast the following week. But it was different in town, she thought as she felt her left foot slowly sliding out from under her.

She waved her arms and managed to stay on her feet, then started forward again. In town, roads were plowed and sidewalks scraped. Someone put magical stuff down so it wasn’t slippery. She never had any trouble in town.

Growing up in Florida, followed by a career move to Los Angeles, had not prepared her for a real winter, she thought as she made it to the porch. Her feet started slipping again. She lunged for the railing and managed to hang on as her lower body slipped and stretched until she was nearly parallel to the ground.

She dug her toes into the snow and ice, hoping to find some traction. At last she managed to get her legs back under her and straighten. It was like being a cartoon character, she thought grimly. Only with the possibility of breaking bones.

“This is so not what I expected,” she said aloud, thinking that Felicia’s request had seemed so reasonable. With everyone running around, Webster, her friend’s eight-month-old puppy, had been left home alone. Could Noelle go and let him out?

Felicia had been a good friend to Noelle. When Noelle had opened her own store—The Christmas Attic—over Labor Day weekend, Felicia had been right there, helping stock the place and offering suggestions. When Noelle wanted to participate in town advertising with the other local retailers, Felicia had helped her navigate the maze that was local government regulations. When Noelle worried that she would never find a man for...well, you know, let alone love, Felicia had reassured her that it would happen. So helping with the family puppy seemed the least she could do to pay back her friend.

“I am capable,” Noelle told herself as she made it up the stairs. They were surprisingly not slippery. Whatever that magic stuff was, they must use it here, she thought.

She walked to planters on the railing and felt around for the spare key. Only there wasn’t one. She checked all the planters, sure that was where Felicia had told her to look.

Nothing.

Unsure what to do next, she walked to the front door and heard a soft snuffling sound.

“Hey, Webster,” she called.

The puppy yipped excitedly.

Noelle reached for the door handle and found it turned easily. She pushed it open.

Two things happened at once. A very excited fifty-pound German shepherd puppy bounded out toward her and she saw a duffel bag in the foyer.

Noelle automatically patted the enthusiastic dog. He licked her hands and wiggled before dashing down the stairs and heading for the trees on the side to take care of business.

“It’s slippery,” she called after him, only to realize he had magical feet because he returned at the same hyperspeed with which he’d left and never skidded once.

“Good boy,” she said, hugging him.

Problem one solved, she thought. Which only left the mysterious duffel and the open front door.

The bag could be Carter’s, she thought, picturing Gideon’s thirteen-year-old son. Or it could be the proof that some evildoer had broken into the house and was, even as she stood there, ransacking the place. Either way, she had to find out.

She stepped cautiously inside, the eager dog at her side. By the front door was an umbrella stand. She grabbed the biggest, most threatening umbrella she saw and held it in her hands like a club. She was tough, she told herself. After all, she’d taken a self-defense class earlier that fall. Of course her instructor had warned them all against walking toward trouble.

“If you’re in here to steal stuff, I’ve called the police and I’m heavily armed,” she yelled as she walked through the open area of the main floor. There was a big living room and a huge kitchen. She knew there were bedrooms at each end of the house and more living space downstairs.

Webster enjoyed the game, staying at her side, his wagging tail thumping against the wall at regular intervals.

“Just walk out with your hands up and no one will get hurt,” she continued.

She paused, listening. There was a sound from the hallway. She turned, umbrella poised. If necessary, she would hit the guy, then run. She was pretty sure Webster would run with her, thinking this was just more happy puppy fun.

The bathroom door opened and a guy stepped out. A tall guy wearing nothing but jeans. He had a towel in one hand and was using it to rub his just washed hair. In fact, staring at the tall, well-muscled man, Noelle would guess he’d just washed the rest of himself, too.

She paused in the middle of the hallway as several thoughts moved through her brain. First, few burglars bothered to shower while on the job. She didn’t have actual working knowledge of that as fact, but was willing to assume it was true. Second, while she knew she’d never seen the man before, something about him was familiar. Third, he was really handsome, with light brown hair and dark blue eyes. And had she already mentioned the body to her brain? Because it was good, too.

They stared at each other and she remembered her list. Right. Fourth... Her gaze dropped and she swallowed. He had a nasty-looking cut on his left hand—complete with raw flesh, black thread from stitches and—

“Oh, no,” she whispered as the edges of her consciousness seemed to fold in on herself. “Not blood. Anything but blood.”

For someone who had been through what she had, it was pretty funny that the sight of blood made her woozy, but there it was. Life with a sense of humor. Her stomach roiled, her skin got clammy and she knew she was about an eighth of a second from crumpling to her knees. If that happened, she didn’t think Webster was up to saving her.

She bent down to shorten the distance to the floor and hopefully save herself from a lasting brain injury.

* * *

Gabriel Boylan stared at the half-collapsed blonde. “This is why I hate the suburbs,” he told her as he dropped his towel and moved toward her.

“Can you hear me?” he asked, speaking loudly.

She waved toward his hand. “Keep that away from me.”

Her voice was weak and she seemed to be swaying. He swore under his breath, noticing even as she started to go down that she was still brandishing that ridiculous umbrella in his direction. Great. His brother had fallen for someone insane.

He grabbed the umbrella and twisted it out of her grip, then lowered her the rest of the way to the floor. She groaned. He took in her paleness and rapid breathing and figured she was close to fainting.

The annoyed, I-really-don’t-like-people side of him wanted to let it happen. At least unconscious she would be less trouble. But the doctor in him knew that wasn’t the right decision. He shifted her so she was on her knees, then pushed her head down.

“Head lower than the heart,” he told her. “Slow your breathing. You’re fine.”

“You can’t know that,” she managed to say.

“Want to bet?”

When it seemed like she was going to stay conscious, he returned to the bathroom and quickly wrapped his left hand. The deep cut was still tender and oozing. He was lucky—he’d been stupid to get injured in the first place, but while it was ugly, no permanent damage had been done. A good thing considering he needed his hands to make a living.

When the tape was secure, he shrugged into a clean, long-sleeved T-shirt, then walked back into the hallway.

The woman had straightened and was staring up at him. Her gaze dropped to his hand, then darted away.

“Thank you for covering up,” she said, her voice low.

He assumed she meant the wound and not his chest. “You’re welcome.”

The puppy settled next to her, leaning heavily on her, ready for the next round of whatever it was they were playing.

“You’re sensitive to blood,” Gabriel said.

The woman winced. “I know. It’s ridiculous. I always have been. You’d think I would get over it, but no. Oddly, I can deal with getting a shot, as long as there’s no bleeding. Otherwise, I have to close my eyes.” She drew in a breath, then looked at him. “Who are you?”

Gabriel frowned. “Gideon didn’t tell you?”

“I haven’t talked to him recently.” She paused, as if trying to remember how long it had been. “I guess I’ve seen him in town but we haven’t spoken.”

Now Gabriel was confused. “You’re not Felicia?”

The woman scrambled to her feet. She was a tall blonde—too skinny for his taste, but pretty enough. She wore black jeans and a ridiculous sweater decorated with tiny Santa heads. Like he’d said before—the suburbs sucked.

“No, I’m Noelle,” she said. “Who are you?”

“Gabriel.”

He was going to say more but her blue eyes widened. “Gideon’s brother?”

He nodded, unable to figure out why someone he’d never heard of was chasing people with an umbrella in his brother’s house. Not that there was an appropriate place for that sort of thing.

She smiled. Whatever else he was going to grumble about faded as her mouth curved. Because the second she smiled, he felt a whole lot better about nearly everything. His hand hurt less, he wasn’t as tired and the avalanche of regret he felt at showing up in Fool’s Gold reduced itself to a small rock-slide.

Talk about a trick.

The smile widened. “Oh, wow. I didn’t know you were coming for sure. You’re the doctor, right? Felicia mentioned she’d asked you to stay for the holidays, but I thought you’d said you couldn’t make it. I’m Noelle Perkins. Felicia and I are friends. I have a store in town and I know Gideon, of course. And Carter.”

The son his brother hadn’t known he had, Gabriel thought. There was a situation.

“Gideon and Carter are shopping in Sacramento. Felicia got stuck in town and asked me to come and let Webster out.” Her smile faded. “Oh, no. I attacked you. I’m really sorry.”

“It’s okay,” he told her. Mostly because it was and partially because he wanted to see the smile again.

“I couldn’t figure out why the door was open and the spare key wasn’t where she’d said.”

“Gideon told me about the key, too, and I used it.”

“Of course.”

The smile returned and his breathing relaxed.

She bent down and collected the umbrella. “I took a self-defense course a few weeks ago. Just a Saturday afternoon of basic stuff. My instructor would so kill me if she knew what I’d done, so if you could not say anything I’d appreciate it.”

“Not a problem.”

She glanced quickly at the bandage, then away. “Um, what happened to your palm?”

“I was an idiot.”

“It happens to all of us.”

“I should know better.”

She flashed the smile again. “And the rest of us shouldn’t?”

“Fair point,” he told her.

She waved the umbrella. “I’ll put this back.” She started down the hall. “Do you want some coffee?”

“Sure.”

She went into the kitchen and pulled out mugs and two small pods filled with coffee as if she knew her way around the place.

He was still having trouble wrapping his mind around the fact that his brother was engaged and had a son. Not that the two events were related. Carter’s mother had died a couple of years ago. As for Felicia... Gabriel frowned as he realized he didn’t know how she and his brother had met. The fact that he hadn’t spoken to anyone in his family in over a year might have something to do with that.

Webster followed Noelle and looked hopeful as she collected spoons and started the coffeemaker. She eyed him.

“I’m pretty sure you’ve already been fed,” she told the dog.

He wagged his tail.

She sighed. “You’re so demanding. Fine. I’ll give you a cookie.”

Webster woofed at the word and followed her to the pantry, where a plastic container of bone-shaped treats sat on a shelf.

“But just one,” she told him, waiting until he sat to give it to him.

He took it gently and bolted from the room.

Gabriel watched him go. “He’s not much of a guard dog. He let me in without a growl.”

“He’s a puppy,” Noelle said. “Felicia wants him to be friendly rather than aggressive. He’s supposed to be Carter’s dog, but she’s the one who takes care of him. He’s been to a few obedience classes but they don’t seem to be taking.”

She motioned to the large table, and he moved forward to take a seat. Noelle added the first pod and pushed the button, making sure the mug was positioned underneath.

She leaned against the counter. “So, you’re here for the holidays. To be with your family. That’s nice.”

“I haven’t seen them in a while,” he admitted, trying to remember the last time he’d joined his parents and brother for Christmas. More than a decade, he thought. Fifteen years? Longer than that? Maybe it had been before he’d left for college. “Feel free to fill me in on what I’ve missed.”

“I’ve never met your parents,” she said cheerfully. “I know Gideon, of course. He moved here before me. It was last year. I just got here in the spring.” She wrinkled her nose. “It was before the whole snow thing. I’m going to have to take some lessons or something. It’s a lot more slippery than I realized. I know there’s an ice element, but I didn’t think it was, you know...ice.” She made air quotes as she spoke the last word.

He chuckled. “You have a lot to look forward to.”

“You mean aside from warmer weather?” She turned back to the coffeemaker and pulled out the mug. “How do you like it?” she asked, already moving to the refrigerator.

“Black is fine.”

“That’s such a guy thing.”

She pulled out a container of flavored coffee creamer, then handed him his mug and returned to the counter. She obviously knew her way around the kitchen. Because of Felicia, he told himself. Women who were friends hung out a lot doing stuff like having coffee. He supposed it wasn’t that different from going out and having a drink.

She stuck in a second pod, put a mug in place and hit the button.

“You know Gideon bought a couple of radio stations,” she said.

He nodded.

“He does an oldies show every night. Lots of songs I’ve never heard of but most of them are good. Felicia runs the festivals in town. She’s very organized. Carter’s in school, of course.” She glanced at Webster, who sat with his tail wagging. “What about you, young man? Any career plans?”

The puppy barked.

“Impressive.” She glanced up at Gabriel. “Sorry. I talk to everything.”

“It happens.”

She got her own coffee and poured in the flavored creamer then set the container back in the refrigerator. She took a seat across from him and tilted her head.

“What else can I tell you?” she asked. “I have guilt about trying to attack you.”

“With an umbrella.”

She laughed. “I’m not sure if that makes it better or worse.”

He liked how amusement danced in her blue eyes and the flash of teeth when she smiled. He wanted to keep her talking because the sound of her voice soothed him. A ridiculous claim, but there it was. What he couldn’t figure out was why. Why her? He was around women all the time. Other doctors, some of the nurses and techs, soldiers, administrators. But Noelle was different somehow.

“How long has Carter been around?” he asked.

“He showed up this past summer. His mom died about a year before that. He was in foster care with his best friend’s family. They’d made arrangements with Carter’s mom before her death, I think. But they started having marital trouble and he was going to have to go into the system. He didn’t have much to go on—his dad’s name and that he’d been in the military. But he found him and made his way here. I don’t think I could have been that resourceful at his age.”

“Me, either,” Gabriel admitted.

He cupped the mug with his good hand. The wound on his left palm throbbed in time with his heartbeat. If he were his own patient, he would tell himself to take something. That being in pain didn’t reduce the time to heal. But he also knew he wouldn’t listen. That he didn’t want the mental wooziness that was a side effect and that he was a long way from the threshold of what was unbearable.

“You know they’re getting married, right?” she asked. “Gideon and Felicia.”

“I’d heard.”

“There aren’t details yet. At least not that I know of, but I can’t see them waiting.” She paused and raised her mug. “I should probably warn you about her.”

“Felicia?”

Noelle nodded. “She’s really smart. However smart you’re thinking, you’re not even close. She’s beyond genius level, although I don’t know what that’s called. And she speaks her mind, which I adore, but it can surprise some people. She just flat out says what she thinks. So you don’t have to be subtle around her. Oh, and she’s super beautiful. If we weren’t friends, I’d have to hate her.”

The last statement was delivered cheerfully.

“You’re good at speaking your mind, too,” he said.

She shook her head. “Not really. I try to be honest. You know, not waste everyone’s time with game-playing. But it’s a tough habit to break. I’m not advocating being mean at all. That’s not right, either. But I think the world would be a better place if we all stuck a little closer to the truth.”

She paused and the corners of her mouth turned up. “I have no idea where that sermon came from.” She stood. “I should get back to my store before I start boring you with my theories on the meaning of life.”

“You have theories?” he asked as he rose.

“A few, but trust me, you don’t want to hear them. Anyway, I also need to get back to my store because in an effort to save money I hired part-time college students instead of full-time regular people.”

“College students aren’t regular people?”

“Not usually. And especially not when there’s a dusting of fresh powder up on the mountain. I live in fear of returning to my store and finding the door propped open and no one inside. Well, no one who works for me.” She paused. “It’s weird because the high school kids I’ve hired are really responsible. So I guess at nineteen they regress.”

He had no idea what she was talking about but that was okay. Just listening to her voice was soothing. He also appreciated the information about his family. A case could be made that he should have known it all himself, but he didn’t.

“It was nice to meet you,” she told him. “And I am sorry about the umbrella.”

He waved off the apology. “You okay to get down the mountain?” he asked.

She blinked at him, then her eyes widened. “Crap and double crap. My car’s stuck in a snow drift.”

Crap was her idea of a swear word? She wouldn’t have lasted in Kandahar an hour, he thought, amused.

“I don’t suppose you know anything about winter driving?” she asked.

“As a matter of fact, I do. I went to medical school at Northwestern and I’ve been stationed in Germany more than once.”

“Whew. Good. Then maybe you wouldn’t mind backing my car out of the drift? Then I can sort of point it down the mountain and I’ll be fine.”

Instead of answering, Gabriel walked to the front door. Despite being barefoot, he headed out onto the porch and saw her small import nose-first in a bank.

There were skid marks on the driveway and a couple of places where it looked like she’d fallen on her way up to the house.

“This really is your first winter,” he said.

She moved beside him and sniffed. “I have other talents.”

He was sure that was true and he wanted to tell her they were likely far more interesting than an ability to drive in the snow. But she was a friend of his future sister-in-law and this was a small town and he wouldn’t be around for very long. All good reasons to only say, “I have no doubt.”

He stepped back into the house and waited until she’d joined him to close the door.

“Give me a second to put on boots and I’ll drive you back to town.”

“You don’t have to go to that much trouble.”

“Someone has to. I doubt you can make it on your own. Pointing the car in the general direction of town is not an option.”

* * *

Noelle nodded at the nice, handsome doctor before he turned away and retreated to the guest room. She sighed, thinking it just wasn’t fair. He was single—at least she thought he was—she was single. She wasn’t sure what else they had in common, but there had to be something. Regardless, she obviously hadn’t impressed him in the least.

Oh, well. There were worse fates, she told herself. Just as soon as her busy season was over, she was going to get into a relationship. Maybe she would join one of those online dating services, or see if there were clubs for singles in town. If nothing else, she could put the word out with her friends. Most of them had recently fallen madly in love.

Maybe there was something in the water, she thought as Gabriel walked toward her, taller now in sensible-looking snow boots.

“Keys,” he said as he approached.

She dutifully held them out. “I’m sure once I’m out of the snowbank I’ll be fine.”

“I doubt that,” he said, shrugging into his jacket. “You’ll be a menace until you hit flat ground.”

“That’s not very flattering.”

He looked at her, his blue gaze steady. “Isn’t it true?”

“Sure it is, but you’re being kind of blunt about it.”

“I thought you liked blunt.”

“Not as much as I thought.”

She made sure Webster was secure in the house before closing the door and following Gabriel to her car. He told her to wait while he backed the car out of the snow, which he did in one easy move. The tires didn’t even skid—something she considered a personal betrayal. When she got her car back in the garage, they were going to have a little one-on-one conversation.

Gabriel stopped beside her and opened the passenger door. She climbed in, instantly struck by how close the seats were and how much broader his shoulders were than hers. She fastened her seat belt and as she did, she glanced at him.

He had a nice face, she decided. A little guarded and there were shadows under his eyes, no doubt from his hand injury and maybe traveling. But he was someone she would instinctively trust. Not that her instincts were anything to brag about, she thought. Look what had happened with Jeremy.

Or not, she thought, facing front.

“Is that the way?” he asked, motioning with his left hand.

Instantly, she felt herself getting woozy. “Be careful with that,” she murmured. “It’s like a weapon.”

He glanced at the bandage. “There’s hardly any blood.”

She leaned back and closed her eyes. “Just the B word itself is bad. Yes, go down this road about three or four miles. At the bend in the road, turn right. Follow the signs and you’ll be heading into town.”

She pressed a hand to her stomach and told herself to think pure thoughts. Or at the very least, distract herself.

“You picked a really good time to visit,” she said, knowing she was about to babble and not caring. Babbling was better than fainting. Or throwing up. “There are always festivals in Fool’s Gold, but more so during the holidays. There are a couple of parades and a live nativity. I can’t wait for that because there’s going to be an elephant.”

“In a nativity?”

“Don’t judge. You don’t know for sure there wasn’t an elephant at the birth of baby Jesus.”

“I’m actually pretty confident there wasn’t.”

“Priscilla is a part of a lot of celebrations in town. She’s a member of the community, too.”

“Priscilla the elephant?”

“Do you know any other Priscillas?” She risked opening her eyes and was pleased to see that there was no bloody bandage in her peripheral vision.

“She would be the only one.”

“Okay, turn there,” she said, pointing when they reached the bend. “Follow that road into town. You’ll turn right on Frank Lane.”

“Who’s Frank?”

“I have no idea. It’s by 4th, which is where my store is. But yeah, Frank. I guess there’s more town history I have to learn.”

“You know about the elephant. That should count.”

He was nice, she thought, wondering if there was a subtle way to ask him to coffee. Or dinner. She glanced at his large hands resting on the steering wheel and wondered how badly things would go if she mentioned a sleepover.

She pointed to her store, and he pulled in front and parked the car.

She turned to him, prepared to offer a heartfelt thank-you, only to realize there was a problem. “How are you going to get back to Gideon’s house?”

“I thought I’d go find Felicia.”

She risked a quick glance at his hand, then turned away before she got faint. “Are you up to it?”

“I’ll be fine. Just point me in the right direction.”

She looked into his eyes and smiled. “I thought you didn’t believe in that.”

“My concerns were specifically about your driving.”

“I want to take offense at that, but there’s the whole snowbank issue that makes it less valid.”

They got out of the car and she gave him directions to Felicia’s office. He handed over her car keys.

“Thanks for the ride back,” she said, wishing she was better at the boy-girl thing. She used to be relatively okay at it. Obviously the lack of practice was showing. “I hope we run into each other again. Not literally,” she added, glancing at the snow still lodged in her fender.

“I’d like that,” he said.

She returned her attention to him, trying to judge what he was thinking. But his dark blue eyes gave nothing away. He smiled and gave a wave, then turned and started in the direction she’d told him.

Noelle watched him go. When he turned the corner, she hurried toward her store, only to come to a stop when she saw the sign on the door.

Gone skiing. Come back later.

Chapter 2

The town of Fool’s Gold was like something out of a cheesy made-for-TV movie, Gabriel thought as he followed Noelle’s directions. There were plenty of people on the streets and every single one he passed greeted him in some way. Women walked arm in arm, the sidewalks were shoveled and sanded and all the storefronts were decorated with turkeys or leaves or painted with some Thanksgiving tableau. Talk about surreal. He half expected dancing lampposts or singing forest creatures to escort him.

The last time he’d seen his brother, Gideon had been malnourished, bruised and mentally shattered. His brother had been taken prisoner by the Taliban and kept for nearly two years. He’d been in a cell with several other Americans, all of whom had been tortured regularly. Gideon had been the only one to survive.

Gabriel had visited him in the military hospital where he’d recuperated before being discharged. From there Gideon had gone to Bali, where he’d worked on getting himself back to whatever his degree of normal was going to be. Gabriel couldn’t reconcile the soldier his brother had been, or the broken prisoner, with anyone who would live in a town like this. What the hell had happened?

He knew he wouldn’t get an answer until he got the chance to talk to his brother himself. In the meantime, he kept moving until he found the office he was looking for. He ignored the jabbing pain in his hand and how tired he was.

He went inside and walked down the hall to the office marked Fool’s Gold Department of Festivals. He knocked once and entered.

The room itself was large, with a big desk, chairs for visitors and color posters of more fantasy events in the freakish town. But what really caught his attention was the tall redhead who stood when she saw him.

She was beautiful. No, that wasn’t the right word. She was stunning, with green eyes and pale skin. A sweater showed off perfect curves. Her eyes widened as she hurried around the desk.

“Gabriel! You’re here. Noelle just called and told me you had brought her into town. I appreciate you helping my friend. She’s not a very good driver in the snow. I’ve done my best to explain the theory of staying in control on a slick road, but she seems to learn best by doing. I suppose winter driving is a skill more easily mastered through practice.”

She paused and put her hands on his upper arms. “I see so much of your brother in you. There are variations, as well. How interesting. I have no siblings, so all my observations about the subtle differences and similarities within a biological unit have been with friends or people I work with.”

Noelle had warned him Felicia was intelligent. She obviously hadn’t been kidding. Smart and beautiful, he thought as she stared at him. Funny how despite that, the smile that had most affected him today had been Noelle’s.

Her mouth trembled slightly as that smile faded. “I feel compelled to hug you,” she admitted. “Is it too soon?”

“Go for it,” he said, holding open his arms.

Felicia stepped into his embrace. She hung on with more strength than he would have guessed. He hugged her back, thinking Gideon would have his hands full with this one.

She stepped back and motioned toward one of the chairs by her desk. “How was your trip? Are you tired?” She sat back down.

“I’m okay.”

She stared at his hand. “That’s the injury Gideon told me about? I understand there’s no tendon or nerve damage.”

“I was lucky.”

“You were. Based on placement you could have easily severed...” She paused, then sighed. “You would know that better than me.”

“Maybe not.”

She grinned. “I’m sorry. When I get nervous I talk too much.” She bounced back to her feet and crossed to a table by the window. Once there she picked up a box and brought it to him. Inside were rows of crisp, red apples.

“They’re grown locally,” she said. “The last of the season. Delicious.”

He took one, but didn’t bite into it.

She took her seat again. “Carter is very excited to meet you. He and Gideon are in Sacramento, doing some shopping.” She paused. “You know about Carter, right?”

“Gideon’s son. Yes, he told me.”

“Good. He’s so interesting to have around. He does have occasional emotional outbursts, but I’m sure they’re the result of hormones. For the most part, he’s fun and enjoyable. He’s responsible, too. He takes good care of Webster.” She bit her lower lip. “I’m sorry. You’ve never met him and my observations have no value at this point. It’s just...your approval would mean so much.”

He frowned. “My approval about what?” The dog? The kid?

“I’m marrying your brother.”

Her voice was soft, tentative. Gabriel wanted to bolt for the door. She wanted his approval because she was joining the family? Was she kidding? Didn’t she know he hadn’t seen his parents in over a year and barely had any contact with his brother? They’d spoken more arranging his visit than they had in the past decade.

“I’m sure you two will be very happy,” he said, hoping he sounded friendly instead of trapped.

“We will,” she assured him. “Gideon and I are well suited. We have a shared love of the town and Carter, of course. I was in the military, so I have a basic understanding of what he went through while he was abroad. We’re both committed to our relationship and the family unit and there is excellent sexual chemistry.”

She paused, her eyebrows drawing together. “I shouldn’t have mentioned the latter. That’s more of a girlfriend topic.”

Despite the throbbing in his hand, the exhaustion clawing at him, he laughed. “I can handle it,” he told her. “Just don’t give me details. We’re talking about my brother.”

She smiled. “Yes, of course. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.” The smile faded as she paused. “Your parents will be arriving soon.”

“I’d heard. It’s going to be one big family Christmas.” He glanced down at his hand. A tiny spot of blood had seeped through the white gauze. No doubt what had caused Noelle to nearly faint. She was a lightweight, he thought humorously. She wouldn’t last thirty seconds of his workday. Not that he would want her to see what he’d been dealing with on a daily basis for the past decade.

“Do you think you could tell me what they’re like?”

It took him a second to realize Felicia meant his parents and not his life as a trauma specialist in the army.

“I’m not sure what you want to know,” he admitted, returning his attention to his future sister-in-law. “My parents were very traditional. Mom took care of business and Dad told us all what to do.”

Felicia frowned. “There’s information in your statement, but I don’t understand it.” She waved her right hand. “While I’m exceptionally well-schooled, my social cues aren’t perfected. I’m mostly concerned that they bond with Carter and that they not tell Gideon he shouldn’t marry me.”

“Grandparents are hardwired to love their grandkids,” he said, impressed with her bluntness. “As for you, what’s not to like?”

“Thank you for the compliment. I could compile a list of my flaws, but I know that’s not what you’re asking.” She drew in a breath. “I’m very nervous. Gideon always speaks of his mother fondly but he has more ambivalence about his father.”

“And he was the good son,” Gabriel said drily.

“You weren’t?”

Gabriel didn’t believe in dwelling on the past and he wasn’t going to start now. “My father was a drill sergeant. Great for the military but hell on the kids.” At least Gideon had always wanted to serve. “Just don’t let him boss Carter around.”

Felicia nodded. “We have a routine that is beneficial to all of us. I’ll be sure to protect that.”

He made the mistake of flexing his injured hand, then had to hold in a curse. “I should let you get back to work. What time do you head home?”

“Five.” She looked at him. “You must be tired. I can drive you up the mountain now, if you’d like.”

“I’ll be fine,” he told her. “I’ll wander around town until you’re ready.”

He gave her his cell number, then stood. “It’s nice to meet you, Felicia. My brother is a lucky man.”

Her expression softened and what could only be described as love filled her eyes. “I’m the lucky one. I’m glad to finally meet you.” Her mouth curved. “Whenever Gideon’s in a bad mood, I remind him that he once shared a womb with you. He finds the image so uncomfortable, he’s usually distracted from whatever is bothering him.”

Gabriel was a doctor and even he didn’t like to think about being in his mother’s belly or sharing the space with his brother. “You’re a twisted woman. Like I said, Gideon chose well.”

She came around the desk and hugged him again. “I’m so happy to have an extended family,” she said. “Even if it is by marriage.”

This time he was more comfortable hugging her back. She wasn’t anyone’s definition of normal, but to his mind, that concept was highly overrated. He had a feeling that she and his brother fit the way a couple was supposed to. He told himself to let his usual cynicism go and simply be happy for them. After all, it was that time of year.

He left her office and started walking through town. While the sky was clear, the temperature was cold enough to make him grateful for his bulky coat. He ignored the steady pain in his hand and occasional stumble. He could make a couple of hours. Once he was back at Gideon’s he would crash for a couple of days and wake up healed. At least that was the plan.

The small downtown was bustling. Even on a weekday afternoon. There were lots of stores, including a coffee place called Brew-haha. He stopped in for a drip to go and got a cupcake while he was at it. He wandered by the park, then saw Noelle’s store across the street. Not sure of his purpose, he crossed at the corner and walked toward the building.

She was in the window, putting a Help Wanted sign in front of the decorated Christmas tree. When she saw him, she smiled and waved, then motioned for him to come in.

The store was big and well-lit. There was more Christmas paraphernalia than any one person could want. Overhead beams simulated an actual attic and two or three train sets ran around the perimeter of the store. The air smelled of apples and cinnamon, and holiday music played in the background. A couple of women browsed what looked like the world’s largest teddy bear display.

“You found Felicia?” Noelle asked.

“I did.” He chuckled. “You were right. She’s smart.”

“And beautiful. It’s an annoying combination, but she’s my friend and I love her. Which I think makes me a superior person.”

Noelle laughed as she spoke. Her blue eyes were bright and happy. Everyone had secrets, he thought, but he would guess hers were the garden variety. No dangerous ghosts, no great loss. This was what home was like. Regular people living their lives. Like nearly every soldier, he’d enjoyed knowing that ordinary life had existed somewhere. The difference was he didn’t know if he could return to it or not.

“What’s with the sign?” he asked. “The college help let you down?”

“You have no idea. When we got back, the store was closed. Both my salespeople had taken off to experience the fresh powder up on the mountain. I’m trying not to hope they fall and break an arm.”

* * *

Noelle studied the tall man in front of her. He’d been pale the last time she’d seen him, but now she would swear there was a gray cast to his skin. The shadows under his eyes seemed darker and his mouth was pulled in what she would guess was pain.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“I’m fine. Jet-lagged. Felicia is going to take me back up the mountain when she gets off at five.”

Noelle winced. That was three hours away. “It’s my fault,” she told him. “I shouldn’t have let you drive me back to town.”

“I wasn’t going to have you drive yourself and crash.”

“I might have made it.”

“Might being the operative word. I’ll be fine.”

“No offense, but you don’t look fine. Are you sure I can’t drive you back?” She held up her hand. “Never mind. I already know what you’re going to say.”

The worst part was, he was right. Until she got some more practice, she shouldn’t be doing any winter driving outside of the plowed streets of town. But she couldn’t leave the poor man swaying from exhaustion.

“Come on,” she said, motioning for him to follow her.

She led the way to the back room, where she kept extra inventory and had a small break area with a table and four chairs.

The table was actually salvaged from an estate sale in town. Noelle loved the deep mahogany finish and the graceful legs, but what had most appealed to her was the writing etched into the top. As if the previous owner had spent long hours writing letters.

Now she pulled a blanket from the pile on one of the chairs and folded it into the shape of a pillow, then pointed to the sofa. “It’s more comfortable than it looks.”

Gabriel shook his head. “I’m fine.” He seemed more wary than interested in resting.

“You’re practically unconscious. This is a Christmas store. I really can’t be explaining the strange man slumped on the middle of my floor.” She collected a second blanket. “You don’t have anything else to do until Felicia picks you up. Come on. No one will bother you here.”

“You’re coaxing me. I’m not some wild dog you’re trying to rescue.”

She grinned. “I can’t help it. It’s a girl thing.”

He grumbled something under his breath, then finally walked to the sofa and shrugged out of his jacket. He lay down. He was too tall to stretch out, but he was able to turn on his side, with his legs not too bunched. She draped the second blanket on top of him.

“You don’t have to sleep.”

“I won’t.”

“Of course not. I’ll be back a little before five.”

She walked out of the storage room and went to help her customers. They each bought two bears. A family with a toddler in a stroller came in and wanted to talk about the train set. Ten minutes later they left with one, along with three holiday DVDs and an angel doll for their young daughter. Noelle tiptoed back into the storage room to check on her guest.

Gabriel’s eyes were closed and he didn’t stir as she approached. Good, she thought as she backed out toward the front of the store. He needed the rest. It was the best way to heal. While she’d never been cut as badly as he had, she knew something about what it took the body to recover.

* * *

The afternoon passed quickly. Noelle was kept busy with customers and brainstorming sales and events. Important when one was in retail, she thought. About ten minutes before five, she walked into the break room and stopped by the sofa. Gabriel didn’t look as if he’d moved at all, but his color was better and some of the tension seemed to have faded. She put a hand on his shoulder.

“Hey,” she began, her voice soft. “It’s nearly—”

He sat up instantly, his eyes wide with alarm. “What?”

She kept her voice low and calm. “It’s Noelle. You’re in my store. You’ve been sleeping.”

His dark blue gaze locked on her face. “I cut my hand. I don’t have a brain injury.”

“Just checking,” she told him as she straightened and walked to the refrigerator. She took out her pitcher of water and poured him a glass. “Felicia phoned. She’ll be here in about ten minutes.”

He shifted until he was facing front. “She didn’t have to leave work early for me.”

Noelle handed him the glass. “It’s nearly five. You’ve been asleep for three hours.”

Gabriel took the glass. “I was tired,” he admitted. “Thanks for letting me crash.”

She turned one of the dining chairs toward him and sat down. As always, by the end of the day, her feet were ready for a break.

“It’s the least I could do,” she told him. “You drove me down the mountain. Of course I could have done you in with an umbrella and chose not to, so maybe you owe me.”

“Not likely.”

He drank the water. She tried not to notice how appealing a warm and sleepy man could be. His light brown hair was mussed, his expression relaxed. She was sure the wariness would return soon enough, but it was nice to see him without his guard up.

For a second she allowed herself to think what it would be like to crawl up next to him—to feel his arms around her and maybe snuggle on the sofa. She hadn’t been in a relationship in what felt like a millennium, but was actually just about two years. Long enough for her to be lonely, she thought.

He finished the water then set the empty glass on the table by the sofa. “Thanks for all of this,” he said, motioning to the blanket and the sofa. “You were right.”

“I usually am.”

His mouth twitched. “And modest.”

She shrugged. “I live with the burden.”

The twitch turned into a smile. “Are you thinking sainthood or just a tasteful plaque?”

“We’ll start with a plaque.” She studied him. “You’re still exhausted. Jet lag?”

He nodded. “I spent the past two days traveling.”

“Where did you come from?”

“Germany. There’s a big hospital there.” He looked like he was going to say more, but didn’t.

“How’d you get back to the States? Military transport?”

“Part of the way. Then commercial. There was snow in Chicago.”

She looked at the lines around his eyes and mouth. “Your hand is bothering you,” she observed. “Can I get you something for it?”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re not.” She didn’t risk glancing at the bandage. “You’re forgetting I saw it earlier.”

“How could I forget? You fainted.”

“I didn’t. I nearly fainted. There’s a difference.”

He leaned back against the sofa, looking more relaxed. “Not much of one.”

“You’re trying to change the subject.”

One eyebrow rose. “From?”

“How you acting like a macho idiot isn’t going to help you get better.”

“This would be your medical opinion?”

She ignored that. “Pain is stress and stress inhibits healing. I read a lot,” she added, knowing she wasn’t ready to tell him why she knew what she was talking about. “Would it help if I said I wouldn’t tell?”

“No.”

“You’re so stubborn.”

“Do I get a plaque, too?”

She held up both hands. “Fine. Don’t heal. Have an open wound forever. See if I care.”

He stood slowly. She was tall, but he was taller. He looked all manly in her storage room, she thought. Out of place, but in a good way. If that was possible.

“I should go wait out front,” he said, reaching for his jacket. “So Felicia doesn’t have to park.”

“You up to this?” she asked, thinking that he hadn’t seen his brother in a long time. “Dealing with all the emotional stuff? If it gets too much, tell Felicia you’re still recovering from blood loss. She’ll force you to go lie down. Oh, but if you do that, don’t resist. She knows things.”

The amusement returned to Gabriel’s eyes. “What kind of things?”

“You know. Scary military stuff. Like how to twist you up like a pretzel and make you scream like a little girl.”

“I wouldn’t have guessed that about her.”

“It’s true. She’s not as good as Consuelo, but she has skills.”

He studied her for a second. She felt the heat of his gaze and hoped he was thinking how he’d like to rip her clothes off and have his manly way with her. Then he leaned close and kissed her on the cheek.

“Thanks for not running me through with the umbrella. And for the nap.”

“Anytime,” she murmured, holding in a sigh. Apparently Gabriel found her very resistible. Just her luck.

She walked him to the front door and was about to say she hoped to see him again when an older lady called for help by the glass ornaments.

“Be right there,” she said and turned back to say something to Gabriel.

But he was already gone.

Chapter 3

“Great view,” Gabriel said, tipping his beer bottle toward the darkness beyond the deck that wrapped around his brother’s house. During the day the side of the mountain was visible, but now there was only the outline of trees and the starry sky above. A little light spilled out from the house. Enough for him to make out the man sitting next to him and the railing of the deck. But beyond that was only the night.

Dinner had been more comfortable than he’d expected. Carter had done most of the talking. He’d asked a few questions, then gone on about his day and his friends. He was a good kid, Gabriel thought. Well-adjusted and friendly. Felicia had kept the conversation going, as well, but she’d been carefully watching Gideon, as if concerned this was all too much for him.

After the meal, she’d shooed the brothers out of the kitchen to “get caught up.” They’d come out on the deck, where it was cold and quiet.

“I like the light,” his brother said.

Gabriel thought of all the skylights in the house. He only knew the broad brushstrokes of his brother’s imprisonment, but suspected he’d been held somewhere indoors. It made sense to want to see as much sky as possible after that.

He sipped his beer, conscious of the constant throbbing in his hand. Later, when he was ready for bed, he would take something. Over-the-counter only, he amended, thinking that Noelle would mock him if she knew.

“Sweet setup,” he said. “You’ve done well.”

“I got lucky. I didn’t plan to settle here when I came to visit. Hell, I wasn’t planning to stay anywhere. But then I saw the radio stations for sale and I figured I might as well give it a go.”

“Because you know so much about radio.”

Gideon grinned. “I learned. I like what I do.”

“Oldies.” Gabriel shuddered. “Why?”

“It’s real music. Not everyone wants to listen to LL Cool J.”

“Then they’re missing out. Carter prefers my music over yours.”

His brother leaned his head back. “You’re guessing.”

“Maybe, but I’m right.”

“Everyone has flaws.” His brother turned toward him. “He’s impressive, isn’t he?”

“Yeah.”

“I want to take credit, but I can’t,” Gideon admitted. “It was all his mother. She did better than I ever could have. Then she got sick. That forced him to grow up fast.”

“Does he talk about her much?”

“Some. Felicia’s fine with it. She encourages him to make sure he has her picture around and that he tells stories about her. Keeping the memories fresh.”

“She’s great, too.”

Gideon nodded. “I can’t explain why she loves me, but she does. She’s fiercely loyal. Determined. When I was ready to give up on being part of a family, she wouldn’t. She was willing to take Carter and raise him herself.” He sounded impressed and a little in awe. “I didn’t want to let her in, but I couldn’t help myself. And once I stopped trying to fight her, it was easy to admit how much I loved her.”

Gabriel understood the concept of family. He’d been in one, had friends with families. He got that people loved each other. Some bonds couldn’t be avoided, but romantic love? It wasn’t worth the trouble. Life was tenuous. It could be over in an instant, so why bother?

“You’ve come a long way,” he said instead.

“I didn’t think I could make it,” Gideon told him. “But this damned town healed me. I can’t say how, but it did. I started to get involved.” He chuckled. “There are festivals practically every weekend. Wait until you see how they celebrate Christmas here. It’s an eye-opener.” He turned to his brother. “I know you only came because you got injured, but I’m glad you’re here.”

Gabriel was having trouble keeping up. As a kid Gideon had been open and friendly, but his time in Special Forces had changed him. The adult Gideon he knew was a taciturn soldier—a man who would rather cut off his right arm than discuss his feelings. Yet here he was, talking about belonging and love and connection.

“I should check the back of your neck for some kind of pod,” he mumbled.

Gideon laughed again. “I haven’t been taken over by aliens. I’m who I always was. Before everything else happened.” His humor faded. “Sometimes it’s hard, but Carter and Felicia are patient with me. I get through.”

Which sounded rational, Gabriel thought. Not like his brother, but healthy. “What happens next?” he asked.

His brother took a swallow of his beer. “We survive the parents’ visit.”

Something Gabriel didn’t want to think about. “How long will they be here?”

“Through Christmas. They have a vacation rental in town. They won’t be living here.”

“That’s something.” He couldn’t take too much of their old man.

“How you feeling?” Gideon asked.

Gabriel was about to point out that not everyone wanted to share at this meeting when he realized his brother was looking at his hand.

“It hurts.”

“What happened?”

Gabriel settled deeper into the chair. “A bunch of nineteen-year-olds got drunk.”

“It always starts that way.”

“You know it. My patient and his buddies got in a fight and one of them went through a plate glass window. They drove him directly to the hospital, which saved his life. There was a large piece of glass and I forgot I didn’t have superpowers and pulled it out bare-handed.”

The move had been stupid. He knew it and everyone in the E.R. had known it, too. One second he’d been a rational doctor, doing what had to be done to save his patient, and the next he’d been spurting blood everywhere.

Gideon raised his bottle. “We all have moments.”

“Not like that.” He’d tried to keep working on the teen, but there was no way. His team had stepped in and another doctor had seen to the kid. Gabriel had stabilized his own bleeding until the crisis was over and he could be looked at without endangering anyone. Unfortunately, he’d lost more blood than anyone had realized.

“I ended up having to be admitted myself,” he grumbled, then swore. “What was I thinking?”

“You weren’t,” his brother reminded him. “You were reacting.”

“Not well and not in the right way.” There was no point in reliving a past he couldn’t change. “I was lucky—there’s no permanent damage. It hurts like a son of a bitch. My CO told me it was time to go home on leave, so here I am.” Otherwise he would have worked through the holidays, like he did every year. He always volunteered to stay so others could be with their families. This time he hadn’t had a choice.

“I’m sorry you got hurt, but I’m glad you’re here,” Gideon told him.

“You want someone to take the pressure off with Dad around.”

“That, too. Although I figure we can throw Carter in his direction. From what everyone tells me, grandparents can’t resist grandkids.”

An interesting plan. “You’re not worried about what the old man might do to your kid?”

Gideon smiled. “Nope. Felicia will protect him. She’s tough and fierce. I wouldn’t want to go up against her.”

“Good to know. Then I’ll stay out of her way.”

“Just don’t threaten Carter and me and you’ll be fine. Oh, I guess the dog falls under that umbrella now.”

Gabriel started to say something, but the word umbrella reminded him of the woman he’d met earlier. Noelle, who’d been willing to defend her friend’s house with nothing more than bravado and an umbrella.

He was glad she’d seen the error of her attack. Had there been a real intruder, she would have been in trouble. But he’d been no threat and he had to admit she’d been an unexpected distraction.

For a moment he allowed himself to wonder how his evening would have been different if she’d been the one sitting out here with him instead of his brother. He grinned. For one thing, they wouldn’t be so far apart. And they sure wouldn’t be talking.

“What are your plans for after the holidays?” Gideon asked. “Staying in?”

By in his brother meant the army. His smile faded.

“I don’t know,” he admitted.

He’d always planned to stick around long enough to get his twenty years. He would still be young enough to move into a regular job at a hospital. But lately, he wasn’t sure he wanted to. Or could.

It was the flights, he thought grimly. Those years of shepherding injured soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan. They were in no position to be moved, but needed the more intense care only a permanent military hospital could provide. So they were patched up and flown out. He and his team spent the hours dealing with one crisis after another. The conditions were cramped, the patients critical. Space and weight limited the equipment.

When he hadn’t been on the flights, he’d been working in field hospitals. Those on the front line suffered from PTSD, while those who cared for them battled compassion fatigue. Watching the endless parade of injured, continually fighting against impossible odds without ever knowing who lived and who died, left a person drained. Even his rotations to the hospital in Germany didn’t provide much relief.

Gabriel knew that was where he was now. Exhausted and empty. Which increased the likelihood that a person made mistakes and he had the hand injury to prove it. He needed to get away. His brother’s invitation had provided a place. Going to spend time with the family at the holidays required no explanation.

The door to the house slid open. Felicia stepped out into the night. She crossed to Gideon and placed her hand on his shoulder. He put his fingers on hers.

“I’m sorry to interrupt,” she said, her voice quiet. “I wanted to give the two of you plenty of time to connect. A strong relationship between brothers would be beneficial to each of you and it would provide Carter with a view of how siblings interact.”

Gideon smiled. “How could I have resisted you?”

Felicia smiled. “You didn’t—at least not physically. It was your resistance at giving your heart that was the cause of your delay in admitting your feelings. I’m glad you’re more open now We’re going to have children and I want Carter to be comfortable as a brother, but also a member of the family. I don’t want him to worry he’s being pushed out.”

“Which is not what you came out to tell us.”

“No. Your parents just called.”

Gabriel felt the tension in his shoulders. “Giving us an ETA?”

Felicia looked at him. “Yes. They’re so excited about meeting me and Carter that they decided to drive straight through. They’re only an hour or so outside of town.” She returned her attention to her husband. “I knew you’d want to mentally prepare for their arrival.”

Gideon’s humor faded. He was on his feet in a second, already moving toward the far end of the deck. About fifteen yards away, he stopped and turned back.

Gabriel recognized the need to bolt. He was feeling it, too. Unfortunately he didn’t have anywhere to go. Although he remembered seeing a couple of hotels in town.

No, he told himself. He wouldn’t leave tonight. But the morning was a whole other matter.

* * *

The Boylan family could trace their service roots back to the Civil War. Each generation of Boylan men enlisted. They weren’t officers, they were never famous for their exploits, but they gave to their country and had the medals to show for their courage.

Gideon had wanted to be a soldier from the time he was little, but Gabriel had wanted something else. As a boy he’d dreamed of seeing the world, of visiting great museums and studying other cultures. Gideon had been loud and athletic. Gabriel had preferred reading to playing in the tree-house fort their father had built in one of their many backyards. He’d preferred theater to baseball and debate to football.

The summer he and his brother turned fifteen, his father had taken him for a long hike. When they were alone in the woods, the older Boylan had demanded to know if Gabriel was gay.

Gabriel knew he was different from his brother and his father, but there were other guys like him. Guys who wanted more than hitting a ball. And it had nothing to do with whether or not he liked girls.

He’d said he wasn’t and had known his father didn’t believe him. On the bright side, when Gideon got caught with a cheerleader in the back of the family car, he’d been grounded for a month. When Gabriel had been found with the pastor’s daughter in a very compromising situation, he’d gotten a slap on the back and unexpected praise. So there had been compensations.

But on the whole, it hadn’t been easy being his father’s son. Now, all these years later, as he waited in the cold for his parents to arrive, Gabriel told himself there was no need to head for the hills. Or in this case, the mountains. He might not have his brother’s Special Forces training, but he figured he could make a run at surviving for a few weeks on his own. Not that disappearing that way was an option.

They were all lined up on the porch. Even Webster, who had no idea why the pack was shivering in the cold but happy to be a part of things.

An aging Ford Explorer pulled up in front of the house and parked. Gabriel watched the couple that stepped out.

His first thought was that they were older than he remembered. It had been years and the time showed—more on his father than his mother. His second thought was that his father seemed smaller somehow. Not the imposing figure he’d always been.

It wasn’t easy to grow up with a drill sergeant for a father. There were expectations for behavior in the community that other kids didn’t have. Norman Boylan had always been more bogeyman than parent, at least when Gabriel had been young. Now, looking at the man, he realized that he was at least two inches taller. His father wasn’t a threat anymore—he was little more than a man close to sixty who had once been the center of his sons’ small world.

Gabriel’s mother, Karen, was still pretty. There’d always been a softness to her and he saw that now as she took in the sight of both her boys. Then her gaze shifted to Carter and tears filled her blue eyes.

She’d been the one who comforted, the one who tried to explain why their father had made the rules he had and enforced them with an iron fist. Gideon had accepted her hugs and kisses, then run off, healed. But Gabriel had resisted, asking why instead of apologizing for their father, she didn’t try to change him. He remembered she’d said changing a man wasn’t so easy and when he got older he would understand.

Felicia and Carter were the first ones down the stairs. Karen hugged her future daughter-in-law, then put her hands on Carter’s shoulders. Webster joined them, racing to Norman’s side. Gabriel half expected his father to ignore the bounding puppy. Instead, he crouched down and petted him, then ordered him to sit. Webster, like any young recruit, did what he was told.

“We’ll go into town and get drunk,” Gideon said as he and Gabriel started down the stairs.

“How about we get drunk in Morocco?”

Gideon flashed him a smile, then stepped onto the path and held out his hand to his father. Gabriel did the same. What they said was “Dad” but the tone was “sir.”

Norman didn’t try to hug them. He studied each of them in turn, stepping back when their mother rushed toward them.

“My boys,” she cried, holding out her arms to them and pulling them close.

She hung on for a long time. Gabriel gently patted her back, waiting for all the emotion to pass. Finally she stepped away and wiped her tears.

“I can’t believe how long it’s been since we were all together,” she said, her voice trembling. “This is so wonderful.” She turned to Felicia. “Thank you for inviting us.”

“We’re happy to have you,” Felicia murmured.

Gabriel waited. From what he’d seen, Felicia usually said more. A statement or two on the importance of the family unit or an unexpected observation about connection. But there was nothing else.

Gideon leaned close. “She’s trying to tone things down for the folks.”

“They’re going to find out you’re marrying a genius sooner or later.”

“She wants it later so she doesn’t scare them off.”

“She’s great. They’ll like her.”

“That’s what I said,” Gideon told him. “But she won’t listen.”

Gabriel wanted to take her aside and point out that Gideon wasn’t looking for their approval, but doubted that would make her feel better. She would have to figure it out for herself.

They moved into the house. Norman fell back to keep pace with Gabriel.

“Still slacking off at the cushy hospital job?” his father asked, slapping him on the back.

Gabriel thought about the horrors he saw, the hours he worked and how there was never an easy day. He remembered the countless times he’d been forced to tell a brave, young solder that yes, his leg, arm, eye or more was gone. He thought of the screams and the blood and knew there was no point in talking about any of it.

“Still slacking off,” he said, shutting the door behind him.

* * *

Noelle hurried toward Brew-haha. Her friends had invited her for coffee before she opened her store. While she was busy, she’d never thought to say no. Since moving to Fool’s Gold, she’d met wonderful women who were very much a part of her life. They had sustained her in ways they didn’t even know about.

She walked in the coffee house right on time and saw that Patience, Felicia and Isabel were already at a table together. There was a plate of muffins, a latte at each place and a slightly guilty expression on each of their faces. Noelle had no idea what was up but she knew the guilt didn’t come from eating an extra muffin that morning.

“Hi,” she said as she took her seat. “What’s up?”

Patience slumped in her seat. “I’m so bad at this. I just can’t keep a secret. Not from anyone I care about. I’m a blabber. It doesn’t matter if I don’t say anything—it shows on my face.”

Felicia studied her. “In the gambling world, it’s called a tell. The twitch of a muscle or a nostril flare. I could show you what you’re doing and teach you how to control your involuntary reaction.”

“Or she could simply accept the fault and move on,” Isabel said cheerfully. She picked up her latte. “I’m just saying.”

“I don’t think I’m very trainable,” Patience admitted.

Noelle relaxed and reached for a muffin. Obviously whatever was up with her friends wasn’t a crisis.

“If you want to try, I’m here for you,” Felicia said, then she cleared her throat. “Gideon’s parents arrived last night.”

“They weren’t due for a couple of days,” Isabel said. “Or did I get that wrong?”

“They were early,” Felicia admitted.

Noelle thought about Gabriel and how tired he’d been yesterday. She didn’t know the man very well, but from the little she’d seen, he wasn’t exactly a family kind of guy.

“Did everything go okay?” she asked.

“It was awkward,” Felicia admitted. “Norman and Karen seem very nice, but there hasn’t been much contact between all of them in a while, so that makes a difficult situation worse. Carter is thrilled and Webster offers an excellent distraction. We talked for a couple of hours, then we all went to bed.”

She held on to her mug. “This morning Norman was up and fixing breakfast at six. I found him easy to talk to but then I don’t have any kind of past with him. It’s going to be more difficult for Gideon and his brother.”

“Can we help?” Patience asked. “Host a dinner or something?”

Isabel nodded. “Ford is a master at dealing with a big family and we can all be buffers. Just say the word.”

Noelle nodded, not wanting to say anything in case she sounded too eager. Because where there were Felicia’s soon-to-be in-laws, there was also likely to be a certain handsome doctor. Maybe he would like her to rub his back or gaze adoringly into his eyes. She was up for either. Or something more adult.

Which only went to show she had been manless for far too long.

“Thank you,” Felicia said. “I appreciate the show of friendship.” She pressed her lips together. “Enough about me. We wanted to talk to Noelle for a reason and she has to be at her store soon.”

The three women turned to her. Noelle had a sudden need to worry about having something stuck in her teeth. “What? Don’t freak me out. This is my busy period. I couldn’t take the pressure.”

Patience reached for her hand. “We have something to tell you.”

“It’s a good thing,” Isabel added quickly, then sighed. “The best.”

“We’re getting married,” Felicia added.

Noelle exhaled a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. She squeezed Patience’s fingers, then picked up her latte. “Duh. You’re all wearing engagement rings. I’m blinded on a regular basis.”

It was true. Each of them sported a diamond ring of impressive size. Noelle resisted the urge to cover her face and moan, “My eyes, my eyes.” But she wasn’t sure her friends would get the humor.

“You know I’m happy for each of you, right?” She sipped. “Do you worry I’m upset?”

“No,” Isabel told her. “It’s not that at all.”

“Then?”

“We’re getting married at Christmas,” Patience said in a rush. “Christmas Eve. After the Dance of the Winter King.”

“Oh, wow. That’s great.”

Noelle had never seen the Dance of the Winter King, but she’d heard all about it. Fool’s Gold did Christmas in style. Christmas Eve day began with a live nativity and ended with the production, put on by the local ballet school. Afterward those attending went to midnight services at the various churches around town.

“We haven’t told anyone,” Felicia added. “Our fiancés know, of course, and Dellina. She’s assisting us in planning the weddings. We thought with having everyone already at the convention center, it would be convenient.”

Isabel rolled her eyes. “And romantic. It will be a surprise.”

“But we wanted you to know,” Patience added.

“Thanks for telling me. This is a great idea. I can’t wait.” Noelle felt a slight twinge and knew that was about wanting to be in love herself. While she was totally happy for her friends, she wanted a little of that love magic, too.

It would happen, she told herself firmly. She only had to believe. She knew that life was a precious gift. She was going to enjoy all of it, including her friends’ triple wedding.

“We want you to be our attendant,” Felicia told her.

Isabel grinned. “Look at it this way. You only have to buy one hideous dress.” She held up her hands. “And it won’t be hideous, I promise. I’ve already pulled three different dresses that are great.”

“I’m honored,” Noelle said sincerely. “For all of you thinking of me. This is going to be such a surprise for everyone. Let me know if you need any help with anything.”

“You’re extremely busy with your store,” Felicia pointed out. “But your offer of assistance is very supportive. Thank you.” She smiled. “Consuelo also offered to help, but I knew she didn’t mean it. She was backing out of the door as she said it.” The smile broadened. “Maybe I’ll invite her to be a bridesmaid.”

Patience’s eyes widened. “Are they to that point?”

Isabel shook her head. “I’m sure Kent would propose in a heartbeat, but Consuelo needs a little more time to settle into what she calls the hell of being normal.”

Noelle chuckled. “That sounds like her.” She glanced at the time on her cell phone and groaned. “I have to get the store open. Thanks for telling me your secret. I’ll keep it to myself. And thank you for making my first ever Fool’s Gold Christmas even more special.”

Noelle waved as she dashed out and headed for her store.

She was pleased to find she really was genuinely happy for her friends. They were all in love with terrific men. Men she had absolutely no interest in. She told herself that what she would take from the upcoming wedding was that love was in the air and if she was lucky, she would catch a little for herself.

She turned on 4th Street and raced toward her store. She still had to restock the stack of throws she kept by the stuffed animals. They had been a last-minute addition to her inventory and were huge sellers. Apparently, Christmas was when everyone wanted an extra blanket or two to toss on the sofa.

She was reaching for her keys when she saw someone standing outside of her store. A tall, handsome someone with piercing blue eyes and a smile that made her stomach start the Macarena.

“What are you doing here?” she asked Gabriel as she approached. “Did you decide you really need a nativity made out of local gourds?”

Gabriel stared at her. “You have one of those?”

“Of course. I pride myself on stocking the unusual.”

“Or the extremely strange.”

“It’s Christmas,” she pointed out. “Or it will be in six weeks. When else would someone want a gourd-based nativity?”

As she spoke, she opened the front door and flipped on the lights. He followed her inside. She turned on the trains, then started the music. She was unwinding her scarf when she shifted back to find him standing in the middle of the store.

He looked better than he had. More rested, less gray. Although he still seemed tired. The shadows remained in residence beneath his eyes.

“What’s up?” she asked, shrugging out of her coat.

“I want to talk to you about a job.”

She laughed. “Right. If you’re looking for a present for your mom, I can give you some suggestions. We have some really pretty ornaments she might like.”

She disappeared into the back room to put her coat away and tuck her handbag into her desk’s bottom drawer. When she straightened, Gabriel was standing close enough that she could see the various colors of blue that made up his irises. She could inhale the clean scent of him and catch a hint of the heat the man generated.

“I want to come work for you,” he said.

“That’s insane. You’re a doctor. This is retail. I sell Christmas stuff.”

“I know what you do. You need help and I need...”

She waited, confident this had to be a joke. When he didn’t speak, she shook her head. “I’m sure they would be thrilled to have you volunteer your services at the local hospital.”

“I need a break from that. You’re looking for someone to stock shelves and work the cash register. I can do that.”

“You’re injured.”

“Just my left hand. I’m right-handed.”

She put her hands on her hips. “What’s going on? Are you filming this for a YouTube video? Famous doctor punks innocent store owner? I’m not eating a live bug for you.”

“No live bugs.”

“Not a dead one, either.”

“Why can’t I apply for the job?”

“Because you’re grossly overqualified.” She touched his arm. “What is this about?” she asked again.

He drew in a breath and stared into her eyes. “I need to be doing something with my day. I’m stuck here for over a month and I have nothing to do. I can’t work in a hospital right now.” He opened his mouth, then closed it. “I can’t.”

Noelle hated to admit she didn’t know all that much about the wars her country had been fighting for over a decade. She saw what was on the news and those special reports on the magazine shows, but that was it. Her only firsthand knowledge came from what she’d learned from the men her friends had gotten involved with.

This past year a bodyguard school had opened in town. The principals were all highly trained former military people who had risked their lives to protect those at home. Isabel’s fiancé, Ford, had been a SEAL. Consuelo had served and done secret stuff, Gideon had been in the army, and so on.

She’d heard bits and pieces, knew there were ghosts and nightmares and the kind of damage that couldn’t always be seen. It made sense those helping the injured would suffer in their own way.

“I’m going to make a series of statements,” she said slowly. “I’d like you to respond to them.”

“Now you sound like Felicia.”

“I should be so lucky.” She drew in a breath. “You’re in town because of your hand and maybe what you do for a living. It’s something you need a break from.”

He nodded cautiously.

She hesitated, feeling her way through an emotional minefield. “You don’t see your family very much.”

Another nod.

“So being around them is intense. And parents are inherently complicated. Plus there’s the whole they don’t know Carter and what do they want from you.”

Nod.

“My amazingly charming store has a good emotional vibration and you feel comfortable here. Plus, you’re really excited about the gourd nativity. Did you know they’re made by a guy named Lars, a local farrier, who also trims Heidi’s goat’s hooves.”

His mouth curved up. “Now you’re making stuff up.”

“I’m not.” She paused. “You really want to stock my shelves and ring up my purchases?” Noelle had to press her lips together as she wondered why a perfectly normal question suddenly sounded incredibly dirty.

“It would be the highlight of my holiday season.”

“I can’t pay much more than minimum wage.”

“Not a problem.”

“Even though you don’t need this job, I have to be able to depend on you.”

“I promise not to go snowboarding without clearing it with you first. But the day after Christmas, I’m gone.”

“My busy season ends the day before Christmas, so we don’t seem to have a timing issue.” She hesitated, sure there was something she was missing. Only she couldn’t figure out what it was. The bottom line was she needed help and a responsible, attractive man was offering. She couldn’t think of a single reason to say no.

“Okay then. I guess you’re hired.”

Chapter 4

Noelle opened the store the next morning with an expected burst of anticipation and enthusiasm. Sadly, she knew the cause. In a perfect world, she would be able to fool herself for at least a few days. But she’d never been very good at convincing herself of anything that wasn’t true. She had always had a streak of realism that now reared its ugly head.

She had a thing for Gabriel. The handsome, wounded doctor pushed all her buttons. He was funny, nice, kind and elusive. Or in the feline vernacular—catnip.

She didn’t know why it had to be like that. Why couldn’t she be wildly attracted to some normal, local guy who’d been living here for fifteen generations and wanted to get married and have five kids? She supposed one of the reasons was that she hadn’t met anyone like that.

“Well, if I do, I’m all over him,” she murmured as she went through her pre-opening ritual. She turned up the heat, made sure the trains were running, checked the selection of Christmas music on her iPod and then moved toward the cash register. She had just finished counting ones, fives and tens when someone knocked on the still-locked front door.

Her stomach gave her a name before she even looked up. Sure enough, Gabriel stood there, right on time, still tall and, worse, smiling.

“Hi,” she said, unfastening the lock and letting him in. “You’re here.”

“As promised.”

“That’s nice. Where did you park? I like to save the spaces out front for customers.”

He shrugged out of his coat. There was a light dusting of snow on his hair and he wore a navy sweater that brought out the deeper blue tones of his eyes. He could have stepped out of one of those funny “woman to woman” Christmas cards.

“I walked.”

She stared at him. “Down the mountain? It’s, like, five miles or more. Are you insane? It’s freezing cold and snowing. You can’t walk that far in this weather. Oh, my God, I’ve hired a crazy person.”

He dropped his coat onto the counter and put his hands on her shoulders. “Breathe.”

“I’m not going to faint.”

“No, you’re going to pop a blood vessel. Breathe.”

She was less interested in breathing than the feel of his large hands holding her. If only he would pull her closer or maybe cop a feel, she thought wistfully.

“I’m staying in town,” he said. “My parents rented a little apartment for the holidays. It’s not much more than a studio. They decided to stay at Gideon’s when they saw how much room he had, so I took the rental instead.” He dropped his arms to his sides and shrugged. “It’s plenty big enough for me and they get more time with Carter.”

She decided not to comment on the sudden lack of hands on her arm and instead focused on the conversation. “It was getting too intense?” she asked.

He grimaced. “My mother carted photo albums with her. Last night we relived our childhood, year by year.”

“There had to be happy times.”

“There were. When we were younger, we moved around a lot. Once my dad became a drill sergeant, we settled.”

Which didn’t exactly say when the happy times were. “Camp Pendleton?”

He smiled. “Don’t let my dad hear you say that. That’s in San Diego and it’s the marines. We’re army. We were at Fort Knox, Kentucky.”

Somewhere she had never been. “I’m sure it was lovely.”

“That’s one way to describe it.” The smile faded. “My dad and I were never close. He was a tough guy and I wasn’t a tough kid.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I got through it then and I’ll get through it now. It’s only for a few weeks, right?”

She nodded, thinking how much she wanted to tell him to be grateful he had family at all. She’d never known her dad—he’d run off before she’d been born. But that had been okay because she’d been raised by her grandmother and her mother. The two women had been warm and loving and she’d had a blessed and happy childhood.

Even after she’d moved to Los Angeles for law school, they’d stayed close. The two women had driven out to spend every summer with her. They’d been there to celebrate with her when she’d landed her first real job at a prestigious law firm in Century City and had screamed and celebrated with her when she’d passed the bar.

Only they’d been killed during a twenty-five-car pileup on I-10 while driving back to Florida. Noelle missed them every day of her life and would give anything to have them back.

But she’d also learned that telling people that only made them feel guilty. That Gabriel would have to figure out for himself the need to appreciate what he had, while he had it.

“All right,” she said. “Let’s get you settled. I’ll show you where to put your stuff. I need you to fill out a W-4 for my accountant and then I’ll give you a tour of the store.”

Fifteen minutes later, it was official. Gabriel Boylan was an employee of The Christmas Attic.

She walked him through the basic layout. “I keep baskets up front,” she said, showing him the stack of lightweight oval baskets. “Most of what we carry is small. Encourage the baskets. Otherwise, when a customer gets her hands full, she tends to head for the register.”

“Makes sense.”

“You can see we have sections. Ornaments and home decorating over there, the nativities on that wall.”

“Including gourds?”

“You think I’m kidding. You need to go check it out.”

“I will.”

“The bears are over there, with all the kid stuff close by. We have some books, but mostly send people looking for Christmas books over to Morgan’s.”

“Don’t you want to have Christmas books here?” he asked.

“No. Not with a perfectly good bookstore less than a block away. I’m not stepping on any toes. What if every other store started carrying ornaments and teddy bears?”

“Or this,” Gabriel said, picking up a Santa pin from a display.

She leaned close and moved the hidden switch on the back. Santa’s nose lit up.

Gabriel stared at the bright nose and slowly shook his head. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Something along the lines of, ‘Why Mrs. Smith, your mother, aunt, granddaughter will love that pin, I’m sure.’”

He nodded and turned off the switch, then returned the pin to the display. “Point taken.”

She was pleased with his response and even more excited to see there wasn’t any blood on the bandage.

“Then there’s the bear section.”

He followed her around the corner and came to a stop. “I saw this before, but it seems bigger.”

“I’ve put out a few more. Bears sell.”

Three large sets of shelves rose to the faux rafters. Each shelf was crowded with different stuffed animals, mostly bears. Brown bears and white bears, bears that were fuzzy and plaid. Some played music and some you just wanted to squeeze.

“I have a layout in the stockroom,” she said, leading the way. “That will help you when you have to put things out. And now I’ll teach you the mysteries of the cash register.”

Gabriel learned the system quickly. Noelle had chosen a credit card service that didn’t give as many reports, but was a whole lot easier to deal with on a daily basis. Right at ten, she unlocked the front door and let in a couple of waiting customers.

The next few hours passed quickly. There was a steady stream of business. Just before noon, a pretty woman came into the store. She had short brown hair and looked to be in her late fifties. Noelle was about to greet her when she saw Gabriel staring at the woman. Something in his expression told her this wasn’t just any customer.

Noelle walked over. “Hi. Welcome to The Christmas Attic.”

Gabriel glanced between them. “Noelle, this is my mother, Karen Boylan. Mom, this is Noelle Perkins. She owns the store.”

“It’s lovely,” Karen said, unbuttoning her coat. Underneath she wore a bright purple sweatshirt with a shell logo and the words Blackberry Island. In smaller print, the sweatshirt proclaimed Stay for the Wine.

“Great color,” Noelle said. “Where is Blackberry Island?”

“Washington State. Just north and west of Seattle. Norm and I went there a couple of years ago. We did the whole west coast, heading north through the summer. Then we drove home. It was a very nice trip.”

“It sounds like it.”

Karen turned to her son. “Your dad and I sent you a few postcards.”

Gabriel nodded. “Right. They were great.” He looked at Noelle. “I should run those errands now. Before it gets too busy. I’ll be back.”

He was gone before she could ask what on earth he was talking about. Seconds later he was in his jacket and heading out the front door.

She opened her mouth, then closed it when she saw Karen’s face had settled into lines of deep sadness.

“That was my fault,” his mother said. “He’s running away from me. I don’t want you to think badly of him.”

“I won’t,” Noelle said, then glanced around the store. It was quiet, at least for the moment. “Why don’t I fix us both some tea?”

She led Karen into the back room and filled two mugs with water. After putting them in the microwave, she turned to Gabriel’s mother and offered a slight smile.

“How are you settling in for your stay?”

Karen blinked several times and drew a breath. “Fine. It’s beautiful here. What a sweet little town. Norm and I have traveled a lot and we’ve never been anywhere like this. I’m excited about all the festivals.”

“Me, too,” Noelle told her. “I moved here in the spring, so this will be my first Christmas. I hear it’s crazy busy. There’s a parade on Thanksgiving and the day of giving. I plan to throw myself in the center of all of it.”

“That’s a good attitude.”

“Thanks.” Noelle noticed the other woman’s earrings. “Are those garnets?”

“Yes.” Karen touched the earrings. “They’re part of a set that’s been handed down in Norm’s family. There were only boys in his generation so I was fortunate enough to inherit them. There are several other pieces—a necklace, bracelet and ring. I love them.” She twisted her hands together. “Have you known my son long?”

“Not at all. I met him shortly after he arrived.” She thought of the umbrella incident and grinned. “He’s a good guy, though.”

“I think so. His father... Growing up, the boys weren’t as close to Norm as I would have liked. There were a lot of rules. I suppose I should have stepped in more. Been a buffer. Norm tended to run the house the way he ran his recruits.”

The conversation was that awkward combination of vague and intimate, Noelle thought, grateful when the microwave beeped and she could busy herself making tea.

“He’s mellowed,” Karen continued. “But I’m afraid it might be too little, too late. I was hoping this trip would help us reconnect as a family. Gabriel said he wasn’t coming but then he hurt his hand and changed his mind. I took that as a sign.”

She paused. “Sorry. I’m going on and on.”

“It’s fine,” Noelle told her, handing over a mug of tea. “Have you talked to Felicia? She’s great and may know more about where your sons are coming from.”

Karen’s expression relaxed. “I know. She’s wonderful. So intelligent, but still very warm. Being with Gideon can’t be easy—not after all he’s been through. And then dealing with Carter. Not many women would be so accepting of having a thirteen-year-old boy suddenly show up, but she’s embracing it.”

“What do you think of Carter?” Noelle asked.

“I can’t get enough of him. I wish I’d had the chance to meet his mother. Norm is in heaven with Carter. And he’s bonding with Webster, which surprises me. My husband is not a pet person.”

Karen sipped her tea. “So my son is working here?”

“I know, strange, right? It’s just while he’s in town. I think he wants to be distracted.”

“And avoid us,” Karen said, before holding up her hand. “You don’t have to disagree with me. We both know he moved into town to have a little less family time. I accept my part in what happened. Now I have to change it.”

Noelle found herself liking Gabriel’s mother. She’d obviously made some difficult choices and was now accepting the consequences.

“You know,” Karen said slowly, “Gabriel isn’t seeing anyone. At least as far as I know. He’s never married.” She paused. “Oh, dear. I’m turning into a meddling mother. That can’t be good.”

Noelle laughed. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell. And while I appreciate the sales job, I’m not sure Gabriel is my type.”

“You worry he has commitment issues? He’s reached that age where I’m starting to wonder why he’s not married.”

Noelle hadn’t thought of that. “I’m more worried that he’s leaving. I want something more traditional. A husband who plans to stick around.”

Karen nodded. “I understand. Speaking as a woman who’s been married for thirty-five years, when it works, there’s nothing better.”

“And when it doesn’t?”

Karen chuckled. “It helps to have girlfriends who are willing to listen. Are you free for Thanksgiving?”

The change of subject startled Noelle. “What? Yes.” Each of her friends had invited her over, but she’d declined. They were all newly in love and forming family traditions. She wasn’t comfortable being a part of that.

“Please join us for Thanksgiving dinner,” Karen told her. “Felicia is cooking and I’m going to help. It’s just the six of us. Very casual. You seem to understand Gabriel, and I think he would like a friend around.”

Noelle wasn’t sure if she could be considered a friend, but she liked the assumption. With Felicia’s future in-laws and Gabriel in the house, not to mention Carter, Felicia and Gideon weren’t expecting a romantic evening. In truth, Noelle wouldn’t mind being with other people and hanging out with Gabriel would be interesting.

“Thank you,” she said. “That would be nice.”

She made a mental note to call Felicia and let her know about the invitation.

* * *

Gabriel returned about three minutes after his mother left. Noelle put her hands on her hips. “You were lurking.”

“Maybe,” he said, sounding unrepentant.

“She’s your mother and she loves you. Talk to her.”

“We talk.”

“All evidence to the contrary?”

He ignored that and put his coat away. When he returned to the main part of the store, she wanted to say more, but several customers chose that moment to step in from the cold.

A little after noon Ana Raquel Hopkins breezed in with a basket of sandwiches. Ana Raquel, a young and talented chef, had run a food trailer all summer. She’d fed locals and tourists alike out by the park. The changing weather and an unfortunate accident—a car backed into her trailer—had ended her seasonal business prematurely. Now she worked up at the Café with her fiancé and did a sandwich delivery to the local businesses in town.

“So, you’re new,” the petite blonde said as she walked over to Gabriel.

Noelle held in her humor as she watched him deal with the larger-than-life personality that was Ana Raquel.

“Yes,” he said slowly.

“But you look familiar.” She snapped her fingers. “Oh, right. You’re that old guy’s brother. The one on the radio. Gideon.”

“We’re twins,” Gabriel said drily.

“I’m one, too.” Ana Raquel apparently missed the point of his tone as she studied his face. “Not identical, right? Because you don’t look alike. Fayrene and I are identical. Less now than when we were little.”

“Because you’re so big now?”

She grinned. “You’re upset because I said you were old. I’m sure your wife thinks you’re totally hot.”

“I’m not married.”

“Huh. Not ever?”

Gabriel drew a deep breath. “No.”

“Wow. You’re brave. Because seriously, you’re reaching the age when people start to ask questions if you’ve never been married. Like is there something wrong with you.” She paused expectantly.

Noelle stayed by the counter, where she could keep an eye on customers while watching the show.

“There’s nothing wrong with me,” Gabriel said, his teeth clenched.

Ana Raquel tilted her head. Her long ponytail slipped across one shoulder. “If you say so,” she murmured, her voice making it clear she wasn’t convinced. She turned back to Noelle and handed over two bagged lunches. “Be careful with that one,” she said in a loud whisper. “I think he might not be right in the head.”

Noelle nodded solemnly. “Thanks for the warning.”

Ana Raquel left.

Noelle did her best not to burst into laughter as she passed over one of the bags. “I forgot to mention I provide lunch, or she does.”

Gabriel stared at the bag. “She cooks?”

“Yes, and incredibly well. She and her fiancé wrote a cookbook. A Fool’s Gold Cookbook. You can buy it anywhere in town.” She pointed to the small display in front of the cash register.

He walked over and picked up the book. “This is her?”

She waved the sack lunch. “Trust me, you’ll love it. Their sandwiches are always so interesting. And there’s yummy salad.”

“Not just any salad? Yummy salad?”

“I accept that you have to mock me to regain your sense of power because she called you old.”

“She called my brother old,” he clarified.

“You’re the same age.”

“Not the point.” He took one of the lunches. “You’re sure she’s able to do this without adult supervision?”

“Very funny. You’re going to love it.” She paused. “By the way, your mother also worries that you’re too old to never have been married.”

He groaned. “Please be kidding.”

“Sorry, no. By the way, she also asked me to join your family for Thanksgiving.”

He stared at her intently. “Please tell me you said yes.”

“I said yes.”

“You’ll come early?”

“You’re that worried about spending a day with the family?”

“Holidays are brutal.”

She smiled. “Fine. I’ll come early. Go eat your lunch. Then you need to stock shelves.”

He picked up one of the bags. “We’re having a run on gourd nativities?”

“You’d be surprised.”

He started to leave, then turned back to her. His bandaged hand came up and lightly grazed her cheek. She felt the heat of his touch all the way down to her toes. The contact was as unexpected as her visceral reaction.

“Thank you,” he murmured.

“You’re welcome.”

She thought about mentioning he could thank her in other ways. Like kissing. Or walking around shirtless. But he just headed for the back room, apparently unaffected by their brief contact.

Just what every woman needed for the holidays, she thought dreamily. A man crush.

* * *

Thanksgiving morning Gabriel sat on his brother’s front steps, sipping coffee and ignoring the cold. His mother had insisted he show up for breakfast. The request had been unexpected and he hadn’t had time to figure out a lie. So he’d been stuck arriving at eight.

It hadn’t snowed for a couple of days, so the roads were clear. A good thing considering Noelle was driving up by herself. As he watched the driveway, waiting to see her arrive, he realized they hadn’t discussed a time. Early could mean a lot of things, especially considering dinner wasn’t until five that afternoon.

He continued to hold on to his mug of rapidly cooling coffee, pleased he could almost stand the pressure of the cup against his wound. He was healing. The searing pain was just a dull ache. The stitches pulled when he moved. Good signs. His work at the store hadn’t set him back at all. Not that he cared if it did—he liked what he did at The Christmas Attic.

He’d taken the job on an impulse. Keeping busy meant less time to think—something he appreciated. In his regular job there was too much thinking. Too much worrying. Once a crisis hit, there was only reacting, then later, second-guessing. Folding throws and making sure the teddy bears were in a straight line would get old in time, but for these few weeks, the job was exactly what he needed. A place to retreat.

When he had his flashbacks—the sound of an explosion somewhere out of sight—he was able to stay calm. He kept breathing and the urgent sense of having to go help, to save, bled away with the sound. He was left back in this time and went on with his day.

Now he turned toward the driveway, but no car appeared. Damn.

He wanted to see her, he realized. Not just for the way she would be a buffer between himself and his parents, but because she would make him laugh. She would poke fun at him and breeze in and out with a graceful sway of her narrow hips. She would be endlessly patient, as she often was at the store. She didn’t care that some old lady took nearly an hour to pick out two ornaments with a combined value of less than ten dollars. She wanted every customer to be happy, whatever it took.

Integrity, he thought, finishing his coffee. She had integrity. And long legs, he mused, thinking how good they would feel wrapped around him as he—

Gabriel slammed the door on that line of thinking. No, he told himself firmly. That wasn’t going to happen. For one thing, Noelle was sweet and soft and not the kind of woman who thought sex was a game. For another, there were no secrets in Fool’s Gold. He’d figured that out the first day. If he slept with her, everyone would know. Then he would be gone and she would be left with the consequences. He liked her so he didn’t want to hurt her.

He heard footsteps on the porch behind him. He was hoping the person joining him was his brother. Or even Felicia. He could handle the company of either. He doubted Carter was up yet, otherwise he would take the kid.

But no, he thought as his father settled next to him. His luck wasn’t that good.

“Here,” his dad said, handing over a travel mug. “If you’re going to be fool enough to sit out here, you need to keep warm. Your other coffee will be cold by now.”

“Thanks.”

“You waiting on a woman?”

He was, but didn’t want to have the conversation. It would mean explaining why and that would take both of them places they didn’t want to go. His father had spent his life in the military but had seen little actual combat. It was a timing thing. While Gabriel hadn’t been under live fire, except when the field hospitals were attacked, he’d been plenty close to what went on. Gideon had lived it, of course.

Regardless, their father would feel he was one of them and want to talk about it. Gabriel had never been able to figure out what to say.

“Just enjoying the morning,” he told his father.

Norm nodded. “Beautiful country.”

“So it seems.”

“I heard you had a job in town.”

Gabriel opened the travel mug and drank the hot coffee. Warmth filled his stomach. “Just for the holidays.”

“Retail?”

From the tone it was obvious his father thought retail was as distasteful as having to clean up the local dog park.

“I like it.”

His old man turned to him. “You can’t mean that. You’re a soldier.”

“I’m a doctor and I’m not suggesting a career change. I have a lot of time on my hands. This is good, honest work. Different. Seeing people all excited about the holidays reminds me what the fight is about.”

Most of the words were true, he thought with some surprise. He didn’t have enough to fill his day and the store was unexpectedly pleasant.

“Just don’t get any ideas,” his father grumbled.

“About?”

Gabriel knew it was wrong to bait his father, but did it anyway, even as he continued to watch the driveway.

“Leaving. You’re staying in.”

“You asking or telling?”

“Leaving’s not an option,” Norm told him. “You owe them.”

“I’ve paid that debt. I gave the army what they asked in return for my education.”

“It’s not enough. This isn’t about the letter of the law, it’s about the spirit. You have to do the right thing, boy. That’s how you were raised.”

Gabriel drew in a breath, then faced his father. “You’re saying I can’t leave.”

“Yes. Stay and get your twenty. You’ll still be young enough to get some fancy hospital job and earn your millions.” Each word dripped with distaste.

“You think it’s about the money?”

“What else? It’s like those jet jockeys who take their training to some airline. Disgusting. They should stay in until they’re released. Leaving isn’t right.”

“You think service isn’t a choice? It’s indentured servitude, with pay and medical? Once you sign up, you’re in for life.”

“That’s how it should be,” his father told him. “If you’re thinking of leaving before your twenty, you’re dishonoring this family. I should have known you’d be like this. You never understood the importance of what was right. Never understood the history you’d been born into. When I was your age—”

Whichever of the stories he’d been about to launch into was cut short when Noelle drove around the corner. She managed to stay in the middle of the driveway, right until the end. Gabriel saw the triumph in her blue eyes. Then she hit the brakes a bit too hard and went sliding.

He heard her shriek and guessed she was spinning the wheel too hard. Sure enough there was a sweep to the right, then to the left, all in slow motion. Her car came to a gentle rest against a snowbank by the porch.

He stood and started toward her. Norm stayed on the porch, muttering something about female drivers.

Noelle opened her car door and stepped out.

“That is so unfair,” she yelled. “I was careful. I went slow and it was perfect right up until the end.”

“You hit the brakes too hard.”

She glared at him. “You think?” She turned and kicked her tire. “I’m not good at snow driving. Why is that?”

Instead of answering, he put his travel mug on the roof of her car, then pulled her close. She had on a thick coat and a red knit cap. Her long, blond hair spilled over her shoulders. She looked like a model for a ski ad. Ignoring her inability to travel in bad weather.

He wrapped his arms around her and was pleased when she returned the action, holding on to him.

“If you’re going to mock me, don’t,” she told him, staring into his eyes.

“I’m not.”

Behind them, the front door closed. The older Boylan had gone inside. They were alone.

“Are you going to kiss me?” she asked.

There were a dozen reasons not to kiss her and only a couple as to why he should. But the latter were more compelling. Or maybe it was just because a woman like Noelle wasn’t easy to resist. Either way, he lowered his head just enough to brush his mouth against hers.

Chapter 5

Gabriel’s kiss was sadly brief, Noelle thought as she felt the warmth of his lips on hers. There was contact, a sensation of heat, and then he raised his head. She wanted to insist on more, but perhaps the front yard of his brother’s house with both his parents in residence wasn’t the place.

“Thanks for coming early,” he said.

“You’re welcome. Felicia called me a little bit ago with a last-minute grocery list.” She smiled. “I’ve never heard her so rattled.”

“I wouldn’t know. I’ve been banned from the kitchen. All the men have. This is Felicia’s first Thanksgiving dinner.”

They were still standing very close together. If not for the layers of coats and sweaters, their pose could be considered intimate. She liked how his hands rested on her hips and the way he was looking at her—like a man looks at a woman who intrigues him.

“We should get inside,” he said. “You’re freezing.”

She could stand the cold a little longer but nodded anyway and stepped back. She got the two grocery bags out of her car. Gabriel took them from her and together they walked inside.

The house was bright and warm. So far there weren’t any smells, but it was barely eleven in the morning. If they weren’t eating until five, the turkey wouldn’t have been in the oven very long.

Karen and Felicia stood together talking in the open kitchen. Felicia glanced up and saw Noelle, then hurried toward her.

“You’re here. Thank you for stopping at the store. I don’t know how it’s possible I forgot anything. I made lists and I checked them at least twice.”

“Just like Santa,” Gabriel murmured.

Noelle took in her friend’s slightly frantic expression and did her best not to smile. “It’s okay. I’m happy to help. Where are you in the meal preparation?”

She asked the question before realizing she was hardly an expert. Her lone Thanksgiving cooking experience had been two years ago—shortly after the death of her mother and grandmother. The meal had turned out, but she hadn’t really cared either way.

This was better, she told herself as she took the grocery bags from Gabriel and put them on the counter. This time she was happy and healthy and the meal wasn’t her responsibility.

“I read an article online,” Felicia began as she emptied the bag. “About a woman who does a just-in-case turkey the night before. At the time I remember thinking she was wasting a lot of time, but now I completely understand and I think she’s brilliant. I need a just-in-case turkey.”

Noelle moved next to her friend. “While I’m enjoying the meltdown, because you’re normally so unflappable, let’s be rational for a moment. Has anything happened to make you concerned the turkey won’t turn out?”

“No. It’s only been in an hour. It’s barely started cooking. I followed the directions precisely for cleaning it and then filling it with stuffing.” She turned to Karen. “You were with me, helping. Did it appear everything was in order?”

Gabriel’s mother nodded. “You need to take a breath. There’s no crisis.”

“I forgot whipping cream! Who forgets that? What if I forgot something else?”

Gideon walked into the kitchen and took Felicia in his arms. “Hey,” he said, staring into her green eyes. “I love you. Carter loves you. We have a home and a dog and family. It’s one dinner. Get over it.”

Noelle knew about Felicia and Gideon’s relationship, but she’d never had much of an opportunity to observe it firsthand. Now, as Felicia visibly relaxed in her lover’s arms, Noelle felt a twinge of envy. While she was happy for her friend, she wanted that kind of love for herself. The safety and sense of belonging. Life was short and it was important to hang on to whatever happiness was available.

Her gaze wandered to Gabriel and she sighed. While he was nice eye candy and a surprisingly efficient stock person, he wasn’t anyone she could have a long-term relationship with. He was leaving and she was staying. She had no sense of him wanting to connect in any way. He wasn’t close to his family and according to Ana Raquel and his mother, had nearly reached the age where an explanation on the question “Why aren’t you married?” was going to get awkward.

All reasons to remind herself that he was not good boyfriend material. Not that he’d been, you know, asking.

He turned and caught her studying him. One eyebrow rose in inquiry. The movement was oddly masculine and very sexy. It made her wonder if she was worrying about the wrong thing. So she wasn’t going to marry Gabriel. Big whoop. Maybe she could simply mention they could do the wild thing while he was in town.

Before Noelle could decide if she was being incredibly contemporary in her thinking or simply delusional, Felicia stepped out of Gideon’s embrace.

“You’re right,” she said firmly. “The dinner will be fine. I understand the safest temperature for our dinner, so no one will get food poisoning. Everything after that is simply a bonus.” She glanced at the clock. “We need to get to town or we’ll miss the parade.”

“I thought you were in charge of the festivals,” Karen said as they all moved toward the front of the house.

“I am, but this isn’t technically a festival, so I don’t have to worry about it. However, I will be dealing with the Christmas tree lighting on Saturday.”

Gabriel moved next to Noelle and held out her jacket. “Not a ‘holiday tree’ lighting?” he asked.

“No. Here in Fool’s Gold we’ve decided to throw political correctness to the wind and call it a Christmas tree. I know because there was a very vigorous discussion about that exact topic at the last business association meeting. We took a vote.”

He nodded slowly. “You voted for calling it a Christmas tree.”

“I did.”

The large group was sorted into two cars. Gideon stayed behind to watch the turkey. Noelle saw Felicia whisper something into his ear before they left. She suspected it had nothing to do with cooking.

The trip down the mountain didn’t take long. Felicia directed Norm to a parking lot a few blocks away from the parade route, and they walked the rest of the way. Noelle found herself next to Gabriel, which was nice. She told herself it was because he was tall and broad, so he could block the wind, but in truth, she liked speculating about him. And if that caused a tingle or two, all the better for her.

They stopped by several street carts and bought hot chocolate and popcorn. The sidewalks were crowded with families. Because it was Thanksgiving, there were fewer tourists than usual for a parade, but plenty of residents. It was as if most of the town had turned out to watch.

“Over there,” Felicia said, leading them to a viewing area by the Fox and Hound. The corner spot allowed them to see down two streets.

“Nice,” Norm told her. “You are good at logistics.”

Carter settled on the sidewalk. Karen sat next to him. Norm and Felicia were behind them. Noelle noticed that Gabriel did his best to keep his distance from his father.

She wondered about their relationship. Gabriel hadn’t said that much, but there was obviously tension. Despite the fact that Carter had showed up in Gideon’s life over the summer, Norm and Karen hadn’t come to meet him until a few days before. Felicia had been the one to invite them to visit for the holidays. What had happened to cause both sons to become, if not estranged, then at least disconnected from their parents?

Not a question to ask minutes before the parade started.

She sipped her hot chocolate, grateful for her coat and the sweater she wore beneath. The sky was blue, but the temperature couldn’t be much above freezing. She could see her breath.

Gabriel pointed across the street. “That guy is selling chestnuts,” he said. “Are you sure this town is real?”

“Mostly. I don’t think I like chestnuts. Now, if he had fudge, that would be a different story.”

“You eat chocolate?”

She glanced up at him. “I’m a fully functioning female, so yes. Why are you surprised?” She held out her to-go cup. “Hello, hot chocolate.”

“I thought you only ate healthy stuff.”

Because she was skinny, she thought, knowing that just over three years ago, she’d been curvy and completely happy with her body. Then she’d gotten sick. Weight had seemed to melt off her. It wasn’t exactly a diet she would have recommended to anyone.

In the past year, she’d gained back about a third of what she’d lost. It was slow going, but she was determined that she would see her curves again.

“I love chocolate,” she said firmly, and swallowed the last of her drink. Again, discussing the whys of her thinness wasn’t a subject for this second.

The sound of music drifted to them.

“It’s started,” Carter said, scrambling to his feet. Norm held out his hand to Karen as she stood. They all turned and looked up 4th Street, straining to see the beginning of the parade.

“Are there floats?” Gabriel asked.

“I don’t know. I hope so.”

Felicia glanced at them. “There is the local high school marching band, some vehicles from the fire stations, a few old cars and some oversized balloons.” She shrugged. “I saw the list.”

“That’s it?” Gabriel asked.

Noelle poked him with her elbow. “Attitude, mister. It will be magical. You’ll see.”

“Oversized balloons?”

“Maybe it’s like the Macy’s parade in New York.”

He grinned at her. “I’m sure it’s exactly like that.”

The music got louder. Soon they could see two teenagers with a banner welcoming them to the annual Fool’s Gold Thanksgiving parade. An old convertible went by with Mayor Marsha perched in the back. She waved regally as she passed.

There were a few balloons, including a charming Christmas penguin with a bright red cap.

“Aren’t penguins in the South Pole?” Gabriel murmured in her ear.

“Stop talking.”

“Where it’s summer?”

She looked at him. “You’re not getting into the spirit of this.”

“It’s the best parade I’ve seen in years.”

“You’re just saying that.”

He surprised her by putting his arm around her. “No. I mean it.”

She allowed herself a moment of enjoying the warmth of him next to her, then turned her attention back to the parade. The marching band came by next, blasting a rock version of “Jingle Bells,” then a couple of police cars and a fire truck. The latter had a fireman’s hat on the hood with the number 46 on it. There were wreaths on the side of the truck and a plastic Santa sitting on the bumper.

A block or so away, people started yelling. Noelle turned but couldn’t see what was causing the fuss. The sounds were happy—mostly surprise and delight. She raised herself on tiptoe.

“Can you see what it is?” she asked.

“Not yet,” Gabriel began, then swore softly. “No way,” he said. “No way.”

Felicia glanced up the street. “Oh, that’s right. I forgot about them.”

Norm and Karen both looked at her. “How could you forget?”

Noelle shifted forward, trying to get a look. “Forget what?”

Then the crowd seemed to move back and she had a clear view of Priscilla...dressed as Santa.

“Is that an—” Gabriel began.

“Elephant?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Yes.” Noelle squeezed her hot chocolate cup and danced from foot to foot. “Do you see what she’s wearing? I know it’s just a jacket, but still.”

“How do you get a jacket on an elephant?” Gabriel asked.

“In pieces,” Felicia told him. “They’re held together with industrial-strength hook-and-loop closures.” She turned to Gideon’s parents. “There’s a ranch outside of town. Mostly they have goats, but there is also an elephant, some llamas and other animals. It’s very eclectic, which suits the town.”

Noelle didn’t care about that. She began to cheer at the sight of Priscilla the elephant strolling down the street.

Most of the Stryker family walked with her, each of them dressed for the holidays. Rafe and Shane pulled wagons with their children in them. As Priscilla got closer, Noelle saw that she was trailed by a goat and a pony, each dressed as a Christmas elf.

“I’m never moving,” she said with a sigh.

Gabriel still had his arm around her. Now he pulled her against him. “Was it ever a question?”

“No, but now I’m completely and totally sure.”

* * *

After the parade, the family drove back up the mountain. Once in the house, Felicia headed for the kitchen. Noelle and Karen went with her while the men headed downstairs to watch whatever game was on. The smell of roasting turkey filled the air and made Noelle’s stomach growl.

Felicia crossed to the oven and turned on the light. “It would make me very happy if you could cooperate,” she whispered, then glanced over her shoulder. “I do understand the foolishness of talking to my entrée. I just can’t seem to help myself.”

Karen nodded sympathetically. “I’ve had many a conversation with my meals,” she confessed. “It’s nothing to worry about.”

Carter flew into the kitchen, Webster at his heels.

“I’m going to take him out,” he said, crossing to Felicia and hugging her. “Then I’ll be back. I’m going to peel the potatoes. You remember that, right?”

“Yes. I remember,” Felicia told him.

The boy and the dog headed outside.

When he was gone, Felicia turned to them. “He wants to help. It’s so nice. We’ve been very fortunate with his personality and how he was raised. His mother did an excellent job. I hope when Gideon and I begin a family that I can be half as skilled.”

Karen moved toward her and touched her shoulder. “You’ll do great.”

“I have doubts,” Felicia admitted.

Noelle was about to reassure her when she heard a sharp, angry voice. It took her a second to realize it came from downstairs. Karen and Felicia both turned in that direction.

“No,” Karen said firmly. “They’re not going to fight on Thanksgiving.”

She spoke as if this had happened before, but didn’t explain any further. But when she started for the stairs, Felicia and Noelle went with her, all three women hurrying down to the lower story.

The voices grew louder.

“This isn’t about you,” Gideon growled. “It’s not your choice.”

“I get a say,” Norm shouted. “You’re both my sons and you will respect my opinion.”

The three women raced into the family room. The men faced each other. Tension was thick with more than a hint of anger. Noelle saw Gabriel’s back was stiff, his shoulders set. A muscle twitched in his jaw.

She had no idea what the fight had been about, but she knew he was in pain. As she moved toward him, Karen grabbed Norm’s hand and physically pulled him toward the stairs.

“You stay out of this,” he told her.

“No,” Karen said, still pulling. “You’re coming with me until you can cool off. We talked about this.”

“You don’t understand.”

“I understand plenty.”

Felicia went to Gideon and murmured something. He nodded and they went down the hall behind the family room. Which left Noelle with Gabriel.

He crossed to the window and stared out toward the mountainside. “Sorry about that. It’s a family thing. My dad has... He has expectations.”

She thought about making a joke that he was a doctor and what more did his father want. Only she didn’t know what the fight was about and couldn’t be sure she wasn’t stepping on toes. She wanted to help and didn’t know how. A frustrating combination.

Gabriel stood alone and in that moment, as she watched him, she wondered how much of his life he spent like that. Solitary.

Without knowing what else to do, she crossed to him.

“Hey,” she said, touching his good hand.

He turned his face to her. Pain darkened his eyes, along with something she could only assume was hope. Hope that she would somehow make it all better.

Panic seized her. She had no idea what to say. What to do. A distraction was called for but short of yelling “Fire,” there was nothing that...

“You could kiss me again,” she blurted.

In that split second before he responded, she braced herself for dismissal, sarcasm or pity. Which probably didn’t make her a poster girl for mental health, but then she’d never believed in lying to herself. The fact that she found him attractive didn’t mean the interest was returned.

One eyebrow rose. “I could,” Gabriel said, right before he lowered his head and did just that.

The first touch of his mouth on hers was soft. Not tentative, she thought, closing her eyes. More discovery than passion.

He had nice lips. Warm and tender, but masculine enough to keep things interesting. Although she expected him to straighten right away like he had that morning, he didn’t. He lingered.

Nerve endings began to fire. Instinctively, she stepped toward him just as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. They touched everywhere and still it wasn’t enough.

She rested her hands on his shoulders. He was muscled and strong. He shifted slightly so he was kissing her cheek, her chin, her jaw. Heat radiated from every point of contact. When he trailed light kisses down her neck, her breath caught.

It wasn’t just that she hadn’t been kissed in what felt like forever. It was that she hadn’t ever been kissed by this man before. She hadn’t felt the solid pressure of his chest flattening her breasts, hadn’t experienced his large hands splayed against her back, hadn’t known the depth of wanting that left her practically trembling.

He returned his mouth to hers. She parted her lips without him asking and was thrilled when his tongue swept inside. At the first hungry stroke, she knew she couldn’t refuse him anything. Or if she could, she didn’t want to. She ached all over. Her breasts, between her thighs. She wanted him touching her, exploring her. She wanted to touch him in return, learn everything about his body. She wanted to yield and then she wanted to take.

The need was so great, so overwhelming, she was suddenly terrified she was the only one at the party. She drew back, doing her best to control her breathing. Gabriel stared at her, his expression hungry.

“You’re unexpected,” he murmured.

“I could say the same thing.” She cleared her throat. “I wanted to distract you.”

“Well done.” The corner of his mouth twitched. “I knew you’d be trouble, but I didn’t think you’d surprise me.”

She smiled, liking the sound of that. But before she could say anything else, Carter clattered down the stairs, Webster at his heels.

“Hey,” the teen said as he bounded into the room. “What’s the score?”

Gabriel glanced at the big-screen TV, muted but still tuned to the football game. “It’s tied.”

“I should get back upstairs,” Noelle said. “See if I’m needed in the kitchen.”

Gabriel nodded. “Thank you.”

For the distraction? For the kiss? For making him realize she was exactly who he’d been looking for all his life? Okay, the latter was a little unlikely, but a girl could dream.

* * *

“It’s a family tradition,” Karen said, when the food had been put on the table. “I’ll go first. I’m thankful to be with my boys again.” She nodded at her husband.

“I’m thankful we have the strongest fighting force in the world,” Norm said.

Karen sighed. “It’s Thanksgiving.”

“And I’m giving thanks.”

Felicia cleared her throat. “I’m thankful for my wonderful family. Immediate and extended. And for my friends.” She smiled at Noelle.

“I’m thankful for my family, too,” Carter said, squeezing Felicia’s hand. “And Webster.”

Gideon agreed with Felicia and Carter, and Gabriel was thankful for those who made it. Noelle finished with thanks for finding where she belonged.

As Norm began slicing the large turkey, Carter leaned toward his uncle. “You’re like my dad, right? Serving in the army.”

“As a doctor. Your dad saw real action.”

“But you carry a gun,” Carter said.

“Sometimes,” Gabriel told him. “Not often.”

“Did you always want to be a doctor?”

Norm snorted. “Hell, no. If it was up to him, he’d have studied English literature at some fancy university and become a college professor.”

Carter and Noelle both turned to Gabriel.

“Is that true?” the teen asked.

Gabriel shrugged. “It wasn’t an option.”

“You’re right about that,” Norm said, putting slices of turkey onto the first plate and passing it to his wife. “In our family, we serve.”

Karen looked desperately around the table. “This is all so lovely, Felicia. I don’t know why you were concerned. Everything turned out perfectly. Thank you so much for doing this.”

“You helped,” Felicia said. “Although I am pleased with the turkey.”

“Maybe talking to it made the difference,” Gideon teased.

Conversation shifted to the threat of snow and the upcoming holiday festivals. Noelle wasn’t sure if Norm’s outburst was forgotten or simply politely swept under the rug. Either way, she reached under the table for Gabriel’s hand and took it in hers. He turned to her.

“You okay?” she asked quietly.

He nodded and squeezed her fingers before releasing her. She accepted the information because it was the polite thing to do and she didn’t know him well enough to push. But she couldn’t help wondering if this exchange was the exact reason he hadn’t seen his parents for so long. Under the circumstances, she couldn’t blame him. She was sure Norm was acting from some misplaced sense of doing right by his family. She just wished he could see that the price of that was losing the very thing he wanted to hang on to.

* * *

Gabriel walked toward Noelle’s store early on Friday. She’d warned him that they would be busy and open extra hours in support of Black Friday. He’d been out of the country so long, it had taken him a second to remember what Black Friday was. He had trouble believing that people made such a production of shopping for a holiday that was still a month away, but then he wasn’t the Black Friday target audience.

Besides, he owed Noelle. She’d been there for him the previous day. From her enthusiasm for the parade, to distracting him from his fight with his father, she’d been by his side.

He sipped the coffee he’d bought at Brew-haha and crossed the street. He had to give her credit. She was unconventional. He grinned at the memory of their kiss, remembering how the exploding need had nearly knocked him off his feet. For someone who danced with excitement when viewing an elephant in a Santa suit, she was one sexy woman.

He was still grinning when he rounded the corner and saw a group of people waiting outside The Christmas Attic.

No, he amended. Not people. Women. Lots of women. They formed a line and were all talking animatedly. When an old lady toward the front of the line spotted him, she called out.

“When do we get this show on the road?”

Gabriel stared at her. “We, ah, open at eight.”

The old lady glanced at her watch. “You’ve got five minutes. If you think you’re going to be late, you’re wrong.”

He nodded instead of answering, then hurried past her and opened the front door to step into the store.

Noelle was already there. She’d put on her cheerful red apron with the store logo on the front and was counting out bills as she put them into the cash register.

“There’s a line,” he said, pointing.

“I saw.” She looked up, her gaze slightly unfocused. “I don’t think I’m ready.”

“Not being ready isn’t an option. They seem determined and hostile.”

She pushed the cash register shut, then drew in a breath. “Okay. It’s going to be a long day. We’ll pace ourselves and do the best we can. If you get tired, you can rest in back. Or leave early.”

“I can make it through my shift.”

“I don’t want you relapsing.”

“Wouldn’t I have to lapse first?”

Her lack of smile told him she was nervous. He crossed to her and put his hands on her shoulders.

“You’ll do great. The store is charming and you have customers waiting. Let’s open a couple of minutes early and get this day started.”

She stared into his eyes. For a second, he thought instead of opening early, he should take the minute or so they had and kiss her. Of course, kissing would lead to him wanting more and this wasn’t the time or place. But it sure would be nice.

“Hey, you in there! It’s freezing out here.”

The comment came from outside and was accompanied by an insistent knocking. Noelle squared her shoulders.

“Okay,” she said as she marched to the front of the store. “I’m ready.”

“Me, too.”

Although it turned out he was wrong. He wasn’t ready. There was no way to be ready for the onslaught of customers. They arrived in groups of twos and threes, they lingered and they bought. Bears and trains, CDs and throws. No corner of the store went unexplored. If he wasn’t restocking, he was bagging. Every now and then he carried bags to a waiting car.

“Excuse me, young man.”

Gabriel turned and saw a pleasant-looking woman leaning heavily on a cane covered with painted purple flowers.

“Yes, ma’am. How can I help you?”

“I’m looking for a menorah for a friend of mine and I noticed the one in the side window. It’s so pretty. Having it made of glass is very unusual and I like that the candles are all different colors. Can you get it for me?”

“Of course,” he said, already heading for the stockroom. “We have one in a box.”

He passed Noelle, who smiled wearily. Five minutes later, the lady with the cane had her menorah and was heading out of the store. He was about to check on the bears when another woman stopped him.

“You’re Gabriel,” she said, eyeing him. She had white curls and wore a bright purple track suit. “Gideon’s brother.”

“Yes.”

“I’m Eddie.” She smiled. “I need you to carry this to my car.”

She handed him a box about the size of a soda can. He stared at it.

“You want me to carry that?”

“Uh-huh.” Eddie nodded. “I’m old so you have do what I say. Come on. The day’s a-wasting.”

He had no idea what was going on, but wasn’t about to tell the seventy-something woman no. She led him out of the store and down the sidewalk. They walked to the corner and she pointed to a late model sedan. When they reached it, he handed her the package.

She smiled. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Still confused about what she’d wanted, he turned, only to feel her pat his butt. He spun back. Her expression was both innocent and satisfied.

No, he told himself. He’d imagined the light touch. And if he hadn’t, there was nothing he could do about it.

“Ah, have a nice day,” he mumbled before backing toward the store.

The steady stream of customers continued until Noelle closed and locked the door at six-fifteen. They’d both been on their feet since seven that morning.

“My feet hurt,” she said, untying her apron. “My back hurts and I’m starving.”

“Me, too, and an old lady patted my butt.”

Noelle looked at him and started laughing. “You’re making that up.”

“I swear it happened.”

“Eddie or Gladys.”

“Eddie.”

“Then I believe you. Did you get lunch?”

“No.”

“Me, either. Want to come by my place? I’ll order the biggest pizza you’ve ever seen. You’ll love it.”

She had a smudge on her cheek and dust on her jeans. She looked as weary as he felt. But as she invited him over, all he could think was that what he really wanted for dinner was her. Because when he was around her, the world somehow righted itself. Even if he was being harassed by seniors.

For a second he wondered what she would say if he told her the truth. He figured he was at even odds for her wanting the same and slapping him. Which meant the most sensible course was to say, “Pizza sounds great.”

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