page8 (1/2)
“Wow You’re brave Because seriously, you’re reaching the age when people start to ask questions if you’ve never beenwith you” She paused expectantly
Noelle stayed by the counter, where she could keep an eye on custo 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,” sheit 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 ht in the head”
Noelle nodded sole”
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 sister
He walked over and picked up the book “This is her?”
She waved the sack lunch “TrustAnd there’s yummy salad”
“Not just any salad? Yummy salad?”
“I accept that you have to ain your sense of power because she called you old”
“She called my brother old,” he clarified
“You’re the sae”
“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 ”
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 carazed 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 aboutOr walking around shirtless But he just headed for the back room, apparently unaffected by their brief contact
Just what every woht dreamily A man crush
Thanksgivingcoffee and ignoring the cold His mother had insisted he show up for breakfast The request had been unexpected and he hadn’t had tiht
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 driveaiting to see her arrive, he realized they hadn’t discussed a ti dinner wasn’t until five that afternoon
He continued to hold on to hiscoffee, pleased he could alainst his wound He was healing The searing pain was just a dull ache The stitches pulled when he ns 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 i he appreciated In his regular job there was tooOnce a crisis hit, there was only reacting, then later, second-guessing Folding throws and et old in time, but for these feeeks, the job was exactly what he needed A place to retreat
When he had his flashbacks—the sound of an explosion soht—he was able to stay calo help, to save, bled aith 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 hih She would poke fun at hiraceful 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 ood they would feel wrapped around him as he—
Gabriel sla No, he told hi, Noelle eet and soft and not the kind of woame 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 hi 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 hiood
“Here,” his dad said, handing over a travel h 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 wouldwhy and that would take both of theo His father had spent his life in thething While Gabriel hadn’t been under live fire, except when the field hospitals were attacked, he’d been plenty close to ent 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 ,” he told his father
Norm nodded “Beautiful country”
“So it seems”
“I heard you had a job in town”