Christmas on 4th Street (Fool's Gold #12.5)

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?”