Sweet Noel

by Jeanette Lewis

  Gina stiffened. “Make sure you tell them you were skunk drunk,” she said.

  The bite to her voice immediately put him on the defensive. “Did they talk to you?” he demanded.

  “None of your business.”

  They stared at each other in silence for a moment, then she shrugged her narrow shoulders. “Well, I checked on you. I’ve done my good deed for the day.”

  “Yeah, a five-minute visit doesn’t quite balance out running me down with your car.”

  Gina had turned to leave, but at his words, she stopped. Her brown hair was wavy and swung to the middle of her back. The T-shirt clung to her waist, and her jeans accentuated the curve of her hips. Since when did he pull attitude with a beautiful woman?

  Regret pinged through him, just long enough for Gina to spin back around, her eyes flashing fire. “I didn’t run you down,” she snapped. “You stumbled in front of me, and you wouldn’t even be here if you’d been paying attention. My kids were in my car, and you put all of us in danger.”

  “Whoever heard of an auto-pedestrian accident being the pedestrian’s fault?” Noel scoffed, throwing more bravado into his voice than he felt.

  “When the pedestrian jumps in front of the already-moving car,” Gina retorted. “My brother is a police officer, so trust me, I know. We came here to make sure they’d run a toxicology test on you.”

  Anger pounded through him, sending fresh waves of pain through his body. “Oh, now we finally get to the truth,” he said. “You come in here pretending to care about my injuries but it’s really to casually flex that your brother’s a police officer. Are you trying to intimidate me?”

  “If that was my reason for coming here, I’d probably lead with it,” Gina said hotly.

  “Bull!” Noel knew the accident was probably his fault. He knew they’d already run the tests, and his blood alcohol level was probably off the charts. But, that didn’t mean it was okay for her to use her brother’s connections.

  They glared at each other across the sterile hospital room, and he waited for her to leave. At the same time, he wished she would come closer. He never wanted to see her again, yet he also wanted her to pull up a chair and stay for a while.

  He beat back the surge of loneliness, of vulnerability. This woman was not here to be friends. His gaze dropped to her left hand, and he noted that she wore no ring. “Were your kids hurt?” he finally asked.

  Her shoulders softened as she breathed a sigh of relief. “No. Thank goodness.”

  “That is good.”

  Her eyes were hypnotic, bringing a zing of something electric to his limbs. Or maybe that was just the morphine.

  “What about you?” he finally asked. “Are you hurt?”

  “I’m fine,” Gina replied. “And honestly, I didn’t come here to fight. I feel terrible.”

  “I’ll be okay,” he grumbled.

  “I don’t even know your name,” she said. “The police didn’t tell me.”

  “Noel Hamilton. Artist and professional drifter, and apparently the latest resident of here.” He gestured around the room. “At least until my leg heals.”

  “Drifter?” Her eyebrows came together. “Where’s home?”

  “Anywhere the sand is,” he said. “I do sand sculptures, so I travel a lot.”

  Gina shivered and hugged herself tighter. “Do you have someone coming to stay with you?”

  He snorted. “No. Should I?”

  “Well, yeah.” She eyed the sheet again where his knee throbbed and ached. “If you’re hurt, you might be off your feet for a while. Don’t you need someone to take care of you?”

  “If I had someone, I’d call them.” He spread his hands. “But I don’t.”

  Her full lips came together to make an “O” of surprise. “No family?” she asked, like she couldn’t fathom the idea. “What about your parents?”

  “I’ll bet they’d be happy to jump on a plane in the middle of the night and fly all the way from Singapore.”

  “Oh.” She nodded. “You’re from Singapore?”

  “No,” Noel said. “My dad is military. He’s stationed there right now.”

  Gina blew out a breath and looked around the room, as if she could somehow summon his parents to appear and take this problem off her hands. “Well, I can’t just leave you here by yourself. Are you a member of a church? I could call a local pastor.”

  Noel laughed, a harsh, bitter sound that raked at his throat. “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure the hospital will take good care of me.”

  She looked doubtful.

  “Okay, you did your good deed and checked on me,” he grumbled, uneasy under the growing concern in her brown eyes. He liked it better when she was feisty; at least then he had something to fight against. He made a shooing motion with his hand. “Go away and leave me alone now.”

  Her face flushed red, and she snapped to attention. “Fine. I can’t say I didn’t try. Good luck with whatever medical care you need.” She stomped across the room, whipped the privacy curtain back, and disappeared through the doorway.

  Noel lay in bed, gnashing his teeth and thinking of a hundred comebacks to Gina’s flounce-out. Great that he could think of them now, when she was already gone.

  “Mr. Hamilton?”

  His thoughts scattered as the curtain slid back again and a team of doctors came through, followed by Piper, a few orderlies, and—at the back—two blue-clothed police officers. “Welcome to my party,” Noel said dryly.

  Piper laid the warm blanket over his legs, and Noel nodded his thanks.

  “The officers are here to take your statement; then we’ll talk about surgery,” the ER doctor informed him.

  “Surgery?”

  Piper clicked the mouse, and a moment later, a series of x-rays appeared on the computer screen.

  “You have a tear in your anterior cruciate ligament, commonly called an ACL.” The doctor pointed with his pen to a bunch of dark splotches. “See where this fibrous tissue has pulled away from the bone? I’ve called for an orthopedic consult, but I’m fairly certain it will need surgery.” His thick white eyebrows came together. “However, this being the holiday weekend, the orthopedic specialists are not available. We’ll admit you and keep the pain under control until they get back on Monday.”

  Noel couldn’t see anything about the x-ray that would say torn ACL, but the pain was more than convincing. His heart felt like a lump of lead in his chest. “Okay. How long will it take to heal? I have a competition in New Orleans next month.”

  “Competition for what?” The doctor said.

  “Sand sculpture,” Noel said.

  The ER doctor shook his head. “I don’t know much about that, but I imagine it’s physically taxing?”

  “Very,” Noel replied.

  “Then don’t count on it. You’re looking at a day or two for recovery in the hospital after surgery and weeks before your leg can bear weight. And, you’ll need to stay close for rehab and follow-ups.”

  Noel blinked. “Are you kidding me?”

  “Wish I was. Cars can do incredible damage, even at a very low rate of speed.”

  “You don’t have to tell me.” Noel looked around the room, his eyes resting on the officers. “I hear the woman who hit me has connections with the police force.”

  “Not in this town, sir,” the younger of the officers said. “We always do our best to make sure the reports are accurate and fair.”

  “Fine,” Noel sighed. “I guess I’d like to give my statement now.”

  “Can I be honest, sir?” the officer said.

  Noel flapped one hand. “By all means.”

  “I believe they will rule this to be your fault,” the man said. “If so, the vehicle operator may be able to pursue you for damages to her vehicle as well as any mental or emotional distress should any attorneys become involved.”

  “But she hit me,” Noel said in disbelief. “And you’re telling me I might end up on the hook for … what? How much are we talking here?�
��

  The officer lifted his hands helplessly. “I wouldn’t know. And maybe the insurance companies will decide to call it even. But there’s always a chance, and I thought I should prepare you.”

  Noel groaned. He should have played nice when Gina was here. Should have tried to get on her good side, come to a mutual agreement to be responsible for their own damages. He’d been an idiot. Now, he’d just have to wait to see if she’d do anything.

  “Noel?” Piper broke into his thoughts. “After you talk to the police, I’ll be back to get you checked in and cleaned up.” She cast a look at his scruffy jaw. “How would you feel about a shave and maybe a haircut?”

  Noel ran his hand through his beard. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d shaved. Living like a nomad could do that. “Sure.” He nodded bitterly. “May as well, since suddenly all I’ve got is time.”

  4

  The Monday after the accident, Gina left the repair shop and drove to Main Street, straight to the Indigo Bay Chocolate Emporium. The yellow petunias Miss Eulalie always planted in the window boxes for summer were gone, but the place was still bright and cheery with its butter-yellow door and matching trim around the windows. Gina stepped inside and paused to let the smells of chocolate, sugar, and caramel waft over her.

  “Hey!” Eva came out of the back, her delicate face lighting up in a smile. “Didn’t expect to see you today.” She came around the corner of the counter for a hug.

  Sometimes Gina still marveled that Eva was even alive, let alone thriving. She’d grown up in a cult in northern Georgia and escaped to Indigo Bay a few years ago. After several tumultuous months, she’d fallen in love with Ben. He’d even helped to save her when the cult tried to kidnap her and take her back.

  The trauma alone would have had Gina crying herself to sleep every night, and maybe Eva did sometimes. She was still withdrawn and mostly private, but as the years progressed, she’d gradually opened up to her new family. Especially since the wedding, Eva seemed to glow.

  Ben did, too. He walked around with a goofy grin on his face that Gina doubted would ever leave. She’d never seen her little brother so happy.

  A dart of jealousy shot through her. Eva and Ben deserved every bit of happiness they’d found. So did her other brother, Tyler, and his wife, Jennifer. But why had Gina been the one to have her marriage fall apart? She certainly wouldn’t wish a divorce on either of her brothers, but she didn’t wish it on herself either. Why couldn’t all three of them get a happily ever after?

  “Are you all right?” Eva asked. She tipped her head to peer at Gina’s face. “You seem upset.”

  “I’m okay,” Gina said.

  “Any injuries from the accident? Whiplash?”

  “Physically, I’m fine. But I’m stressed out of my mind,” Gina confessed. “I can’t believe this has to happen during the holidays when there’s already so much stress.”

  “I think you need some chocolate.”

  “Exactly what I thought,” Gina said with a laugh.

  Eva went back behind the counter and picked out a couple of sea salt caramels covered in milk chocolate—Gina’s favorite. “On me,” she said with a smile before passing them over.

  Gina took a bite of the first square, letting the sweet and salty flavors mix on her tongue. “These are fantastic,” she said. “Have you done something different?”

  “You noticed!” Eva clapped her hands in excitement. “I added a little almond flavoring. Do you like it?”

  “Delicious,” Gina proclaimed, popping the rest of the chocolate into her mouth. “You’re a natural at flavors.”

  “I hope so,” Eva replied. “Miss Eulalie has been talking about retiring, and I’ve been thinking … just daydreaming so far, but I’d like to try to buy her out, make this place my own.”

  Gina fought back another stab of pain. Eva’s joy was obvious and hard-earned. She deserved to savor every bit. “If anyone can make this place even better than it already is, it’s you,” she said honestly.

  “Thanks.” Eva bounced on the balls of her feet. “I hope so.”

  “Not to change the subject, but is Ben at work?” Gina asked.

  Eva nodded. “He’s working late tonight.”

  “Maybe I’ll text him, see if he can call the hospital and check in on Noel,” Gina mused.

  “Oh, it’s that kind of interest in Noel?” Eva teased.

  “What? No!” Gina felt her face warm. “I just want to see how he’s doing, and they might tell Ben more than they’d tell me.”

  “Uh-huh.” Eva’s lips quirked in a smile.

  “It’s not like that at all,” Gina protested. “And anyway …” She trailed off. She’d been about to tell Eva her hopes Lee would come around and want to try again, but then she thought of his girlfriend. “I’d better get going. The boys are home from school by now,” she said quickly.

  Eva nodded. “Let me box up some toffee for your mom.”

  Several minutes later, Gina pulled into the curved driveway of the big white house on Seaside Boulevard.

  “Mom!” Arthur leaped over the brick steps and came running across the lawn. As Gina climbed out of the car, he threw himself against her, clamping his arms around her leg in a tight hug.

  Gina took a deep breath as the day’s tension fell away from her shoulders. Answering phones all day at Pacific Oil and Gas was not normally a stressful job, but she hated not being home with her boys. She’d quit college to be a mom, confident in Lee’s ability to support them financially while she poured her heart and soul into motherhood. She’d cherished every moment she’d spent with Jordan and Arthur, and now it felt like they were growing up without her.

  “Hey, buddy.” She returned Arthur’s hug, lifting him off the ground. “Is that a new freckle I see on your nose, or is it dirt?” She pressed a kiss to his chubby cheek. He hadn’t slimmed down yet like Jordan, but she knew he would, especially with the unlimited exercise from living on the beach.

  Arthur giggled and wrapped his arms around Gina’s neck. In his face, she saw Lee’s. Of the two boys, Arthur most resembled her ex-husband.

  “Where are Jordan and Grandma?” Gina asked.

  “Inside. Grandma’s making gingerbread cookies.”

  “Oh. So maybe it’s gingerbread on your nose and not a freckle or dirt?” she suggested.

  “Mom! You’re being silly,” Arthur said. He wiggled out of her grip and ran ahead of her to climb the porch and open the door.

  The smell of warm gingerbread wafted toward Gina, and she smiled. Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without her mother’s gingerbread cookies. Marjorie Andrews had been making them as long as Gina could remember. Sometimes they were tree decorations, but mostly they were stocked in the big Christmas-tree-shaped cookie jar. Snow in Indigo Bay was almost an impossibility, so the smell of baking gingerbread was etched in Gina’s memory as a sign Christmas was close.

  Well, there were two signs: her mother’s homemade gingerbread and the tree in the town square. Every year, residents and tourists alike gathered to decorate the gigantic pine tree brought in especially for the season. The year they were engaged, Gina and Lee had hung up a heart-shaped ornament they’d painted and glued shells to. She wondered where it had gone. Down the memory hole, like so many other good things in her marriage. They’d been good together, right up until they weren’t.

  “Grandma, Mom’s home!” Arthur announced, running toward the kitchen. Gina’s mom stood with Jordan at the wide, marble-topped island, a sea of gingerbread cookies laid out before them.

  “Wow, looks like you’ve been busy,” Gina said. She rounded the corner of the island to drop a kiss on Jordan’s head and hand her mother the white box stamped with the Chocolate Emporium logo. “Milk chocolate toffee from Eva.”

  “She never forgets.” Gina’s mom smiled gently as she took the box.

  Gina knew Eva and her mom had grown very close during the time Eva lived in the apartment above her parents’ detached garage. Living there
had helped Eva restart her life and had also introduced her to Ben. People in Indigo Bay always claimed Miss Lucille was the resident matchmaker, but Gina privately thought Miss Lucille might have a strong contender in Marjorie Andrews.

  “What did they say at the body shop?” Gina’s mother asked. She pointed toward a rack of cooled gingerbread men. “We’re ready to decorate if you want to lend a hand.”

  When Gina was around ten, she and her mother had made a bird-friendly version of a gingerbread woman to hang on the tree in the town square. The idea had caught on, and after that, many residents made ornaments out of seeds, peanut butter, and suet cakes, bringing birds from all over to feast on the tree. Eventually, the town council had to rule in favor of the integrity of the tree, which meant no more edible ornaments. Now the birds got their own feast of ornaments hung in the magnolias at the library, well away from the Christmas pine.

  Gina went to the sink to wash her hands. “The bumper is broken and will need a total replacement.”

  Her mother’s eyebrows swooped together. “I thought it was only dented.”

  “So did I,” Gina said grimly. She worked full-time as a receptionist at Pacific Oil and Gas, but there was no way she could afford the repair. At least not until after the holidays.

  “What about your insurance?” Her mother asked.

  “I’m still thinking it through,” Gina said. “I don’t want to pay the deductible right now and my rates will probably go up. It’s drive-able, just looks weird.”

  Gina dried her hands on the dishcloth and smiled at Arthur. “I need a helper for this cookie. Wanna be my wingman?”

  “Sure!” Arthur’s face lit up as he climbed onto a barstool at her side. “Let’s frost it with red.”

  The red was better suited for an accent color, but Gina didn’t argue. Red was Arthur’s favorite color, and if he wanted red, that was what he’d get. She grabbed a filled pastry bag and squeezed a blob of red frosting in the middle of the gingerbread woman’s skirt. “Here, you spread it,” she said, handing Arthur a plastic knife.

  He went to work, somehow smearing the red frosting on his hands almost immediately.