“If that’s what you really want, that’s what you’ll have.” Holly gave a happy sigh and scrambled off his lap.
She solemnly accepted a small box wrapped in red paper with a red-and-white bow. Turning it over and over, she seemed reluctant to open it.
“Do you need help?” Noel watched Dan crouch next to Holly as her fingers tightened around the small box.
“No, but I think I should give Santa a gift before I open it,” Holly whispered.
“That’s why we leave milk and cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve,” Dan explained, with a wink at Noel.
“I don’t know if Mommy does that.” Holly frowned and slipped the box into her pocket. “Maybe you should remind her.”
“I’ll try to remember.”
Noel smiled when he patted her daughter’s head and stood.
Noel followed as Holly wandered over to a decorated table. She seemed fascinated by the small figures inside the manger. She poked at a tiny camel, then an elaborately dressed wise man.
“What are they doing?”
“They’re bringing gifts to the Holy Child after a long journey.” Noel swept her hand over Holly’s hair. The Christmas story always made her smile.
“Like us, Mommy?”
“Not quite. We’re going home. They still have far to go.”
Molly dragged Noel away with a plea to share her piecrust-making secrets.
Joe wandered over to join Dan as someone switched to different Christmas music. Several couples pushed back tables to clear a dance floor. The noise level hit deafening.
“I suppose Noel told ya about the repairs. That won’t take long, but she needs tires. Hers are bald as Molly’s husband,” Joe shouted to be heard over the music.
“So replace them.”
“Even if I can find used ones, it’s gonna cost money. That weren’t part of the damage,” Joe argued, and rubbed a chapped hand over his stubble-covered chin.
“I’ll pay for them.” Dan silently considered what monthly bill he’d delay. Although he didn’t want to worry Noel would have a flat, money was really tight around the holidays. “Don’t tell her. I don’t want her to feel obligated.”
A familiar tug at his pant leg had Dan crouching to hear Holly.
“Can I feed the stray dog?” she whispered around her wet thumb. “He’s hungry.”
“Sounds like a good idea. I bet we’ll have plenty of leftovers.” Dan grinned at her concerned expression. She looked so much like Noel. He’d grown to care deeply for this little girl. He’d miss her. Loneliness made him hollow. He ruffled her hair with one hand before he stood. “We’ll find a piece of turkey with no bones.”
Molly grabbed his arm and tugged him toward the dancers before he could lead the way to the kitchen. She stopped at the last second next to Noel. When she lifted Nick’s sleeping form from Noel’s arms and pushed her into Dan’s embrace, his body clenched with need.
“Dance, you two. I’ll watch this little mite.”
Dan’s arms encircled Noel. His hand found the middle of her back and urged her closer. He didn’t know what he felt until Noel’s gaze met his and his feet forgot to move.
He was caught. And he didn’t care. He swallowed the lump in his throat. He loved Noel. If this was all he’d ever have, he’d take it. He moved her slowly in time to a romantic waltz.
Noel didn’t resist the chance to be held in Dan’s embrace. Her head fit perfectly under his chin and she pressed her face against his throat. She inhaled. His male scent would remain with her forever.
This was a memory she could treasure. She listened to his strong heartbeat as she snuggled against his chest. His breath flowed over her cheek when he leaned nearer.
He was a good man, a man who deserved love. She stifled a sigh while the words trembled on her lips. It was the wrong time, the wrong place. She had a promise to keep.
The ballad ended and she surreptitiously wiped away tears. “Where’s Holly?” she murmured.
“I don’t see her.” Dan stiffened before he swiped a hand over his chin. “I told her I’d get some food for that stray. She’s probably in the kitchen.”
He dragged her through the crowd.
“Mistletoe! You’re under the mistletoe!” someone shouted.
Noel glanced up at the glossy green leaves and white berries before Dan dipped his head toward hers. The noisy crowd faded into the distance when their lips met and clung.
Forgotten was their audience. Forgotten were all the reasons why this was the wrong time.
Her hands slipped up to cup the back of his neck and his tongue begged admittance. She opened her mouth, meeting his exploration with her own.
His hands ran up and down her spine, pressing her closer. She whimpered with pleasure when her breasts were crushed against his muscular chest. Her nipples tightened.
Noel admitted she’d been waiting her entire life for this moment, this man.
They broke apart to the happy laughter and applause of their friends. Noel ducked through the kitchen door with her pulse drumming in her ears. Her lips felt swollen and her vision blurred.
Dan’s hand clamped her shoulder. She stifled a cry as he jerked her to a halt.
Holly sat on the tiled floor, the skinny stray on her lap. When it bared its teeth at them, Noel pressed her hands over her mouth.
“Don’t startle him,” Dan hissed.
Holly glanced up. “I think his name is Harry. And he likes me. Can I keep him?”
****
Dan took every chance he had to repeat that heated kiss over the next week. Noel’s muddled feelings swung from happiness to longing to an ache to have him keep repeating it. When Dan was busy in the kitchen, she could feel his gaze following her.
Before taking short trips to the farm or the hardware store he snuck a kiss.
Noel was becoming addicted to the taste of his mouth. She didn’t object when he caught her close before she exited the playroom. His smooth lips nibbled at her mouth and she opened to let his tongue explore.
He tasted like coffee and spices when she returned his exploration. Aware of the children, she was relieved when he turned her so his body blocked their view and pressed her against the wall. Her arms lifted so she could slide her fingers through his thick hair.
She whimpered with pleasure when his hand found the hem of her sweater. His palm slipped up until he cupped her breast.
With a low groan he broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers with his eyes closed.
“You feel so good,” he whispered.
He fondled her breast as if she was fine crystal, delicate and fragile. She pressed into his palm and sighed. Her nipples hardened into tight pebbles.
“I don’t think we should be doing this,” she murmured.
“You might be right,” he said. “You managed to distract me from why I was looking for you.”
His sweet chocolate eyes glowed with laughter. He gave her another gentle squeeze before he removed his hand. Her breath caught when he gave her a quick peck.
“You started this,” she scolded. “What’s up?”
“Harry needs to go to the vet’s to get his shots. Let’s take the kids for a walk.”
Huge snowflakes drifted from the gray sky while they walked the short distance down Main Street to the veterinarian’s office. Harry barked and tugged on the leash Dan helped Holly hold.
“He’ll need to be taught to walk politely,” he said. “It’ll be your job as his owner to make sure he has manners.”
“But you’ll help me, won’t you?” She giggled after Harry pranced through another patch of new snow.
“If your mom says it’s okay.”
A large panel truck pulled up alongside them. The heavyset driver leaned across the bench seat and called, “Yo, Dan, been lookin’ for you. I got that estimate.”
“This will just take a minute,” he said to Noel before he stepped to the curb. “Hi, Tom.”
Flakes caught in his thick brown hair as he bent to
the open window. She adjusted her hold on Nick. The temptation to pat that tight butt rose like a full-moon tide.
“You were right. The stove’s exhaust fan is on its last legs. When I install a new one, you’ll need to run new wiring, too.” Tom’s loud voice carried across the walk.
Tom handed him the written estimate. Dan quickly read it and stuffed it into his pocket. “Expensive, but I don’t like the way the fan sounds.”
“I’ve been thinking about that, Dan. Molly tells me there’s a couple empty stalls in the barn, and I’ve been thinkin’ about getting my daughter a horse for Christmas. How’s about we do a little barter?”
“Might work out for both of us,” Dan agreed and nodded. “Free board for a year?”
“Sounds like a plan. I’ll get the electric wiring and fan replaced right after the New Year.”
They exchanged a sturdy handshake before Tom drove away.
Dan straightened, and his gaze caught at Noel’s like thick caramel. So sweet, urging her to come closer. She blinked and hefted Nicholas higher in her arms.
Holly held open the animal hospital’s door and a blast of animal scents wafted out with the warm air.
“Good thing you made an appointment, Dan. I have to go deliver a foal,” a white-coated man called from behind the counter. Dan lifted Harry’s twisting body onto the table and held him while the vet prepared a shot.
“Is it going to hurt?” Holly asked. Her eyes were round as silver coins as she watched.
“Might pinch a little, but it’s better than being sick,” the vet answered. Dan gave her a quick hug.
“Mommy took me to get shots, too. She said I need them to go to school. I’m re-gis-tered at the same kindergarten she went to.” Holly rubbed her upper arm. “It did pinch, like you said. Will Harry get a lollipop?”
“More like a dog treat,” Noel said before she resettled Nicholas on her shoulder. “Dogs shouldn’t eat candy.”
“Here, let me carry him,” Dan said. He held out his hands. “He’s growing like a weed. He’s going to be a big man.”
“Like you,” Noel whispered and felt a twinge of sadness. Dan would be here and she would be in Connecticut with the children as they grew.
“By the way,” the vet said, with a deep laugh. “You might want to consider calling this mutt Harriet since she’s a female.”
“I never checked.” Dan slapped his forehead as Noel giggled.
Dan held her hand in his while they ambled back to the café. Holly laughed as she tugged Harriet from sniffing every mound and drift along the sidewalk.
Noel made the decision to enjoy every remaining minute with Dan. For the first time in years she was not alone during the day. During breaks at the café, Dan played with Holly and Nick until bedtime.
“Do you know the home story?” Holly asked him before she snuggled under the covers.
“I’m not sure,” Dan said as he tucked her in. “Is that the one your Mom tells you?”
Noel paused with her hand on Nicholas’ back. She listened to his soft breathing before she laid him carefully in the crib.
Holly’s wide yawn interrupted a quiet giggle. Dan patted the edge of the bed next to him and Noel joined him. His smile widened.
“So what’s the ‘home story’?” He twined her fingers with his and tugged her against his side. She sighed with pleasure as she relaxed.
“Let me explain. After my grandparents left me their property, I wanted to move back, but my husband said he needed to be near his trucking company.” She brushed a strand of hair off her cheek. “Then he had the accident. He didn’t even know I was pregnant with Nicholas. I got a job waitressing, but the cost of day care for Holly ate up my tips. Then I had some problems and needed to quit.”
He squeezed her fingers. “I wish I’d been there to help.”
“Me, too,” Noel whispered. She blinked her eyes to clear away the threatening tears. “Anyway, I told her stories about the house. Mostly my bedroom and the nice things I remembered. When she asked me why we couldn’t go there, I had no answer. I put it off for months until I scraped up enough cash for that old car.”
“And you started home.”
“The time seemed right,” she whispered.
“Mommy,” Holly interrupted and gave a big yawn. “Tell my story.”
****
The next few days blurred. The café was crowded for lunch and the evening meals well attended. The tip jar filled rapidly over the next two weeks. Holly continuously chattered about their trip home. Noel was taking a welcome break when Dan poked his head out of the kitchen.
“C’mon,” he urged after he stripped off his apron. “The kids need some fresh air. Bundle ’em up for snow.”
Noel scrambled to get ready. Happiness bubbled at being with him. She pressed her hand to her lips as they warmed in remembrance. Dan lifted her spirits with his cheerful attitude.
In a few minutes they were outside in the chill air. Dan lifted Holly into a child seat he’d installed while Noel fastened Nick in a baby carrier in the truck’s back seat. She smiled at his thoughtfulness.
“Where are we going?”
“Out to the farm,” he said before he turned the big vehicle toward the north.
Snow crunched under the big tires, and Noel cracked the window to enjoy the crisp air. Holly chattered about the houses they passed until Dan turned onto a plowed gravel lane and braked to a stop.
“Where is it?” Noel eagerly turned from side to side.
“There’s something I want you to see first,” he mumbled before he took her arm. His body blocked most of the wind while she checked to see that Nick slept.
Holly squealed and hopped into the nearest snow-bank. Noel was grateful for the heat from his tall frame as she shivered. When he took her gloved hand, the connection warmed her to her toes. He tugged her into the center of a snowy pasture.
The view was stunning. Fields spread in a postcard display to the blue horizon. Bare trees mixed with snow-laden pines dotted the expanse.
Holly whooped before she threw herself spread-eagled onto the clear surface. Her arms and legs fanned an angel.
Dan laughed and Noel’s heart expanded.
“Everything we can see is part of my farm.” He gestured in a half circle and scuffed his boots in the snow. “It’s a big place.”
“Why did we stop here?” she asked. His anxious expression aroused her curiosity.
“So I could show you that.” Dan turned her toward a snow-crusted skeleton of two-by-fours and trusses that promised a new building.
“It looks like a house.” Noel took a step closer as her breath hitched.
“It is.” Dan turned her toward him, his broad hands cupping her shoulders. “Last fall I decided the farmhouse is too crowded and sleeping at the café wasn’t right. I wanted a new home, but winter came a little early.”
Noel gazed at his eager expression. “It’s a lovely place.”
“Could you be happy here?”
“What? What did you say?” Her ears buzzed. He stroked a hand over her hair and she quivered with longing.
“I want you to stay here with me. The café is making enough money to finish the house. You could tell me what you’d like to add.” Dan cupped her face and pressed a kiss to her cold lips. “I know that the room upstairs is crowded, but we could manage.”
“But…” Noel’s throat closed on her protest, but she managed a whisper. “We’re going home. I promised.”
Heaven help her, she wanted to stay. Dan was everything she’d dreamed a man could be. She struggled to keep tears from falling.
“Don’t cry,” he murmured before he wiped a teardrop from her cheek.
“Look, Mommy, look, Dan,” Holly yelled. She stood next to a line of five snow angels. “I made a family!”
“Think about it, Noel.” Dan kissed her forehead.
****
“Does our home have a toy box?”
Noel straightened from the pile of coins spread on Dan
’s desk. Installed in the playpen, Nicholas chortled as he played with his fingers. She picked through memories of her grandparents’ home. “There was one downstairs and one in my room and a big dollhouse.”
“A dollhouse? Can I play with it?”
“If it’s still there,” Noel said. She brushed her hair from her cheeks. Dan hadn’t pushed, hadn’t insisted on an immediate answer, but she was aware of his regard, every minute of every passing day. Her thoughts were muddled, her feelings chaotic. He’d offered her what she dreamed of, but it was the wrong time and the wrong place.
Every time she closed her eyes she could see the wide porches and warm rooms of her old home. The cozy furniture she’d grown up with remained for her children. Her spine stiffened. She’d keep her promise, unlike her husband.
A sigh trembled on her lips. She readied the quarters, nickels, and dimes for coin wrappers. Tips had been generous. She had enough for the trip.
“Go play while I make a phone call.”
Noel scribbled her neighbor’s number on a sticky pad. She’d need to repay Dan for the long-distance call.
“Hello?” A female voice chirped.
“Hi Rita, this is Noel. I wanted to let you know we’ll be there for Christmas.”
“That’s great. I’ll have the electric company turn the power on.” Her cheerful answer didn’t lighten Noel’s spirits. “I can hardly wait to see you again. We need to discuss that offer.”
“I can’t right now, Rita. I’m paying for this call.”
When she hung up the receiver, she knocked over a stack of envelopes and stooped to retrieve them. Dan had divided the bills with neat notes: pay now; pay next month; wait. The wait stack was the biggest.
His writing was strong and firm, like Dan himself. She pasted a sticky note saying “for the telephone bill” on a dollar and added it to the stack.
“Can I help?” Holly peered over the desk’s edge. She clutched a toy car to her chest. “I need money to get tires for my car.”
“What?” Noel asked after she sealed another quarter wrapper containing twenty dollars.
“Tires. Like our car. Joe said new tires cost money. And Dan said okay.”
Noel’s ears rang as she straightened. Dan paid for new tires? Her gaze locked on the unpaid bills on his desk. Her chest hurt with love and pride. Love? She loved him. Somehow she’d given him her heart. And he’d never let her repay him.
Journey of the Magi Page 4
