“Ma’am, are you ok?” a soft, deep voice said. Keeping her hand over her mouth, Noelle looked up. The guy she’d bumped into minutes earlier was standing in front of her, proffering a napkin. His dark eyes were full of concern. She took the napkin, wiping her eyes and blowing her nose as discreetly as she could.
“I’m sorry,” she said in a trembling voice. “It was just the Christmas music. It gets me every time.” His brow furrowed.
“May I sit down? – That is, unless you’d rather be alone? I mean, I don’t want to intrude.” She was tempted to ask him to go away, to leave her alone in her misery, but something in his expression stopped her. He looked so kind, and worried about her.
“No, please sit,” she found herself saying, snuffling a little.
He took a chair opposite her, and gazed at her directly, but not in a nosy way.
“I kind of get the feeling that this is about more than a Christmas song, if you don’t mind my saying so.” She glanced at him and glanced away again, thinking how red and puffy her eyes must be.
“It’s a long story,” she said. He smiled at her, kind of lazily, as if he didn’t have anywhere in the world to be. He really was an extraordinarily handsome man.
“I’ve got some time,” he said with a shrug.
And she told him. She told him how her parents had died, and her grandparents had been too infirm to care for her, and how the system had let her down, abandoning her to abuse at the hands of the Herzogs. And she explained why she was here – in this little town that she used to know – chasing a relationship that she’d long since abandoned, due to her inability to stay connected with people. He listened attentively, his eyes becoming huge with sympathy, or his jaw tightening with anger as she related the different parts of the story.
“You’ve endured so much in your young life,” he said when she was done. “It hurts my heart to hear these things. Your name’s Noemie, right?”
“No. It’s Noelle actually – I just couldn’t deal with someone making yet another comment about it. And, yes I was born at Christmas – on December 25th.”
“It’s a beautiful name. I’m Granger.” He held his hand out and she took it. It was large, warm and a little callused. Fleetingly, she felt like she wanted to hold onto it and never let go. She looked at him more boldly, now that her tears had stopped. He had a dark buzz-cut and stubble on his jaw that was around the same length as the hair on his head. She also realized that he was wearing a military uniform. She’d kind of been aware of it earlier, but hadn’t consciously acknowledged it.
“Are you in the army?” she blurted out.
“Special Ops,” he said with a grin. “At least, I was. As of 12 hours ago, I’m now a civilian.”
“Wow. What happened?” she asked, instantly brightening. She was always happier when the focus of the conversation wasn’t directly on her. He rubbed the back of his head.
“I’ve done my time and requested a discharge,” he said with a grin.
“You seem happy about that?”
“I am. My parents hated me being in the military. At first, I hated it too. I went in when I was twenty, when I was young and stupid. I got caught by the cops in a car with open bottles of liquor and a whole pound of cannabis. I had the option of prison, or enlisting in the army for three years. Obviously, I took the latter option. The first six months were terrible, and I was always on punishment duties, but then I found that I excelled at the physical training and got put in this special division. I loved being a part of it and I actually ended up staying for an extra two years, but I’ve missed my family too much, and it’s time to go home.”
“That’s really nice,” Noelle said with a smile. “I’m sure they’ll be excited to see you.”
“Yup. They actually don’t know that I’ve been discharged. It’s like a Christmas surprise for them.” He blushed a little, making him look even more attractive.
“Wow, they’re lucky to have a son like you.” He gave a short laugh.
“Uh, especially as their other son isn’t exactly making them proud right now!”
“Oh – why?”
“He’s kind of gone missing. Taken off with his girlfriend. My parents don’t approve of him dating her. She’s the daughter of a family that lives nearby, and our two families have been at each other’s throats for years. My parents think she’s taking advantage of him and they’ve basically forbidden him to be with her. He was really mad at them, and he’s eloped with her.”
“Do you think she’s taking advantage of him?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never met her. All of this took place while I was away. My brother can be a little idealistic sometimes, but he’s a good guy. I guess I’d be surprised if he was with someone who wasn’t genuine. I guess I’ll find out.”
“And do you think he’ll come back in time for Christmas?”
“He will if I get my hands on him and drag him back home! That’s why I’m here actually. I’ve tracked him down to this town, and I’m pretty sure he’s here now. I just need to sniff him out.”
“Oh, so you’re not local?”
“No, I live in Richmond, a four-hour drive away.” Noelle gazed at him with interest, her misery pushed aside in favor of curiosity towards this heroic, kind man. Who also happened to be very attractive. She was used to good-looking guys being jerks, making snide comments, telling her she’d be ‘ok’ if she lost a few pounds. The hot guys at high school only ever thought about themselves, their cars, and the next girl they were going to fuck. But this complete stranger had shown her kindness, when he already had plenty of issues of his own to deal with.
“How did you figure out that he was here?” she asked.
“His credit card transactions. I guessed the password on his online banking account.” He shook his head and chuckled. “He didn’t make it very hard. That’s my brother though – he’s always been the trusting type.”
“Thank goodness he is, or you would never have been able to find him.”
Granger drank the last of his coffee and sighed.
“I guess I should get back to my hunt. I just stopped by here to refuel. It’s already been a long day.”
“Of course. I’m so sorry for bothering you with my problems,” Noelle said. He leaned forward in his chair and seemed to be about to take her hand, but stopped himself at the last moment, as if he’d remembered that he didn’t know her well enough to do that.
“Hey, listen to me: you weren’t bothering me at all, and I came over to see if you were ok in the first place. So if anything, I was bothering you.” She smiled at him.
“I’m very glad you did. You made me feel a lot better, truly.”
“I’m happy to hear that. You can speak to me anytime. Let me give you my number. Whenever you want to talk, you can just call me up. I’m here to listen.” Noelle took her phone out, hardly able to believe her ears. Guys just didn’t say things like that. But then, most guys weren’t national heroes either.
“Give me your number, and I’ll drop call it,” he said, and she did. “Now I’ve got yours too,” he said, without explaining why that might be an important thing. “What are you going to do now?”
“I don’t – I’ll be alright,” she corrected herself quickly. She had no right to burden this stranger with yet more of her problems.
“You were planning to spend Christmas with your foster parents, right?” She nodded. He stayed silent, tactfully avoiding giving voice to what they both knew was the truth of the matter: that she had nowhere to go for Christmas, at all. But his huge black eyes burned into hers, full of sympathy.
“Why don’t you come with me and help me track my wayward brother down?” Noelle blinked at him. He’s just being kind, surely. “To be honest, I’d really appreciate the company. It’s been a little lonely so far,” he continued. Her head spun. She had nothing else to do right now. Whatsoever. And she discovered that she didn’t want to leave this man’s company either. Being with him felt like sitting in a patch o
f sunlight on an otherwise cold day. She grinned.
“If you’re sure?”
“Absolutely. I’d also value your brainpower. I’m a little drained from my last assignment, and I feel like my mind’s not working at full capacity.”
“Sure, I can maybe help with that,” she said, sounding more confident than she had during the rest of the conversation. She had a natural talent for problem-solving. She was amazing at doing crosswords and Sudoku.
“So, what’s your next step?” she asked.
“Well, I know that he stayed in a hotel here in Northwood last night. I went there and showed the front desk clerk his photo and she also confirmed it, saying that he was with a petite, blonde girl. So I now have a description of his girlfriend too. But, they checked out because the hotel was fully booked for tonight, and I don’t know where he’s planning on staying. I’ve been checking his bank account regularly, but nothing new is showing up.
“What else have you been doing to look for him?”
“Uh, walking around the town endlessly, hoping to catch sight of him, and calling up the hotels, asking to speak to him. But no luck so far, and all the ones I’ve tried are booked out tonight, making me think he must’ve left already.”
“Do you think he has an ultimate destination in mind?”
“I just don’t know. At first I imagined that they were just running, to get away from our parents, but maybe there’s something they’re aiming for. It could even be a place that the girl knows.”
“Is there anywhere special that you used to visit as a kid? Any relatives or friends he could be hoping to stay with?”
“I’ve been thinking about that. We used to go on vacation on the west coast, but, for one thing, it’s in the wrong direction, and for another – ” He indicated the window right behind her. “It’s not exactly beach weather.” Noelle turned in her seat and saw that it had begun to snow again, flakes falling softly, drifting one way and another in a very light breeze. She shuddered, not looking forward to going back out there.
“Does he have a car?”
“Nope. And there are no transport tickets showing up in his bank account either, which makes me think he’s hitching.” He shook his head, frowning. “I mean, he’s a big guy and all, and he can take care of himself, but hitching – seriously? All it takes is one psychopath with a gun.”
“I’m sure he’s ok. Most people have good intentions. Especially at this time of year,” she said, attempting to reassure him, although she didn’t believe the words as she spoke them. That hadn’t been her experience of life so far, by any means.
Granger tapped the screen of his phone. “Let me check his account again.” She watched his face, seeing it fall as there were evidently no new transactions. He shook his head.
“Nothing. He also has some cash on him. He took out $200 two days ago, so there’s even a chance that he’s paid for a hotel in cash, which could make things more difficult.”
“Shall we go walk the streets again?” she said.
“Uh –” She followed his gaze towards the window. The snow was falling much faster now, as if it meant business. “I don’t think there’s much point right now. He could be anywhere. There’s no point us getting frostbite. How about we have another coffee and I call up the hotels again, seeing if I can get ahold of him?”
“I think that’s a good idea,” she said, getting out of her seat. “What can I get you?” He was up faster.
“No, I got it. Another pumpkin spice latte?”
“Please,” she said, a little startled. She watched his retreating figure, so tall and broad beneath his uniform. How does he know that’s what I’ve been drinking? she mused. She kept her eyes on him as he walked up to the counter and ordered. He moved confidently, easily. His body must be incredibly strong and muscular. He said he was part of an elite force. They probably had insane training schedules. It was hard to imagine him being in the military though. He seemed too nice and normal. She’d always imagined those guys as ruthless machines. She saw him joke with the barista, the girl’s face lighting up as he smiled at her, and a flicker of jealousy tightened her stomach. What? Why am I feeling like this? He’s just a stranger who’s shown me some kindness... Uh, because you’re attracted to him, doofus! the no-bullshit side of her character announced. I am; it’s true, she acknowledged. But how could she not be, really? He was absolutely gorgeous. Those eyes were just ridiculous. He looked at her so directly when they spoke, his gaze never wavering, and she felt like she could just drown in them. He had a lovely, broad jaw, and very kissable lips as well. She blushed. What was she thinking? He was so far out of her league. She didn’t have the right to be thinking those thoughts about him.
He was back. He’d brought real mugs instead of takeout cups.
“I thought I’d try one as well,” he said, placing the identical coffees on the table.
“Thanks!” she said. He dipped his head and brought the cup up to his mouth, pursing his lips and blowing on it gently. A tingle shot all the way through Noelle’s body, and she couldn’t help thinking how much she’d like to feel those lips against hers. Stop! she mentally ticked herself off.
“Mmm, delicious,” he said, his voice becoming a deep rumble.
“It’s my favorite.”
“I can totally see why you love it. The guys back at the base would kill themselves laughing if they saw me drinking it, but I don’t care. I think it’s my new favorite coffee!” Her gaze flickered all over his face. His overt masculinity made his soft side all the more appealing. “Oh, wait,” he said, as his eyes met hers. “You’ve got a little –” He reached out with a finger and brushed a fleck of foam off her nose.
“Oh.” She wiped her whole hand across her nose, giggling with embarrassment. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It was cute.” She froze. What did he just say? She shot him a glance to figure out if he’d blurted it out without meaning to, but he seemed unconcerned, as relaxed as he’d been before.
“Do you always have a big family Christmas?” she asked. He leaned back in his chair and stretched.
“Yup. Mom, dad, me and Adam. Usually half the clan over as well. My mom’s a good cook, so they’re always scrabbling for an invite.”
“Clan?” she echoed. His face tightened a little, as if he realized that he’d said too much.
“Oh, our big family group. It’s pretty chaotic, really,” he said, in a dismissive tone. He took another sip from his coffee and then his lips parted, as if he was working out how to express the thought that was bouncing around in his mind.
“Christmas must be a difficult time for you,” he said at last. He watched her with wide, soft eyes. She sipped from her coffee, hiding her face in the large mug for a moment while she gathered her thoughts.
“It is. It’s hard not having a family to spend it with.”
“You came here specifically to spend it with your foster family?”
“Kind of. I hadn’t really thought it through in my mind. I just woke up this morning, looked around my room, and knew I couldn’t spend Christmas day there, so I jumped on the bus and went to visit them because they’d been so kind to me in the past. I usually spend the holiday period alone.” She stared down at the table, feeling like the biggest loser on earth.
“I’m sorry. No-one – and especially not someone as amazing as you – should have to spend Christmas alone.” She stared at him, startled.
“I’m not so amazing,” she said. “Where did you get that idea from?”
“You are. You’ve been through so much, and you’ve come out of it as a strong, good-hearted person.” She allowed herself a little smile.
“But how can you know this? You only met me a couple of hours ago.”
“Because I can see your soul,” he said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “And I can see that it’s pure and genuine. Most people who’d had your experiences in life would’ve ended up being misanthropes, but I can tell that you’re keen to help oth
er people. Like you’re helping me to find my brother.” She blushed at the intensity of his words.
“I – I guess you’re right.”
“Mm, so speaking of my brother, let me just check again.” He tapped on his phone.
“Oh – wait. It looks like he just purchased a Greyhound bus ticket. For $53.40.”
“I guess that could be two tickets for $26.70 as well.”
“And you’re smart too,” he said, smirking at her with a sideways glance. Ridiculously, her heartbeat speeded up, and her chest fizzed with adrenaline. She didn’t know why he kept complimenting her, but she liked it a lot.
“We should go to the Greyhound station right now. There’s a chance they could still be boarding the bus,” she said.
“Good idea.” He leapt to his feet. Do you know how to get there?”
“Yup. I’ve just come from it.”
“Of course. Let’s go.”
Noelle put her coat back on and followed Granger to the exit. As he opened the door, a blast of snowy air hit them in the face.
“Uh oh,” he said, closing it again. To her surprise, he reached for her hood and pulled it over her head, then fastened the top button of her coat, so the collar covered her mouth and nose. “There you go,” he said. She blinked as he fastened up the collar on his own heavy, military coat. He heaved the door open again, and they headed out into the snow.
“It’s basically this way,” she yelled over the howling wind, pointing across the street diagonally. “About ten minutes’ fast walk.”
“My car’s around the corner, but it might take longer to drive,” he yelled back.
“I think so. There’s a one-way system, and I don’t even know how it works.”
“Ok, let’s walk.” He headed off at a fast march, and Noelle struggled to keep pace with him. She slipped once, twice, and he looked back at her.
Bear Home for Christmas: BBW Holiday Paranormal Bear Shifter Romance (Christmas Bear Shifter Romance Book 1) Page 2
