Gabriel picked up his beer. “Speak for yourself. I’m not staying.”
“You say that now.”
“I say that always.”
“Uh-huh. Famous last words. Give it a few more weeks.” His brother adjusted a couple of knobs, then slid in a CD. “When I first came here, I kept to myself. Bought a house outside of town, barely spoke to anyone. Then one day I saw Felicia and knew I was in trouble. Soon she was hanging out at the house and I was sponsoring a damned bowling team.” He shrugged. “It doesn’t happen all at once. I’ll give them that. They suck you in slow and you don’t notice until you can’t get away.”
“You had Carter,” Gabriel pointed out. “That makes it different.”
“True. Having a son I didn’t know about show up was a game changer. I didn’t know what to do with him. If I hadn’t had Felicia, we wouldn’t have made it.”
Words Gabriel could relate to. He’d been careful with all his women, but he would guess his brother had been, as well. Having a child show up would twist a man’s world around.
Not in a bad way, he thought, taking another drink. If he were the kind of guy who believed in happy endings, he would even welcome it. But then if he were that kind of guy he would be married with a few kids already.
“You get along with Carter now,” he said.
“We’re doing better. He’s old enough to tell me what he needs, which helps. He lets me know when I’m doing it wrong. Felicia keeps us in balance.” He grinned. “I could give you her technical explanation, but that would take too long.”
“Not to mention require you to use words you don’t understand.”
“There are times,” Gideon admitted. “But she’s worth it.”
“She helped you settle back into civilian life.”
Gideon nodded. “I’d recovered from what happened as much as I was going to. The rest was all about learning to live with the past. Nightmares, that kind of thing.”
Gabriel thought about all the skylights in his brother’s house, the big deck where he spent a lot of time. Gideon hadn’t shared much about his captivity, but Gabriel knew he’d been held by the Taliban for nearly two years. He’d been kept in an underground prison and tortured almost daily. The circumstances would have broken a lesser man. Gabriel wasn’t sure he would have survived it.
“You seen the folks?” his brother asked.
“Mom stopped by the store today. I haven’t talked to Dad since Thursday.” Which was only two days before, but felt longer.
“He’s getting better,” Gideon said. “I think it’s Carter’s influence. Or Webster.” He chuckled. “Dad’s training the dog better than any of us.”
Gabriel joined the laughter. “I believe it. If he can turn a green recruit into a soldier, he can get your dog to behave.” He raised his bottle toward his brother. “You look happy. That’s good to see.”
“Thanks. A year ago, I would have told you it wasn’t possible, but I was wrong. Between Felicia and my kid, I’ve made my way back.”
“I’m glad.”
Gabriel wanted his brother to be happy. If anyone had earned it, he had. He allowed himself a moment to wonder how life would be different if he believed. Only he didn’t. What was the point in having it all if you could lose it at any second?
* * *
Paper Moon was a store in transition. It had been a bridal boutique for a couple of generations. As of six months ago, the Beebe family had been planning to sell it. Isabel had temporarily returned to Fool’s Gold to help her parents by getting the boutique ready for the market. But life had a way of messing up the most perfect plans and now she was newly engaged, staying in town permanently and enlarging the store to include a selection of designer clothes. Which explained why there was a large hole in the side wall of Paper Moon.
“Ignore the mess,” Isabel said as she urged Patience up in front of the five-way mirror. “Are these the shoes? Because you don’t want to hem the dress in the wrong heels.”
“These are them,” Patience said, then bit her lip. “Oh, Isabel, you were right. This is the perfect dress.”
Noelle sat in one of the overstuffed chairs by the mirror and took in the view of her gorgeous friend. “Do you ever get tired of hearing that?”
“No,” Isabel admitted, bending down and adjusting the skirt. “I appreciate the validation.”
Patience had been unsure about having a “real” wedding. She’d been married before and wondered if she deserved to have the whole ceremony again. But after Felicia and Isabel got engaged, they’d invited her to join them in their post-Dance of the Winter King wedding plan. While Patience had agreed, she’d resisted getting a traditional wedding dress, instead insisting she would wear an ivory-colored suit.
But Isabel had been relentless in getting her friend to try on different gowns. In the end, she’d simply ordered the one that had looked the best. Now Patience stood in a soft white gown that was fitted to the knee before flaring out. It was covered in lace. The bodice was strapless, with a lace overlay, adding a touch of modesty that was pure Patience.
“I should have listened to you from the beginning,” Patience murmured.
“I can see why you like this line of work,” Noelle said, loving the happiness in her friend’s eyes.
“It’s gratifying.” Isabel admitted, stepping up on the low dais and adjusting the dress. “This is a really good fit. I’ll have my brilliant alteration lady call to make an appointment with you. Get the dress tailored sooner rather than later and remember, from this day until the wedding you can’t lose or gain an ounce.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Patience said, taking one last look at herself. She was turning when she came to a stop and her mouth dropped open. “Oh, my.”
Noelle looked and saw Felicia had stepped out of a dressing room. The stunning redhead had chosen an ivory gown that was more than fitted. It clung to her perfect body in diagonal rows of what looked like pleating but was probably some kind of fancy draping. Like Patience’s dress, it flared out just above the knee, but Felicia’s skirt ended in dozens of massive flowers made of the gorgeous silk. They cascaded to the floor and formed a train.
“I don’t know,” Felicia murmured. “I can barely walk and maybe it’s a little much for Fool’s Gold. I don’t want people to—”
“Stop,” Noelle said, walking toward her friend. She circled her, taking in the fitted back, the incredible flowers and how the color made her friend’s skin glow. “Just stop. You’re inhumanly beautiful. You need that dress. It’s perfect on you. No one else could carry that off.”
She looked at Isabel and Patience, who both nodded, wide-eyed.
Felicia stunned her by bursting into tears then pulling her close. “I love you so much. You’re a wonderful friend. Thank you.”
Isabel and Patience rushed over to join the group hug. Noelle let the love wash over her, filling her heart with happiness. This was what she’d been looking for, she thought happily. Closeness. Belonging. And she’d found it.
They finally disentangled. Isabel sniffed as she wiped away tears. “This was so great. But I think we should do our fittings independently or we’ll spend the whole time sobbing.”
“You’re right,” Felicia said. “The abundance of emotion is overwhelming.”
“What she said.” Patience waved at Felicia and brushed away tears.
“All right, I’m taking control,” Isabel told them. “You two go get changed.”
When the other two had retreated to the dressing rooms, Noelle turned to Isabel. “What about your dress?”
She smiled shyly. “I have it,” she said, then led the way into the back.
Noelle had seen the bridal shop storeroom before. It consisted of dozens of racks filled with beautiful dresses. But the construction had eaten into the area, cutting it in half.
“Part of the remodeling,” Isabel said, pointing to the makeshift wall.
“Where are the rest of the dresses?” Noelle asked, thinking storing a wedding go
wn wasn’t like storing extra paper towels. You couldn’t just rent a storage place and leave them there.
“At Dellina’s. She has a spare bedroom. The racks fit perfectly and it’s kept close to seventy degrees. You know, normal indoor temperatures. Perfect for my inventory.” She reached for a dress and held it out.
Like the other two, it was strapless, but Isabel’s skirt was full. Tiny flowers of lace and crystals covered the bodice, becoming more scattered closer to her waist before stopping just past her hips. The skirt was layers and layers of sheer fabric that rustled and swayed.
“There’s a matching veil,” Isabel said with a sigh. “The same flowers are sprinkled along the edge. I know it’s girly rather than high fashion, but I can’t help myself.”
“You’ll be beautiful.”
Isabel put the dress back, then turned to her. “Are you okay with this? We’re not making you want to slit your throat or something?”
Noelle grinned. “I don’t own a knife that fancy and I’m fine. This is great. I love being a part of the secret triple wedding.”
Isabel didn’t look convinced. Noelle shrugged.
“Look, if I had some long-term boyfriend who wouldn’t cough up a ring, I might be annoyed, but I don’t. I love you guys and I’m happy for you. Besides, you got me a great dress.”
In keeping with the strapless theme, Isabel had suggested a couple of different dresses for Noelle. Together they’d chosen a simple strapless cocktail dress with shirring at the bodice and an unexpected twist of fabric at the waist. The dress was short enough to be sexy but not so sexy that it was distracting. The blue-purple color flattered and it was the kind of dress Noelle really could wear again.
“I just don’t want this to be depressing,” Isabel told her. “I wish Consuelo had agreed to be a bridesmaid, but when I asked again, I got the sense she wanted to physically hurt me.”
Noelle laughed. “That sounds like her. Don’t worry. I’m happy to be the attendant friend. Really.”
“If you’re sure.”
“I am.”
They returned to the main room of the salon just as Dellina, their wedding planner, arrived with both arms full of flowers. She put down the bouquets, looked at all of them, then put her hands on her hips.
“What?” she demanded. “You’ve been crying. Don’t try to tell me you haven’t been. And I’d better not hear someone is breaking up.”
“They were trying on dresses and looked so beautiful, we lost it,” Noelle said.
Patience grinned. “No, Felicia looked so beautiful they started crying. I didn’t inspire any great emotion.”
“You were stunning,” Felicia told her. “Lovely and delicate. L-like those flowers.” Tears filled her eyes.
Dellina shook her head. “Was there wine involved?”
“No,” Isabel said cheerfully. “We did all this completely sober.”
“A frightening thought,” Dellina murmured. “Are we back together now? I can move on to flowers without anyone getting hysterical?”
The three brides nodded. “I was never hysterical,” Noelle pointed out.
“Good. Then we have work to do, ladies. These are some flower samples. I was thinking we’d pick a color scheme for the flowers and then each of you would have a variation of that color. That way you can have your favorites without clashing.”
Noelle listened as Dellina explained which flowers would work best in a bouquet, then showed them different groupings.
Less than two years ago she’d been planning her own wedding, she thought wistfully. She and Jeremy had wanted a summer wedding on the beach. Their biggest disagreement had been about the wedding gown. She’d wanted to wear her grandmother’s. She’d had the overlay of lace removed, leaving the fitted heart-shaped bodice in place. The seamstress she’d worked with had carefully reapplied the lace flowers and had added some draping. But when Noelle had tried it on for Jeremy, he’d said it was too old-fashioned.
In the end, it hadn’t mattered because then she’d gotten sick and eventually he’d left her. He’d told her she wasn’t enough of a sure thing for him.
She shook off the memories and returned her attention to the flower discussion.
“While you’re mulling,” Dellina said, pulling a tablet out of her large tote and touching the screen, “I’ll mention some other details. Evie Jefferson and I talked. After the Dance of the Winter King, the girls will start a new dance she taught them. The music will change and then Mayor Marsha will take the stage to explain what’s happening.”
She went through the events of the evening. How the three grooms would take their places, and Noelle would be the first down the aisle.
“I have a list of prewedding march music,” Dellina said, digging for a sheet of paper. “I’m also open to suggestions. Then the traditional wedding march, then you three appear. Ceremony, ring, kiss and we invite everyone to a late supper before we all head to church for midnight services.”
“You’re doing the supper?” Noelle asked.
“I’m organizing it.” Dellina grinned. “Trust me, I didn’t get the cooking gene. Ana Raquel and Greg are handling the food. It’s going to be delicious.”
Felicia pulled her own tablet out of her bag. “I have a list of what’s been ordered,” she said. “Including the champagne.”
Noelle glanced at the clock on the wall. “If you guys don’t need me, I’m going to head back to my store. We’re swamped and I left Gabriel in charge.”
“Thanks for everything,” Isabel told her. “You’ve been great.”
“I’m happy to help. Let me know the details.”
She waved at her friends, then left the store. As she hurried toward The Christmas Attic, she told herself to revel in their happiness and not think about the fact that the day after Christmas, everything would be different. Her friends would leave on their honeymoons, Gabriel would go back to Germany and her store would get quiet again. While her friends would return, they would be married and she had a feeling that could change things.
As for Gabriel, well, she doubted she would ever see him again. Not unless he started visiting his brother more regularly. And what were the odds of that? So not getting involved really made sense. Only she wasn’t sure she was in a place where she wanted to be sensible.
She was about to turn the corner when Patience caught up with her. “I have to get back, too,” she said. “And I completely trust Dellina with the menu.” She pointed to the window for da bump Maternity. “Oh, look. She’s added an animated Santa.”
Noelle glanced at the window and saw a dancing Santa. There were elves, too. Cute elves she didn’t remember from a couple of days ago.
“She’s getting to her decorating late,” she said. “It’s a tough time of year.”
“She’s not late,” Patience said. “It’s the competition. I thought about trying, but with the wedding and all, there’s no way. Maybe next year. Although Josh usually wins. I think he brings in people from outside to decorate. He’s a professional competitor. The rest of us don’t take it that seriously.”
Noelle stopped to face her. “What are you talking about?”
“The competition for best holiday window display,” Patience told her. “It’s silly, really. The prize is some little statue. It’s just for fun.”
“Why didn’t I know about this?” Noelle asked, gazing at the window display. “I have a Christmas store. I should be a contender.”
“Uh-oh.” Patience held up both hands. “I see that look of determination. I’m so staying out of your way.”
Chapter 8
Gabriel closed the cash register and handed over the bag. “Thanks for stopping by,” he said. “Merry Christmas.”
Unexpectedly, he enjoyed working in the store. People were really happy when they found what they were looking for and he liked the idea of seeing the transaction through. In his day job, he patched his patients up as best he could and then they were gone. Even in Germany, when his patients left the hospit
al, they still had healing to do. But here, he could sell a Christmas CD and feel a sense of accomplishment.
The front door opened and Noelle burst in. She was flushed and wide-eyed, her scarf falling off her shoulder.
“What happened?” he demanded, already moving toward her. Adrenaline pumped through him as he wondered if there’d been a car accident or some other tragedy he would have to deal with. He didn’t have a medical bag with him, which would limit what he could do but—
“There’s a window competition,” she announced. “How did I not know about this? There are prizes and everything. We have to win.”
Gabriel drew in a breath and consciously relaxed his body. The chemical rush would take a while to fade, but at his least brain knew she was okay.
“A competition?” he asked. “For windows?”
“Window displays. I wish Melissa was here. I could ask her about it. There was a flyer, but I guess I didn’t get it.” She walked over to the computer and typed in the password to log on to the internet, then searched.
“Here it is,” she said triumphantly. “The judging is the eleventh. That’s next Wednesday and doesn’t give us much time.” She looked around the store. “I need to get organized.”
“You’re going to try to win?”
She gave him a pitying look. “Of course. This is important. Not only is this my first year in business, I’m the Christmas store. I need to at least be in the competition, even if I don’t win.”
An unexpected side of Noelle, he thought, liking her fierceness.
“How can I help?”
She smiled then and it was like getting kicked in the gut. Gabriel held in a groan as he wondered when wanting Noelle had shifted to liking her, as well. Desire was safe. It was biology and a lot about proximity. But liking was different. Liking was about personality and caring, which meant when he left he was going to miss her.
Too late now, he told himself. He was stuck.
“I’m going to walk around town and look at the other windows,” she said. “I’ll take notes. Then this afternoon we can strategize about what to do.” She glanced toward the display in the south window. “I know we’re going to need a bigger tree—that’s for sure. But a real one.”
Christmas on 4th Street (Fool's Gold Romance) Page 11
