by Diana Palmer
“Good thing I’m always punctual.”
“Smart girl,” the older woman said. “Oh, and tell that brother of yours to stop tracking needles and sap into my store.”
“Are you sure it was Pax?” He hated grocery shopping. Preferred to sit in the car if Faith had to grab something on the way home.
“As sure as the day is long.” Mable nodded, and her white hair had so much spray, it moved with her. “He was in this afternoon, buying twine and a candy bar. He’s a paying customer, but I ain’t his mama so I shouldn’t have to clear up his mess.”
“No, ma’am, you shouldn’t. I’ll talk to him as soon as we get home tonight,” Faith said. Mable’s eyesight wasn’t so good, and Pax had been at Community Care all afternoon, so she must have him confused with another boy. One time the older woman thought a racoon was her dog and brought him into bed with her.
After saying good-bye and exchanging another couple howdys, Faith opened the bright blue front door and stepped into the house. Even though Cody said Noah wasn’t home, it didn’t stop her from peeking around every corner just in case. She imagined what it must have been like growing up in a house like this.
It was spacious but warm, and every nook and cranny of the historic farmhouse was tailor-made for a family. She could see a young Noah racing down the steps as he shouted to his mom that he was headed out to ride his horse. She could even see him there now as an adult lying on the floor with his nephew playing video games.
But no matter how hard she tried, Faith couldn’t picture herself there. Not as anything more than a friendly guest. She wasn’t sure if it was because she’d never dared to wish for a home like this growing up since it was so far out of reach, or if there was something deep down reminding her that wishes were for fools.
Faith might be a cautious romantic, but she’d never be a fool like her mom.
“Who you lookin’ for?” Shelby called from the dining room, where she was wrapping a Superhero bobblehead-themed basket with clear cellophane.
Faith jumped as if she’d been caught with her hand in the Noah cookie jar. But when she saw her friend’s T-shirt, Faith burst out laughing.
“ELF COMMANDER,” Faith read as she set her things on one of the dining chairs.
“Wait for it.” Shelby tugged on a bright red cap that had MR. DECEMBER’S embroidered across the brim. “I got one for the whole family.”
“If Mr. December wasn’t married to my best friend, I’d want to be his, too.” She wondered if Noah had received one. And, if so, what it said. “I can’t believe how much you guys have already gotten done.”
“Because she’s a tyrant.” Their third musketeer, Gina, walked in munching on a fried chicken leg. “She came to my house at 6:00 A.M., on my day off, to bring me here and hasn’t let me leave. I’ve wrapped more baskets for the silent auction than I’ve had cases this year.”
“We’ve already taken five loads of auction items to the community center. There’s a storage room off the back they’re letting us use to safely store everything until Saturday night.”
“See? Tyrant.”
“At least you’ve been fed.” Faith had maintained a steady diet of icing and Red Bull for the past few days. She spotted a new iPad on the table and her mouth fell open. “People are donating iPads?”
“Ten of them. Plus there’s a ton of things I would bid on.” Shelby picked up a beautifully embossed envelope. “A certificate for a girls’ day at the spa. There’s a weekend getaway for two to Padre Island. Someone even donated the new PlayStation. Can you believe it? You can’t even find them in stores anymore. Everyone’s sold out for Christmas, so Cody has his eye on it.”
“If he wins, that’s all Pax will talk about for the next six months. He’ll want to move in so he can play nonstop with JT.”
“Mr. But Dad Played With Them has his heart set on a pair of Battle Rifle Pro laser guns The Toy Box downtown donated,” Shelby said. “After their little G.I. Joe stunt, I told him to dream on.”
Faith’s stomach flipped at the possibility of finally getting Pax his wish. She didn’t want to reward bad behavior, and she sure as heck didn’t want Pax comfortable holding a gun, but she also didn’t want him to be excluded anymore. This might be her last chance to get him his Christmas wish.
They’re toys, she reminded herself, clearly marked as toys. And he had so much fun playing commando with the other kids, it would be great if he didn’t have to wait for someone to “tap out” to play.
“Do all of the items go for more than they’re worth?”
“Mrs. McKinney told me that it’s all over the board,” Shelby explained. “A twenty-dollar doll can go for a hundred. And a three-hundred-dollar bike can go for eighty bucks. The PlayStation? Cody will end up paying double for it rather than wait the two weeks for a new shipment. Plus, he hates to lose.”
Faith could relate to that. She didn’t care so much about winning as she did about being wrong when it mattered.
Her heart sped up on the off chance that, if she were lucky, maybe everyone would be so dazzled by the iPads, they’d overlook the laser guns. Pax would go ballistic if he found those under the tree on Christmas morning. Even if it meant cutting into her blender fund, it would be worth it to see the look on his face.
“Judge Hardy donated the iPads,” Gina said. “He’s a scrooge. Squeaks when he walks. He steals pens with the county logo from the courthouse to hand out on Halloween. I don’t know what you did, Shelby, but I’m impressed.”
Shelby had come a long way in the past few months, proving to folks around town that even though she was a big-city girl, she had a small-town heart. It wasn’t until she’d single-handedly saved the Summer Spectacular bake-off that people started treating her like one of their own.
Faith hoped that being more involved in the community, in a public way, would get her a little closer to finding what Shelby had found.
“So?” Shelby wiggled her brows. “Noah got home awfully late the other night. Said he was helping you with your cookies.”
Skipping right over that, Faith said, “I only have an hour before I have to get back to baking so how can I help—”
“Uh huh. No way.” Shelby stepped in front of Faith, blocking her way. “I’ve been dying to ask you since the storm. But I knew you were busy with the cookies, so I waited.” Shelby crossed her arms. “I’m done waiting. Spill.”
She turned to find Gina sitting on an ottoman, making herself at home—right in front of the doorway.
Faith sighed and plopped down on the couch. “Fine. He brought the generator over so I could—”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Gina twirled the chicken leg around. “Did you kiss or not?”
“Yes?” Faith said, then covered her face with her hands before ducking down.
“That was a question,” Shelby pointed out.
Faith peeked through her fingers. “Yes. We did. Just a little one.”
“Twenty bucks.” Gina held out her hand and Shelby forked over the cash.
“You bet on my dating life?”
“So you’re dating now?” Shelby turned to Gina. “One of my best friends is dating my brother-in-law and she didn’t even bother to tell me.”
“Stop.” Faith’s arms shot out, making a T. “We are not dating. Who said we were dating? Not me.”
Shelby laughed. “Say that one more time and maybe I’ll believe you.”
“You also didn’t deny it.” Gina pointed the chicken leg at her.
Faith crossed her arms because suddenly she didn’t know what to do with them. “What, are you being Prosecutor Gina right now?”
“You bet she is. And before you try to deflect, let me remind you that she’s the best prosecutor in three counties,” Shelby said, and Gina grinned. “She’s going to get it out of you one way or the other.”
Faith took a big breath. “We aren’t dating, but he said he wants to court me.” God, she sounded so ridiculous saying it. Felt even more ridiculous because her lips
tingled when she did.
Shelby wiggled her fingers in front of her mouth and more squealing commenced. “That is the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard.”
“Yeah, a real Prince Charming, that one,” Gina deadpanned.
“Oh stop. You’re pissy because Noah took Logan’s side when the Sheriff’s Office blocked your attempt to redistrict some of their parking spots to the County Prosecutors’ Office.”
“He doesn’t even live here. Why did he get involved?” Gina plopped the unfinished chicken leg on a napkin.
“Because you called and asked him to get involved,” Faith reminded her.
“That’s when I thought he’d see my point. The Rangers share all of their resources with their District Attorney’s Office.” Gina narrowed her gaze. “Now look at you, kissing the enemy.”
“It was a really great kiss,” Faith admitted. “And before you start squealing, let me remind everyone that he’s going back to Austin in a week and I’m staying here until, well probably forever, but at least until Pax goes off to college.”
“Please. A week is like a year in courting time.” Shelby patted Faith’s arm as if she were romantically challenged.
“Not in my world.” Faith had approximately six free hours over the next seven days. “Plus, it was just a kiss. There was mistletoe, or holly, but it was raining out and he drove up in his shiny SUV like a hero coming to save the day. We got lost in the moment.”
“Then you don’t care that Noah is tearing down the road,” Gina said, looking out the window.
All three women gathered around the window right as Noah hopped out of his not-a-patrol-car car. He walked over to one of the pickups and rested his arms—his very defined arms that had been wrapped around her—on the hood while he talked to one of the volunteers.
He wore a pair of button-fly jeans, which he filled out to perfection, and a blue and white button-down with the sleeves rolled up, giving it a casual vibe. In place of his usual Stetson was a Santa hat. Even squinting, he was too far away for her to decipher what it said, but even the sight of him had her head buzzing with anticipation.
“Just a kiss, huh?” Shelby laughed, because Faith’s face was pressed so close to the window, the glass was fogging over.
Faith didn’t answer. She couldn’t because Noah took a case of bottled water from the back of his SUV and carried it over to the nearest tailgate. Then he hopped up into the bed of the truck and—sweet baby Jesus—proceeded to bend all . . . the . . . way . . . over to pick up the bottles.
His arms bulged under the weight and his shirt clung to his shoulders, exposing each and every muscle as it tightened. But what had her mouth going dry was that the best backside in the great state of Texas was on display for her viewing pleasure. Shamelessly, she watched as he repeated the process.
Three times.
“Oh my,” Gina said. “I see your problem.”
“Yeah.” Shelby led them outside to the porch swing, getting comfortable for the show. “I wish we had some popcorn.”
Cody hopped up in the truck and both brothers worked together to finish loading the bed to the brim with water for Saturday’s event. A few more guys came around to help out. When finished, the group kicked back and cracked open a couple of cold drinks.
The men continued laughing and talking. About what Faith hadn’t a clue, but there was something off about the way Noah held himself.
“Does Noah look all right to you?” she asked.
The two studied him for a moment and Gina snapped her fingers. “He’s smiling. That’s what’s wrong.”
Shelby laughed but Faith couldn’t help but notice how he kept looking at his watch, rubbing the back of his neck. Then he looked up, spotted her, and frowned, and suddenly all the earlier flutters fizzled and soured.
“Where’s the wine?” Faith asked.
“Where’s your heart?” Shelby asked quietly.
Oh, it was gone. It had taken one look at Noah and rolled over in surrender. And he was checking his watch as if he’d rather be anywhere than there.
“It’s so new, I don’t trust it,” she admitted. “I’m afraid that if I say it out loud, it won’t happen. Things don’t work out for people like me.”
“Oh honey.” Shelby put her arms around Faith. “People like you deserve the best. Plus, it’s Christmas.”
“I understand,” Gina said, with lonely commiseration in her eyes. She, too, had given her heart to someone who overlooked it for something flashier. Only, Gina had to interact with him every day and pretend that her heart wasn’t shattered.
Faith pulled Gina into the hug and all three of them fell backward onto the swing, laughing.
“Too bad the third brother slept with my sister,” Gina said. “Because I want a Tucker under my tree this year.”
Faith did, too. She feared she wanted Noah Tucker for a lot longer than Christmas.
Chapter Ten
Noah was doing his best to listen to Logan, but the truth was he couldn’t take his eyes off Faith. She was sitting on the front porch swing in a pretty soft blue sweater and jeans, her hair hanging long and loose around her face, laughing with her friends. And something in his brain glitched.
The last person he’d seen swinging in that seat was his mama. After she passed, none of them could handle sitting in her favorite spot without her. But Shelby looked right at home. And he couldn’t help but think that Faith did, too.
Things had definitely changed at the Crossing. Cody had grabbed on to his second chance at love and run with it. Shelby had brought new life to the farmhouse. And JT . . . man, his nephew was something special. That kid could run around the ranch all day long, riding horses and playing in the hills with his buddies, doing all the things a boy should be allowed to do. And he was doing it right here, on a piece of land that hadn’t seen much laughter over the years.
So why couldn’t Noah stop looking over his shoulder for the Ghost of Christmas Past?
“Funny how you said it’d take you a few hours to go pick up the bottled water, but when I texted you that Faith stopped by, you managed it in less than forty-five minutes,” Cody said, reproaching his brother, his hair messed up as if he’d been smooching his wife minutes ago.
“Some good motivation there,” Logan said, grabbing a beer and using the heal of his cowboy boot to pop off the top. “So Cody called it right for once, and you and Faith are a thing.”
“He’s courtin’ her,” Cody said, and Logan burst out laughing.
“Courtin’?” Logan had the stones to laugh again.
“What is this? Mayberry?” Noah asked. “You were in the house literally five minutes.”
Noah had watched Cody grab his wife by the hand and drag her through the back door. He was envious at the easy familiarity Cody and his family shared. Even when his mom had been alive, Noah had never known anything like that. Never thought it was possible for a guy like him.
Being around Faith had challenged that belief.
“What do you expect? You’re back in Sweet,” Cody said, offering him a beer. Noah grabbed a bottle of water instead.
“You’ve been back in town, what? Five months?” Noah asked his brother.
“More or less.”
“And you’re already as bad as Ms. Luella, gossiping like a bunch of hillbilly biddies with nothing better to do than sip sweet tea and flap your lips.”
“Don’t let Ms. Luella hear you say that, or she’ll put soap in your pie,” Cody warned, a happy grin on his face.
“So I see you decided to go there.” Logan leaned back in his camping chair, stretching his legs out and crossing them at the ankles, a pair of pink socks with dancing alligators peeking out from beneath his cowboy boots. “I’d say you need to get laid and blow off some steam, but as the converted father of a daughter I will teach to run from men like you until she’s thirty and old enough to date, I hope that wherever you went, you didn’t go there lightly.”
“I don’t need dating advice from a guy who dat
ed one sister, then married the other,” Noah said, and Logan’s jaw clenched as his gaze landed on Gina. “But yes, I don’t take dating a single mom lightly.”
“So this is a thing then?” Cody asked.
How to answer that without sharing some of the private things Faith had confided in him. He grabbed the back of his neck with a hand and applied pressure to relieve the building tension—a side effect of extended time at the Crossing. “It’s too early to tell.”
Cody snorted. “That’s about word for word what Faith said.”
Noah straightened. “What else did she say?”
“Depends on whether you think I’m an old hillbilly flapping my lips,” Cody said, and Noah chucked an empty water bottle at him. Cody caught it with his hand and crushed it into a ball. “According to Shelby, she said things like this don’t happen to girls like her.”
Cody chucked the bottle back, but Noah didn’t bother to block it. He was too busy thinking about what it must have cost Faith to admit that to someone else. And what kind of disappointments she’d had to deal with to even believe that BS.
“I shouldn’t have asked,” he said. “She’d be so hurt if she knew people were talking about her. So this doesn’t leave the circle.”
“Agreed,” Cody said, and Logan nodded. Thankfully, the other guys had taken off to deliver the extra water to the event site.
“So what are you going to do?” Cody asked.
Noah looked over at Faith, still on the swing, her hair dancing lightly in the breeze, her skin glowing under the setting sun. As if sensing his interest, she met his gaze and—merry Christmas one and all—she was beautiful.
Even from the distance, he could feel the blast when she slid him a shy smile. He tipped his hat, acting as though his heart wasn’t beating out of his chest, because in the moment he was lost—and found, all at the same time.
Suddenly, his Ghost of Christmas Past didn’t matter all that much. Not when he’d been gifted with a beautiful angel sent to rescue him.
Noah stood. “I’m going to prove to her that this generation of Tuckers is trustworthy.”
* * *
