Noelle's Golden Christmas Page 11

  Still fit and trim, he enveloped her in a bear hug, lifting her feet from the ground and spinning her around until she was dizzy and giggling. Despite being annoyed by his constant efforts to control her life, she couldn’t help warming to his enthusiastic greeting.

  “I miss you so much, little angel.” He set her down and kissed the top of her head.

  “Not as much as Buster.” Noelle pointed to the yellow puddle on the floor. “We’d better clean that up before it ruins the marble.”

  He waved his hand in a gesture of indifference. “The staff will take care of it. I’ll have Drake put Buster in the back den while the guests are here, or else we’ll be cleaning up puddles all night.”

  At fifty-eight years of age, Gerard Holiday could easily have passed for forty-eight. His dark hair was only lightly peppered with gray, and his face remained smooth and unlined, save for a few laugh lines. Always a sharp dresser, he commonly attracted the attention of single women, some of whom were twenty years his junior. The thought gave Noelle the heebie-jeebies, but she did wonder why her father had never remarried. Then she remembered what Lisa had said about her father making a big announcement tonight…

  She gasped. “Dad! Are you getting married?”

  “What? No, I’m not getting married. What made you ask that question?” He let out a belly laugh.

  “Whew! Good. Although… you know I wouldn’t object if you ever decided to remarry. I hope you haven’t stayed single all these years because of me. I’d feel terrible.”

  Rolling his eyes, he shook his head. “Noelle, you seem to hunt for things to feel guilty about. You do realize all that guilt is self-manufactured, right? I mean, it doesn’t come from God.”

  “I know. I fight it all the time. I don’t know where it comes from.”

  “I do.” With a long slow exhale, he took her by the hand, leading her into his study. He sat on the loveseat, patting the cushion beside him until she joined him.

  “Noelle, you are so much like your mother. Every time I see you, it’s like seeing her again when she was young.”

  “Oh, Dad, I was afraid of that. I hate that seeing me makes you sad.”

  His loud guffaw echoed out into the hallway. “Seeing your mother in you makes me happy, not sad. There you go again… making up something to feel guilty for.”

  Though she’d promised herself she wouldn’t let her father irritate her tonight, she couldn’t help being annoyed at his criticism.

  “Then what’s the point of telling me how I remind you of her?”

  “This guilt thing you do… you got that from her. She made herself personally responsible for everyone else’s happiness. It’s an admirable thought, but not a worthy goal. No person can be responsible for someone else’s happiness, not even a spouse.”

  “I don’t do that.” Though she protested his description of her, she knew his words had a ring of truth.

  “Whatever you say, angel. I just want you to be happy.”

  Here it comes.

  “By the way…” Her father adopted his pretending-to-be-nonchalant tone. “Have you met anyone special?”

  “Dad…”

  “I was only wondering if maybe someone from church or maybe a fellow from Lisa and Reece’s division party might have caught your eye.”

  “No, Dad.”

  His smile faltered. “Are you certain, angel? I’ve heard rumors, but I was afraid to get my hopes up.”

  Rumors! I’m going to kill Lisa. She promised not to tell Dad anything. Unless maybe Reece told him something…

  “Nope, I’m afraid there’s no one in the picture. You might as well get used to that. I think I’m not supposed to get married. You know God leads some people to remain single. That seems to be His plan for me.”

  “But Noelle…”

  She leaned over and kissed his cheek before bounding up from her seat. “I’m off to check on the appetizers before I change clothes. Love you, Dad.”

  Wow, I barely got away. He’s getting awfully persistent about trying to set me up. Maybe I should become a nun. That ought to get him off my back.

  *****

  A chill rippled down her spine as Noelle stared into the mirror. It was like seeing a ghost. After discovering her mother’s old formal in the closet, she couldn’t resist trying it on. She wasn’t prepared for the perfect fit or the shock of seeing just how much she resembled her mother. Her gaze travelled back and forth from the framed picture in her hand to her own mirrored image. Blinking hard, she pinched her arm to distract herself. I’m not going to cry and mess up my makeup.

  The green satin dress draped across her shoulders and dipped low in the back, falling to the floor in a mermaid style reminiscent of the nineteen forties. With the deep green reflecting in her eyes and the careful application of light eyeshadow and mascara, per Frieda’s directions, her eyes looked amazing. The decision was made. She had to wear this dress instead of the one she’d planned to wear. The smile on her face grew wider as she thought of the fun pictures they could take. For some strange reason, wearing the dress made her less lonesome for her mother.

  Having just entered the foyer, Lisa was the first to notice when Noelle started to descend the grand staircase. A squeal echoed in the marble-floored entryway as Lisa bounded up the stairs, meeting her halfway. “Noelle! You look amazing, and Dad’s going to flip when he sees you.”

  Their father’s bass voice boomed from below. “Why am I going to flip?”

  Noelle enjoyed watching her dad’s face when he caught sight of her in his wife’s dress. For effect, she struck the same pose as her mother’s gargantuan portrait, hanging behind her on the gallery wall atop the staircase. His eyes grew wide and his mouth fell open until she thought he might dislocate his jaw.

  When he finally spoke, his voice cracked. “Noelle, you are truly beautiful… as lovely as your mother, and that’s saying a lot.”

  “Thank you, Daddy.” A tremor in her voice betrayed just how deeply his compliment affected her.

  “I request the honor of the first waltz, my angel.” He posed the invitation in a formal voice, with a flourish of his hand.

  “I would be thrilled, dearest father.” Attempting a curtsy, Noelle found the contoured fit of the dress around her knees prevented the gesture.

  “Best Christmas ever!” he proclaimed with a laugh as he turned to answer the doorbell’s toll.

  “I can’t wait until Reece announces the baby,” Lisa whispered in her ear. “I’m about to bust something trying to keep it a secret. Besides… I’m starting to get a little pudgy, and I want an excuse.” Then her eyes focused on something downstairs, and her lips curved up. “Don’t look now, but I think someone’s impressed with your dress. See ya later, Sis.” Lisa kissed her cheek and dashed down the stairway, leaving Noelle on the landing.

  At the foot of the grand stairway, David stood, still as a statue, as if he were afraid to move lest he frighten her away. Slowly mounting the stairs, step by step, his eyes never left hers. When he reached her, he stood close—too close. The immense entry hall suddenly felt dwarfed by his presence.

  “You look stunning.” His Adam’s apple moved as he gulped.

  “Thanks.”

  She wanted to say something dazzling and witty, but nothing came to mind. In fact, her mind seemed to be totally blank. He stood so close she could feel the heat from his body. Though he didn’t touch her, his presence caressed her from head to toe, making her feel out of control. She felt a sudden empathy for Buster.

  “Your pinkeye seems to be gone,” he remarked, raising his eyebrows.

  “I’m a fast healer.” Heat suffused her face.

  “Right.” He must know she’d lied about the eye infection, but he didn’t confront her. Clearing his throat, he shifted from foot to foot. “Noelle, I think we need to talk.”

  “I don’t think—”

  “Please, Noelle, I need to explain something. Give me sixty seconds, and I’ll let you go.”

  With blood po
unding in her ears like a bass drum, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to hear him, but she nodded agreement.

  “I’ve got something really important to tell you… something you need to hear. I want you to promise me you’ll listen with an open mind.” He lifted her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to her fingers, which created an annoying tremble that immediately spread all the way down to her knees.

  His brow folded and he wrapped his arm around her. “Are you cold?”

  “Yes, I’m freezing.” Sorry, God. What was I supposed to say? You make me shiver all over?

  Shrugging off his suit coat, he slipped it over her bare shoulders. The warmth enveloping her was offset by the proximity to his dizzying scent, now wafting upward and sending her heart into calisthenics. She gripped the railing, closing her eyes against a bout of vertigo.

  A warm hand cupped her cheek, and she opened her eyes to find his face only inches away, azure eyes searching hers, his heartbreakingly tender concern clearly written across his brow. “Are you okay?”

  “Noelle!” A man’s voice from the foot of the stairs made her jump out of her skin. “I’ve been looking for you. Are you coming down or what?”

  Standing in a well-cut suit, the young man exuded confidence, probably because he was startlingly handsome, with the kind of photogenic face that found its way to the cover of magazines.

  “Who’s that?” growled David, his glower sending out waves of caveman threats.

  “That’s Gavin, my brother.”

  “Oh.” A smile appeared in a microsecond as he dropped his barbarian club on the floor to clatter down the stairs. “Now that you say that, he looks just like a younger version of your father.”

  Grateful for Gavin’s distraction and its steadying effect, Noelle hurried down the grand staircase as fast as she could manage without tangling herself in the satin gown that clung to her legs.

  Gavin wrapped her in the same bear-like embrace her father employed. “Hey, Sis. You look great. Love the dress.” He looked over her shoulder, cocking his head and raising an eyebrow. “Who’s this?”

  Without looking, she sensed David standing behind her. “This is David. He’s… he just moved here from Texas.”

  “Nice to meet you, Gavin.” David stuck out his hand. “So you’re coming back to the company, I hear?”

  “Yep. Finished my masters and coming back to work with Dad. I’ve got some great ideas for expansion and marketing.”

  “Where’s Rachel?” Noelle asked, having scanned the crowd for his tall, slender fiancée.

  “We broke off the engagement.”

  With a silent gasp, Noelle covered her gaping mouth with her hands. Gavin’s smile never faded, but now Noelle noticed it didn’t reach his eyes… eyes that were underlined with dark circles.

  “Turns out her old boyfriend never really left the picture. Guess I’m lucky to find out ahead of time.”

  “Gavin, I’m so sorry.” She spoke around the huge lump in her throat. “If it’s any comfort, I know how it feels.”

  Gavin gave her another hug, but she could feel his desperation in this one. He murmured in her ear, “Thanks, Noelle. You’ve always been there for me. Better than any mom in the world.” He straightened, grabbing her hand. “The music’s starting… come dance with me.”

  Gavin dragged her into the ballroom, and she handed the coat back to David, who trailed behind, a bit of irritation visible behind his forced smile.

  Having grown up attending company functions, charity balls and such, Noelle and her siblings were adept at old-fashioned waltzes, foxtrots, and rhumbas as well as the more contemporary dance styles. As he swung her onto the dance floor, Noelle relaxed in Gavin’s strong arms and confident lead, grateful for the waltz music that replaced the previous strains of Christmas carols. Although, she had to admit, the whole Christmas celebration thing didn’t seem to aggravate her as much as it always had in the past.

  “I’m so glad you’re home, Gavin. I missed you a lot.”

  “I’m only here for the night. I’m hitting the slopes with some buddies from school, and I’ll be back Christmas morning.”

  Noelle pushed her lower lip out as far as it would go. “I can’t believe you’re going skiing without me.”

  “To tell you the truth, I don’t really feel like going. But Ryan and Shawn insisted I need the distraction to help me forget about Rachel.” He made a face like he was swallowing cough medicine. “I feel so stupid, Noelle. While I was waiting tables at night to pay for her engagement ring, Rachel was sleeping with her ex-boyfriend.”

  “Sounds a lot like what Carl did to me.” The familiar bitterness filled her gut.

  “Really?” His mouth fell open. “You never told me that. I thought he just got cold feet.”

  She didn’t respond. She was too distressed with the sudden recognition of yet another failure. She’d been so wrapped up her in own misery she hadn’t had the presence of mind to warn her brother. In retrospect, Rachel had never seemed as devoted to Gavin as he was to Rachel. Just like Carl had been with Noelle. She should’ve known.

  “Penny for your thoughts, Sis.”

  “I think you might have to pay me a whole dollar to hear these thoughts.” Hoping to distract him, she stuck out her tongue.

  “Ha! That was very un-ladylike of you.” Gavin wiggled his thumb where it rested on her side, and she would’ve stumbled if he hadn’t supported her.

  “No tickling!” She pursed her lips, attempting to duplicate the expression Gavin referred to as her “schoolmarm face.”

  “Okay,” he said, with a devilish glint in his eye.

  Pulling her in closer, he tightened their turning radius, spinning her faster and faster until the room was rotating even more rapidly than their bodies. She squealed, helpless to stop him, laughing despite her nauseously dizzy state. Mercifully, he spun her off the dance floor as the song ended, lowering her onto a vacant chair.

  “You’re gonna pay for that, Gavin,” she threatened, though they both knew it was empty.

  “You’ll forgive me if I bring you a glass of ice water, I bet.”

  “Hmm… I suppose I’d consider it.” Chuckling, she watched Gavin stroll toward the drink station, failing to notice someone approaching from the side.

  “I can tell you’re really close to your brother.” David startled her from her reverie.

  Though her senses shot to high alert, she kept her voice steady. “All of us are close. I guess after Mom died, we didn’t have any choice.”

  “Believe me, there are other alternatives. Some families turn on each other when there’s a crisis.”

  She detected a hint of bitterness in his voice as a cloud descended over his face. Then, as quickly as it had come, it was gone, and she wondered if it was her imagination.

  “I really need to tell you something. It’s important that you hear it from me.”

  His words sent her heartbeat into overdrive. He was here to give her bad news, probably planning to tell her he was dating another woman. She’d predicted something like this would happen, thus her reason for cutting off their relationship, or at least holding him at arm’s length before she became more attached to him. Before she fell in love with him.

  “You see…” he squeezed his eyes shut, obviously searching for words to make the breakup easier for her to bear. “I really like you, but—”

  “Here, Sis! Here’s your water.”

  Gavin slid the glass into her hand, ice cold and dripping with condensation on the outside. A single drop of water trickled onto her lap, marring the green satin as the small, dark spot expanded.

  “Oh!” Noelle jumped to her feet, holding the glass out to protect her dress. “I need to go find a napkin. Excuse me, David. I’ll be right back.”

  Dashing to the kitchen to grab a paper towel, she was secretly relieved to have avoided David’s revelation. It was one thing to expect the worst to happen, but another thing to actually experience it. In her heart, she knew the relationship was too g
ood to be true, but she dreaded the pain that would come when it ended.

  “Hi, little angel. Is everything okay?” Her dad followed her into the kitchen,

  “It’s great, Dad. I just spilled water on the dress, so I had to blot it dry.”

  “Good.” His cheeks ballooned as he blew out a breath. “I was afraid you were upset about something. I saw you talking to David, and then you took off running.”

  “No, it was actually Gavin who was responsible for the water on my dress.”

  “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you smile at a company Christmas party. Could it possibly be you’re having a change of heart?”

  “Maybe,” she admitted, surprised to find she’d hardly noticed the dizzying array of Christmas decorations that blanketed the downstairs of the mansion. “I’m trying to be a little less self-centered, and it’s helping my attitude toward Christmas. But I’m still afraid I carry some kind of Christmas curse,” she said, only half-joking. “In fact, have you talked to Gavin about Rachel?”

  Her father’s mouth turned down. “Yes, he told me the news. Are you implying they broke up because of your Christmas curse?”

  “Not exactly… but I do think I should’ve been more explicit about what happened with Carl and me. I never told him Carl was cheating the whole time. If I’d shared with Gavin, he might’ve avoided this whole thing.”

  “So you’re saying it could be your fault that Gavin and Rachel broke up?” His voice was filled with incredulity.

  “I don’t know. It sounds silly when you say it like that.”

  “I’m glad you think it sounds silly, because you don’t need to add another heaping tablespoon of guilt to your life.” Her dad took the napkin from her hand and tossed it in the trashcan. “Come, dance with your old man. I was supposed to have the first waltz, and Gavin stole it from me.”

  Allowing him to lead her from the kitchen, she realized with wonder that her father’s wisdom had actually lessened her guilt and brought on a true sense of peace. I know Dad really loves me. Maybe I’ve misjudged him all this time. Maybe he’s not just a controlling man who takes pleasure in interfering with my life.