Noelle's Golden Christmas Read online

  Noelle recognized a surge of passion at his words. She wanted to know the source of James’ discomfort. To share her faith with him. To fix him.

  She’d tried with Carl. For six years she worked to strengthen Carl’s relationship with God, and she thought she’d succeeded. But in the end, after the fateful Christmas Eve party where he’d broken their engagement, he sent a crushing email, rejecting everything she believed in. She was so shocked and broken, she never told anyone, not even her sister.

  This was her chance to redeem herself. To redeem James.

  “Why aren’t you comfortable? Did something happen in your past to keep you from believing in God?”

  Lifting a glass of water, he studied it as if the answer was floating inside. “A lot of different things. Expectations. Disappointments. My last name is Christian, so you’d think I was a Christian, right?”

  “I totally get that. My name’s Noelle Holiday, and I hate Christmas.”

  “Why do you hate Christmas?” His eyes widened.

  “It’s a long story,” she hedged, uncomfortable sharing her painful past. “But suffice it to say, I have some bad memories from past Christmases.”

  “Fair enough. I won’t pry.” He took a sip of water and set the glass down, turning to face her with a mischievous grin. “I’d be glad to give you some good memories this Christmas to replace those bad ones.”

  “If saying a blessing makes you uncomfortable, you probably don’t want to spend time with me, James. After all, I’m a Christian.”

  “So am I… James Christian, remember?” His dimple flashed, catching her eye.

  She gave her head a little shake and tore her gaze from the enticing dimple. “Doesn’t it bother you that I’m a believer?”

  James smiled at her, licking his lips like he was looking at a mouth-watering dessert. “Sweetheart, everything about you bothers me… as in hot and bothered.”

  “James!” Noelle tried a scolding voice, but couldn’t suppress a buzz of delight at his flattering words. He definitely brought out a base instinct. But I can handle it. At least, I think I can. “You didn’t really answer my question.”

  “I’ll answer yours if you answer mine.”

  She racked her brain, trying to remember what question he’d asked.

  With a casual stretch, he extended his arm along the back of her chair. “I asked if you’d go out with me tomorrow night.”

  Oh, that question. “As I recall, you followed up that query with one about taking liberties.”

  James held up his palm. “Wait a minute. I’d like to withdraw the second question, especially since your answer was an emphatic no.”

  “Knowing that no liberties are allowed—none whatsoever—you’d still like to ask the first question?”

  “Absolutely. I also promise to follow your rules, though I don’t promise not to hope you soften them just a bit by the third or fourth date.”

  His crystal blue eyes sliced through her determined façade like so much tissue paper. She wouldn’t mind testing out those tantalizing lips. He was so much more muscular than Carl, the only man she’d ever kissed. I bet his kiss will feel different… better… more powerful and masculine.

  “I guess that sounds reasonable.” As the words left her lips, Noelle remembered she’d be bringing Abby home the next night. She’d need a little time to make the dog feel comfortable. “I can’t go tomorrow night, though. Maybe next Friday?”

  “You drive a hard bargain, but I’ll take what I can get.” He covered her hand on the table with his, stroking her skin in small light circles that sent huge danger signals pulsing through her head.

  She pulled her hand away from his burning touch. At least I’ve got almost a week to work on my willpower. I’m certainly going to need it.

  ∞ 4 ∞

  “I’M SORRY NOELLE.” Garrett’s anxiety was obvious, even over the cell phone. “We tried everything we could to locate Abby’s owner. Are you mad at me for talking you into taking her? I feel really bad about you getting saddled with the vet bill.”

  Having already set her heart on keeping the sweet dog, Noelle secretly rejoiced that Abby’s owner hadn’t shown up to claim her. Still, she didn’t want Garrett to think this would be a viable option in the future. One big dog in a small apartment was more than enough for her. She exhaled a heavy sigh for Garrett’s benefit, even as she sat on the floor, stroking Abby’s fur. The sweet Golden lifted her head, regarding Noelle with eyes full of appreciation, before resting her head on her paws. “No, I’ll be okay, Garrett. It’ll be a stretch, of course, but I’ll manage somehow.”

  “How’s she doing?”

  “Her injuries were worse than we thought. She was bleeding internally and had to have her spleen removed. But she’s resting now and they put a splint on her leg. Anyway, I’m going to take you up on your offer to watch her at the shelter during the day while I’m at work. I can’t really leave her alone right now, and I don’t think Dr. Madison will let me bring her along to the dental office.”

  “No problem. It’s the least I can do. I’ll make a pallet for her in my office. You’re an angel, Noelle.”

  Disconnecting the call, Noelle returned her full attention to the dog that lay contentedly in front of the gas-log fireplace with her head on Noelle’s lap. “You know, Abby, I should have gotten a dog a long time ago. No, no. I’m glad I waited for you. But in the few short hours since you’ve arrived, I already feel a lot less lonely.”

  As if she understood, Abby lifted her head and swiped a gentle lick on Noelle’s wrist.

  “I love you too, Sweetie. You’re totally worth taking all that money out of my savings. I mean, what was I saving it for, anyway?” She buried her hands in Abby’s soft fur. “You’re way better than the softest lap blanket I own.”

  *****

  “No, we haven’t gone on a date yet, but I’m pretty sure we’ll go out this weekend. If David doesn’t ask me, I’m going to ask him. These days, a woman can ask a man out. It’s so last-decade to expect the man to do the asking.” Shara took a bite of celery, casting a meaningful glance at Noelle.

  Plain celery with nothing on it! Who eats plain celery? Noelle responded with a huge bite of her cheeseburger, chewing and swallowing with relish. Nancy was eating some kind of delicious-smelling leftover casserole she’d brought from home.

  It was only Wednesday—five days since the tall Texan had first come to their office—and Noelle was already sick of hearing Shara talk about David. All. The. Time. David this… David that…. You’d think they were engaged instead of only having contact via text and Facebook.

  Admittedly, part of her was simply jealous that Shara had snagged Sexy Tex for herself. (The moniker came from Nancy, and it certainly seemed fitting.)

  It might have been different if he’d come in this week, after my fantastic makeover.

  Noelle had made an effort to spend a bit more time on her appearance, doing a fair job mimicking Frieda’s makeup techniques. Her hair was still tied back in a ponytail, but the combination of color and conditioning made her tresses shine so much that Nancy had noticed the change the moment she walked in the door Monday morning. Shara had also observed Noelle’s transformation, throwing in underhanded compliments like, “Wow. You look so much younger now, Noelle… like maybe twenty-eight instead of thirty-two.”

  Not bothering to correct the intentional error, Noelle hadn’t given Shara the satisfaction of acting offended. Besides, she knew she was no competition for the likes of Shara’s model-like perfection, despite her sister’s efforts.

  Yet Noelle actually worried about Shara after cleaning her teeth a few weeks prior. Her excessive acid erosion, combined with constant remarks about needing to lose weight, made Noelle suspicious Shara might be bulimic. The pencil thin receptionist reacted with offended outrage when Noelle mentioned bulimia could cause her type of erosion, so Noelle had dropped the subject.

  Having attended a seminar about bulimia, Noelle knew the condition was extremely
dangerous and required professional counseling, but she couldn’t very well hand out unwanted advice. Especially when Shara didn’t seem to like her very much or trust her in the least. Unfortunately, the feeling was mutual, though Noelle battled every day to be more understanding and less critical. She didn’t want to become one of those bitter, catty women she’d always despised.

  “What about you, Noelle? What are you doing this weekend?” Shara’s question sounded innocent enough, but Noelle knew the query was aimed at exposing her nonexistent social life.

  “Actually, I have a date Friday night,” said Noelle, affecting a nonchalant tone. She pressed her lips together, watching Nancy’s face as the information sank in.

  Nancy’s fork clattered from her hand to the breakroom table. “You have a date? Where did you meet him? You’ve been holding out on me. Out with it—I want details!”

  “It’s no big deal really… just a new guy from Reece’s department. I met him at a dinner party Saturday night at Lisa and Reece’s house.”

  “What’s he like? Is he cute?”

  Noelle’s appetite disappeared as her stomach fluttered. “He’s okay.” Ducking her head to hide her blush, she refolded the napkin in her lap.

  “He must be hot.” Nancy chuckled. “I’ve never seen your face this red. Woohoo! You’re glowing. He must be even hotter than Sexy Tex.”

  “Nancy, stop it,” Noelle growled.

  Nancy laughed until tears came to her eyes, fanning her face. “Okay, okay. I won’t tease you any more. Just tell us what he looks like.”

  “Well.” Conjuring up an image of James in her mind, Noelle felt her pulse quicken. “His name is James, and he’s really tall and built, with dark hair and blue eyes.”

  “Humph. Sounds a lot like David,” Shara remarked between bites of celery. “Are you sure there really is a James? Or did you make him up because you’re jealous of me and David?”

  “I’m not jealous of you and David,” Noelle protested, the hackles rising on the back of her neck.

  “I saw the way you looked at him Friday. I know you wanted him.”

  “I didn’t want him, Shara. But if you were so convinced I wanted him, why did you pursue him?”

  Shara stood up, scraping her chair legs on the hard tile floor. She threw her celery stick on the table, glowering at Noelle and Nancy with wild eyes. “Because I’m sick of hearing about how cute Noelle is and how sweet Noelle is and how nice Noelle is and how no one can believe some terrific guy hasn’t snatched Noelle up. Why do you get all the attention? Huh? What do you have that I don’t have?”

  Swiping at her eyes with her sleeve, Shara dashed from the breakroom, leaving Noelle and Nancy in stunned silence.

  After an extended, awkward lull, Nancy broke the quiet. “What was that about? Some kind of ‘roid rage? I thought she seemed pretty happy since she started talking to Sexy Tex.”

  “Steroids? Shara would never take steroids—they make you gain weight.”

  “True. She’s always complaining about being overweight, even though she looks like a toothpick with boobs.”

  “Shhh!” Noelle stifled a giggle, looking over her shoulder to be sure Shara wasn’t standing at the door.

  “Well, she does,” Nancy insisted. “I feel like a hippopotamus compared to her, especially when she grouches about being fat.”

  “Shara’s always been touchy and irritable and insecure, but we need to be nice to her.”

  “That’s easier said than done.” Gulping down her Coke, Nancy shook her head as if the task were impossible.

  Secretly, Noelle agreed.

  *****

  Friday rolled along, and Noelle was still pleased that no one had contacted the shelter to claim Abby. The affectionate Golden had wriggled her way into her heart. Noelle knew she’d be devastated to lose her. But surely they were safe now. No responsible owner would delay this long in claiming his or her dog. She wondered what could have happened to Abby’s owner. Maybe it was a senior citizen who’d passed away. She couldn’t imagine any other scenario in which Abby would’ve been abandoned.

  “Where are you going on your date with James tonight?” Lisa’s voice boomed out the speaker of Noelle’s cell phone as she held up possible clothing choices for her sister’s approval.

  “We’re just going out for pizza, and then a few blocks over to see that new zombie flick.”

  “Ewww! Falling Apart For You? You’re going to see that ridiculous movie? I think it only got a twenty percent approval rating.”

  “We didn’t have much choice, really. It was the only PG-13 movie that wasn’t a cartoon. I refuse to go see an R-rated movie and sit through those embarrassing scenes with a man I hardly know.”

  “Okay. Well so far, any of those ratty choices you’ve shown me would be appropriate for a zombie flick.”

  “Lisa! Come on. Help me out here. It’s not like I can wear that red dress for pizza and a movie.”

  “Show me a sweater in basic black, preferably cashmere.”

  “I don’t own anything cashmere, but I’ve got this black sweater.” Noelle held a cable knit sweater in front of the phone screen.

  “No, too bulky. I want something fitted. Something that’s not two sizes too big for you…” Lisa cleared her throat. “Eh-hem… You know, if you weren’t so stubborn about it, Dad would’ve bought you a ton of nice clothes. It’s not like he can’t afford it.”

  “I don’t want to feel indebted to him. It’s just one more way he can control me.”

  “Seriously, Noelle? I think that’s all in your head. He just wants you to be happy. Buying things for people is how he shows his love.”

  Arghh! How many times have we had this discussion? “Maybe I’ll think about it. What do you think of this green silk top you gave me last Christmas? It’s not very warm, though.”

  “Yes, that’s perfect. Brings out the green in your eyes. You’ll just have to suffer a bit with the cold. Beauty has its price, you know. Anyway, you’ll have a coat on when you’re outside.”

  “Fine. Thanks for your help.” Noelle hurried to get dressed while she still had her sister on the phone, hoping her presence would help her feel more settled about the evening ahead. “Pray for me, okay?”

  “I am praying, Sis. To be honest, I’m a little worried about you going out with James.”

  “Why?” Noelle knew why she was nervous about James… he made her teeter on the edge of self-control. But her sister couldn’t possibly know that.

  “I feel like James is a bit on the wild side. I think he wouldn’t blink an eye before having a weekend drinking binge.”

  “Yes, but he told me he absolutely never drives after drinking. And it’s not like he’s going to make me take up drinking alcohol.”

  “Noelle… I’ve also heard he’s been known to sleep around.”

  Noelle wasn’t exactly surprised at this news, but something about her sister’s warning raised her defensive hackles.

  “I’m just going to dinner with him, Lisa. I’m not going to marry him. You’re the one who fixed us up. Why are you talking bad about him now?”

  “Actually, the guy I meant for you to meet didn’t even come.”

  “You mean James’ brother, Doc?”

  “Yes, that’s the one. Reece introduced us at church a few weeks ago. Doc seems really nice. And he has a dog—I thought you’d like that.”

  “Well, God must have a different plan, since Doc didn’t even come to the party.” Even as she spoke the words, Noelle knew her logic wasn’t quite sound, but she plunged ahead anyway. “Maybe God wants me to help James. Don’t you think God has the power to change him? Maybe that’s exactly why we met?” Saying the words almost made her believe they were true. Almost. But a nagging doubt pricked the back of her mind like a grass bur on her sock.

  “Are you talking about missionary dating? Didn’t you warn me about that when I was still in high school?”

  Lisa always managed to push Noelle’s buttons, and the talking-down-to-
you button was the worst. Gritting her teeth, Noelle battled her rising annoyance. “It’s not the same when you’re dealing with grownups. I’m old enough to control my feelings. I would never fall in love with him until after he became a believer.”

  “I’m sure you know what you’re doing, Noelle. I wasn’t lecturing you.”

  “But you were lecturing me.”

  Lisa’s voice took on an accusing tone. “Maybe you just don’t want to hear what I have to say.”

  “Maybe you should butt out and mind your own business.”

  Silence.

  Now I’ve hurt her feelings. Why do I always fly off the handle at nothing? Noelle’s anger deflated in an instant, and she took a deep, calming breath. “I’m sorry, Lisa. I didn’t mean it. I know you’re just worried, but you don’t need to be.”

  A loud sniff was the only answer.

  “Lisa? I love you. I’m sorry I said that. I didn’t mean it.”

  “It’s th-these s-stupid pregnancy h-hormones. I c-can’t help crying all th-the time. At the d-drop of a h-hat.”

  “Please don’t cry. I promise I’ll be careful,” Noelle begged, pushing back her own tears.

  “O-k-k-ay.”

  Whew! I’ve got to remember not to get upset with Lisa ‘til after the baby comes.

  *****

  “Did I mention how great you look tonight?” James snaked his arm around Noelle’s waist as they exited the restaurant, strolling in the chilly air toward the movie theater.

  “Only about ten times.” Noelle chuckled. “I’m starting to think you’re only repeating it to convince yourself it’s true.”

  “No, I promise it’s true.” His arm tightened, pulling her closer, and she snuggled against his warmth as they walked.

  “Well, thanks. To be honest, I haven’t heard it in a while, so it’s kind of nice.”

  “Really?” His voice registered surprise. “I figured you probably get told how beautiful you are all the time.”

  “No, that’s what everyone always said about my sister. Everyone always said I was smart.”