He turned his face to her. Pain darkened his eyes, along with something she could only assume was hope. Hope that she would somehow make it all better.

Panic seized her. She had no idea what to say. What to do. A distraction was called for but short of yelling “Fire,” there was nothing that...

“You could kiss me again,” she blurted.

In that split second before he responded, she braced herself for dismissal, sarcasm or pity. Which probably didn’t make her a poster girl for mental health, but then she’d never believed in lying to herself. The fact that she found him attractive didn’t mean the interest was returned.

One eyebrow rose. “I could,” Gabriel said, right before he lowered his head and did just that.

The first touch of his mouth on hers was soft. Not tentative, she thought, closing her eyes. More discovery than passion.

He had nice lips. Warm and tender, but masculine enough to keep things interesting. Although she expected him to straighten right away like he had that morning, he didn’t. He lingered.

Nerve endings began to fire. Instinctively, she stepped toward him just as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. They touched everywhere and still it wasn’t enough.

She rested her hands on his shoulders. He was muscled and strong. He shifted slightly so he was kissing her cheek, her chin, her jaw. Heat radiated from every point of contact. When he trailed light kisses down her neck, her breath caught.

It wasn’t just that she hadn’t been kissed in what felt like forever. It was that she hadn’t ever been kissed by this man before. She hadn’t felt the solid pressure of his chest flattening her breasts, hadn’t experienced his large hands splayed against her back, hadn’t known the depth of wanting that left her practically trembling.

He returned his mouth to hers. She parted her lips without him asking and was thrilled when his tongue swept inside. At the first hungry stroke, she knew she couldn’t refuse him anything. Or if she could, she didn’t want to. She ached all over. Her breasts, between her thighs. She wanted him touching her, exploring her. She wanted to touch him in return, learn everything about his body. She wanted to yield and then she wanted to take.

The need was so great, so overwhelming, she was suddenly terrified she was the only one at the party. She drew back, doing her best to control her breathing. Gabriel stared at her, his expression hungry.

“You’re unexpected,” he murmured.

“I could say the same thing.” She cleared her throat. “I wanted to distract you.”

“Well done.” The corner of his mouth twitched. “I knew you’d be trouble, but I didn’t think you’d surprise me.”

She smiled, liking the sound of that. But before she could say anything else, Carter clattered down the stairs, Webster at his heels.

“Hey,” the teen said as he bounded into the room. “What’s the score?”

Gabriel glanced at the big-screen TV, muted but still tuned to the football game. “It’s tied.”

“I should get back upstairs,” Noelle said. “See if I’m needed in the kitchen.”

Gabriel nodded. “Thank you.”

For the distraction? For the kiss? For making him realize she was exactly who he’d been looking for all his life? Okay, the latter was a little unlikely, but a girl could dream.

* * *

“It’s a family tradition,” Karen said, when the food had been put on the table. “I’ll go first. I’m thankful to be with my boys again.” She nodded at her husband.

“I’m thankful we have the strongest fighting force in the world,” Norm said.

Karen sighed. “It’s Thanksgiving.”

“And I’m giving thanks.”

Felicia cleared her throat. “I’m thankful for my wonderful family. Immediate and extended. And for my friends.” She smiled at Noelle.

“I’m thankful for my family, too,” Carter said, squeezing Felicia’s hand. “And Webster.”

Gideon agreed with Felicia and Carter, and Gabriel was thankful for those who made it. Noelle finished with thanks for finding where she belonged.

As Norm began slicing the large turkey, Carter leaned toward his uncle. “You’re like my dad, right? Serving in the army.”

“As a doctor. Your dad saw real action.”

“But you carry a gun,” Carter said.

“Sometimes,” Gabriel told him. “Not often.”

“Did you always want to be a doctor?”

Norm snorted. “Hell, no. If it was up to him, he’d have studied English literature at some fancy university and become a college professor.”

Carter and Noelle both turned to Gabriel.

“Is that true?” the teen asked.

Gabriel shrugged. “It wasn’t an option.”

“You’re right about that,” Norm said, putting slices of turkey onto the first plate and passing it to his wife. “In our family, we serve.”

Karen looked desperately around the table. “This is all so lovely, Felicia. I don’t know why you were concerned. Everything turned out perfectly. Thank you so much for doing this.”

“You helped,” Felicia said. “Although I am pleased with the turkey.”

“Maybe talking to it made the difference,” Gideon teased.

Conversation shifted to the threat of snow and the upcoming holiday festivals. Noelle wasn’t sure if Norm’s outburst was forgotten or simply politely swept under the rug. Either way, she reached under the table for Gabriel’s hand and took it in hers. He turned to her.

“You okay?” she asked quietly.

He nodded and squeezed her fingers before releasing her. She accepted the information because it was the polite thing to do and she didn’t know him well enough to push. But she couldn’t help wondering if this exchange was the exact reason he hadn’t seen his parents for so long. Under the circumstances, she couldn’t blame him. She was sure Norm was acting from some misplaced sense of doing right by his family. She just wished he could see that the price of that was losing the very thing he wanted to hang on to.

* * *

Gabriel walked toward Noelle’s store early on Friday. She’d warned him that they would be busy and open extra hours in support of Black Friday. He’d been out of the country so long, it had taken him a second to remember what Black Friday was. He had trouble believing that people made such a production of shopping for a holiday that was still a month away, but then he wasn’t the Black Friday target audience.

Besides, he owed Noelle. She’d been there for him the previous day. From her enthusiasm for the parade, to distracting him from his fight with his father, she’d been by his side.

He sipped the coffee he’d bought at Brew-haha and crossed the street. He had to give her credit. She was unconventional. He grinned at the memory of their kiss, remembering how the exploding need had nearly knocked him off his feet. For someone who danced with excitement when viewing an elephant in a Santa suit, she was one sexy woman.

He was still grinning when he rounded the corner and saw a group of people waiting outside The Christmas Attic.

No, he amended. Not people. Women. Lots of women. They formed a line and were all talking animatedly. When an old lady toward the front of the line spotted him, she called out.

“When do we get this show on the road?”

Gabriel stared at her. “We, ah, open at eight.”

The old lady glanced at her watch. “You’ve got five minutes. If you think you’re going to be late, you’re wrong.”

He nodded instead of answering, then hurried past her and opened the front door to step into the store.

Noelle was already there. She’d put on her cheerful red apron with the store logo on the front and was counting out bills as she put them into the cash register.

“There’s a line,” he said, pointing.

“I saw.” She looked up, her gaze slightly unfocused. “I don’t think I’m ready.”

“Not being ready isn’t an option. They seem determined and hostile.”

She pushed the cash register shut, then drew in a breath. “Okay. It’s going to be a long day. We’ll pace ourselves and do the best we can. If you get tired, you can rest in back. Or leave early.”

“I can make it through my shift.”

“I don’t want you relapsing.”

“Wouldn’t I have to lapse first?”

Her lack of smile told him she was nervous. He crossed to her and put his hands on her shoulders.

“You’ll do great. The store is charming and you have customers waiting. Let’s open a couple of minutes early and get this day started.”

She stared into his eyes. For a second, he thought instead of opening early, he should take the minute or so they had and kiss her. Of course, kissing would lead to him wanting more and this wasn’t the time or place. But it sure would be nice.

“Hey, you in there! It’s freezing out here.”

The comment came from outside and was accompanied by an insistent knocking. Noelle squared her shoulders.

“Okay,” she said as she marched to the front of the store. “I’m ready.”

“Me, too.”

Although it turned out he was wrong. He wasn’t ready. There was no way to be ready for the onslaught of customers. They arrived in groups of twos and threes, they lingered and they bought. Bears and trains, CDs and throws. No corner of the store went unexplored. If he wasn’t restocking, he was bagging. Every now and then he carried bags to a waiting car.

“Excuse me, young man.”

Gabriel turned and saw a pleasant-looking woman leaning heavily on a cane covered with painted purple flowers.

“Yes, ma’am. How can I help you?”

“I’m looking for a menorah for a friend of mine and I noticed the one in the side window. It’s so pretty. Having it made of glass is very unusual and I like that the candles are all different colors. Can you get it for me?”

“Of course,” he said, already heading for the stockroom. “We have one in a box.”

He passed Noelle, who smiled wearily. Five minutes later, the lady with the cane had her menorah and was heading out of the store. He was about to check on the bears when another woman stopped him.

“You’re Gabriel,” she said, eyeing him. She had white curls and wore a bright purple track suit. “Gideon’s brother.”

“Yes.”

“I’m Eddie.” She smiled. “I need you to carry this to my car.”

She handed him a box about the size of a soda can. He stared at it.

“You want me to carry that?”

“Uh-huh.” Eddie nodded. “I’m old so you have do what I say. Come on. The day’s a-wasting.”

He had no idea what was going on, but wasn’t about to tell the seventy-something woman no. She led him out of the store and down the sidewalk. They walked to the corner and she pointed to a late model sedan. When they reached it, he handed her the package.

She smiled. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Still confused about what she’d wanted, he turned, only to feel her pat his butt. He spun back. Her expression was both innocent and satisfied.

No, he told himself. He’d imagined the light touch. And if he hadn’t, there was nothing he could do about it.

“Ah, have a nice day,” he mumbled before backing toward the store.

The steady stream of customers continued until Noelle closed and locked the door at six-fifteen. They’d both been on their feet since seven that morning.

“My feet hurt,” she said, untying her apron. “My back hurts and I’m starving.”

“Me, too, and an old lady patted my butt.”

Noelle looked at him and started laughing. “You’re making that up.”

“I swear it happened.”

“Eddie or Gladys.”

“Eddie.”

“Then I believe you. Did you get lunch?”

“No.”

“Me, either. Want to come by my place? I’ll order the biggest pizza you’ve ever seen. You’ll love it.”

She had a smudge on her cheek and dust on her jeans. She looked as weary as he felt. But as she invited him over, all he could think was that what he really wanted for dinner was her. Because when he was around her, the world somehow righted itself. Even if he was being harassed by seniors.

For a second he wondered what she would say if he told her the truth. He figured he was at even odds for her wanting the same and slapping him. Which meant the most sensible course was to say, “Pizza sounds great.”

Chapter 6

Noelle pushed open her front door and flipped on the lights. The place was small—a two-bedroom starter home with a single bathroom. A classic ranch style, built in the fifties.

Gabriel walked in behind her. “Nice,” he said, glancing at the black leather sofa. “That looks comfortable.”

“Throw yourself on it. Seriously, I plan to do the same as soon as I order the pizza.”

She waited until he’d moved into the living room before sinking onto the bench by the door. She unzipped her boots and tugged them off, then stretched her aching feet. She hadn’t been kidding before—every part of her hurt. Even her hair. She couldn’t remember ever being this exhausted. And the thrill of it was she got to do the same thing tomorrow. At least she didn’t have to open until her regular time.

She stood and limped into the small kitchen. Once there, she pulled the pizza menu free of the magnet on the refrigerator door.

“All meat?” she asked.