Christmas on 4th Street (Fool's Gold Romance) (19 page)

She put down the kitten and took his hands in hers. “I know about ghosts and lost opportunities and believe me, I know there are no guarantees. I’m sorry the lesson you learned from what you’ve been through is it’s not worth taking the chance, because I believe it’s
all
about taking the chance. We are the sum of our experiences and those experiences need to come from a place of wonder and curiosity.”

She smiled at him. “I don’t know if you’re going to stay in the army or not, but I do know you’re leaving Fool’s Gold. I know this isn’t permanent and I still want to be with you. I want us to be friends and I want us to be lovers. And just so we’re clear, if you don’t want to sleep with me after hearing all this, you’re not nearly as bright as you look.”

There was too much for him to take in, he thought. He’d been wrong about her in nearly every way possible. He hadn’t come close to guessing that she’d been sick. He’d missed all the clues. Worse, he’d misread their time together because he’d made it all about himself.

“I’m such a jackass,” he said, coming to his feet and pulling her into a standing position.

“Good answer.”

Sharp claws dug into his leg. He looked down and saw the kitten trying to climb his jeans. He grabbed the cat by the scruff of her neck and gently pulled her away, then set her on the ground. Then he took Noelle by the hand and led her into the bedroom.

Once the door was closed, he cupped her cheeks and studied her face. “You’re so beautiful,” he told her right before he kissed her.

Her mouth was soft and yielding, but as he stroked his tongue against her lower lip, he felt her respond with growing passion. The need was in him—it had never really gone away. Now it moved through his blood, heating, stirring, making it difficult to think beyond how he could touch her and be in her.

She was a gift he didn’t deserve, he thought as he moved his hands across her back and then down her side to her hips. He took the return journey more slowly, savoring the feel of her body before cupping her curves in his hands.

She moaned softly. Her head fell back and he trailed his mouth down her neck.

“Tell me you bought condoms,” he whispered against her skin.

She laughed and reached for the hem of her sweater. “Of course.” Her eyes sparkled with amusement. “Extra large.”

“That’s my girl.”

* * *

Sometime after midnight Noelle pulled on her robe and headed for the kitchen. They were too late for take-out so she was going to have to find them something to eat from what was in her refrigerator. Too bad she hadn’t brought back a few casseroles from their time at the cabin. All that food had been delicious.

She found a frozen pizza in her freezer and figured they could make do. As she turned on the oven, one of the mother cats strolled into the kitchen and meowed at her. The feline gaze was both inquisitive and knowing.

“Yes, we were doing it,” Noelle admitted to her houseguest.

The mother cat meowed again.

“I’m aware of the consequences. I won’t get pregnant.”

The cat’s gaze turned knowing, as if she were pointing out there were other kinds of consequences.

“You meant falling in love?” Noelle asked, her tone light. Because she already knew the answer. She loved Gabriel. She wasn’t sure when or where, but it had happened. It was a monumentally stupid thing to have done and yet she wouldn’t take it back, even if she could.

* * *

“What do you think?” Gabriel asked, turning the laptop so Noelle could see the screen.

She squinted at the image. “It’s a book.”

“It’s a set of books,” he corrected.

“Because that makes it better?” she asked with a laugh.

They were sprawled on her sofa, spending a quiet Sunday afternoon together. Since spending the night with her, Gabriel hadn’t left. Technically, he hadn’t moved in, but in the past couple of days, he’d started bringing over clothes and toiletries.

Noelle wasn’t sure what had caused the change of heart. She knew it was something about her illness but didn’t know if he now thought she could understand his world better or if he thought she was tough or what. She also wasn’t about to ask. If her goal was to live life to the fullest, then she needed to enjoy her time with Gabriel while it lasted and then accept that he would be leaving. When that happened, she would be hurt and have to recover.

Being with him, loving him, had made her realize that some part of her had been afraid to give in to a man again. She’d been so devastated when Jeremy had walked out on her. Intellectually, she’d known that finding out he wasn’t interested in the “in sickness” part of marriage before taking vows was a good thing, she’d also felt completely alone in the world. For all of her talk of wanting a man around, she’d been afraid to take that risk again.

But now she had. She’d given her heart to Gabriel, which meant she could give it to someone else eventually. The last piece of her had healed and that felt good.

He turned the computer so he could study the screen. “You’re saying Carter won’t like books for a present? I thought he enjoyed reading.”

“He does. But ebooks. I know this century has been hard for you,” she teased. “But there are now books you can download to your—”

She had more she was going to say, but he put the laptop on the coffee table and lunged for her. She squirmed to get away, knowing he was going to tickle her. The kittens, who had been crawling along the back of the sofa, joined in the game, jumping on her shoulder and his back. Needle claws dug in.

Gabriel straightened and gingerly pulled the kitten from his back. He held it up in the air.

“Watch it,” he said, his voice softer than his words. The kitten swiped at him with one paw, then relaxed in his arms when he rolled it onto its back and began rubbing its tummy.

“Giving an ebook isn’t the same,” he grumbled. “How do I wrap that?”

“I’ll admit the wrapping is a problem.” She shifted her kitten to her lap and scratched the side of its face. “You could get him a car.”

“He’s thirteen.”

“Yes, but he keeps telling his father it’s never too early to learn to drive.”

Gabriel shifted so he was facing front, then pulled her against him. He wrapped an arm around her and kissed the top of her head. His kitten started climbing his chest.

“No car,” he said. “I’ll keep looking. I have gifts for everyone else.”

Gifts he’d ordered online in the past couple of days, she thought. They were being delivered here. He’d already told her he would need help wrapping.

“How long has it been since you’ve spent the holidays with your family?” she asked.

“Years. It was back in college, I think. When I was in medical school, I couldn’t always get away. I needed the time to study.”

“Or so you told them.”

“Yeah, that, too.”

She looked up at him. “Let me guess. In the army you always volunteered to work on Christmas, claiming that it was so the others could be with their families. But in truth it was so you didn’t have to deal with going home yourself.”

“You think you’re pretty smart.”

“I have the LSATs to prove it.”

He smiled at her. “It wasn’t about not going home. By then my parents’ house wasn’t home. But you’re right. I didn’t want to deal with them. I felt bad for my mom, but I mostly couldn’t deal with my dad.”

“He didn’t like that you were different. He didn’t understand you.”

“He still doesn’t.”

“Men want their sons to be like them. It’s difficult to let that go.”

“Now you sound like Felicia,” he said.

She chuckled. “Wow, that’s an amazing compliment. But you know I’m right. Your dad was raised to believe in honor and service. He’s old-fashioned. If it’s not his way, it’s wrong.”

He nodded as he leaned back against the sofa. The kitten had curled up on his chest and fallen asleep. He folded his arm across his chest to hold it in place.

“He needs to get over that,” Gabriel told her. “And before you tell me he’s probably not going to, I already figured that out. I guess...” He paused. “I guess I don’t like knowing how much I disappoint him. Rather than deal with that, I stay away.”

“You’re a doctor,” she said, thinking Norm had to reconsider his standards.

“I’m not a soldier.”

“Well, he’s stupid.” She snuggled closer. “I’m sorry your dad makes it hard for you to be with your family.”

“I’m going to stay in touch with Gideon more. He’s made a life for himself here. Carter’s great and who wouldn’t love Felicia? In a brotherly way, of course.”

“You’d better add that,” she teased. “Otherwise, your brother will snap you into teeny, tiny pieces.”

“I know. Good for him.”

There was something in Gabriel’s voice, she thought. Was he wistful? Was he wishing he could find what his brother had? Love? A place to belong?

All questions designed to make her crazy, she reminded herself. Gabriel was leaving. Even if he was staying, she didn’t think he was the least bit interested in getting involved on a permanent basis. He’d made that clear, and she would be wise to listen when he—

Her cell phone rang.

She stood and crossed to the foyer table, where she’d left it. She set down her kitten before answering.

“Hello?”

“Noelle? This is Police Chief Barns. We have a situation up on the mountain. There’s been an avalanche. It’s a big one and there were a lot of people skiing and snowboarding. There are going to be injuries. I’m calling to find out if you know where Gabriel Boylan is. Mayor Marsha says he’s a trauma specialist. We’re going to need that.”

The police chief spoke so calmly, Noelle almost didn’t take in the meaning of her words. Then reality slammed into her and for a second, she thought she was going to faint or maybe throw up.

“He’s here,” she said, turning to walk back to the sofa. But Gabriel was already at her side.

“What is it?” he asked.

She handed him the phone.

He took it and listened. While she had a feeling she’d gone pale, he stayed calm. After asking a couple of questions, he got the location and said he would be right there. He was already moving before he’d hung up.

“Stay here,” he told her. “I know you want to help but you’ll get in the way on the mountain. Organize in town. People will need help. Not just those hurt, but family members.”

She understood what he meant. “I’ll do what I can from here.”

He handed her his kitten, then kissed her on the mouth and was out the door before she could catch her breath. She stared out the window, watching him drive away.

She didn’t know much about snow or avalanches, but she had a feeling the outcome could be devastating. She picked up her cell phone and started making calls.

Chapter 13

The sky above the Gold Rush Ski Lodge and Resort was an impossible shade of blue. The roads were plowed, the temperature in the high twenties. It was the perfect day for skiing or snowboarding. But with the recent storm, feet of new snow had fallen on layers of older snow. Gabriel would guess some of those layers had been more powdery, with a few inches of wet snow sandwiched in between. Then the recent dump had added weight and an avalanche was born.

He followed several police cars and two ambulances into the parking lot. People were milling about, most dressed in heavy parkas and ski pants. He pulled off to the side and parked, then sprinted toward what was obviously the command center.

“Dr. Gabriel Boylan,” he said, identifying himself to a tall female firefighter who was directing people. “Trauma specialist.”

“Good,” she said and pointed to the large hotel. “The ballroom is in the back. They’re turning it into a trauma center. You’re going to be in charge of triage.”

“How many people are missing?”

The woman—her badge said C. Dixon—grimaced. “We don’t know. The police are running license plates from the parking lots to get names right now. We have locals, people who drive up for the day and those staying in town. A lot of schools broke early for the holidays. There could be two or three hundred people on the mountain near the avalanche. They could all be fine....” She swallowed. “Or not.”

He nodded and took off in the direction she’d pointed. He had to identify himself a couple more times before being let into the hotel. From there it was an easy jog to the giant ballroom.

Emergency supplies were already being put in place. Trucks had backed up to the ballroom and were unloading supplies. As he watched, gurneys and IV stands were being put along one wall.

“Gabriel!”

He turned and saw Felicia hurrying toward him. She flung herself at him and hung on.

“Gideon and Carter were out snowboarding,” she said. Her body trembled as she spoke. “Your parents were skiing, but I’ve already talked to them and they’re fine. It was suggested I go with them, but I’m not good with those kinds of sports.” She raised her head and looked at him, tears filling her green eyes. “A ridiculous thing to say. It’s the shock and worry, but still. Who cares if I can’t ski?”

He grabbed her by the shoulders and stared at her. “Breathe,” he told her. “Breathe. You need to focus. Whatever has happened, you can’t change it. But you can make a difference by helping with the logistics. Not just for Gideon and Carter, but for everyone else. We need you to stay strong.”

Not the tack he would have taken with anyone else, he thought. But Felicia tended to live in her head.

For a second he thought she might burst into tears, but instead she seemed to pull herself together. “You’re right. I have excellent organizational skills. Those will help everyone. Me falling apart will not.”

“They’ve found people,” someone yelled.

The huge ballroom went still for a heartbeat, then all the volunteers started moving. Gabriel hesitated for a second, but Felicia pushed him away.

“I’m fine,” she said. “Go. You’re needed.”

He headed for the medical team by the equipment and identified himself. He pulled on a spare white coat and opened one of the large medical travel kits. Less than five minutes later, two people were carried in. They were both in their twenties, and he didn’t recognize them. The woman was unconscious, while the man insisted he was fine.

“Broken leg on that one,” one of the people helping the man said. “We don’t know about her.”

Gabriel was already moving toward her. Everything around him faded as he began his examination.

* * *

Gabriel was conscious of the passage of time, but only in the sense that it was moving forward. He had no idea if he’d been working ten minutes or ten hours. The injured came in clusters. Two here, five there. Most of the injuries were minor, although a few people had been buried in snow for some time. He diagnosed broken bones, hypothermia and shock. One woman came in screaming for her son, who had suffered little more than a few cuts and bruises.

As she fell across her teenager and babbled about how grateful she was, Gabriel told himself to be patient. That she couldn’t understand how compared to a rocket-propelled grenade or an IED, this was nothing. That any loss of life would be minimal and most of the injuries minor.

Still, the work was gratifying. More medical personnel joined him. A tall, scarred man introduced himself as Dr. Simon Bradley. Gabriel remembered him being mentioned and knew he was a plastic surgeon who specialized in burns. Gabriel directed him to where those with cuts were being patched up.

Mayor Marsha arrived, accompanied by three big guys in what looked like survival gear.

“They’re from CDS,” one of the nurses said. “The bodyguard school. They’ll be helping with the search.”

“We need avalanche dogs,” another nurse said. “The town is getting so big. Things like that are important.”

There was more conversation, but he didn’t listen. Not while he had patients. He examined the older woman who was next in line. She was awake and alert.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, testing her pupils, then reaching for his stethoscope.

“Foolish. I could see the snow coming down the mountain, but couldn’t ski out of the way fast enough. I got caught on the edge. I’m a little shaken, but nothing is broken.”

He confirmed her self-diagnosis, then sent her over to the group who were probably okay but needed observation. He turned to go to the next patient only to see they had a temporary lull. Just then Carter came walking into the ballroom with his dad. There was a teenaged boy between them who was limping. Gabriel hurried over.

“Have you seen Felicia?” he asked.

Carter grinned. “She about squeezed all the air out of us. She was really worried.” He sounded pleased by the information. “This is my friend Reese. We weren’t in the avalanche. Reese slipped on some ice.”

“I’m fine,” his friend protested. “My ankle hurts. It’s no big deal.”

“I’ll check him out,” Gabriel told his brother. “How’s it going out there?”

“A couple of people are missing. Teams are heading out to find them. Considering how bad it could have been, we got lucky.”

* * *

Noelle found talking on the phone while keeping an eye on Pia Moreno was harder than it sounded. Felicia had been calling from the hotel and updating the head count. Families found themselves needing to stay in town unexpectedly. Hotel rooms had to be located and reserved.

Brew-haha had been converted into a command center. Laptops and notepads covered the tables. There was a cell-phone charging station by the front counter and dry erase boards on wheels were constantly updated with injury counts, available hotel rooms and emergency information.

Pia, the person previously in charge of festivals, had waddled in, insisting she could help. As she knew everyone and everything about the town, that was probably true. But she was also days or possibly hours away from giving birth.

Noelle finished her call, then turned to Pia. “Are you sure you’re okay? You look really uncomfortable.”

Pia rested her hand on her belly. “Trust me, this is nothing. Last time I was pregnant with twins. Now that was huge. By comparison, this is easy. Don’t worry. I’m keeping my feet up and staying hydrated. Raoul is checking on me every fifteen minutes, and I’m not exaggerating about that. I’m fine.”

She looked down at her notes. “I have information on a vacation rental for Mr. and Mrs. Boylan. They’re staying with Gideon. Is it available?”

“Gabriel’s been using it, but I can clear out his stuff for a couple of nights.”

Pia raised her eyebrows. “So it’s like that, is it?”

“For the moment.”

“I’ll put his place on the list and let you know if we need it.”

Noelle briefly wondered if she should say anything to Gabriel, then decided it didn’t matter. He would be fine with what she’d done. And if he wasn’t, she would remind him it was only for a couple of nights.

Love as empowerment, she thought with a smile.

Madeline, Isabel’s assistant, put down her phone. “The last missing person has been found,” she announced. “We have serious injuries, but so far no deaths.”

Pia sighed. “Thank goodness.” She raised her voice. “All right, people, we need more beds for tonight. Get back to those calls.”

* * *

The hospital emergency room was more controlled chaos than the hotel ballroom had been, Gabriel thought as he walked inside. With the last of the missing skiers recovered, the search-and-rescue volunteers had been recalled and their vehicles had been put to use as patient transport.

As Gabriel walked through the busy waiting area, he heard a couple of people talking about the new hospital that was being built and how the town needed it. Families clustered together, looking relieved or worried, depending on the condition of their loved one.

He went to the front desk and identified himself, telling the nurse he would be available if extra help was needed. She looked harried and nodded as he spoke.

“We might be calling you,” she said. “Are you going to stick around for a while?”

“Until the crisis is past.”

She took down his cell number, then turned to the next person waiting. Gabriel glanced at the signage on the walls, thinking he would go find some coffee. Before he could, a dark-haired man walked up to him.

“Justice Garrett,” the man said. “From CDS.”

Gabriel shook his hand. “The bodyguard school.”

Justice sighed. “We’re never going to get them to stop calling it that, are we?”

Gabriel grinned. “Not in this town. How can I help you?”

“Just wanted to introduce myself. My fiancée, Patience, is friends with Noelle.” He gave a casual shrug. “Obviously, they talk.”

Gabriel was very clear on how much women talked. What he didn’t know was what had been said.

Justice pointed to the two men in similar cargo pants and black long-sleeved T-shirts who joined them. “My business partners. Angel Whittaker and Ford Hendrix. Of more importance to you, these are the two who rescued your brother from the Taliban.” He looked at his friends. “Gabriel is Gideon’s brother.”

Angel, a man with pale gray eyes and an interesting scar on his neck, moved forward. “Nice to meet you. Gideon’s a good guy.”

Gabriel shook his hand. He had so many questions, but at that moment he couldn’t think of any of them.

“Thank you,” he said, turning to Ford. “We’re glad we still have him around.”

Ford smiled. “Yeah, he’s not so bad.” The smile faded. “That was a good day for all of us. We were happy to help.”

Gabriel knew what they’d done was more than help. They’d risked their lives to save his brother from a horrible death. Gideon had been the last of his team left alive after nearly two years of captivity and daily torture.

Felicia hurried up to them. She walked to Gabriel and rested her forehead on his chest. “I’m struggling to keep control.”

He wrapped his arms around her. “You can’t have control. This is an out-of-control situation. The best you can do is mitigate fallout. You’re doing that.”

He felt her draw in a breath. She raised her head and looked at him. “Thank you,” she said, then turned and walked away.

Justice grinned. “Good to know her new family gets her.”

“She’s great,” Gabriel admitted. “The smartest person I know, and that’s saying something.”

“Come on,” Ford told Angel. “We’ll go get everyone coffee.”

“I’ll go with you,” Justice said, then looked at Gabriel. “How do you take yours?”

Gabriel chuckled. “You know I’m in the army, right?”

“You’re a doctor.” Justice held up both hands. “Okay, okay. Black it is.”

He was still chuckling when he walked away. Gabriel returned to the waiting room. He found a family with a young boy who had a bad cut on his forehead and arm. Gabriel went over to check the bandages, then secured them more tightly. Justice brought him his coffee and they chatted awhile. When Justice left, a pretty woman in her twenties walked up to him.

“I’m Madeline. I work with Isabel, who’s a friend of Noelle’s.” She bit her lower lip. “I’m really sorry to bother you but my niece is visiting me and she sprained her ankle. At least we think that’s what happened. We’re waiting to see a doctor, but they’re busy with the avalanche and...” She twisted her fingers together. “Could you maybe take a look at it? I know you’re a trauma specialist so this isn’t anything you would normally bother with, but I didn’t know who else to ask.”

Gabriel thought about pointing out he wasn’t with the hospital. Not that anyone seemed to care. It was the town, he thought, both frustrated and oddly comforted by the basic assumption that he was a decent guy who would step in where needed. Of course he would, but how did they
know?

Another ambulance pulled up to the emergency room. Hospital personnel went running. If he didn’t help, Madeline and her niece would be here for hours.

“Show me where she is,” he said.