Chapter Five

An odd tapping noise woke her from a sound sleep. Noelle jerked up and turned in her seat to see a Pickens City policeman standing by the car. Something familiar about him tugged at her memory as she blinked and opened her door. Quickly, and as quietly as possible, she slid out and closed the door to keep the cold air off Kenny and Rachael.

"Ma'am, I'm sorry, but you can't park here overnight. It's against City Ordinances."

Definitely, the same voice... She recognized the green and yellow scarf loosely hanging around his neck. Noelle decided to be brutally honest. She stared up toward the eyes deeply shadowed by the brim of his cap.

"You told me something similar last week, during the ice storm," she sighed. Crossing her arms defensively across her waist, she confessed, "We have nowhere else to go. I thought this would be the safest place to park, for my children. This is our home now, as of noon today." She waved her hand toward the large station wagon as moisture gathered in her eyes.

The policeman shifted his shoulders and looked uncomfortable. "How old are your kids?"

"Rachael's seven, Kenny's five. They're good kids. They don't deserve any of this. Please, if you let us stay here tonight, I'll do something different tomorrow, I promise. And...do you work all the time?"

He allowed a small smile to crease his stern face. "No, ma'am, not all the time. I can't let you stay here, but if you'll follow me, I have a spot in mind where you'll be safe and no one will run you off."

"Oh no, you're not taking us to jail, are you?" Noelle stood straighter and wrung her hands in front of her. That was all she needed, and Social Services would probably take her children.

* * * * *

He felt sure she didn't know what a pretty picture she made, standing under the street lamp, worried for her children. He wished his ex had cared just one-tenth as much about kids. They might have made it work. "No ma'am, not jail," he reassured her. "I was going to let you park at my house for the rest of the night. I can't leave you out here on the street and the shelters are full because of this cold weather."

"I... I don't know what to say. I appreciate the offer, but I don't know you. You... You don't know me either."

"My name's Nick Stewart. I live over on Deer Hill. You can pull in the driveway near the house and stay the night. I won't be home 'til seven in the morning. You can leave whenever you're ready. I either have to take you there or take you down to the office, your choice."

"Noelle Welborn. Won't your wife be upset? I mean...with strange people parked in her yard?" Noelle held out her hand politely as she introduced herself.

Nick took her cold, slim fingers in his. He knew of this woman. He'd been one of the first highway patrolmen on the scene when her husband drove his car off the bridge. He and two other responders made a pact to keep the suicide from the family until after Christmas. Then he had gone by a few days after New Years to tell her the truth, saw the two kids playing in the yard, and couldn't go through with it. Knowing their husband and father most likely killed himself wouldn't make their lives any better. The other two men thought he took care of it and he never told them any different. Then he'd transferred to the Pickens City force during state cutbacks a few months before and never thought anymore about it, until now.

"Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Welborn. There's no wife to be upset. Now, if you'll follow me, I'll get you to the house and then get back to work." Nick let go of the hand he'd held too long and stepped back.

Without much choice in the matter, she agreed, "All right, Officer Stewart. And...thank you."

* * * * *

Kenny woke first and leaned over the seat to shake his mom's shoulder. "Who moved the church? Mom, the church is gone!" His volume increased with every word.

"Kenny, calm down." Noelle struggled to unwrap from her blanket, blinking sleepily. "I moved the car during the night. It's okay."

Rachael sat up and brushed her hair from her face. "Where are we, Mom? Why did you move the car?"

Noelle finished explaining about Officer Stewart allowing them to park at his house just as he drove his police car into the yard and parked beside them. He motioned for her to lower her window.

"Good morning. Sleep okay?" Nick didn't wait for an answer, but told them. "Come on in and wash up. I've brought breakfast."

"Yeah!" Kenny threw open his door and jumped out, pumping his fist into the air, and followed behind the man carrying familiar-looking bags with golden arches on the side.

"Mom?" Rachael, more careful and timid than her brother, waited to see what Noelle would do.

"C'mon, Sweetkins. We'll never get your brother out of there otherwise."

Noelle and Rachael entered the back door directly into the kitchen. Sparse and clean, it seemed empty and lonely – similar to how Noelle felt inside.

"Up here, sis. Nick said we could borrow his bathroom." Kenny poked his head around the corner.

"Officer Stewart to you, young man, and don't make a mess," Noelle called after her son as Rachael ran to join him. Turning to Nick, she said, "I'm sorry about that. He—"

"It's fine. I asked him to call me Nick. There's another bath, down the hall there, you can use. I'll set the table while you all wash up. You want the kids to have juice or milk? And I'm hoping you'll have coffee with me."

A wide grin spread across Noelle's face. "Juice for the kids and coffee sounds... Utterly amazing—" Nick turned to face her as she spoke and, for the first time, she saw him clearly without shadows or his scarf in the way.

Tall, dark, and handsome was an understatement here. She knew he was tall, but he seemed taller still as she gazed up into a pair of blue eyes set in a firm chinned, drop-dead gorgeous face. The only thing missing to make him nearer her perfect dream man would be... "The mustache..." she whispered, without conscious thought.

Nick arched a dark eyebrow. "How did you know about the mustache? I shaved it off a few weeks ago. Wanted to try something different, I guess, but I miss it more than I thought I would." He fingered his upper lip as if searching for a friend.

Noelle felt a blush creep up her face. "Sorry, I just thought... Well, I... I'll go wash up now." She hurried down the hall before she embarrassed herself any more.

Nick smiled at her oddly when she returned and he started to say something, but the kids came bounding down the stairs and saved her just in time. They sat around Nick's kitchen table eating sausage biscuits and potato cakes while Nick and Kenny talked about everything from school to police cars to the run-ins he had with Mr. Rossi before they were kicked out.

Finally, Rachael felt brave enough to chime in, but Noelle soon wished she'd stayed quiet.

"What you gonna do with all those rooms upstairs? Could we sleep here tonight, please? Why don't you have your Christmas tree up yet, Nick? Don't you have any kids around here?"

"Rachael, Sweetkins..." She turned to Nick to apologize and saw amusement glittering in his eyes. "I apologize, Officer Stewart. She doesn't understand. I'll pay you for breakfast and we'll be going." Noelle stood and reached into her pocket for her wallet.

"But, Mom—"

"Hush, Rachael," she interrupted firmly. "You and Kenneth go on out to the car. But first, thank Officer Stewart for being so kind to us."

The children knew Noelle meant business when she took that tone and did as they were told. They shook hands with Nick and thanked him nicely for the food, and for allowing them to park in his yard.

Rachael turned back at the door for a parting shot. "Well, he does have all those empty rooms, and I only wanted to borrow one for all three of us."

Noelle felt her face flame again.