CARLIE GOT BACK to Poppy Gold shortly after the lunch hour. Her father was already restless and talking about sweeping the walkway, but she knew he’d just get more uptight if she stayed. It would be up to her mother to keep him quiet.
“Is everything okay with your dad?” Tracy asked.
“Seems to be. He’s staying home for a few days as a precaution.”
“Great. I hate to say it, but the Mitchells called. They want to know if you’d come by sometime and see their costumes for the ball.”
“I just hope they aren’t going as Lady Godiva and her horse.”
“It could be worse—they could be going as Adam and Eve...before they ate the apple.”
A choked laugh escaped Carlie. The Mitchells were nice, but they lacked discretion. They’d been coming to Poppy Gold for years and their costumes each Christmas were interesting, to say the least. But particularly the previous Christmas. While guests weren’t required to attend in Victorian dress, a scantily clad Tarzan and Jane didn’t quite fit—particularly when Tarzan’s loincloth wasn’t that secure. Luckily the dance was one of the few fully adult events at Poppy Gold during the holiday season.
“I’ll take a look and try to be diplomatic,” she promised. “Any other news?”
“The fire chief called to thank us for having the gifts and baskets brought to the station. Plus, the first children’s holiday tea party is on Wednesday at the Douglas House. Housekeeping will leave flyers in the rooms tomorrow with the details.”
“Thanks.”
Carlie went into her office to take some aspirin. She’d expected to work most days until after the New Year and normally it wouldn’t be a problem, but the incident with her dad would complicate things. Heck, she hadn’t even found time to have the battery in her electronic car key replaced. If Luke had really wanted to do something thoughtful, he could have taken care of that.
Carlie rubbed her forehead, knowing she wasn’t just worried about her father. Luke was also bothering her, or more accurately, her reaction to him. She wanted to believe it was purely physical urges vying for attention, because falling for the guy was emotional suicide.
It wasn’t just that he was grieving for his wife. She simply wasn’t ready to put her heart out there to get stomped on by any man. But especially Luke. He had two major strikes against him—his memories of Erika Forrester and his domineering ways.
Men in general remained a question mark for Carlie, at least from a romantic standpoint. Perry Fisher had asked her out a number of times—his comments about her being his “dream girl” aside—but she kept deflecting his invitations with a joke. She’d enjoyed having lunches with Gideon Cartwright, but had limited their conversation to the living nativity and Glimmer Creek.
In the meantime, she had a job to do, so Carlie squared her shoulders and dialed the Yosemite suite. There wasn’t an answer, so she reluctantly called Luke’s cell number. At least at the suite there’d been a chance she would have gotten Nicole.
“Hi, Carlie. Is everything all right with your father?” Luke asked when he answered.
She kept forgetting about caller ID. “Yes, thanks. I wanted you to know the fire chief phoned to say thank you for bringing over the gifts and baskets.”
“No problem. I’m at the ice rink, watching Nicole and the girls skate. Why don’t we get together for coffee? It might help to have someone to talk to about your dad.”
“I’ll come over there,” Carlie said. She didn’t intend to vent, but Luke and her dad possessed the same stiff necks. Luke might have some insight that would help her understand better.
She got coffee from the break room and crossed the park to the skating rink. Luke was alone on a festive bleacher on the far side and she handed him one of the cups she carried.
“Thanks.”
Annie and Beth waved from the ice but didn’t come over. Carlie missed the way they’d shadowed her in the beginning, though it was best they wanted to be with their aunt and do things independently. She’d have to suggest to Nicole that the three of them dress up in their Victorian finery and attend the Christmas tea on Wednesday.
Yet Carlie felt a pang of conscience. Was she playing favorites? Poppy Gold tried to give top service to everyone, but they’d never had anyone stay as long as the Forresters. There was a tendency to provide extra attention to guests you knew well, if for no other reason than you got familiar with their likes and dislikes. So to be fair, she should also call a few other families about the tea party.
Luke gulped down some coffee. “I take it your father’s injuries were minor.”
“Bruises and scrapes on his hands. He refuses to wear gloves when he’s working. On doctor’s orders, he’s spending a few days at home, which means we’ll probably have to tie him to the couch by tomorrow morning. I may have to pull out the line ‘pride goeth before a fall.’”
Luke groaned. “Spare him that. I understand where he’s coming from.”
“You would. You said yourself that you don’t know how to play.”
“Hey, I’m trying to do better. If only for Beth and Annie’s sake.”
Carlie curled both hands around her cup and gazed at the skaters. Christmas music played from speakers, lights were strung everywhere and decorated Christmas trees ringed the ice. Finally, she turned her head and looked at Luke’s strong, handsome face, trying to see if there was any trace of the boy who’d lost his childhood. He had wealth beyond imagining, but he could never get that part of his life back.
It might explain some of his need for success and control.
“Have you ever seen river otters playing?” she asked. “Surviving in the wild is serious business, but they play whenever possible, throwing themselves into it with joyous abandon.”
“I may be trying to expand my playful side, but I’m not going to cavort like a river otter.”
“But you could get a costume for the dress ball,” she suggested.
“I told you, that isn’t my thing.”
Carlie started to say something, then stopped. Luke had invited her to be open with him on more than one occasion, but it was still tricky.
He sighed. “How many times do I need to tell you? Say what you think, Carlie. I can see when you’re holding something back.”
“It’s just that being a little silly and having fun wouldn’t mean you’re becoming like your parents.”
Luke shrugged. “I’m spending Christmas here at Poppy Gold. Isn’t that enough?”
“You tell me. You’re on your computer all night, making Nicole worry that you aren’t getting enough sleep. During the day, you mostly just watch your sister and the twins have fun, while you get by on coffee and adrenaline.”
“I sleep after 3:00 or 4:00 a.m.”
Carlie rolled her eyes. “Two or three hours, tops. Sleep deprivation is a major health risk.” She shivered and wondered if the temperature was dropping earlier than usual, or if she was just anxious about her dad and what the future would bring them as a family.
“I’m healthy,” Luke insisted.
Just then the haunting notes of a Celtic Christmas carol came over the speakers. Carlie loved Celtic music, with all the joy and sorrow it conveyed. But Luke had known too much sorrow. He needed more joy.
“Think how pleased Nicole and your daughters would be if you got a costume to go with theirs,” she coaxed. “I’m not suggesting a fake mustache or sideburns, just an evening suit. Then you’d be having some fun yourself, instead of just watching other people.”
* * *
LUKE FELT THE tug of what Carlie was saying. Fun. Silliness. Being able to just throw himself into the moment. It was seductive. But it had always felt as if he stood at the top of a slippery slope, with his parents at the bottom, beckoning him to join them.
He loved his mom and dad and no longer tried to change them. He even recognized that, as a kid, he’d missed dozens of opportunities to kick back and just enjoy things that most children never got to experience. Carlie was bringing that recognition home to him even stronger than before. Perhaps Beth and Annie responded so well to her because she possessed a sense of fun and joy that he’d never had.
It was something to think about.
He leaned toward Carlie. “All right. I’ll get a costume, but you’ll have to go shopping for it with me. For Beth and Annie’s sake.”
“That’s blackmail.”
“Whatever works. I’m not going into that costume shop alone.”
“Okay, but we should go now. The closer we get to the ball, the less choice you’ll have.”
He agreed and gestured to his sister to say he was leaving. She waved back, smiling happily. Until Luke had seen the changes in Nicole over the past few days, he hadn’t realized she might be having troubles, as well. He hated thinking he’d been so focused on his own he’d missed seeing something she needed.
At the costume shop, Carlie waited while he tried on her top choice, a black evening suit that wasn’t all that different from a modern tuxedo. He fought with the high shirt collar, but finally got it fastened, then put a top hat on, trying not to feel ridiculous.
He stepped out of the small dressing room and both Carlie and the salesclerk’s eyes widened.
The clerk let out a wolf whistle that resounded through the small building, crowded with shoppers. “If my husband looked that good in one of our suits, I’d never let him wear anything else.”
No doubt it was a sales ploy, but Luke wasn’t displeased when he saw his reflection in a long mirror. He was startled, in fact. The suit wasn’t as tailored as the ones he always had made in London, but it had an elegance he hadn’t anticipated.
“Not bad,” he murmured when Carlie lifted an inquiring eyebrow.
“It may be more Edwardian than Victorian, but we won’t split hairs,” she said. “Do you want to try anything else on?”
“Maybe a less formal suit, too. In case it’s needed.”
“Right. Perhaps something you could wear riding in one of the lighted parades.”
Luke thought he glimpsed a smile on Carlie’s face, but she hid it quickly. She also didn’t appear smug, which was a point in her favor.
* * *
“OMIGOD, THAT’S UNBELIEVABLE,” Nicole whispered Monday evening as she stared up at the night sky ablaze with stars.
“It sure is,” Gideon agreed, deciding not to point out that this kind of display wouldn’t be visible in the city.
They’d just eaten a take-out meal on the tailgate of his truck and Nicole had lain back to stare upward. He didn’t know how she’d convinced him to get food in the first place, but with his stomach comfortably full of enchiladas and rice, he wasn’t complaining.
The day before, she’d appeared with three giant sacks of sandwiches from the Gilbraith Delicatessen and a box of cookies from Sarah’s Sweet Treats, enough to feed the clinic’s employees for a couple of days. Peter Talua had yet to meet her, but he’d sworn undying devotion while munching roast beef and Swiss on a sourdough roll.
Food was a great way to smooth the way with people, but it didn’t have anything to do with the odd sort of peace that had fallen between them. Ever since they’d talked about her getting bitten by a dog as a child, things had been far more comfortable.
Well, not physically. Gideon’s body was too aware of Nicole as a woman to be completely at ease. But other barriers seemed to have come down.
“Orion is my favorite constellation,” she said, pointing to the distinct row of stars that made up Orion’s belt. “You know why?”
“It’s the easiest for you to recognize?” he guessed.
She laughed. “Yes. What was the sky like on the farm where you grew up?”
“Like this, I suppose. I didn’t hang out at night to see it, at least during the winter. Eastern Nebraska is cold this time of year. I would have gone back after I qualified if it hadn’t been for the weather.”
Nicole shivered. “Glimmer Creek is cold compared to Texas.”
“Do you miss the city when you’re away?” Gideon tried not to wonder why the answer was so important to him.
“I hadn’t thought about it.” She turned her head. “There’s always something to do and see in Austin, but I don’t have anything against small towns. I’ve just never lived in one. I love how peaceful it is in Glimmer Creek.”
“And we don’t have traffic jams.”
Nicole chuckled softly. “That part is especially nice.”
Though he was reluctant to end the companionable interlude, Gideon straightened. “Sorry to break this up, but I have patients to examine and you probably want to see Bandit again before you leave.”
* * *
NICOLE KNEW GIDEON might be hinting that she should quickly say hello to Bandit and leave, but it wasn’t that easy. Instead, she cuddled the purring kitten and watched as Gideon carefully checked his various patients, adjusting the treatment as needed and recording information on the computer.
What she’d seen of the software he was using seemed cumbersome, but she hadn’t said anything; she’d never worked on medical records systems. Maybe she’d ask to take a closer look before she left Glimmer Creek. Even if Gideon was offended, it was getting easier to confront him and she was only curious because she wanted to help.
Well, she was starting to want a whole lot more, but that was another matter.
Anyhow, while being assertive had always been difficult for her, she was seeing its benefits...such as being able to visit Bandit. Gideon was the last person she could have imagined challenging, but she’d been convinced that loving contact was just as important to the kitten’s recovery as IVs and medicine.
“Yikes, what is a possum doing here?” she asked when a snarl greeted Gideon in a kennel at the end of the row.
“It was brought in after being hit by a car—broken jaw, but otherwise in okay shape. I devised a way to put the bone back together but he doesn’t appreciate being messed with. We’re going to transition him to the outdoor pens that we use for wildlife.”
Nicole shuddered. Possums reminded her too much of large rats. “It must have taken a while to do the surgery,” she said, unsure why he’d spent the time.
“My staff thought I was nuts, but a possum’s jawbone isn’t that different from a cat. Besides, his life is just as valuable to him as any other animal.”
Suddenly, a heavyset dog appeared around a corner and Nicole sucked in a breath. Bandit tensed at the same moment and started spitting, though the possum was even more vociferous, making sounds that were downright bone-chilling.
“Hold on, Bogey,” Gideon said, catching the dog’s collar. “The lady isn’t used to you.”
“Bogey?” Nicole croaked.
“That’s right. His full name is Humphrey Bogart—Bogey for short. Can’t you see the resemblance?”
All she saw was teeth.
Bogey rubbed his huge head against Gideon’s leg before collapsing to the floor and rolling over. He grunted and his legs paddled in the air as Gideon rubbed his stomach.
“Okay, pal, time to go back to your kennel,” Gideon said after a minute. “Allie must have let you out for a walk while she was cleaning.”
The animal obediently stood up—albeit with difficulty—and went with Gideon.
Nicole released a shaky breath and focused on Bandit in her arms. She was curiously convinced that the kitten with his baby teeth and clipped claws was more of a danger than the massive, slobbering love bug who’d wandered out to say hello.
“Okay, you can stop growling, Bandit. You showed him who was boss.” She put him back in his kennel and fastened the door.
Unsure if she was insane or merely unbalanced, she walked to the rear of the clinic where the animals were kept for regular boarding. Was Pandowdy still here, the dog with the deep bark that had reverberated through the clinic?
Nicole peeked around the corner. Gideon was examining Bogey’s mouth with careless disregard for his teeth...though now that she had a better look, it appeared one of the large front ones was missing.
“Is, uh, he all right?” she asked, hoping the cracking in her voice wasn’t too obvious. She’d become more at ease around animals in the past few days, but this was a really big dog.
Gideon glanced up, seeming surprised to see her. “He’s fine. I removed an abscessed tooth the day you found Chico, but it’s healed well. And unlike the possum, Bogey appears quite grateful for my services.”
Gathering her courage, Nicole came closer. Bogey was so ugly that he was actually cute. She held out her hand, determined not to shake. The old bulldog sniffed and let out a small whine.
“Wh-what does that mean?”
“You have Bandit’s scent on you,” Gideon explained. “Bogey lives with three cats and they’re his best friends. Not to worry, though—his family will be back in a couple of days. The cats stay at home with someone checking on them, but they feel Bogey is too sociable to be left alone like that.”
The poor thing was homesick.
Though her hand shook, she rubbed the bulldog’s neck and he rolled over, exactly the way he had for Gideon, snuffling and waving his legs. With her heart in her throat, she stroked the dog’s tummy.
It was hard to know if she was trying to prove something to herself or to Gideon. But either way, it was progress.
* * *
“OKAY, OLD FELLOW,” Gideon said after a couple of minutes. Bogey was a genuinely nice dog and a favorite patient at the clinic. “Time for bed.”
Bogey accepted a last caress from Nicole before obediently going into the kennel and lying down on his bed.
Gideon closed the kennel door. He couldn’t imagine how hard it must have been for Nicole to touch the bulldog. It didn’t matter that Bogey was harmless; she’d shown a remarkable amount of resolve.
“Would you like something hot to drink?” he asked. “I have tea and coffee in my apartment upstairs.”
His thinking had been shifting lately, from thoughts of why they were unsuited for each other, to the way she turned him inside out. And at the moment it was hard to consider anything except how much he wanted her.
Nicole seemed to be debating. “All right.” Upstairs in his living room she crossed immediately to the patchwork quilt hanging over the couch. “How beautiful. Did your foster mother make this?”
“Yes. She says I should be using it because quilts are made to keep people warm. But I like it there.”
“Beauty keeps people warm, too. Does she ever sell her work?”
“There isn’t a market for it back home. The town is small and tourists don’t go through that much. Do you want tea or something else?”
“Tea is good.”
She was still gazing at the quilt when Gideon went into the kitchen. He’d updated everything, wanting it to be a comfortable home where Lars and Helga might consider living. Lars missed working with the animals on his farm, and being able to interact with the clinic’s patients would be good for him.
“Your apartment has a nice open feel,” Nicole said, coming in as he put the kettle on the burner and set out cups, teaspoons and tea bags.
“I like it, but I’m hunting for a house.”
“Why? This is lovely.”
“I’m hoping my foster parents will move to California and agree to live here. Besides, I’d like to have enough land for a few animals and space to better rehabilitate injured wildlife.”
“And a family?” she asked lightly.
“Someday. My ex-wife didn’t want children, but I don’t feel the same.”
“Is that why you broke up?”
“There were too many reasons to count. Renee hates the country and loves the city. I’m the opposite. She wanted a live-in cook and housekeeper, while I didn’t like the loss of privacy. She’s devoted to fashion and I just want clothes that are comfortable. I could go on and on. By the time we split, there just wasn’t anything left between us.”
“I’d heard you were in the middle of a divorce.”
“No doubt from the Glimmer Creek rumor mill. Carlie claims there’s an underground stream that runs from house to house, picking up information along the way. Anyhow, my divorce recently became final.”
“You seem close to Carlie.”
Interestingly, Gideon saw the same flash in Nicole’s eyes that he’d seen when telling Carlie that he’d missed their lunches together.
“We’ve become friends and she’s helped me learn some of the ways that Glimmer Creek works. Customs and expectations, that sort of thing. In the city, you can be anonymous, but sooner or later, everybody knows your business in a small town.”
The kettle whistled and he filled their cups.
“Cream or sugar?” he asked.
“No, this is fine.”
They went into the living room and sat on the couch next to Helga’s quilt. Gideon was thinking about what Nicole had said...that beauty kept people warm, too. He’d never thought of it in those terms, but it wasn’t just the beauty of design and workmanship of the patchwork quilt that warmed him. It was the love Helga had sewn into it.
“Beth and Annie were cute in their costumes,” he said idly. “They really seem to be enjoying Poppy Gold.”
“It would be hard for them not to enjoy Poppy Gold. They study with their tutor in the morning, but they adore Mrs. Cabrera, and the rest of the time it’s pure Christmas fun. I just hope they won’t feel a letdown when we go home to Austin.”
“A little letdown is inevitable, isn’t it?”
“I suppose. Things have worked out so well with Mrs. Cabrera that Luke wants to look into home schooling for the rest of the year. I’m not sure it’s for the best. Beth and Annie need friends, though I don’t care for the private school they’re attending, either. Way too snooty.”
Gideon would have expected Nicole to prefer an exclusive, high-toned school. Yet as he watched her sipping tea from one of his mismatched mugs, it occurred to him that for all her designer clothes and her inordinately wealthy brother, she didn’t put on airs. She had expensive tastes—today she sported a striking blue topaz necklace and matching earrings—but she was also wearing a plain yellow T-shirt printed with the Poppy Gold logo, jeans and the canvas loafers he’d seen before.
“Are those the jeans Carlie loaned you?” he asked, his voice unintentionally husky. The denim could have been painted onto Nicole’s shapely thighs and hips.
“Yeah. I know they’re snug—Carlie generously claims we’re the same size, but I’m at least a half size larger. She wants to loan me one of her costumes for the dress ball, but I’ve worried about splitting the seams, so I got two ball gowns from the clothing shop to wear instead. Do you think she’ll be offended?”
“I doubt it. She just wants guests to have a good time.”
“I could never do what she does. She’s sooo comfortable with people and has all these creative ideas.”
“You don’t think you’re creative?”
Nicole shrugged. “I work on computer software, but that’s a different kind of creativity.”
“Sounds creative to me. As for Carlie, she comes up with new things for people to do, but she’d be the first to say that many of the activities at Poppy Gold are a long-standing tradition.”
* * *
THE REMARK PLEASED NICOLE. She wasn’t proud of envying Gideon’s relationship with Carlie, but at least it seemed to be friendship, not romance.
What a tangle it would be if she liked Gideon, but he’d liked Carlie, while Carlie seemed attracted to Luke, who barely noticed women now that Erika was gone. It could be the plot of a soap opera or an Oscar Wilde play.
Of course, Luke was spending more time with Carlie than strictly necessary, but the girls were fond of her and he’d do anything for them. But what if Carlie fell for Luke? Nicole genuinely doubted he’d ever get over Erika; Carlie could get terribly hurt if her brother wasn’t careful.
Nicole pressed a finger to her throbbing temple.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Gideon asked gently.
“Just thinking too much, I guess. It’s been a hard year for us.”
He nodded. “Your sister-in-law’s death. I didn’t connect the names right away, but I remember reading about what happened. It must have been awful.”
“I’d never lost anyone I cared about before,” Nicole murmured. “But the worst part has been seeing Luke and the girls grieve and not being able to help. People think he’s cold, but he isn’t. He’s just learned to hide his feelings, and he’ll never be the same without Erika.”
“My foster mother once told me that when our hearts gets broken, it can make room for something else.”
It was an uplifting thought, but Nicole shifted restlessly. Since they’d kissed the night of the madrigal feast, Gideon hadn’t made a single move to suggest he was interested in her. Yet she was absolutely certain he’d wanted her during that embrace.
Of course, inviting her up to his apartment crossed the boundary between client and friend. It would be nice to make it more than friendship, but she suspected she’d have to make the first move, which wasn’t her strong suit.
Still...
“So how much more to this apartment is there?” she asked lightly. “Is there a bedroom, or does the couch open up?”
Gideon’s eyes were suddenly much more alert. “Bedroom, bath and small spare room. Want a tour?”
“I’d love one.”
Seeing his king-size bed sent quivers through the base of Nicole’s abdomen. Gideon was a tall man; he’d need something large.
“It looks comfortable.” She stepped closer and touched his face. Tonight she didn’t want to worry whether his heart still belonged to his ex-wife, despite the divorce, or about rebound affairs being a bad idea.
“Nicole?” Gideon whispered hoarsely.
“I don’t know how to be coy,” she breathed. “I just know what I want.”
He slowly grinned. “Whatever you want, you can have.”
“That’s good to hear.” Nicole stepped back and began shimmying the jeans she wore down her legs. Gideon’s eyes seemed to glaze as he watched, so she added a little extra wiggle to her hips, pleased to discover she possessed a hint of exhibitionism.
After all, sex ought to be fun.
“I’m just saving time,” she said innocently, while doing her best imitation of a striptease. “These things are as hard to get off as they are to get on.”
Gideon chuckled. “You’re forgetting that I used to be a teenage boy. I could get girls out of their jeans in nothing flat.”
She tossed the soft denims to one side. “Big talker. You’re still dressed.”
Nicole got down to bare skin before he did, but only barely, and they tumbled to his mattress, laughing. His eyes darkened as he stroked her breasts, coaxing her nipples into hard points before leaning down and tasting them.
Heat swept through her and she arched toward him.
“You do have protection, don’t you?” she gasped.
“Don’t worry—no unwanted kids.”
“They wouldn’t...” She moaned as he teased her beyond rational thought.
“Wouldn’t what?”
Nicole shook her head, trying to regain her focus. “Uh, they wouldn’t be unwanted. But I’d rather decide when and with who. Er, whom?”
Gideon eased her legs apart. “Who cares about proper grammar?”
Nicole didn’t care about anything at the moment except her spiraling need. A second later, he thrust into her, setting up a rhythm that quickly made the world explode.