Christmas In Icicle Creek: Home For The Holidays

by Danni Lee Nicholls

  Noelle placed her mug on the table. “That’s what Cory says.”

  “Cory?”

  “My little brother.”

  “Well, who can defy the logic of a little brother?”

  Noelle’s fondness for Tristan continued to grow as she recalled his comfort with her family in the few minutes they’d spent together while he’d returned Sampson. She fought the desire to reach over and touch him. She smiled into his eyes and laughed. “Believe me, I try all the time.”

  Tristan joined her. “You know what I remember about you in high school?”

  Noelle grimaced as age-old embarrassment flooded through her. “I hope it’s not the time I fell in the cafeteria and ended up wearing my hamburger with mustard and ketchup?”

  Tristan grinned. “Well, there is that.” He continued, “I remember your smile. Every time you smiled, you could light up a room. I remember that. And nothing has changed.”

  Competing emotions of gratitude and shame rose in Noelle as her earlier judgments of Tristan came rushing toward her. In her high school mind, she’d thought he was nothing more than a stuck-up jock, and she had carried her teenage perceptions into adulthood. And yet, his memories of her were filled with kindness and beauty. “Tristan, there’s something I need to tell you.” She cleared her throat as she prepared to unmask her true reasons for her lingering resentment.

  Tristan looked over his mug of cocoa as he took a sip.

  Vulnerability spilled through Noelle. “I had a huge crush on you during our senior year. You have no idea how painful it was for me to …” She swallowed hard as her confession marched to the beat of her high school agony.

  Tristan reached over and took her hand, squeezing her fingers. “I wish I would’ve known,” he said quietly. “I felt very alone during that time, and I would’ve liked to have had the opportunity to have learned about the girl who lived behind that smile.”

  Noelle reached her hand deeper into Tristan’s palm as the sweetness of their shared unveiling offered her immeasurable comfort. Noelle sighed. “I’m sorry, Tristan. I don’t think I’ve been fair to you.”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Tristan murmured quietly. “We still share many things, don’t you think?”

  The earlier feelings of cozy affection trickled into Noelle. “Yes, we do.”

  “But there’s one thing we don’t share.”

  Noelle grasped at his hand, afraid of what he was going to say. “What is it?”

  Tristan grinned. “I don’t have any brothers or sisters to offer me wisdom, so I just have to make do with my own.” He turned serious. “Still, I know how hard it can be to give up a dream. I’ve had to give up a few, and I can see how Icicle Creek would feel a long way from Hawaii.” Tristan rubbed her fingers gently between his own.

  Noelle said nothing as she took in the consolation of being understood by a peer. It mingled with the tenderness and the small kernel of happiness that grew with each touch. She loved the sense of his roughened upturned hand and gently touched the soft skin on the underside of his wrist.

  “I think I have just the thing that will make us both feel better,” Tristan said. “Do you like to go hiking?”

  Noelle leaned forward with anticipation. “I love hiking!”

  “When is your next day off?”

  “Next Tuesday.”

  “Well, how about if we take your little Sampson out for some trail time? Then, by the time the snow starts to fly, he can be more familiar with the great outdoors.”

  “That would be great.” She paused and became thoughtful. “I just have one request.”

  Tristan gave her an inquiring look.

  “This might seem weird.” She hesitated and hoped Tristan would agree. “Can Cory come along? He loves the mountains, and he’ll be one more pair of eyes to watch over Sampson.”

  “That’s a great idea,” Tristan replied. “I’d love some little-brother wisdom.”

  Noelle laughed, basking in Tristan’s acceptance of her little brother’s company. “Oh, he won’t disappoint, I promise.”

  Tristan grinned. “Does school still end at 3:05?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “If you bring his gear and hiking boots, we can pick him up at school.”

  Eager excitement spread through Noelle. “Yes, that’d be great! Thank you.” She squeezed Tristan’s fingers, hoping he wouldn’t let go.

  Chapter 9

  The following day, Tristan sat on the bank of Icicle Creek, watching the water swirl in the deep blue-green swimming hole. The slanting afternoon sun pierced the water, the beam showing the clean rock bottom of the creek. He noted the deepening autumn glow as the sun set, giving the appearance of gold dripping from the amber-colored leaves of his precious apple trees that rested on the opposite bank.

  Tristan loved this time of year, when the crop was harvested and the leaves were turning their golden yellow. As October deepened, the glow would fade and the leaves would fall with light. The warmth from the autumn sun would become fragile until it finally gave way to snow and the deep freeze of winter by the end of November. But this evening, the air still clung to the sweetness of summer’s breath.

  Tristan thought about Noelle, and a thread of happy anticipation and excitement wound its way through his heart as he considered their upcoming hike. Finally, he was going to be able to learn what lived behind Noelle’s smile as the angst that marred their reintroduction vanished into the unimportant past.

  Rehearsing their evening together at the Creamery in his mind, he held dear their candid discussions. There was something pure and genuine in Noelle’s telling of her feelings. After Courtney’s antics, Tristan found Noelle’s honesty refreshing.

  Tristan shivered as the sun withdrew behind the mountains. Without the warming light, the breeze turned cool with a touch of ice as it grazed Tristan’s face. He watched as the shapeless leaves of his trees, which earlier had been alive with dripping sun, now shuddered in the fitful gust that promised a cold winter.

  Tristan’s phone rang, pulling him away from his reverie. His first thought was of Noelle, but as he checked the caller ID, he saw the number belonged to Courtney. He and Courtney hadn’t spoken since their final breakup. What could she want now? Tristan debated about answering, but curiosity got the better of him. “Hello?”

  “Hey, you,” Courtney said. “How’s life today?”

  Tristan warmed to the familiar greeting, but a touch of uncertainty nagged at him. “It’s good right now. How about you?”

  “Oh, I can’t complain,” she laughed. “Mom and Dad are taking me to Oahu for a week during Christmas, and I hope to do a photo shoot there so I can add some beach shots to my portfolio.”

  Same old thing. “That’s great, Courtney.”

  Silence hung on the line.

  “Don’t you even want to know what I’m going to do with those shots?”

  Tristan played along. “Sure. What’s your plan?”

  “Well … I hope to send them to some agents and scouts. And I think I’m going to attend modeling school. I’ve bought a new book about how to master poses, and it’s teaching me a lot. I’m hoping by getting some new beach poses I’ll be able to get noticed.”

  “Sounds like a good idea.” He waited for her to get to the point.

  “So, ummm … here’s the thing. Mom and Dad said I can bring a friend to Hawaii, and well, I’d like to bring you.”

  Shock pierced Tristan. “Uh—”

  Courtney rushed on. “I know we haven’t seen each other in a while.” She backtracked. “Well, it hasn’t been that long. Just six months. We’ve had longer breakups. But the truth is, Tris, there isn’t anyone who knows me as well as you.” She paused before continuing softly. “And I bet it’s the same for you.”

  Tristan opened his mouth but then closed it again as he contemplated the truth Courtney just threw out. Did that mean anything?

  “Well?”

  Possibilities bubbled up for Tristan as their shared history rushed
back to him like a freight train out of control. He recalled her comforting touch when his father had died and that teasing look that came into her eyes when she was happy. Those sweet memories mingled with their numberless days of simply being in each other’s company and the way her family enveloped him. After his father died, Courtney’s parents were as much of a safe refuge as Courtney. A week in the pleasant ocean waters surrounding Oahu where he could swim with the warm familiarity of Courtney and her family held some appeal.

  “C’mon, Tris. It would be fun! No strings, okay?”

  Tristan doubted Courtney’s promise. He laughed. “Since when are there no strings involved with you, Courtney?”

  “Well, maybe since right now. Ohhh, I want you to say yes. Warm beaches. Plenty of sun. Great food. Not that I’ll be eating much of it. But you in Hawaii with my family. It sounds like the perfect getaway. Don’t you want to escape the winter for a while?”

  “Not really.”

  Courtney sighed. “Oh, Tris, don’t you want to escape even the thought of all that Arizona heat? Hawaii is so far away from all of that.”

  The jab found its mark.

  Courtney’s voice turned sultry. “Besides, there’s a different kind of heat in Hawaii.” She added quickly, “But I promise, no strings.”

  Tristan wearied of Courtney’s inconsistencies. “What’s the point, Courtney? We called our relationship off months ago. We both know this isn’t going to work.”

  “We don’t know that,” Courtney said. “Look, Tris. I love you, okay? I’ve loved you since I was fifteen. That’s a whole decade! I’ve never loved anyone else. I doubt I ever will. I know we’ve been off and on again, but maybe it’s just time we solidified the deal.”

  Irritation trickled into Tristan. “What were you just saying about no strings?”

  Courtney continued her argument. “Look, I understand how we both might’ve needed some time apart … and together. We’ve been apart, so now it might be time to try together.”

  “We’ve tried together, Courtney, and we always end up apart. Some things are best left in the past.”

  “Tris.” Courtney’s voice was soft, even as it held an edge.

  “Courtney.”

  “Our thing should never be left in the past. Look, we’re not getting any younger, you and me. And who else knows you as well as I do?”

  Tristan didn’t have an answer for that question.

  “Who held you when your father died?”

  “And who left me when I went to school?” Tristan retorted.

  “Nobody said I was perfect. I count that as my biggest mistake in life. Please know how sorry I am for my lack of judgment.”

  Tristan’s heart stopped. This honest and earnest apology was new. Before, Courtney had always made light of her high school behavior. Now, she seemed to understand the gravity of her choices in a whole new way. Tristan’s resolve to turn down Courtney’s offer began ebbing away in the landslide of Courtney’s creation.

  “Please say yes. My parents miss you, and they’d be so happy to have you come along.”

  Courtney’s pull was like the swirling eddies he often saw in Icicle Creek. As a child, he’d had to stay away from them, but as an adult, he was strong enough to withstand their pull. And now, he had every reason to resist Courtney’s tug.

  Noelle. The recollection of her warm smile and the touch of her hand on his chest broke into his thoughts like a sunburst of new reality that was connected to the future instead of the past. “I appreciate the apology, Courtney. I think it’s the first time you haven’t made some excuse for the way you behaved. But I can’t go to Oahu.”

  The phone line fell into a pit of silence for a long moment.

  “Aw, c’mon, Tris. That’s not your final answer.”

  “It is, Courtney.”

  “Is it your mom?” Courtney asked. “Because I seriously doubt she’d want you to stay home on her account.”

  “No. It’s not my mom.”

  “Is it Noelle Foster?” Courtney’s voice held a light but cold lilt.

  Tristan’s heart skipped a beat as his brain went into overdrive. He didn’t like Courtney’s smooth tone. “What would make you ask that?”

  “Oh, I just saw you with her at the Creamery a few days ago. You two looked pretty cozy. I thought about stopping in, just to say hi, but I was in a hurry. Sounds like maybe I should’ve made the time.”

  Anger spurted from Tristan. “As a matter of fact, it is about Noelle,” he said. “We work together at the Fox Hollow Inn, and I hope we’ll start dating.”

  Tristan waited while Courtney sucked in her breath and held it.

  Finally, her voice turned contrite. “Listen to me,” she said. “Getting all possessive of you when I have no right. I’m sorry, Tris. I was just hoping we could make this work after all we’ve been through, and I thought Hawaii would be a good place to start. But maybe—” She coughed. “Perhaps it’s just time we went our separate ways.”

  A downbeat pulled at Tristan’s heart. He hated to hear Courtney’s tears, but maybe she truly understood. Their relationship had run its course. “I wish you every success in your modeling career,” Tristan said. “And I know you’ll meet someone and be able to start over in a meaningful way.”

  Courtney’s tone turned silky again, but there was a touch of sarcasm under the smooth delivery. “Oh, I have no doubt.”

  Alarm spread through Tristan. “I mean it, Courtney.”

  “Oh, don’t worry about me,” she said. “Well, I guess this is where I wish you good luck, Merry Christmas, and all that. So, um … good luck, and, well, I’ll be seeing you around.”

  The phone went dead.

  Tristan disconnected the line and he put his phone in his back pocket. He didn’t like Courtney bringing up Noelle, but maybe it was best that Courtney knew he was interested in someone else. It might help her move on if she realized he wasn’t waiting for her any longer. He wanted to date Noelle, and it had the potential to become serious.

  Tristan stood, and he rubbed his face with his hands. Freedom expanded through his chest. His life with Courtney was over. He drew in a deep breath of cool mountain air. Perhaps he could begin building a relationship with Noelle that would offer him the sweet comfort of home and chase back all of that Arizona heat.

  Chapter 10

  The following Tuesday, Noelle stood next to Tristan as her brother leashed Sampson. For days she’d looked forward to this afternoon, and now she breathed in Tristan’s scent of spiced apples as it mingled with hints of cedar, fir, pine, and fresh water.

  Noelle tried to turn her focus from Tristan and concentrate on the dog, but Tristan’s presence pulled at every fine-tuned nerve. Finally, she moved toward her little brother. “It’s going to be hard for him to walk nice for very long.”

  Her brother pulled out a bag of dog treats. “I brought reinforcements.”

  Tristan laughed as he came to stand by Noelle. “Did you take those to school with you?”

  Cory nodded. “I didn’t want Noelle to forget.”

  Noelle appreciated Tristan’s willingness to include her brother in their walk and conversation. Her fondness for him was growing into a deeper affection, and now, as she watched him interact with her little brother, she warmed toward him for the effort.

  He was so different from Kendall, who had no interest in her family. Kendall had never understood the importance of her close-knit bonds with those she loved or showed any enthusiasm for the beauty of her hometown. Tristan reveled in those things. Already, Tristan and her brother had shared more conversation in the fifteen-minute drive from school to the trailhead than Kendall and Cory had in a whole afternoon.

  Impatiently, Noelle pushed away her thoughts of Kendall. He certainly wasn’t thinking of her any longer. Maybe he wasn’t even in Hawaii. Noelle sucked in her breath. Could it be that Kendall had left the islands? Her breath quickened as unease flooded her mind. Ever since she had come home, some part of her kept him frozen in time, w
orking at the Four Seasons and surfing the waves of the islands with wild abandon.

  “Hey, are you okay?” Tristan asked.

  Noelle looked into Tristan’s kind blue eyes filled with concern. Embarrassment riddled her heart. She would not think of Kendall again for the rest of the afternoon. It was not fair to Tristan or her brother. It wasn’t fair to Sampson either. But above all, she wasn’t being fair to herself. She would put away the key to the vault in her heart that held Kendall long enough to enjoy this time with Tristan, her brother, and Sampson.

  Freeing herself from her past, Noelle smiled into Tristan’s eyes. “I’m fine. And I’m so happy you made this suggestion. Thanks for inviting me and for letting me bring Cory and Sampson.”

  “Hey, it’s a win-win, isn’t it? Sampson gets some exercise, I get to meet the wisest younger brother on the planet, and I get to spend some time with you.”

  “Did I hear someone refer to me?” Cory asked.

  Noelle grinned at Tristan, who smiled back. When he moved close, her skin tingled. At first, she tried to block the sensation, but then she let it trickle into her soul as she remembered their time at the Creamery and how she loved the touch of his skin and warm strong hands.

  Her brother joined them, asking Sampson to heel. But Tristan remained next to Noelle.

  Noelle turned to Tristan. “I’m sorry we’re not going very fast or very far,” she said. “This isn’t a true hike. It’s not even a walk. It’s more like a puppy fest for Sampson.”

  “Oh, don’t worry. Isn’t this how all hikers get started? We were all beginners at one point. One of these days, Sampson will be a great hiker, and you’ll be able to remember this is where it all started.”

  Noelle beamed at Tristan, appreciating how he always seemed to say something that soothed her concerns. She longed to touch him, but didn’t want to appear too forward. They had only been on the trail for five minutes, and her brother was standing nearby. Noelle was beginning to wish she had left Cory and Sampson at home.