Noelle grew pensive. “Maybe not so great.”
“What is it, honey?”
Noelle anxiously told her story. “Mom, do you remember when I was still at home, and I told you that I wanted to come back to Hawaii—” She stopped. “No, I needed to come back to Hawaii to see if there was still something worth salvaging between Kendall and I.”
“Yeah. What have you discovered?”
A lingering sadness threaded through Noelle, but it was overshadowed by a new resolve around her own sense of value. “I think I’ll always love him. He’s the first man I’ve ever cared for and who cared for me, but that doesn’t necessarily make a relationship work.”
“It’s easy to romanticize a man like Kendall,” her mother replied. “An exotic place. He surfs and works at the Four Seasons. He’s good-looking. But …”
“What?”
“I’ve hesitated to tell you what I think, because I wasn’t sure you were ready to hear it, but maybe now is a good time.” Her mother continued, “I suspect that Kendall is emotionally unavailable, honey. I believe he’s a good man, but he just can’t offer you the kind of emotional intimacy you need in a relationship.”
The truth of her mother’s words sank deep into Noelle’s soul. “That’s exactly the conclusion I came to, Mom! Thank you for the validation.” She paused for a moment; then she continued softly, “It’s the difference between Tristan and Kendall, isn’t it, Mom? It’s why breaking up with Tristan was so hard, even though we’d only been together for a little over a month.”
“Yes, that’s the difference.”
“I think about Tristan all the time,” Noelle said. “And I miss him, and it’s completely different from my feelings around Kendall. I don’t question whether or not I miss him. I know I do.”
“What are you going to do about that?” her mother asked.
Heartache filled Noelle. “As far as Tristan is concerned, there’s nothing to do. I’m not sharing him with a convict in Arizona. And I’ve already told Kendall that I thought it best if we didn’t see each other anymore.”
“Are you going to stay in Hawaii?”
Noelle mulled over her mom’s question. “I think so. For now, anyway. I miss everyone at home, but maybe all of you can come visit me early next year.” Her spirits lifted as the idea took shape. “I have great benefits. You could stay at the hotel, and I could probably arrange for a few days off.”
“Why don’t we plan on that, sweetie? I’ll talk to your dad and figure out Cory’s spring break. I’ll text you with the dates so you can see if you can ask for a couple of vacation days. Then, we’ll book the tickets.”
Noelle let out a long sigh as relief surged through her. “Thanks, Mom. If you guys plan on coming here for Cory’s spring break, that will give me something to look forward to through the Christmas holidays.”
“And it’ll give us all something to look forward to throughout this cold winter!”
Noelle hung up from the conversation with her mom and turned to gaze out her loft window at the long horizon that glowed under the moonlight, calm and bright. Her future lay somewhere within her own making now. It spread before her expanding vision, as blank and placid as the night ocean under the watchful light of the full moon.
Chapter 28
Three days after Tristan’s final conversation with James, he stood on the Fosters’ front porch with some trepidation. He was sure Noelle had told them about James, and he wondered how her family would respond.
Her mother answered the door. “Why, Tristan. What a nice surprise. Come on in.”
Tristan breathed a sigh of relief. At least Noelle’s mom was being nice, and Cory was glad to see him while in town.
Sampson came rushing around the corner, his feet skidding on the wood floors as he ran into Tristan’s legs, tail wagging and panting happily.
Tristan kneeled down and scratched the puppy’s ears. “You sure have grown.” He stood and looked at Noelle’s mother. “I saw Cory and Sampson in town a few days ago, and it looks as if Sampson has grown a full two inches since then.”
Sampson continued to wiggle around Tristan’s feet and legs, begging for attention.
Cory came around the corner. “Hey, Tristan. Good to see you. Sorry about the little dude. He thinks you’re some sort of life saver or something.”
Tristan laughed as his earlier apprehension drained from him.
Noelle’s dad joined them in the entrance, and a distinct coolness settled over Tristan. “Hi there, Tristan. What can we do for you?” Mark asked.
A pinprick of worry returned. “Ummm … well, I just wanted you to know I’ve changed my phone number, and—”
“How come?” Cory asked as he snapped on Sampson’s leash and made the dog sit by his side.
“Cory,” Becky said under her breath.
“No. It’s okay. I’ve told George and Sian, and I need to tell you, too. I had a friend who’s in federal prison down in Arizona, and I’ve cut off all correspondence with him. I wanted to change phone numbers just in case he continued to try to get in touch.” He handed a piece of paper to Becky. “And I wanted to make sure you have the new number.”
“We know about this man,” Mark said. “Did you ever tell him about Noelle?”
“No, sir. This man knows nothing about my private life.”
Mark visibly relaxed. “That’s good to know.”
Becky took the number. “We’re having homemade pizza for dinner,” she said. “Would you care to join us?”
Tristan warmed at the invitation and was tempted to once again sit at the Fosters’ table. He missed his dad, and he missed Noelle, and both of those wounds could be bound up in a meal with this family he had come to love. But he wasn’t sure he belonged here anymore. Not without Noelle. “It smells great, but I should probably get going.” He moved toward the door, but instead he turned back around. “Thanks.”
“For what?” Becky asked.
Tristan looked at her in all seriousness. “For letting me in.” He turned the knob and hurried back to his truck as the snow fell in soft, gentle flakes.
* * *
Tristan stomped the snow from his boots before making his way through the back door of his home and into the warm kitchen. His mom was stirring some homemade soup on the stove.
“How did it go?” she asked.
“Better than I thought.”
“Do you think they’ll give the number to Noelle?”
Tristan shrugged. “A guy can hope.”
His mother put a bowl of soup and a slice of homemade bread in front of him as he sat down at the kitchen table. After dishing up her own soup, she sat next to Tristan. “I was thinking that we could start to pray over our meals once again,” she said. “How do you feel about that?”
Some deep chamber in Tristan’s soul contracted as he remembered praying with his father over mealtime. “Yeah. I think it’s time,” he said quietly.
“I’ll offer the prayer tonight,” his mother volunteered.
Tristan breathed deep the comfort that flooded through him. The presence of his father filled the room as his mother quietly spoke words of grace.
After she was finished, they ate in silence for several minutes, basking in the gentle peace that encased them. His mother reached over and placed her hand on Tristan’s arm. “We have so much love in our home. We’re very blessed, you know.”
Tristan nodded. “Noelle felt the same way about her family,” he said.
His mother gazed at him. “Do you love this girl, Noelle?”
Tristan’s emotions unraveled at the mention of Noelle’s name. “Yeah. I think I do.”
“Then why don’t you go and get her?”
Tristan’s heart ticked up a beat. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, book a flight to Hawaii and go get her.” His mother smiled. “I love you, Tris, but sometimes you just need a little prodding.”
Tristan laughed as the idea took root.
His mother continued, �
�I hope Noelle is good at prodding.”
Tristan hurried through dinner before moving to his computer, where he booked a round-trip ticket to the Big Island of Hawaii. Excitement and fear rubbed together as questions cracked open like popcorn. The idea of seeing Noelle thrilled him, but he wasn’t sure she would accept him or his story around James. If she and Kendall … Tristan refused to consider that possibility. He just needed to get to Hawaii as soon as possible. He would leave in three days.
Chapter 29
Two days later, Noelle stood behind the front desk of the Four Seasons and watched Kendall move across the lobby. He turned toward her and smiled but didn’t break his stride. She smiled back and offered him a nod as a trace of heartache threaded its way through her. It wasn’t the same wrenching pain she remembered from their first breakup. This was different. It wasn’t founded in anger or discouragement, but instead in a clearheaded reality.
Gently, she reached up and fingered the cluster of opal turtles around her neck, just as a young family came to her station to check in. She peered over the front desk and smiled at the nine-year-old little girl who was holding a stuffed turtle.
Noelle clutched her pendant for the last time, knowing what she needed to do. “Is this your first time to Hawaii?” she asked the child.
“Yes! And look what I got.”
“You must really love turtles.”
“They’re the best animals ever,” the child responded.
Noelle came around the desk and knelt in from the girl, seeing a reflection of herself in the youngster’s innocence and enthusiasm. “What’s your name?”
The young girl looked up at her parents, who nodded their permission with a smile. “I’m Julia. What’s your name?”
“I’m Noelle, and I have something for you.” She reached behind her neck and unclasped the cluster of turtles. She looked up at Julia’s parents. “May I give this to her?”
Julia’s mother gasped. “It’s beautiful. I’m not sure … Are you sure?”
“Yes. It no longer fits me.” Noelle breathed deep the acknowledgment of her new reality that no longer included Kendall. It was time to give up her final remembrance. There was no pain in the offering of this gift, only a release and delight in what it could offer another.
A look passed between Julia’s parents while the young girl stood before Noelle with her mouth open. “May I, Mama?”
Julia’s mother nodded her approval, and Noelle reached around Julia’s neck and clasped the necklace. “Now, you can always remember your love for turtles,” Noelle said.
“And I’ll never forget you!” Julia responded. She reached in, giving Noelle a hard embrace. “Thank you for the turtles. Thank you so much!”
Noelle returned the child’s hug. Her heart was drawn full of joy but with a drop of sadness. She would miss the speckled beauty of her turtles and all they represented. But she wouldn’t trade them back for the freedom from the weight she had carried for months. The lifting of the burden that she had borne for almost a year made her feel like she could fly.
Chapter 30
The following afternoon, Noelle stood at the front desk. She was happy to help her crew work through guests in order to make their check-in process seamless, but she struggled to focus on the tasks before her. Earlier in the day, her mother called. Noelle thought she was just checking to see how Noelle was feeling around her breakup with Kendall. Instead, she offered some news. “Tristan came by the other night.”
Noelle’s heart leapt up into her throat. “He did?”
“Yes. He’s changed his phone number, and he wanted us to have it. I believe he was hoping we’d give it to you. Do you want it?”
Noelle hesitated and the joy evaporated. “I don’t know, Mom. Like I said before, I’m not sharing Tristan with some convict in Arizona.”
“I don’t think you have to, honey.” Noelle heard the hope in her mother’s voice. “I don’t know the details, but while he was here, Tristan told us the reason he was changing his number was because he’s told this so-called friend of his that they will no longer be in contact.”
The earlier sense of joy returned, filling her heart to the brim. “Mom! That’s wonderful!”
“Do you want his number?”
“Yes. Yes, I do!”
Now, she stood behind the desk with Tristan’s number tucked in her pocket. Should she call Tristan after her shift? Jittery excitement flowed through her, making her hands shake with anticipation, but she kept her eyes on the sleek screen in front of her as the next guest came to the desk.
Looking up, she clenched the computer mouse as her heart fluttered somewhere around her throat. She gasped. “Tristan!”
“Yeah. It’s me. Noelle, I’m happy to see you.”
Pure delight flooded Noelle’s heart as she continued to gaze in his eyes. Tristan was here! “I was just thinking about you!” She blushed. “I mean … it’s good to see you too! How—what—Are you a guest here?”
“No. I came to see you. Are you free tonight?”
The front desk went quiet as Noelle’s team and guests alike turned their attention to her and Tristan.
Noelle stared in disbelief. “You came all the way from the mainland to ask me out on a date?”
“Uh-huh. What do you say?”
Her heart beat with wild and glorious abandon, and she longed to toss every responsibility out the window and leave in this very instant. Instead, she grinned with glee as she gazed into his eyes. “I’m free tonight.”
Everyone broke out into applause as Noelle laughed. She quelled the desire to run around the front desk and pull Tristan into a long embrace. She wanted to feel his skin across her fingertips and place her cheek against his chest. Breathing deep, she pulled herself together. Already, she had disrupted the quiet professionalism of her work, but no one seemed to care. She couldn’t stop grinning as she looked at Tristan.
“When do you get off?” Tristan asked.
Noelle leaned forward. “Not soon enough,” she whispered.
Tristan leaned in close and lowered his chin. “Tell me your shift ends now.” His muted voice held urgency.
Noelle shook her head as she replied quietly. “Not for a couple of hours.”
“Then I guess I’ll just have to wait. Where do you want me?” Tristan stepped back.
Possibilities surged through Noelle. She wanted him in her arms! Noelle continued to battle her desire to run around the front desk and pull Tristan in a full hug and a long, slow kiss. Instead, she took a deep, controlling breath, but she still couldn’t speak.
“How about if I sit and wait over there?” Tristan pointed to the chairs next to the open-air windows.
“Yes, of course. That’d be great!” A fervent thrill shivered through as she watched him cross the lobby and take his seat. Tristan was here! She tried to swallow her emotions as she turned her attention to the next guest, but nothing could extinguish the rush of hope and the light it offered that shone in her eyes.
The next guest, a woman in her fifties, waited for Noelle to gather herself before she leaned over the desk and whispered, “I think he’s a keeper.”
Noelle leaned toward the guest with unabashed happiness. “I think you’re right.”
For the next couple of hours, Noelle checked in guests. Every few minutes, her heart would beat with overflowing cheer when she glanced toward Tristan. She couldn’t wait to sit with him and feel his hand touching her face and his lips caressing her own. Would he still smell like spiced apples, even here in Hawaii? Noelle hoped so.
When she was finished helping her team members, she completed the required paperwork before returning to the lobby. Noelle took a seat on the chair next to Tristan as disbelief mingled with elation. “I can’t believe you’re here,” she said. The desire to reach over and touch him almost overwhelmed her, but she sat on the edge of her chair, placing her hands on her knees. Already, she had shown too much affection in front of her crew, and she tried to be subdued in her desire
for his touch.
“Me either,” Tristan said.
“Is this your first time to Hawaii?”
A pained look came into Tristan’s eyes. “No. I came with James several years ago. We stayed at the Four Seasons on Maui.” He sat up straight. “If you want, I’m prepared to tell you the whole story.”
Noelle studied Tristan before leaning forward and taking his hand in hers. ‘I’m prepared to hear it,” she said. A sense of their shared intimacy returned. Could it be that nothing was lost in their time apart? She stood. “Let’s go to the beach.”
* * *
Noelle sat with Tristan on the picnic table at Spencer Beach Park and watched the sun begin its descent into the welcoming waters of the Pacific. She broke her gaze from the ocean and glanced at Tristan. Now that they were alone, a subtle shyness overcame her. She placed her hands between her knees and pressed them together, unsure what to do next.
They had stopped by her apartment before coming to the beach, allowing her to change. She wore a pair of cutoffs with an oversized white T-shirt and flip-flops.
Tristan turned to her. “I can see why you like it here,” he said. “It fits you.”
The familiar sound of Tristan’s voice eased Noelle, and she scooched closer. “I think you would adjust without too much trouble as well.”
“I like Hawaii,” Tristan said. “And I’d love to see more of the day-to-day life instead of the tourist spots.”
“That’s why I brought you to this beach. It’s a family park,” Noelle replied as the familiar longing for his touch came over her, but she wouldn’t give in to it. Not quite yet.
“I’ve missed you,” Tristan whispered. He held out his hand, palm up, as an invitation.
Noelle looked into his eyes and saw nothing but familiar warm love. It intoxicated her and pulled her into its gentle embrace of hope and anticipated goodness. Her tense muscles relaxed as the earlier shyness ebbed away. She took his hand and basked in the simple affection. And even though she was sitting on the shores of a Hawaiian beach instead of Icicle Creek, Noelle was home in Tristan’s presence. She leaned against his shoulder and curled her hand around his bicep before tracing the veins of his arm and lacing her fingers through his once again. “I’ve missed you, too.”
Christmas In Icicle Creek: Home For The Holidays Page 18