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.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
EVEN AFTER A couple of days, Luke still couldn’t believe he’d gotten a costume for the dress balls or that he’d purchased a second one for less formal events.
The shop had his daughters’ clothing sizes on record, so he’d also chosen another outfit each for Beth and Annie. They’d gotten so excited that they insisted on trying them on and getting their picture taken in every conceivable location at Poppy Gold.
His favorite photos were of them skating in ruffles and their Victorian coats and hats, looking like figures from an old painting. He wasn’t the only one taking pictures—Nicole had dressed in her new costume and the three had charmed guests and employees alike.
He was still worried about his relationship with the girls, but he’d been encouraged when Annie had gotten up two nights after the madrigal feast and appeared in the room he was using as an office. She’d been very solemn and had said she was sad about Carlie’s daddy having to limp because his leg got hurt. Luke had tried to explain that sometimes bad things happened, but that he’d always try to protect her.
“A bad person hurt Mommy,” she’d said in a small voice.
His chest tight, he’d finally nodded. “Yes. But she’d never want us to forget that she was doing something important to help other people.”
Annie had fallen asleep in his lap after that and he’d put her to bed, unsure if he’d said the right thing. The next morning, she hadn’t seemed any different, but she was so much quieter than Beth it was difficult to tell what was going on in her solemn little head. Still, he felt awed that his six-year-old daughter had shown so much concern for a man she’d met only once.
Restless, Luke left the suite and walked to Sarah’s Sweet Treats to get a cup of coffee.
Nicole had gotten back late on Monday. He knew she’d gone to visit the second kitten, who remained under observation at the veterinary clinic. Since he didn’t think she’d sat cuddling the cat for several hours, the most likely explanation was Dr. Gideon Cartwright.
Wh
ile Luke had liked the vet when they’d met at the hospitality night, that didn’t mean he was right for Nicole.
Carlie might know more about Gideon, though she wouldn’t necessarily be willing to say anything; she was friendly with Nicole and might feel it was disloyal to discuss another woman’s love life. But maybe there was something he could do to assist Carlie with her professional duties, and in the process he could ask a few questions.
At Old City Hall he walked back to her office and heard her talking on the phone. He leaned against the doorjamb and watched.
“I understand, Mrs. Gunderson...many guests do, but costumes aren’t required to attend the dress ball.”
Carlie looked up and waved toward the couch. Luke sat and glanced through a box on the floor containing fanciful masks.
“The Days Gone By clothing shop rents and sells costumes,” she continued. “Yes, definitely, the rentals are carefully cleaned after each use, but I don’t know what they’ll have available when you arrive on Friday... I’d be happy to give you their number.” She recited it slowly and after another moment said goodbye.
Luke gestured to the box of masks. “You didn’t mention the dress balls were also masquerade parties.”
“They aren’t, but our New Year’s Eve celebration has a Mardi Gras flavor. It’s similar to hospitality night and very kid friendly, which means no adult beverages,” she warned. “The New Year is toasted with sparkling apple cider and hot chocolate.”
“I probably won’t even make it to ten that night with the girls. And I’m definitely not wearing something like this, no matter how hard you try to make me.” He held up a glittery concoction.
“I haven’t ‘made’ you do anything. Those are just samples from the Days Gone By shop. We’ll add them to our decorations when Christmas is over. It helps soften the after-holiday blues and advertises the New Year’s Eve event.”
“There’s an after-holiday-blues period at Poppy Gold? I’m shocked. Does that mean everything vanishes on December 26, like the skating rink and sledding hill?”
“They’ll both run until mid-January, but the multicolored lights shift to white and blue on New Year’s Day. So, what brings you here this morning?” she asked.
“Just thought I’d offer my services. Is there anything I can do to help out?”
She regarded him suspiciously. “Well, a group of guests are having a snow-people-building contest. It’s their annual family reunion and they’ve asked for an impartial judge. Joan Peters was going to do it, but I could send you instead. Can you be impartial?”
Judging a contest wasn’t what he’d had in mind, particularly since it was clear that Carlie wouldn’t be going with him, but he might still use it to his advantage.
“Sure. Will you have lunch with me afterward? Nicole and the girls have gone to the Christmas tea in lieu of their lessons today. Then they’re going skating.”
“What happened to the obsessed businessman who wanted satellite communications in the Yosemite suite?”
“I’m still working at night and at free moments during the day, but I think this place is corrupting me. Besides, you need to eat and I want to hear how your dad is doing. Honestly,” he assured her at her skeptical expression. “We met at the madrigal feast, remember? He’s a nice guy.”
Luke also thought Carlie could do with a good lunch. He would swear she’d lost weight since they’d arrived at Poppy Gold.
“Okay,” she agreed finally. “I’ll get prize ribbons for you to give out. The key is to make it fun for everybody, so throw some panache into your presentations.”
She led the way to a large storeroom and he saw an interesting variety of supplies. From a stack on a shelf, she selected a plastic box. It turned out to contain first-, second-and third-place ribbons, along with a large quantity of white “honorable mentions.”
“I take it all contestants get a ribbon of some type,” he said.
“Yes. Does that offend your competitive soul?” Carlie asked in a dry tone.
“I’ll survive.”
He headed toward the area where the snowmakers were stationed. Competition was a fundamental part of the business world, but he was beginning to think there was something to be said for Carlie’s philosophy that everyone should win in some way.
* * *
“THE CONTEST WENT OKAY,” Luke told Carlie as they sat down with their food in Sarah’s Sweet Treats bakery later that afternoon. “But I think the Rodneys were disappointed you weren’t there.”
“I’m sure they were fine with you as their judge.”
Luke shrugged. He’d enjoyed evaluating the entries and handing out the ribbons, much to his amazement. “Tell me about your dad,” he urged.
“There isn’t much to tell. He’s irritable and driving Mom crazy. Tomorrow he’s going to ask the doctor for a release to return to work. That’s all there is to report.”
Luke glanced down, not wanting her to read anything in his eyes. He’d thought a great deal about Mike Benton’s condition since the madrigal feast, debating an idea he’d had for helping both Carlie and her father, and questioning whether it was appropriate. Luke understood pride; he suffered from an excess of it himself. But the injustice of the way the other man had been injured rankled and he kept remembering the solemn, worried expression on Annie’s face when she’d talked about Mike Benton’s leg.
Then Mike had fallen.
It had been too much.
So Luke had made two calls on Monday afternoon, one to Tessa McKinley, and the other to a top orthopedic specialist in San Francisco, who’d agreed to visit Glimmer Creek soon. Tessa had enthusiastically endorsed Luke’s plan, explaining they kept a few rooms in reserve and she’d be happy to make one available whenever needed...anything to help her cousin and uncle.
With luck, they could make it appear that the specialist just happened to be visiting Poppy Gold and had agreed to evaluate Mike Benton’s medical records.
But should Carlie be told?
She was making him think about the way he attacked problems—Tilly likened it to the Allies landing on D-day—but this was different than exchanging a car with a new SUV. And while he couldn’t prove it, he knew he wasn’t doing it as a gesture of appreciation. He’d begun to care about Carlie as a friend and wanted to help.
Still, maybe he’d better prepare for potentially explosive revelations.
“From what Nicole says, Dr. Cartwright appears to be a capable veterinarian,” he said. “I understand he’s new to Glimmer Creek.”
Carlie blinked. “Gideon has been here for eight or nine months. What brought that up?”
“Chico is a mooch, probably from being a stray. He leaps into our plates if we aren’t careful. I thought a veterinarian might have ideas for getting him to stop.”
“You must be bored if you’re thinking about training a kitten. That is, attempting to train one. I love cats, but they aren’t that trainable.”
“I’m not bored,” Luke insisted, but she cocked her head at him in patent disbelief. “All right, I want to find out more about Dr. Cartwright. I think Nicole is getting involved with him.”
Carlie rolled her eyes. “Gideon is a nice, law-abiding citizen and Nicole is a grown woman.”
“He’s a small-town vet who’s probably still paying off student loans and in debt from buying the practice.”
Carlie dropped her sandwich on her plate and leaned forward. “That’s none of your business, Luke. Leave it alone. Now, would you all like to wear your costumes in the lighted parade tonight?” she asked in a blatant effort to change the subject.
Luke was accustomed to getting what he wanted, but he decided to let it go. For now.
“Sorry, we can’t. I made reservations for the stargazing hayride tonight,” he said. “I understand a visiting astronomer offered to talk about the vi
sible constellations.”
Carlie nodded. “Dr. Purcell is a retired professor from the University of Arizona. He comes every year at Christmas.”
The conversation through the remainder of the meal stayed light and impersonal, but he continued thinking about it, especially after leaving Carlie at Old City Hall and crossing the park to the skating rink.
Despite what Carlie thought, he wasn’t trying to make decisions for Nicole. He was just worried about her.
* * *
WHEN CARLIE RETURNED to her office, she found a white poinsettia had been delivered from one of the guests at Poppy Gold. She put the plant on the corner of her desk. Several had been sent to the activities staff and were in the common area, but maybe she’d keep this one in her office. Joan and Tracy didn’t care for specialty poinsettias, preferring red the most, but Carlie liked the mix.
Edgy, she took a walk around Poppy Gold to see what was happening. The skating rink was busy as usual, but she didn’t go over in case Luke and the girls were there. The line between guest and employee kept getting blurred with Luke, and she needed to reinforce those boundaries.
She checked the time and ran into the Douglas House. It was after the first high tea and her aunt was busy setting up for the second.
“Hey, Aunt Mattie. Did you hear how the kids’ tea party went this morning?”
“Jamie says it was a full house and everybody had a good time. It’s a great idea with so many children staying at Poppy Gold for the holidays. Not that we had any boys at the tea party, just girls.”
“It might be different if boys that age were more interested in girls,” Carlie said with a laugh.
“True. Your uncle still watches musicals with me because I love them, and you know how he feels about people spontaneously bursting into song.”
“Uncle Henry would do anything to make you happy.”
Aunt Mattie smiled and Carlie left as the second group of guests began arriving. Even among adults, high tea was mostly a feminine gathering. Men sometimes came with their wives or girlfriends, but rarely on their own.
Christmas with Carlie Page 21