Another unexpected gift was her heightened awareness. She’d always thought she understood human senses…until now. Everything was so much…so much more than she had expected. She’d inhaled, taking in the intoxicating smell of fresh pine and scented candles. She could even smell a whiff of freshly baked breads and cookies from earlier in the day.
Not only her sense of smell had intensified. Lights and colors glittered and sparkled as though with a special life. She’d tilted her head with delight and listened to the ticking of the clock on the mantel and the gentle creaks of the house.
She’d been fascinated by her surroundings: the comfortably rumpled furniture, the wall hangings, the touches that made a dwelling a home for those who lived there. She had clasped her hands and sighed. Oh, this was going to be so much fun! She just knew that she and the family would—
That’s when Bret had turned on the bright lights and interrupted her thoughts with his demand to know who she was and how she’d gotten inside.
His deep male voice had almost stopped her heart from taking another beat! She stared at the man standing so belligerently in the doorway of the room.
Even if his words hadn’t startled her, the overhead light would have. Its sudden brilliance almost blinded her with its glare.
Bret looked considerably different to her human eyes than her angelic ones. From her new perspective she could see that he was tall and very well built. Her conclusion was easy to reach since he wore very little clothing to hinder a thorough visual inspection of his body.
She found her reaction to him as startling as anything that had happened to her thus far. She couldn’t seem to take her eyes off the broad expanse of his bare chest, which was covered with an intriguing design of soft curls. His arms and shoulders were strongly muscled and his hands, which rested on his hips near the low-slung waist of his jeans—his unbuttoned jeans—were well shaped and very capable looking. She could almost feel their callused roughness on her skin.
What a strange reaction!
Noelle blinked and tried to pull her attention back to his question. She smiled, hoping to soothe the anger she could feel washing toward her.
“I’m Noelle,” she repeated, hoping to show him that she was no threat to him or his family, but he didn’t appear to be reassured.
“That doesn’t tell me a blasted thing! How did you get in here?” he demanded.
She gave a quick glance toward the tree before she said, “I knocked, but I guess nobody heard me, so I just came inside and waited.” She looked out the window, shivering at the sound of the wind and steady rain.
“Like hell you did! The door was locked!”
She nodded. “Yes. I locked it when I came in.”
He paused, thinking about her quiet explanation. Maybe Chris had forgotten to lock the door. Still—
“What are you doing here?”
She gave him another quick smile, feeling his anger easing slightly. “I was in town and heard what happened to Freda. I thought I would offer to fill in for her until she could return.”
Noelle had an almost overpowering desire to assure him that she’d had nothing to do with Freda’s accident, but of course he wouldn’t understand. Perhaps later, when all the events unfolded, he would—
Before Bret could say anything more she asked, “How is Freda? Was she badly hurt?”
“Bad enough, but that’s not the issue here. I’ve never seen you before. You’re obviously not a local. How did you hear about the accident?”
This was the tough part. She had no experience with falsehoods. Then again, she couldn’t very well explain to him who she was or why she was here. He’d have her hauled away and hospitalized. There was no help for it. Thankful that her supervisor had offered a plausible story, she said, “I’m from California. I came to visit my aunt, Ida Schulz. We were in town shopping today when we heard the news.” She gave him her most innocent look. “Aunt Ida suggested I offer my services, so…here I am.” Once again she smiled.
Ida Schulz lived on a remote ranch and rarely came to town. Noelle’s supervisor felt that Ida was sufficiently removed from the scene not to be available to refute Noelle’s story.
She waited for Bret’s response. It wasn’t long in coming.
“How did you get here? I didn’t hear a car.”
“One of Ida’s hands drove me out here. Perhaps the storm muffled the sound of his truck. He waited until he saw me come into the house before he left.”
As though finally becoming aware that he was still standing in the doorway, Bret walked fully into the room, coming to a halt a few feet in front of Noelle. Running his hand through his hair with frustration, he growled, “Look, I’m sorry you had to come all this way for nothing. You should have called first. We’ll do just fine until Freda’s better, so there’s no need for you to…” His words slowed when he got a good look at her for the first time. “…fill…in.” He stared at her in bemusement. He forgot what he’d been saying. He forgot everything but the presence of the woman standing little more than an arm’s reach from him. Her eyes were a startling blue, but it wasn’t the color that he found so mesmerizing. No. It was something else, something he couldn’t define. There was a sense of familiarity, as though he’d looked into those eyes many times and had seen the wisdom there…the peace and the serenity.
He kept staring at her, feeling the same peace and serenity steal over him, so that he could feel his muscles relax, his body unwind, his mind cease its racing.
He lost track of time while he studied the woman before him until he was jolted back into awareness once again by the sudden realization that he wasn’t dressed. Feeling at a distinct disadvantage and blaming her for her unannounced entry into his home, he regained his emotional balance and control. He could feel his anger mounting once again. How dare this woman—this stranger!—come waltzing in here without notice and surprise a man in his own home. He felt like a fool standing there in his own home embarrassed because he wasn’t wearing a shirt and socks.
“I don’t understand any of this,” he muttered, “and I don’t like it. Nobody walks into a stranger’s house like you’ve just done and offers to go to work.” He crossed his arms over his bare chest. “I want to know what’s going on and what you’re doing here!”
“You don’t believe me?” she asked faintly.
He stared at her for a long moment in silence, trying to decide what he believed. The woman looked young and innocent, wide-eyed and harmless.
Harmless? Not likely. A woman as attractive as she was couldn’t be as naive as she was pretending to be. Bret groaned, running his hand through his hair, and took another step toward her.
She stood her ground, watching him.
Why, she wasn’t afraid of him! How strange. She should be. After all, he towered over her, outweighed her by more than a hundred pounds. He could hurt her badly without even trying.
He stopped when he was a few inches from her. She had not moved. However, when she looked up at him, she blinked as though surprised to see the difference in their sizes.
Yeah, lady, he thought. You’d better blink. And you’d better start using your head.
“Look, whoever you are, I—”
“Noelle,” she said in a quiet voice.
“Noelle,” he repeated sharply. “I suppose I should thank you for—”
“Oh, you don’t have to thank me! I’m delighted to be able to help you. I promise I won’t be a bother. I can—”
“You don’t understand. I can’t have you stay here. It just wouldn’t look right.”
She stared up at him. “It wouldn’t look right?” she repeated, puzzled.
“No! You’re too young and too attractive to be staying here with—”
She burst into laughter. “Oh, that doesn’t matter to me.”
He couldn’t take his eyes off her face. What was happening to him? How could he be so drawn to this strange young woman? How could he feel as though he knew her when he’d never seen her before i
n his life? He certainly wouldn’t forget having met someone like her.
She took his hand and patted it gently for all the world as though he were Rex. “It’s going to be all right. You’ll see.”
Rex. Where was Rex and why hadn’t he warned them of an intruder? He jerked his hand free and looked around for the dog. “Where’s Rex? What did you do with him? Why didn’t he—”
Responding to his name being called, Rex wandered into the room, yawning, as though he’d just been pulled out of deep sleep. He blinked bleary-eyed at Bret, silently questioning why his name had been mentioned.
Bret felt a momentary relief that the old dog was all right. “Some watchdog you are,” he said gruffly, watching the animal amble toward him. “Why didn’t you let me know she was here?”
Rex stopped and looked at Bret, then at Noelle. Slowly his tail began to wag. He gave a sharp woof! and trotted to her side, whining.
Bret watched in shock and amazement as Noelle knelt beside the dog and buried her head in his coat, her arms around him. “Hi, there, fella. It’s good to see you. How’re you doing?”
Bret couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Rex was not a friendly dog. He was fiercely protective of the family and avoided everyone else. He tolerated Freda and Roy as though understanding the necessity for their being on the ranch but had little to do with them.
Bret had never seen Rex act this way before. He didn’t know what to think.
Once again he ran his hand through his hair, wanting only to see the end of this rather harrowing day. “Look,” he said, his voice echoing his irritation. “I don’t know what’s going on here but it’s late…too late to drive you clear across the county to Ida’s place. You can sleep in Freda’s room tonight, okay? I’ll figure a way to get you home tomorrow. Come on, I’ll show you where Freda’s room is located.”
Bret spun on his heel and strode out the door, feeling as if he were in some strange dimension. Maybe this was another dream and he’d wake up soon to find himself in bed. Nothing made sense anymore.
He walked across the kitchen and opened a door, revealing a bedroom with its own small bath. He glanced over his shoulder and saw that Noelle had followed him, Rex staying close beside her.
Noelle peered around him at the neat room and its carefully made up bed. “This looks fine to me. Thank you.”
He turned away, then paused and looked back at her. “Look,” he said, “I’m sorry if I’ve been abrupt with you. It’s just that I’ve had a rough day and finding you here so unexpectedly like that was a little unnerving.”
“I understand.”
“The thing is, we really don’t need any help. I’ve managed on my own with the kids before. I can do it again. I appreciate your concern. Tell Ida I thank her for sending you, but it really wasn’t necessary.”
She touched him on the arm and once again he felt a strange peace settle over him. “Why don’t you get some rest, Mr. Bishop. Things will look better in the morning. You need some sleep, that’s all.”
She had a point, one with which he was too tired to argue. He nodded and started across the kitchen. He paused in the doorway to the hallway and looked back. She stood watching him, Rex by her side.
“C’mon on, Rex. Go back to your bed,” he called to the dog. Rex generally slept on the rug in Bret’s office.
Rex just looked at him and blinked before he leaned against Noelle and sighed.
“I’ll see that he goes to bed.”
A strange woman comes into his house—God only knows how—and ends up sending him to bed with a promise to look after his dog?
Bret refused to think about it any longer. He was going to sleep.
Noelle let out a pent-up sigh of relief when she heard Bret’s door close upstairs. He was really upset, something that she hadn’t counted on when she’d made her plans.
Absently she patted Rex before turning and going into Freda’s room.
Whether or not Bret wanted to admit it, Noelle knew she was needed here. The children needed her. So did their father.
Hadn’t he realized how much he’d cut himself off from his emotions? It was only around the children that he allowed himself to feel anything. The rest of the time he locked himself behind a wall of indifference.
Well, at least she was here now. The first crucial step had been taken. She would have to face the next step tomorrow morning.
Noelle looked around the tidy room, wondering what she should do next. Her stomach growled, startling her. She rubbed the offending noisemaker with wonder. So this was what hunger felt like…as though she had an empty spot in her middle.
She understood empty spots, of course. Bret, whether he understood or not, was also hungry. He had lots of empty spots that needed to be filled. She hoped to make him aware of them between now and Christmas.
In the meantime, she might as well enjoy all that her new assignment had to offer. She went back to the kitchen to explore while Rex watched her.
She checked out the cupboards, the pantry and the refrigerator, sampling the different fare, fascinated by the different tastes. Being human was quite an experience, one she intended to fully explore.
After she ate, she tried out the shower in Freda’s bathroom, another new sensation she found exhilarating as well as surprisingly relaxing. After her shower she returned to the bedroom and looked around her. She would need some clothes.
No sooner had she thought of it than the idea manifested itself in the form of a packed suitcase that appeared open on the bed, with clothes neatly folded inside.
“Thank you,” she murmured absently, searching for a nightgown. Whoever had packed for her had a strange sense of humor, she decided, pulling out a nightshirt with Garfield on the front. She sat down at the dresser and pulled the pins from her hair, then took her time brushing out the long strands. After dividing it into three parts and plaiting a single braid, Noelle had started toward the bed when she sensed a new presence in the room.
She glanced toward the door and smiled. A tortoise-shell-colored cat sat watching her with round, unblinking eyes. Noelle recognized her immediately. Sally’s cat was not supposed to be in the house but whenever Sally thought she could get away with smuggling her inside without Bret’s knowledge, she did so. Obviously tonight was no exception.
Noelle also knew that Rex detested the cat and that the feeling was mutual. She looked around and saw that Rex had fallen asleep on the rug beside her bed, looking as though he was down for the final count.
“Would you like to go outside, Mischief?” she whispered, waiting to see what the cat would do when she spotted Rex.
Mischief continued to stare at Noelle without blinking.
“Ah. You prefer the warm, dry house, do you?”
Mischief majestically stalked into the room and headed toward the bed. Rex roused, raising his head and eyeing his natural enemy. The two of them froze, their gazes locked in looks of unveiled hostility.
Noelle shook her head and sighed. “Oh, really, you two. We can’t have this kind of behavior, you know. It really is time to learn some tolerance.” She walked over and stroked each one of them, murmuring to them.
Eventually Rex lowered his head back on his paws and closed his eyes, while Mischief ignored his presence and leaped lightly onto the extra blanket folded at the foot of the bed. She turned around twice, then lay down in a furry ball, purring her approval.
“Yes, that’s much better,” Noelle said to them both before looking at Mischief. “Wouldn’t you prefer to sleep with Sally?” she asked, sitting down beside the cat and lightly stroking her.
She paused, her fingers sensitively following the contours of the animal’s body. “I see. Well, perhaps you’re right in coming to me. I’ll keep you safe.”
With that Noelle turned out the light and slipped into bed.
The soft mattress felt wonderful. She hadn’t realized how exhausting it was to manuever all this weight around. No wonder humans needed several hours of sleep each night. It felt wonde
rful to stretch and relax her muscles.
She sighed contentedly, feeling very pleased with herself. She’d done it. She was actually here snuggled down in bed, preparing herself for sleep. What fun!
Of course she still had some work to do where Bret was concerned. She’d known he was going to be a tough one to convince. Somewhere he’d gotten the idea that he had to do everything on his own without help.
She smiled sleepily to herself. He’d learn, oh, yes, he would. She was going to enjoy teaching him.
The next time Noelle opened her eyes she realized it was morning, although the sky had not lightened as yet. A soft whine and the thumping of a tail caught her attention.
“Good morning to you, too, Rex,” she murmured. “Yes, I suppose it is time for us to be up, isn’t it?” She wasted no time in getting out of bed and dressing, although for the moment she left her hair in the long braid. “Would you like to go outside?” she whispered.
Rex’s tail whipped back and forth behind him. With a grin on her face she went into the kitchen, unlocked the door and let the German shepherd outside.
Noelle stood on the the porch and looked around. The storm from the evening before had passed, leaving a clear sky that was brightening as she watched. What a fascinating spectacle to see the stars begin to fade and warm color tint the eastern horizon.
With a smile on her lips she turned and went back into the house. Since it was too early for anyone to be awake, she took her time and explored all the downstairs rooms. Looking around she saw scuffed floors and battered furniture, tired decorations, abandoned toys and clothes that needed mending.
Poor Freda had had her hands full trying to keep up with everything and still have time to care for the family. She deserved her rest. Noelle was pleased to know that Freda’s guardians were looking after her, helping her adjust to her change in circumstances.
She finished her inspection by returning to her room to make the bed and finish unpacking her clothes. She found Mischief in the closet.
“Ah, so there you are. I see you fared well during the night, my friend.” She touched the soft fur behind the cat’s ear and rubbed gently. “You picked a safe, quiet place and I won’t disturb you.”
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