“No, dear. About you. There are many men who will come into your life. Some of them you know now, and some of them you will meet in the future. We just want you to be sure to marry the right one.”
“Don’t worry,” Noelle assured her. “I will.”
Yet, as the day wore on, her confidence slipped. How was she supposed to know if Jack was the right man? What if her mother was right? What if there was another man — a man she had never even met — who would also ask her to marry? If she said yes to Jack, would she regret her decision in the future?
Chapter 2
Saturday arrived with a burst of cold air. It brightened the green flecks in her hazel eyes and turned her pale cheeks a rosy pink. Turning away from her bedroom mirror, Noelle slipped her slender arms through the short cap sleeves and slid the rest of the thin billowing fabric down the length of her petite figure. As she brushed back her shoulder length brown hair she wondered… Would anyone notice if she wore thermal underwear beneath the emerald bridesmaid gown? Then she pictured herself catching the bride’s bouquet, having a young man lift the hem of her skirt to place the garter on her leg, and… she decided against it.
Quickly pulling a long, woolen cape from the back of her closet, Noelle wrapped it over her shoulders, hoping to stop the shiver that coursed up her spine. Why couldn’t she stop shaking? She glanced at the thermometer on her way out the door, surprised it didn’t read in the single digits. It was cold enough to snow, but not chilly enough to explain the Artic freeze traveling through her.
Could it be nerves? But then, why should she be nervous? It was her brother who was getting married today, not her. She just had to give Jack an answer.
An answer she didn’t have.
Noelle met her brother in the foyer of the church at two o’clock, an hour before the afternoon ceremony. After straightening his bow tie, she stood back to admire his Christian Dior Tuxedo.
“You look great, Russ. Are you nervous?”
“Of course not,” he said, breaking into a grin. “I knew I wanted to marry Susan the first time I saw her.”
“How?” Noelle asked, her chest tightening. “How did you know?”
“Intuition, maybe?” Russ shrugged. “All I know is that we shared an instant connection. And I knew.”
“I wish I had a bit of your intuition,” she said, scanning the snug interior of the flower laden church.
Russ pulled her aside so the preacher could walk past. “Did you give Jack an answer yet?”
“I promised to tell him tonight.”
“While we’re still on the subject…” Russ’s voice trailed off, and a smile played on his lips. “I have this friend. He’s not rich, but he’s got his own business and a big heart. The kind of guy who’s always there to help you out of a bind. He’s going to be at the reception, and I—”
“Are you trying to set me up?” Noelle demanded.
“He’s a great guy,” her brother said defensively.
“And Jack isn’t?” she asked.
“Noelle, you know I’ve never got on well with him.”
“Is it because he wouldn’t help you with the displaced kids at the social work fundraiser?” Frowning, Noelle lowered her voice, as a few of the guests began to enter the church. “That’s it, isn’t it?”
“Jack would rather write a check than actually lend a hand,” Russ said, waving to Aunt Pauline.
“At least he writes the checks,” Noelle said, also giving the stoop-shouldered, old woman a wave. “Not everyone is going to be passionate about your cause.”
Russ took her hands. “Let’s not bicker about this. Not today. Whatever you decide is your decision. Still,” he said, giving her a nudge with his shoulder, “I’d like you to meet my friend tonight, maybe share a couple drinks, dance…”
Noelle rolled her eyes and smiled. No wonder Susan agreed to marry him. Russ couldn’t take no for an answer.
A short while later, Noelle followed her cousin Jean, also a bridesmaid, to their place on the left side of the altar and waited for the bride to walk down the aisle.
“Where’s Mitchell?” Noelle whispered, unable to spot her cousin’s boyfriend in the crowded seats.
Jean scowled. “We broke up.”
Noelle gasped. “I’m so sorry.”
“I’m not,” her cousin replied. “The guy was a loser. I want someone who understands me, listens to me, and shows me he cares by treating me like I’m the only person in his universe.”
“Wow, that’s a tall order,” Noelle teased.
Jean looked past her, distracted, and sucked in her breath. As Noelle followed her cousin’s gaze, her stomach did a back-flip and hardened into a tight knot.
“I’d give anything to have a man look at me like that,” Jean crooned.
Me, too. A strange stirring overtook Noelle’s senses. A deep longing she hadn’t realized existed, but here she was, standing at the front of the tiny church as green with envy as the emerald coloring of her bridesmaid dress. Where did this come from?
It didn’t bother her that her younger brother was the one who was getting married. Or that Susan was a model-perfect bride. But when Russ gazed down into Susan’s eyes, a lump rose in Noelle’s throat, and she swallowed hard.
Why didn’t Jack ever look at her that way? As if they were the only two people in the whole world. A look powerful enough to halt time, move mountains, stop the earth from spinning…
Noelle chided herself for being a hopeless romantic, but still… she felt queasy, like she’d eaten too much junk food and needed something solid.
A couple of deep breaths later, her heartbeat steadied, but logic continued to evade the intelligent side of her brain. Perhaps Jean’s fantasy of the perfect man had contaminated her. For now she wanted that look for herself.
Noelle glanced at the other bridesmaids’ faces and realized she wasn’t the only one. There were at least four other women who were wishing to be the center of someone’s universe.
Chapter 3
After the ceremony, Noelle tried to pass through the crowd unnoticed, but Aunt Pauline’s hand latched onto her arm and drew her in like a grappling hook.
“It’s your turn next, honey!” Aunt Pauline’s gravelly voice wailed. “Your mother told me all about the proposal. Where is that handsome man of yours?”
Noelle quickly pasted on a smile. “Jack’s meeting me at the reception.”
The truth was that Jack thought his computer designs were more important than attending her brother’s wedding.
“Did you give him an answer yet?” the old woman asked, squeezing her arm tighter. “You are going to marry him, aren’t you?”
“I’m thinking about it,” Noelle said, smoothing a fold in the skirt of her gown.
Aunt Pauline blanched. “What is there to think about? You’ll never find another man like Jack.”
What her aunt really meant was — another man with that much money. Jack was filthy rich. He could buy her anything she wanted.
Ignoring the white flakes that swirled down from the overcast clouds above, Noelle sped her shiny new Porsche - a present from Jack - down the winding back-country road to the reception. It wasn’t dark yet, but the snow turned everything around her into a sheet of gray, making it hard to see. A sanding truck rumbled by, making her wince as it spit grit onto her windshield as if she didn’t deserve any better. Maybe she didn’t.
Jack Davis, president of Davis Software & Electronics, wanted her to marry him. Was it necessary to say it with a look? After all, there was more to marriage than the expression on one’s face. So why couldn’t she just say yes? Every swish-swosh of the frost-encrusted windshield wipers seemed to ask the same question.
Noelle glanced at the shimmering diamond on her finger as her hand turned the steering wheel. Jack had insisted she wear the ring even though her mind was not yet made up. Perhaps he hoped it would speed her decision. But time was running out. Jack wanted an answer and he wanted it tonight.
Suddenly t
he car spun sideways, out of control. Noelle held tight to the steering wheel, but it was of no use. The vehicle slid off the pavement and skied down a steep snow-covered slope. A scream escaped her lips, and then, with a jolt, the turbulent motion came to a stop against a wall of thick evergreen trees.
Taking a deep breath, Noelle inhaled the fresh scent of broken pine branches. She wasn’t hurt, thanks to her seatbelt. But the thunderous beating of her heart reminded her all too well that she could have been. Noelle’s legs shook as she opened the car door and stepped out.
As if the situation wasn’t bad enough, two large dogs, one black and one white, bounded toward her across the snow.
Generally, she liked dogs. That is, until last week when Jack’s Rottweiler charged and backed her into a serrated gutter along the side of the house. She had thirteen stitches in her leg as a harsh reminder. The pain had passed, but not her newfound fear of charging animals.
Leaping and bounding closer and closer with each passing second, the two dogs looked as if they were on a mission. Their long pink tongues swung crazily out of their mouths. Where was their owner? Why weren’t they on leashes? Would she now be eaten?
Quickly turning around, Noelle’s high heel caught on the lace hem of her gown, tumbling her head first into the freezing white powder. As her only defense, she seized her bridesmaid bouquet and held it out like a lance in an effort to ward off the advancing beasts.
“They won’t bite,” a smooth, deep voice called from the road.
And indeed they didn’t. Noelle found herself using the flowers to fend off their playful licks instead. Peering over the dog’s heads, she saw a tall, dark-haired man dressed in black making his way down the steep embankment.
“Sorry if they scared you,” the man said. “The snow gets them excited.”
“No, kidding,” Noelle replied.
“Wrong weather for dress shoes,” he teased, helping her up.
The man’s bright blue eyes sparkled with amusement, making her feel a far cry from the graceful, young woman who taught ballet.
“Wrong time of year for a wedding,” she replied, brushing off the snow.
“I was driving behind you when your car went off the road,” he said with concern. “Are you all right?”
“Yes.” Noelle glanced up the slope toward his parked vehicle. “Thanks for pulling over. I didn’t see the stretch of ice until it was too late.” She extended her hand. “I’m Noelle Petersen.”
“Robert Fields,” he said, a sudden gleam dancing in his warm blue eyes. “And these two goofs,” he added, indicating the dogs and ruffling each of their heads, “are Casper and Shadow.”
For one endless moment, as the affectionate dogs looked up at their master, the same bite of jealousy she had experienced back at the church pinched her stomach. It reminded her of the look that had passed between Russ and Susan. A look of trust and devotion, a look of…
“Can I give you a ride? I was on my way into town.”
“Business?” she asked, noticing his stylish, three-piece black suit.
“No. A social engagement.” He grinned. “I’m supposed to meet someone.”
“Someone who likes dogs?
“Yes, I hope so.” Robert laughed. “Actually, I’m dropping Casper and Shadow off at my sister’s house up the road. The power went off at my place, and I don’t want these slobbery pups to freeze while I’m out this evening. It will only be a quick stop, and then I can have you in town within fifteen minutes.”
Noelle looked at her car and bit her lower lip. If she waited for a tow truck to come, she would miss the reception. But, should she accept a ride from a man she didn’t know?
“I won’t bite either,” Robert promised.
It was hard not to smile. “A ride would be great.”
Chapter 4
Robert whistled to the dogs, and together they trudged up the snowy embankment to his four wheel drive. It was a Suburban. The kind Noelle had always wanted. The kind Jack thought unsuitable for anyone with social status.
“What type of work do you do?” she asked, buckling her seatbelt.
Robert started the engine. “I buy houses, fix them up, and re-sell them.”
Noelle studied his profile as he steered the truck back onto the road. He was far too good-looking to be a fixer-upper.
“Are you married?” She asked the question without thinking and blushed at how forward she sounded.
“No, I’m available,” Robert said lightheartedly. “Are you?” He glanced over at her, his eyes resting on the gaudy rock on her finger. Jack’s rock.
Noelle turned her hand over in her lap. Her cheeks burned. Her eyes stung with tears.
Robert opened his mouth to apologize, but she waved his words aside.
“It’s — it’s me,” she said, her throat raw. “There is someone who wants to marry me.” She looked away, and one of the dogs in the back seat leaned forward and licked her ear. “I haven’t given him an answer yet.”
“Then something’s missing,” Robert said, turning the wheel.
“I didn’t say that.” Noelle’s mind whirled, as if she was sliding over the embankment all over again.
“If there wasn’t,” Robert insisted, “you wouldn’t have hesitated in saying yes.”
He was right. She should have leapt with joy when Jack proposed. Instead, she asked for time.
“I keep waiting for that… special look,” Noelle began, slipping Robert a cautious glance. He was focusing on the road. Wringing her hands together, she continued. “A look where Jack and I look at each other… And for once, the clock stops ticking, the earth stops moving… A look of…” Her voice trailed off in embarrassment as Robert turned his head.
“Of love,” he said, finishing her sentence.
A look of love. It was that simple. Jack had never looked at her like that because she and Jack weren’t in love!
Robert’s gaze held her own as the realization sunk in.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“Yes,” Noelle said, smiling. And for the first time since Jack proposed, she was.
Chapter 5
After they dropped the dogs off at his sister’s house, Noelle gave Robert directions to the reception hall, and he let her out at the front entrance.
“Thanks for your help,” Noelle said. “I’m glad I didn’t have to wait out in the cold for a tow truck.”
“Can’t have you freeze, either,” Robert teased. “You need to be able to dance at your brother’s wedding reception.”
“Yes.” She smiled. “A ballet teacher should be able to dance.”
“I have to move this rig before I get a parking ticket,” Robert said. “This is only a drop-off zone.”
Noelle said a final goodbye and waved as he pulled away from the curb. She hoped she hadn’t made him late for his own social engagement, but with the nasty winter weather, she was sure whoever he was meeting would understand.
She remembered she had someone to meet, as well. Shaking a few remaining snowflakes from the skirt of her gown, she adjusted the cape draped over her shoulders, brushed back her hair with her fingers, and made her way toward the reception hall’s brass plated double doors.
Inside, she spotted Jack at the bar, sipping a Martini. His face took on an expectant expression as she approached.
“Jack, I can’t marry you,” she said, handing him back the ring. “I’m sorry.”
Jack didn’t seem surprised. He studied the ring for a moment – a hundred glimmering facets reflecting off the ballroom chandelier. “You want something I just can’t give you, Noelle. I’m the one who’s sorry.”
As Jack left, her brother cleared his throat beside her and she became uncomfortably aware he had overheard.
“Noelle, there’s someone I want you to meet…”
She didn’t hear the rest. For suddenly, there was a man coming toward her across the dance floor. A man wearing a familiar black suit. With perhaps a dog hair or two…
He re
ached for her hand, her noticeably bare left hand, and the corners of his mouth lifted into a warm smile.
Noelle drew in a nervous breath, a tremor of anticipation running up her spine. She lifted her gaze to look into his sparkling blue eyes, and for a moment… time stopped.
And the world stood still.
Me and Mr. Claus
ME AND MR. CLAUS
Kristen stepped out the door of her condo and just missed catching a snowball in the face. The white powdery blast hit the side of her doorframe instead.
“Hey, watch it!” she yelled, and glared at the round, over-fed chunk of a kid who stood on the ice-covered sidewalk. “Some people actually use their front doors to go to work in the morning instead of playing stupid games.”
“Sorry,” the kid muttered, but the smirk on his face as he exchanged glances with his friends implied he wasn’t.
Kristen scowled as she hurried down the steps toward her Mercedes. Her mother had called, reminding her to bring an extra Christmas gift on Saturday for her brother’s new girlfriend. As if she had time this week to battle her way through a crowded shopping mall. The whole holiday season made her sick. If only she could fast forward to January so she could get back to a normal schedule without any bothersome decorating, shopping, and socializing. Then her life would be--
Her feet slipped out from under her and she landed hard on the cobblestone driveway. The trio of boys who had been engaged in the snowball fight laughed and wouldn’t you know it - at that moment the school bus pulled up to the curb. She could see the other kids looking through the glass windows and laughing at her too. Kristen scrunched up her nose in embarrassment.
A lovely start to another horrendous holiday season work-week.
Next to her glove a tiny pine tree leaned over, threatening to snap, and she released it from the snow. The tree had been a gift from the guy who watered the plants at her office. Which reminded her, she should have already arrived at the office. She was now six minutes late.
Love at Last Page 3