Finding Love the Hard Way

by Vickery, Rebecca J.

  "Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Welborn. There's no wife to be upset. Now, if you'll follow me, I'll get you to the house and then get back to work." Nick let go of the hand he'd held too long and stepped back.

  Without much choice in the matter, she agreed, "All right, Officer Stewart. And...thank you."

  * * * * *

  Kenny woke first and leaned over the seat to shake his mom's shoulder. "Who moved the church? Mom, the church is gone!" His volume increased with every word.

  "Kenny, calm down." Noelle struggled to unwrap from her blanket, blinking sleepily. "I moved the car during the night. It's okay."

  Rachael sat up and brushed her hair from her face. "Where are we, Mom? Why did you move the car?"

  Noelle finished explaining about Officer Stewart allowing them to park at his house just as he drove his police car into the yard and parked beside them. He motioned for her to lower her window.

  "Good morning. Sleep okay?" Nick didn't wait for an answer, but told them. "Come on in and wash up. I've brought breakfast."

  "Yeah!" Kenny threw open his door and jumped out, pumping his fist into the air, and followed behind the man carrying familiar-looking bags with golden arches on the side.

  "Mom?" Rachael, more careful and timid than her brother, waited to see what Noelle would do.

  "C'mon, Sweetkins. We'll never get your brother out of there otherwise."

  Noelle and Rachael entered the back door directly into the kitchen. Sparse and clean, it seemed empty and lonely – similar to how Noelle felt inside.

  "Up here, sis. Nick said we could borrow his bathroom." Kenny poked his head around the corner.

  "Officer Stewart to you, young man, and don't make a mess," Noelle called after her son as Rachael ran to join him. Turning to Nick, she said, "I'm sorry about that. He—"

  "It's fine. I asked him to call me Nick. There's another bath, down the hall there, you can use. I'll set the table while you all wash up. You want the kids to have juice or milk? And I'm hoping you'll have coffee with me."

  A wide grin spread across Noelle's face. "Juice for the kids and coffee sounds... Utterly amazing—" Nick turned to face her as she spoke and, for the first time, she saw him clearly without shadows or his scarf in the way.

  Tall, dark, and handsome was an understatement here. She knew he was tall, but he seemed taller still as she gazed up into a pair of blue eyes set in a firm chinned, drop-dead gorgeous face. The only thing missing to make him nearer her perfect dream man would be... "The mustache..." she whispered, without conscious thought.

  Nick arched a dark eyebrow. "How did you know about the mustache? I shaved it off a few weeks ago. Wanted to try something different, I guess, but I miss it more than I thought I would." He fingered his upper lip as if searching for a friend.

  Noelle felt a blush creep up her face. "Sorry, I just thought... Well, I... I'll go wash up now." She hurried down the hall before she embarrassed herself any more.

  Nick smiled at her oddly when she returned and he started to say something, but the kids came bounding down the stairs and saved her just in time. They sat around Nick's kitchen table eating sausage biscuits and potato cakes while Nick and Kenny talked about everything from school to police cars to the run-ins he had with Mr. Rossi before they were kicked out.

  Finally, Rachael felt brave enough to chime in, but Noelle soon wished she'd stayed quiet.

  "What you gonna do with all those rooms upstairs? Could we sleep here tonight, please? Why don't you have your Christmas tree up yet, Nick? Don't you have any kids around here?"

  "Rachael, Sweetkins..." She turned to Nick to apologize and saw amusement glittering in his eyes. "I apologize, Officer Stewart. She doesn't understand. I'll pay you for breakfast and we'll be going." Noelle stood and reached into her pocket for her wallet.

  "But, Mom—"

  "Hush, Rachael," she interrupted firmly. "You and Kenneth go on out to the car. But first, thank Officer Stewart for being so kind to us."

  The children knew Noelle meant business when she took that tone and did as they were told. They shook hands with Nick and thanked him nicely for the food, and for allowing them to park in his yard.

  Rachael turned back at the door for a parting shot. "Well, he does have all those empty rooms, and I only wanted to borrow one for all three of us."

  Noelle felt her face flame again.

  Chapter Six

  As soon as the door closed behind Rachael, Nick could no longer hold back the laughter. He leaned toward Noelle and told her, "You should have seen the look on your face. Oh Lord, what comes out of the mouths of kids. But she's right, you know," he sobered when Noelle failed to join in his amusement. "I do have all those rooms upstairs, and now that I know you're not a murderer, or a thief—"

  "Thank you, Officer Stewart, but no... I mean... It wouldn't be proper, the two of us and the kids." Noelle stared at him, not believing he made the offer. Surely, they couldn't do that, could they?

  "I'm Nick and it's up to you, of course, but I don't see where it would do any harm. Tell you what... You clean the house, do some cooking, and maybe even a bit of laundry – oh, and decorate for Christmas. In exchange, you and the kids will have a roof over your heads, at least through Christmas." Nick was amazed at the words coming from his own mouth, but couldn't seem to stop them. "Or you could park here nights and use the facilities in exchange for some cooking and cleaning. Sound like a fair trade?"

  * * * * *

  Do I dare accept his offer at face value? Is housekeeping going to be all he expects? A dozen questions ran through Noelle's mind as she all but wrung her hands and tried to decide what to do. She refused to admit to the little thrill running through her at the off chance this handsome man might find her attractive in some small way. "May I think about it? I... I have an appointment later and I could let you know after that. I'm sure you want to sleep a while after working such long hours last night. Here..." She laid a five-dollar bill on the table, knowing it wasn't enough to cover their food, but all she could spare. "Thank you for breakfast. I'd better go."

  She turned toward the door, but his deep voice stopped her.

  "Mrs. Welborn, Noelle... Please, think about it. If not for yourself, then think of me and the kids." His voice dropped, became softer, filled with concern. "I don't know if I can face another Christmas alone in this empty old house, and a car really is not a safe place for them to spend their nights."

  He must have sensed she would turn him down and held up his hands in mock surrender as he hurried to say, "Okay, I won't push. But if you decide to accept, come back this evening before six. I leave just after then to be on duty at seven. You'd have the house to yourselves until morning. I have night shift for the next week."

  Noelle met his eyes, holding his serious gaze for several seconds, then nodded and hurried out the door to join Kenny and Rachael in the car.

  * * * * *

  She and the children stayed warm at the library as they listened to a volunteer read during the Saturday Morning Story Hour. She then searched the statewide newspapers for a job while Rachael read a book and Kenny watched a cartoon video playing on the monitor in the media corner.

  Close to noon, Noelle loaded them into the car and made her way through the Saturday town traffic to the diner. Charlotte rushed about taking care of the late breakfast/early lunch crowd and waved her on toward the kitchen. Another waitress stared curiously as Noelle went through the swinging door followed by Kenny and Rachael. Ed and a teenage boy were working at a large grill and a steam table, cooking short orders and dishing up food.

  Noelle hid a groan as she spotted the dishes already piled up and congealing in the sink. It must have been a busy morning. She hung the kids' coats and her own by the rear door on the rack provided and settled them at a small table in an out of the way corner near the storeroom. Someone, probably Charlotte, had provided paper, coloring books and crayons, plus a deck of Go Fish cards.

  As soon as Noelle would make headway with
the mountain of dishes, more would take their place. Thankfully, she only had to scrape and rinse the plates, cups, glasses, and flatware before loading them into the dishwasher. But the restaurant-size pots and pans had to be scrubbed, rinsed, and dried by hand.

  "Hi, I'm Mutt," the gangly teenager offered as he piled several more large pots on the counter near her.

  "Noelle," she answered with a smile. "Is it always this busy?"

  "Nah, just at the holidays, or when Ed cooks barbecue. People too busy shopping to cook much, I guess." He took a couple of the clean pots and went back to help Ed when his name was yelled.

  The other waitress introduced herself as Vera when she brought a large tub of dishes to the sink. "Glad to meet cha," she said as she patted Noelle's shoulder. "Them's sure some cute young'uns you got there."

  The next time Noelle took a short breather and looked up from her work, the kids were eating barbecue sandwiches covered over by French fries.

  "Set a spell, gal. Them dishes ain't going nowhere. Mutt, take the lady a plate," Ed hollered across the kitchen.

  Seemed the only volume the man knew was wide open. Noelle smiled as he yelled at the pass-through window for Charlotte. "Order up, Charlotte!"

  "Thank you." She accepted the food from Mutt and sat in a chair near Kenny and Rachael. The barbecue tasted sweet with just a hint of spice and she ate every bite.

  "Mom, this is neat. I've been watching them and they just go, go, go." Kenny laughed and made zigzagging motions with his hands.

  Rachael spoke around a mouthful of fry, "Miss Charlotte was in here a few minutes ago. She said you were doing a real good job and she showed us pictures of her grandkids. She's extra nice, like Nick."

  "That's 'cause she liked your picture of that stupid princess," Kenny sniped at his sister.

  "Enough, Kenny," Noelle told him automatically. Her hands were a bit raw already and the dish mountain doubled in the brief time she'd been eating.

  By the time five o'clock rolled around, the kids were tired of sitting still at the table and Noelle hoped she never saw another pot in her life. She was considering Nick's offer and decided to ask Charlotte about him first. She'd do that before they left. It would have to be better than sleeping in the car. He was right; it really wasn't safe for Kenny or Rachael. Though Pickens normally had a low crime rate, bad things did happen.

  Charlotte took money from the cash register and paid Noelle. "You did good, Hon. You sure kept at it. Wish I could pay you more or offer you a full-time job. I did pack up some stuff for you to take with you, for your supper." She leaned closer and whispered, "Y'all going to be all right? Your girl said y'all slept in the car last night."

  Noelle patted the elderly lady on the shoulder. "Thank you for this. It will help. We'll be fine, Charlotte. Tell me, do you know Nick Stewart?"

  "Nicky? Yeah, he's been coming here for years. A real nice boy, a policeman, you know? Used to be with the Highway Patrol. Lives over on Deer Hill, in his parents' old house. He had a nice, fancy new one, but signed it over to his ex when they divorced."

  Charlotte looked around, and then softly added, "She didn't want kids and got tired of him being out on the road for different shifts real fast. Had her affairs, right there in their fancy house, while he was out working. He said that's the reason he give it to her – couldn't stand the thoughts of staying there after that. Poor thing's been alone ever since, once his Pa died a few years ago." Charlotte leaned back and cocked a brow at her. "Why you wanting to know about Nicky? He give you a ticket?"

  Noelle laughed. "Almost. I've run into him a couple of times and just wondered what kind of person he is." This time, Noelle leaned closer and kept her voice low. "Actually, he offered me a temporary housekeeping job in exchange for room and board. I wanted to make sure he's... Well..."

  "You better take that job, girl. Get you and them kids inside for the night, and Nick won't bother you." She popped her gum and winked. "Less 'n you want to be bothered, that is." Charlotte went to wait on a table, cackling like a hen.

  Chapter Seven

  Noelle knocked softly on the back door as Kenny and Rachael ran around in the yard in the waning daylight. They were full of energy after sitting in the kitchen all afternoon. She smiled and wished she didn't feel so drained, she'd run with them.

  "Hi, Noelle, I was hoping it was you and the kids."

  A smiling Nick stood in the doorway in his uniform slacks and wearing a tee shirt, as if getting ready for work. She smiled up at him and knew she'd made the right decision.

  "Come on in. I've got time to help unload the car – if you're staying, that is."

  "If you'll have us, we'd like to stay. At least...through Christmas... You know, for the kids, like you said."

  The smile remained on Nick's face as they unloaded the car and he assigned rooms. Noelle received a large corner room with a private bath, in spite of her repeated protests. He gave Rachael and Kenny each a smaller room, side-by-side, with a bath across the hall. His own bedroom was down the hallway and in the opposite corner from Noelle's. Maybe with so much space and the kids between them it would be enough distance, he decided as he finished dressing for work. But a deep-rooted yearning to take away the lingering sadness in her eyes traveled with him as he drove to the station.

  * * * * *

  The days passed quickly with Noelle cleaning and cooking, making the house warm and inviting. Rachael and Kenny delighted in having a yard to play in and even remembered, with a few reminders, to be quiet and let Nick sleep after he came in from the night shift.

  The most fun was searching through boxes of old decorations Nick hauled down from the attic. Several pieces dated back to his childhood and the kids loved them. Nick seemed to enjoy telling Rachael and Kenny about his favorites and the special Christmases he remembered.

  Nick and Noelle fell into a comfortable routine in the evenings after the children went to bed. Nick watched TV as he cleaned his weapons and shoes and prepared for the night shift, which started at midnight this tour. Noelle sewed or read as she listened to the TV or caught herself watching Nick – which she did entirely too often. They talked about the early newscast as they watched, then he left for work and she locked up and went to bed.

  A week after moving into the house, on Saturday morning, Noelle loaded the kids in the car and drove over to see Charlotte while Nick slept a few hours. He'd told her he would be out all afternoon to referee some youth basketball games. His tour would change back to days after Saturday night and Sunday off. Thankfully, she wouldn't have to try to keep Kenny and Rachael as quiet during the next week.

  "Well, you sure are looking chipper," Charlotte greeted them. "Guess you won't be washing dishes today." She popped her gum, eliciting a yelled complaint from Ed. "Come on, kidlets. I've got some pancakes that need eating."

  "It's working out so far, Charlotte. Nick's a good boss and the kids are crazy about him. He likes my cooking and never complains." Noelle sipped coffee and chatted as Rachael and Kenny wolfed down another breakfast. "But then again, he hasn't been around all that much. His job is really demanding, isn't it?"

  "Yeah, he stays busy. Not all of it is work, though. Nicky volunteers at the community center and at the Y. He's crazy about kids and organizes a lot of the teen sports and activities over there. Says he'd rather play with them and keep them off the streets than lock them up." Charlotte patted Kenny on the head and rushed off to wait another table.

  Noelle groaned at the dishes piled in the sink, but rolled up her sleeves and dove in to help her new friends. As she scraped plates, her mind wandered. Next Wednesday would be Christmas Eve and she still couldn't decide what special gift to buy Rachael and Kenny. They would only get one each, and a new pair of shoes they desperately needed, plus some new socks and undies from her carefully hoarded funds. She decided to get Nick a small gift, a token to show how much they appreciated his kindness in giving them shelter – a warm place to stay and all the food they could eat – definitely more of a bles
sing than he could ever know.

  A tear slipped down her cheek as she thought of all the times she'd taken such things for granted – as if entitled to them. Noelle prayed she would never again forget to be thankful for even the smallest of gifts.

  When the time arrived for them to leave, Charlotte and Ed hugged the kids and Noelle tightly, wishing them a very merry Christmas. Charlotte forced several take-out boxes filled with goodies into their hands. The diner would be closed beginning Monday, while Charlotte and Ed flew out to spend the holidays with their grandchildren.

  Ed pressed a fifty-dollar bill into Noelle's hands and whispered, "You buy them kids a little something fun to go under the tree. I wish it could be more."

  Tears filled her eyes again as she whispered her thanks. Finally, Noelle urged the kids to the car. She'd just have time to heat up the food Charlotte provided and get supper on the table, if she hurried. Nick would soon be back from the community center basketball game, tired and ready to eat. Noelle looked forward to seeing him, spending the evening with him... Probably more than she should, she realized.

  * * * * *

  Nick built a fire in the fireplace and showed Rachael and Kenny how to pop corn the old-fashioned way over the flames after their supper of odds and ends from the diner. They settled on the floor in front of the TV and watched Christmas movies until the kids couldn't keep their eyes open. Nick carried Kenny to bed while Noelle shepherded Rachael to hers.

  As Noelle rounded the corner to head downstairs, she bumped into Nick. "Sorry—" His hands reached out to steady her, and she saw desire in his eyes.

  He whispered, "Noelle?" and when she didn't pull away, his head lowered.

  Noelle tensed, knowing a kiss was coming and wondering what to do about it. Then his warm firm lips touched hers, and she didn't want to do anything except continue this moment, maybe forever.

  Nick groaned and pulled back slightly, to gaze at her. She closed her eyes again, moistened her lips with a slide of her tongue, and hoped he couldn't resist another kiss. Her lips welcomed his and, surprising even herself, she stepped nearer. Snuggling into him, she slipped her hands around his waist. Her body craved his touch as if his caresses could make up for a long year without male contact.