“Dan.” When he kept her hand in his, the room danced in her peripheral vision and warm tingles rippled up her arm.
“Dan. Oh, I’m Noel, Noel Martin,” she added after swallowing to moisten her throat. Slowly pulling her fingers free, she gestured toward the booth. “And those’re my children.” Noel rubbed at her eyes and swallowed a jaw-cracking yawn.
“Pleased to meet you, Noel.” His gaze moved over her face like a warm touch. Her breath hitched in her chest; this was the wrong time to be interested in any man.
Nicholas hiccupped in his sleep, and a grin softened that craggy landscape. Noel’s heart pounded at double speed. She forgot his rough exterior. His gentle expression felt like being wrapped in a wool fleece. She mentally counted to ten. She’d been cold too long to trust that warm promise.
“Well, I’d better get going. I need to find a place to stay. And it’s getting late.”
Dan glanced at the neon-lit clock. A rattling gust shook the front window and snow bounced off the glass like shotgun pellets.
“The weather’s too rough to be driving around looking for another place when there’s one right upstairs.” He gestured toward the ceiling. He cocked one thick eyebrow. “Room isn’t fancy, a couple of twin beds, a crib, and a small kitchenette. It has a color TV, though, that the little girl could watch. More a bachelor’s pad than anything.”
“But I can’t impose on you! First work, now a place to stay.”
“Consider it part of your job,” he said.
Her heart felt like it broke. She jerked upright and narrowed her eyes. Anger and disappointment pounded like a fist in her chest. “And what else will be considered part of my job, Mr. Longstreet? I don’t think you understand. I may be desperate, but I’m not a loose woman. I want a waitress job. Nothing else.”
Noel kept her shoulders stiff and square while she marched to the booth and stuffed the children’s belongings into the bag.
****
Dan’s heart raced after he realized she was planning to leave. He couldn’t let her walk out, not now. He grabbed her arm.
“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean? Loose woman? I haven’t heard that term since my grandmother died.”
“What I meant is perfectly clear.” Her indignant eyes flashed diamond shards that cut him to the quick, and her pulled-down mouth urged him to make her smile again.
She shoved his hand aside, her jaw out-thrust like a prizefighter preparing for the next round.
“I didn’t ask for anything else,” he added quietly, although his heart yelled that he had to convince her to stay.
She sagged when the fight drained out of her. The urge to take her in his embrace made his arms shake when she brushed trembling fingers over her eyes.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I misunderstood. Since we started this journey, nothing’s gone right. And I didn’t really believe—”
“Look, take those kids upstairs and put them to bed. Catch some sleep yourself. We’ll discuss this when you’re rested.”
Dan kept his hands at his sides even though he itched to brush the strand of tumbled hair from her rosy cheek.
Ready to defend her virtue? Another term he hadn’t heard in years. Noel made him think in old-fashioned terms, like virtue and goodness, family, home—he cut the thought off. He wanted a family someday. Despite his attraction to Noel, he didn’t have the time or energy to get involved now.
With her shoulders slumped and her head down, she looked as young as the little girl curled on the bench. Pain pinched under his breastbone. She needed shelter from life’s storms, and he could provide a respite. But only for a short time, he vowed. Noel would earn her keep. He didn’t collect strays any more.
Chapter Two
The murmur of cartoon characters and the baby’s low gurgle woke Noel from fragmented dreams of home and a man who resembled Dan. It took her a minute to orient herself. A slanted blind tilted the glittering light in bars across the freshly painted white ceiling and down the wall to where Nicholas waved his arms, trying to catch the sunlight. Holly huddled so close to the TV screen she should be cross-eyed.
The smell of fresh coffee drifted to her nose and her stomach growled, reminding her she hadn’t eaten supper yesterday.
She slowly sat up and surveyed the large, comfortable room. Dan had pointed out the bathroom and quickly left, but his presence showed in every detail.
Last night she’d done no more than notice it was clean and the twin beds freshly made. He hadn’t explained the crib in the corner.
The walls were painted pale blue and the woodwork glossy white. Several landscapes hung on one wall and a closet door opened next to the blue-tiled bathroom. A thick beige rug covered the floor and white eyelet curtains draped across a large window facing the road in front of the building.
Noel stretched her arms overhead, suddenly conscious of her milk-filled breasts. She gasped and threw aside the covers. She stood and her toes curled in the soft rug. It was late, and her new employer’s comment about an early breakfast burned her ears.
“Holly,” she called. “I need to feed the baby and get dressed. Help me find clean clothes for both of you, please.”
Holly kept her eyes glued to the colorful screen. “Don’t hurry, Mommy.”
“Holly!”
She dragged her gaze to her mother’s.
“But Mommy, Dan said to let you sleep. He said you should come down when you were ready.” She pointed in the general direction of the tiny kitchenette and her voice trailed away when she turned back to the screen. “And he left you a pot of coffee.”
Noel’s legs folded and her bottom hit the edge of the bed. Dan had been in here while she slept. Her skin tingled at the thought.
Nicholas stopped waving his arms. He made tiny gurgling sounds that would rapidly escalate into hungry yells.
Her fingers trembled while she unbuttoned her flannel pajama top, picked him up, and sat against the headboard. The pillows propped up Nicholas’s growing weight. As he suckled, she studied the closed door. Dan. Her skin felt too tight and her stomach clenched when she recalled his trim body and warm smile.
“How did Mr. Longstreet get in, Holly?”
“He knocked and I opened the door. When I told him you were sleeping, he said he’d be right back and he brought up the coffee.” Holly shrugged.
Noel groaned when a picture of Dan’s broad shoulders filled her mind. She didn’t feel threatened by his strength, but Holly had to learn caution.
“Oh, Holly, how many times have I told you not to open the door to strangers?”
Holly stared at her mother.
“That’s what Dan said, too.” Her forehead wrinkled before she pursed her mouth. “Do all grown-ups say the same things?”
“Not all. And I think you should call him Mr. Longstreet.”
“I did. But he said I could call him Dan since you were already friends.”
Noel ducked her head to avoid Holly’s gaze as her stomach warmed. Friends? Her pulse raced and her skin tingled when he was close, not feelings she had for a friend. Dan sparked a strong attraction in her, but she had no intention of acting on it. She had to keep firmly to her goal: they were going home.
Home. She’d dreamed of returning for so long. If she was honest, going home had been her hope for years. The big old farmhouse had given a sad, lonely child more than shelter. It held the memories of loving arms cradling her, fresh-baked cookies, and safety. All the things she wanted for her babies.
Nicholas gave a contented hiccup, and she eased him over to burp. As soon as she dressed, she’d remind Dan she had to leave before Christmas.
****
“You look ready for work,” Dan called to where Noel hovered. How could he have mistaken her for an elf last night?
Clad in a shapeless blue sweater that did nothing to hide her slender body, worn jeans two sizes too big, and thick-soled shoes, she looked rested, but her feet shuffled. More like a wood nymph ready to bolt back to her shelte
ring tree.
His pulse gave what was becoming a familiar leap, something he suspected he’d feel for the rest of his life.
Her shiny hair was clipped back behind her ears. Her light blue eyes narrowed. She was in a snit.
“There’s no one here,” she remarked with a puzzled frown. “Don’t you ever have any business?”
A rosy blush flooded up her neck when he lifted his brows. She took a deep breath, then let it out slowly.
Dan focused on her face and off her heavy breasts. The gut-deep need to cup them in his palms trickled sweat down his spine. And his forehead. He wiped it away with his forearm. She was an employee, for heaven’s sake, and he had more control than that. He hoped, anyway.
“You missed the breakfast crowd, and lunch won’t pick up until after eleven. With the plows still clearing the roads, it’s slow. You’ve got time to set out the knives, forks and placemats.”
“Then I still have a job?” Her expression relaxed.
“Sure. Didn’t Holly tell you I said to sleep in?”
“Well, yes, but—”
“So get to work. I run a tight ship here. I keep things neat, and I expect my employees to do the same.”
Noel nodded and grabbed a stack of colorful paper placemats and a tray of napkins and silver from the counter. With practiced ease, she quickly set the clean tables.
Dan’s gaze followed her as he told himself he was only checking to see if she did it properly. He admitted the truth when she bent forward and stretched across the table, her jeans caressing the curve of her hips like a lover’s hand. His palm sweated to trace the rounded curve as his groin tightened.
Noel was a desirable woman before she was a mother.
And only passing through, he reminded himself. He planted the thought in the front of his mind.
“How do you work the dining area?” Noel asked after she slid the tray back onto the counter.
Dan gestured at the square opening cut into the kitchen wall.
“Call the orders through there. I put them under the heat light when they’re ready, so you have to keep an eye out. When I’m cooking, I don’t have time to fool around. The customers want it quick and hot.”
At her blush, Dan realized what he’d said.
“I can handle it.” Noel flushed an even brighter red and rolled her eyes at Dan’s grin.
“This is a blue-collar community, Noel. Some talk is a lot coarser. Most of these guys work in the paper mill and when they see a pretty female they drool like mad dogs. You ready for it?”
Noel bit her lip, and then nodded. “The layout may be different from a fancy French restaurant, but men are men. I learned to evade pinching.”
“So why did you quit?”
“My doctor. Toward the end of my pregnancy I had a few problems, and he insisted.”
When she shrugged, Dan noticed how her collar bones protruded under her pale skin. He wanted to trace his finger over them before exploring that white skin, cup his hands over those fragile bones and keep her safe. Those ill-fitting jeans must be hers, but her kids looked plump as Christmas geese.
His stomach rolled at the thought things were so bad she fed them and went hungry. She needed taking care of.
“After Nicholas was born, I decided to go home.”
“Connecticut, you said?” Noel’s smile made Dan’s pulse leap like a rabbit. Her up-curved lips could melt the accumulated snowpack.
“Yes. I promised Holly to be home for Christmas. I inherited my grandparents’ farm in a village called Rhodes End. I loved it there. They let it go a little when they got older, but the house is solid. And the kids will have a big yard to play in.”
“What happened to your husband?”
“He was a long-distance truck driver. He lost control on an icy curve.” All expression left her face, reminding him of that frightened mutt out back. Her lips thinned.
“I thought California was a nice place.”
“But we have no reason to stay.” Her pale blue eyes mirrored the light like frozen pools. “I couldn’t pay the bills. He let his life insurance lapse. We had no income but my tips. It wasn’t enough.”
“Sorry.” Dan bit his lip, dropping his gaze to his hands. He dove into polishing more silver.
“It’s okay. It’s been a year and we’re doing fine.” When her voice wobbled, he longed to hop over the counter and grab her into his embrace. He blew out a frustrated breath.
“That’s good. By the way, we didn’t discuss your salary last night. Later you can fill out a W2 form for taxes. Make sure it’s got the proper address. I pay minimum wage, plus tips. There’s a tip jar on the counter. Since you’re the only waitress, you don’t have to split them.”
“What about the busboy?”
“He’s paid to do the dishes. He never shared Thelma’s tips.”
Dan crossed his fingers behind his back. He’d have to talk to Eddy. The kid would accept a raise in pay and keep his mouth shut if he knew what was good for him.
Noel’s eyes brightened. “Then it won’t take me long to save enough. We’ll be on the road again in a few days.”
Disappointment knotted Dan’s throat. A high-bladed snowplow noisily passed, throwing a sheet of slushy gray across the front window. Within seconds a resounding clang rattled the glass.
Noel’s face went white.
“My car,” she whispered before she raced out the front door.
Chapter Three
Tossing aside his towel, Dan grabbed his coat on the way outside. When he reached Noel she stood knee-deep in a drift, wringing her hands. A huge county truck sat mid-road. The wide snowplow rested against the crumpled fender and twisted front wheel of her ancient Nash.
The heavyset driver eased himself down from the high cab and lumbered over.
“Shit, ma’am. Ah never did see your vehicle parked there in front o’ Dan’s place. Ah’m truly sorry.”
“Sorry isn’t good enough, Joe. You made a mess out of her car,” Dan scolded.
When Noel shivered, he automatically pulled her against his side. Only when her curves molded softly against him did he realize what he had done. She fit perfectly, and he wanted to keep her close forever.
“Shit, Dan, I didn’t see the damn thing.”
“Watch your mouth. You’re in the presence of a lady.”
Joe snorted and stared at Dan as if he’d grown two heads. His beady eyes ran up and down Noel, taking in the protective arm around her shoulders. He spat on the snowy sidewalk and grinned, exposing several missing front teeth.
Dan groaned. It would be all over town by nightfall that he had actually told someone not to swear. After the language he used in the café, he’d never live this down.
Joe removed his knit cap and scratched at the thinning hair on his pate. “Sh...ah, shoot, I could get it fixed, ya know. Over at my brother’s garage, if it’s okay with you, ma’am. It’d be better than sendin’ in no insurance claim. And the guys would do a good job.”
He shuffled his feet until Noel lifted tear-filled eyes to Dan. He wanted to dive into those drenched pools.
“What should I do?”
****
Laughter resounded above Garth Brooks’ voice describing fields of wheat, and Dan scowled. He was too busy filling lunch orders to take more than a quick look into the packed café. The aroma of French fries, broiled hamburgers, and cooked onions mixed with the odor of wet boots and sweaty shirts. Despite the heavy snow, word had spread about the new waitress.
Noel was a big hit.
Dan looked down when he felt a tug at his pant leg. Holly gave another impatient pull when he didn’t answer.
“I’m hungry,” she stated, her tiny eyebrows knit into a frown. Her blonde hair and blue eyes were miniature copies of her mother. “And Nicholas will be soon, too. And I can’t find any more cartoons on the TV. When will my mommy be finished?”
Dan glanced at Eddy’s grinning face and crouched next to the girl. “Pretty soon, Holly. This crowd is
usually gone by now.”
Holly’s frown deepened. “Nicholas might cry.”
“What’s he doing now?”
“He’s asleep.” Holly sniffed and Dan handed her a paper towel to blow her nose.
The mill whistle shattered the afternoon air and the men scrambled to gulp the last of their coffee. A few grabbed their remaining burgers. Only three customers stayed at the counter, calmly munching their fries.
****
Noel stared at the soiled plates and crumpled napkins littering every surface. The skinny busboy sauntered out with an empty bin balanced on his hip.
Eddy casually stacked dirty cutlery and dishes inside. His long hair was pulled into a ponytail that hung halfway down his back, and he had a silver skull earring dangling from his earlobe.
“Is it always like this?”
“Yup. That’s why Dan has them pay when they get their order. A few stiffed him at the beginning, but he wised up fast. And none of ’em try it now.”
“I wouldn’t think so.” Noel sniffed before she stacked soiled dishes.
“It’s the only place close enough to walk to that serves a good quick meal.” Eddy nodded and grinned. “By the way, there’s a little girl in the kitchen looking for her lunch. Dan said to tell you.”
Noel gestured at the tables. “I should help.”
“Hey, no problem, it’s my job. Along with busboy, dishwasher, and part-time college student.” Eddy winked.
Noel found Holly perched on a stool with a large glass of milk held firmly between both hands.
“Hi, Mommy. Dan says I can sit here. He’s making me lunch. He says I can’t wander around ’cause it’s not safe for a kid, but I told him I’m smart. He says smart doesn’t count, unless you gots common sense, too. Do I?”
Noel unraveled her rapid speech and threw Dan an approving glance. He’d managed to keep Holly out of mischief without hurting her feelings.
Dan looked up from the stove after flipping over two hamburgers. His warm gaze heated her like hot chocolate and a blazing fire on a cold night.
“I think you have common sense, Holly. But Dan is right.”
“Does that mean it’s okay to call him Dan, too?”
Journey of the Magi Page 2