Nick and Noel's Christmas Playlist (Mistletoe Romance #1)
Codi Hall
Chapter 1
NICK
The crisp November wind hit Nick Winters square in the face, causing his eyes to tear. There were already several inches of snow on the ground that crunched under his feet as he exited his friend Noel Carter’s car. Acres of Douglas and noble fir trees spread out on both sides of his childhood home, their branches glittering with ivory snow. The short walkway curved toward a covered porch and red front door. After eight years away except for brief stints on leave, it was amazing how little the log cabin style five-bedroom, three-bath house had changed.
“I’ll Be Home for Christmas” popped into his head and he sighed happily.
“Glad to be back home?”
Nick smiled at Noel over the top of her silver Subaru. “Absolutely. In fact, I may make a special playlist about what home means to me.”
“I assume the first song won’t be Nelly’s ‘Hot In Herre.’” She shivered for emphasis.
“As much as I love that song, I feel that ‘Colder Weather’ by the Zac Brown Band would be a better fit.”
Since they were barely out of diapers, Nick and Noel had shared a passion for music. Their parents had dozens of video tapes of the two of them singing on an old karaoke machine. They’d swapped CDs and spent hours on the phone discussing artists from the Beatles to Kenny Chesney.
“Probably.” Noel’s dark eyes twinkled under the brim of her blue beanie. “I imagine freezing your balls off in Idaho is better than sweating them off in the desert.”
“Hell yes. I can’t wait to sleep in my own bed. Hug my mom. Fish with my dad. Start my dream job. Kiss my girl.”
Noel wrinkled her slim nose. “Don’t make me gag.”
Nick huffed as he grabbed his army-green duffle from the back seat of Noel’s car. “I don’t understand why you’re so down on her.”
“You mean Amber?” She came up alongside him, her expression mockingly thoughtful. “Maybe because she’s a self-absorbed brat who walks all over everyone she meets?”
Nick didn’t want to argue with Noel. It was obvious there was no love lost between his best friend and long-time girlfriend, Amber Quint. Back in high school, Amber ran in a different crowd than them and hadn’t always been the nicest to Noel, but that was years ago. They were all adults. Maybe since he was officially home, he could be the conduit that brought Amber and Noel together. At least create a reason for them to be civil.
“How about we go in and surprise my parents? We can argue about my taste in women later.”
Noel laced her arm through his. “Oh, there is no need to argue. If your taste in women had a theme song, it would be ‘Trashy Women’ by Confederate Railroad.”
“Your smart mouth is gonna get you in trouble one day,” Nick whispered in her ear. He noticed she was wearing the blue topaz earrings he’d sent her for Christmas last year. They looked nice with her shoulder-length dark hair and olive skin.
“So I’ve been told. Maybe that’s why some guy hasn’t snatched me up yet. I’m too mouthy.”
“Nah, it’s because most men are morons. You’re the best person I know.” Nick kissed the top of her head.
“I guess the whole not wanting marriage and kids can throw them off too.”
Nick shook his head. Ever since she lost her parents, Noel insisted she didn’t want any attachments. He suspected if she didn’t already have people in her life who loved her, she’d have kept her distance from his family and the rest of Mistletoe. Someone as awesome as Noel shouldn’t close herself off, but it wasn’t his business to tell her how to live her life.
“Not everyone needs those things to be happy. You do you.”
Noel laughed. “God, you sound like a meme.”
“That doesn’t sound like a good thing.”
“Eh, I still like you, though.”
“I like you, too.” He patted the hand looped through the crook of his elbow. “Thanks for grabbing me from the airport, by the way. I know you probably had better things to do on a Saturday morning.”
Noel pinched him lightly. “Stop fishing. You know I’d do anything for you.”
“I feel the same way about you, but still… It means a lot.”
“Ugh, don’t get sappy. It’s not like I had anything better to do. Except sleep.”
Nick chuckled. Noel didn’t handle sentimental well, usually deflecting with humor and mild exasperation. Still, he thought it was important to let her know he cared. That she was important and appreciated as an adopted member of the Winters family.
“If it hadn’t been for you, I would have had to ask one of my sisters and you know they can’t keep a secret to save their lives. Mom has been counting down the days until my discharge and I wanted to surprise them.”
“It’s an amazing early Christmas present. Your mom is going to flip her shit when she sees you.”
“Now, Noel,” he said in a high-pitched voice. “You know how I feel about you swearing like a sailor.”
She laughed. “Your poor mother tried her hardest to make a lady out of me. And it’s soldier, not sailor.”
“How could I forget.” Like Nick, Noel had served in the army right out of high school. She’d gone in six months after him and discharged after four years. She’d finished her nursing degree at Boise State, bringing all of her experience with her, and took a job at Mistletoe Memorial in the labor and delivery ward as a nurse.