Christmas on 4th Street (Fool's Gold #12.5)(33)

“I was doing the right thing.”

“Like that matters,” she grumbled, even though she knew it did.

He put his arm around her shoulders and drew her toward the stand. “You need liquid chocolate in your system,” he told her. “Hot, thick and delicious.”

It did sound good, she thought. “With whipped cream?”

“Sure. Otherwise, what’s the point?”

They waited in line, then placed their order. Ana Raquel talked them into some brownies she’d baked, made change efficiently and shooed them on their way.

“See,” Noelle said as they joined the crowd standing around the tree. “You were practically anonymous. Feel better?”

“I’ll admit to being wounded by her inattention.”

She laughed. Now that he’d relaxed a little and gotten to know her, she’d figured out Gabriel was a lot of fun. He didn’t take himself too seriously and he had a unique view of the world. Both really good qualities.

He kept one arm around her, which meant she had to feed him bits of cookie as his other hand held his hot chocolate. She liked the feel of his lips against her fingertips and the warmth of his breath. Around them, Christmas music played and she could see several lit storefronts.

“I like how all the businesses decorate for Christmas,” she said. “My store always celebrates the season, but it’s nice when everyone else joins me.”

“What do you do at the other holidays?” he asked.

“This year I didn’t open until Labor Day and it was all Christmas. But I have those two small windows on the side. I thought I’d change them out for the regular holidays. Hearts at Valentine’s Day, that sort of thing.”

“You could have a section in the store for different holidays,” he said. “From January to, say, October. Once the locals find out they can buy a cute Easter bunny at your place, they’ll come in more.”

She stared at him. “That’s a really good idea.”

He kissed her nose. “Thank you for sounding so surprised.”

She laughed. “You’re not a retail guy, but it’s brilliant. I’ll do it.” She snuggled close to him again.

“This time of year always reminds me of my family,” she told him. “My mom and grandmother would have loved Fool’s Gold.”

“They’re here with you,” he said.

“You believe that?”

He nodded. “We might go at any time, but there’s something that goes with us. I’ve seen a lot of soldiers die and when they do...” He paused. “Sorry. Not moment-appropriate conversation.”

She shifted so she faced him. “Gabriel, you don’t have to edit yourself with me. You can’t shock me.”

“Want to bet?”

“Okay, you can, but that’s okay. I’ll get over it. If you want to talk about anything, I want to listen.”

Gabriel thought about what he’d been through on his various tours. The screams, the horror, the blood. There was no way he was going to tell her how an IED ripped a soldier to shreds. How the first hour was all about stopping the bleeding. That more than shrapnel was blown into the ravaged body. That rocks and dirt and plant matter had to be dug out of the wounds. That when the soldiers were wheeled off to surgery, he sometimes wondered if there was enough of them left to make it.

He wasn’t going to say that like every other soldier he knew, he had nightmares, moments of cold sweats and disorientation. Despite her offer, she didn’t want to know. No one did. The images, once embedded, couldn’t be removed.

He stared into her blue eyes and smiled gently. “Christmas was a big deal at our house, too,” he said. “My mom baked for weeks and my dad was pretty mellow.” The smile turned genuine. “Gideon and I believed that came from the amount of rum she put in Dad’s eggnog. There were always lots of presents and we sang carols and went to church at midnight.”

“That sounds nice.”

“It was. Once my dad was a drill sergeant, we stopped moving around. That was good, too. Gideon and I went to the same high school all four years. He got to play football and I...”

“Read obscure books and made your father crazy.”

“Something like that.”

She was beautiful, he thought absently, the crowd around them fading as he took in the curves of her face. Somewhere along the way they’d finished their hot chocolate and tossed the cups. Now she placed her hands on his chest.

Through the thickness of his coat, he couldn’t feel much more than the pressure, but even that was nice. Nicer would have been both of them naked, but the tree-lighting ceremony didn’t seem the right place for that sort of thing.

Still, he leaned close and kissed her. Lightly, without expecting any more. He lingered, wanting to taste her, feel her softness, enjoy the intimacy. When he drew back, she sighed.

“You’re a good kisser.”

“Thank you. I’m glad you appreciate my skill.”

She laughed. “At last the doctor’s large ego rears its ugly head.”

He moved so his mouth was next to her ear. “That’s not my head.”

She laughed again, then leaned against him. An older woman stepped onto a small podium and the crowd quieted.

“Good evening. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Mayor Marsha. Welcome to our annual tree-lighting ceremony.”