Christmas on 4th Street (Fool's Gold #12.5)(48)

“Sorry,” Gabriel told him. “I need your help.”

“What’s wrong?” The question was immediate and all sleep had fled Gideon’s voice. He was a soldier on alert.

Gabriel explained about the search for the perfect tree in the middle of a snowstorm and how he and Noelle were snowed in.

“We got at least four feet last night,” he said. “Maybe more.”

His brother started to chuckle. “A cabin in the woods. Good one. Next thing you’ll be telling me you had to share the only bed to keep warm.”

Gabriel thought about the long night with Noelle snuggled close. Despite his exhaustion, he’d found it difficult to sleep. His body had wanted to do things with her. Sexual things. The fact that he’d found condoms when he’d checked out the bathroom hadn’t made sleeping any easier. Because now there was nothing standing between him and what he wanted—except his promise.

“The cabin is on a private road,” he said, ignoring his brother’s comments. Gabriel described the location. “Mayor Marsha told Noelle about it, so she’ll have more details. There’s no way we’re getting out of here until they plow up to the truck.”

Gideon swore. “My truck? The truck you borrowed?”

“That would be the one.”

“Great. Now I’m motivated to get you rescued.”

Gabriel grinned. “Thanks for caring.”

“Hey, I love that truck. Okay, I’ll make some calls. You have cell service in the cabin?”

“No. I’m about a quarter mile away.”

“Then I won’t make you wait while I phone around. Give me a couple of hours and call back. By then I’ll know something.”

“Will do.”

He disconnected the call and headed back for the house. When he was nearly there, he saw something moving in the snow. An animal, he thought. Something small and...

He came to a stop and swore. No way, he thought. No way in hell. But there it was. A mother cat with a kitten in her mouth. She was heading for the cabin.

While their rescues from the previous night had been a kind of tabby, this cat was gray with white paws. Her kitten was older and bigger than the others, but it was still as she carried it through the feet of snow.

He approached cautiously, not wanting to frighten her. The cat waited patiently by the front door, obviously expecting to be let in.

He opened the door and she darted inside. He followed. “We have more company.”

Noelle was stirring a pot on the woodstove. She saw the mother cat and then looked at him. “Seriously?”

“That’s what I said.”

“How many are out there?”

“I have no idea.”

The new mother cat walked over to the other one. They greeted each other with obvious familiarity. The gray mom set her kitten next to the tabby, who drew it close and began grooming it. Then the new mom headed back for the door.

“She has a family,” Noelle said. “We need to get them all inside.”

“I’ll go with her,” Gabriel told her.

Fortunately, the mother cat chose to cooperate. She led the way, occasionally glancing back as if making sure he was keeping up. She’d made her home midway up a tree, in a hole created by some other creature. There were two kittens shivering inside, including a little gray tabby that didn’t have a tail.

“Hey, guys,” Gabriel said, reaching for the kittens. They both glared at him and hissed. Their sharp claws ripped through his hand.

“Nice,” he muttered, looking at the mother cat. “You couldn’t teach them better?”

She watched anxiously as he tucked the squirming kittens inside his coat, against his chest. They settled immediately, apparently deciding warmth was more important than dealing with the abduction.

The mother cat meowed and kept pace with him as they made their way back to the cabin. Once the babies were settled by the fireplace, the two mothers curled up around their families and went to sleep.

Noelle dished up a heated chicken and noodle casserole and they sat down at the table. “We need to look around after breakfast,” she said. “To see if there are any other cats in the area.”

He nodded and told her about his call to Gideon. “He’ll have information for me in a couple of hours. In the meantime, we’ll start digging out. We work for an hour, then come in and rest before heading out again.”

“Forced exercise. Experts do say to work it into your lifestyle.”

“I don’t think this is what they had in mind.” He thought about the drifts he’d seen and how the house was buried. “The main roads are going to be their first priority. We have food, water and shelter. There may be people stranded.”

She picked up her fork. “You’re trying to warn me that we could be here a couple of days.”

He nodded. He knew the window contest was important to her, but he doubted they would get back in time to do anything. And they sure weren’t going to be looking for the perfect tree.

“I’m sorry you’re stuck,” she said. “I dragged you out here.”

“I came voluntarily.”

She smiled. “Technically, you were complaining, but this isn’t the time to go into that. Melissa will take care of the store. If the snow is this bad in town, then it’s not like we’re going to be getting a lot of customers anyway.”