Christmas on 4th Street (Fool's Gold Romance) (20 page)

Thirty minutes later, the two women left. The ankle was slightly swollen, but not bad at all. A little ice, a compression bandage and she would be fine. Gabriel had sent them off with instructions, along with a promise that Madeline would take her niece to Madeline’s primary care doctor in the morning.

He started for the front desk to make notes in her chart only to remember there was no chart and he had no business practicing medicine here. Well, hell, he thought with a laugh.

“What’s so funny?” his father asked as he approached.

“Just wondering if I was going to lose my license.”

He expected Norm to chew him a new one, but his father only nodded. “You can practice in any army facility but you’re not technically licensed to practice in the state of California,” he said with a shrug. “Isn’t there something about helping out in an emergency?”

“Sure, but there are gray areas.”

He and his father walked to the rear of the emergency room, where it was less crowded. They took seats across from each other.

“Carter’s fine,” his father said. “That friend of his is okay, too.”

“Good. They were lucky.”

“Hell of a thing.” Norm leaned back in the chair. “All that snow. It’s not an unexpected event, I suppose. That Mayor Marsha person was very insistent that the town needs a search-and-rescue team. Sounds like interesting work.”

Gabriel raised his eyebrows.

His father chuckled. “Not for me. It’s a young man’s game.” He paused. “You know, your mother and I are thinking of settling here in Fool’s Gold.”

“I’d heard that.”

“Felicia swears Gideon is okay with it. Your mother and I want to be close to our grandchildren. Be a part of their lives.”

Gabriel nodded, not sure where this conversation was going.

“What are you going to do?” his father asked.

“You mean there’s a choice?”

He heard the bitterness in his voice and wanted to call it back. He wasn’t in the mood to fight with his father and challenging Norm was a sure way to get one started.

But his father surprised him. The older man seemed to get a little smaller as he sat quietly. “I can see why you think that,” he said at last. “Because of what I said before.”

“You mean what you say always. The Boylan men are put on this earth to serve.”

That phrase had been pounded into him from the time he was a kid. There’d never been a choice. Noelle had asked him what he would do instead and he had no way of answering that.

Norm leaned forward. He rested his forearms on his thighs and loosely laced his fingers together. “I deserve that,” he admitted. “I wanted—” He cleared his throat. “You know that damn dog of theirs is pretty smart. He likes to learn new commands and he’ll do about anything if he thinks he’s going to get to play catch at the end of the session.”

Gabriel frowned. They were talking about Webster?

“I’ve been working with him on basic commands. Sit, stay, that sort of thing. We’re working on some others. I want to get him off-leash trained. Carter and I have been talking about putting him through agility training. It would be good for the dog and for the boy. Plus, it gives him and me a good way to connect. Something for us to talk about.”

His father continued to stare at the ground as he spoke. “The thing is, if I yell at Webster, the session doesn’t go well. He tucks his tail and can’t look me in the eye. It’s like I break his spirit and he doesn’t trust me anymore. So I praise him when he does the right thing and stay calm when he doesn’t. He gets what ‘no’ means.”

His father straightened. There was pain in his eyes. Pain and maybe regret.

“You’re like that.”

“You’re comparing me to the dog?” Gabriel asked, wondering where on earth this ridiculous conversation was going. Anger built up inside of him. His father wanted something—as he always did.

“In a way. I treated you and Gideon the same, but you’re not the same. Gideon’s like me. He’d rather fight or leave than talk. When he was a kid, he solved problems with his fists. The army was the right place for him and he excelled. But you, you’re different.”

“You mean wrong.”

His father shook his head. “Your mother told me that’s what you thought. I guess because I’ve been telling you that you were wrong for as long as I can remember. I figured if I kept after you enough, you’d change.”

Gabriel hung on to his anger, because when he was pissed, it was easy to disconnect. He didn’t have to care about his father. He’d learned that lesson long ago. But it had been in the face of a vocal man who’d gone out of his way to make it clear his son was a disappointment. Norman Boylan didn’t apologize.

“You save people,” his father continued. “You save lives every day. You’re respected and honorable. Hell, a soldier like me can be found on every street corner, but not many people can do what you do. I never appreciated that before. I guess I couldn’t get past my expectations so I couldn’t see how proud I am of you, Gabriel.”

The anger faded and with it, his defenses. “Dad,” he began, only to stumble into unfamiliar territory. If his father wasn’t yelling at him about his piss-poor choices, what else was there?

His father straightened. “I’m not saying we’re going to always get on. We’re too different. But I want you to know that I have always loved you and I always will. I tell everyone about my son, the doctor.” He smiled slightly. “Then my friends all ask who your mom was sleeping with that night, because there’s no way some smart, successful doctor is my kid.”

Norm cleared his throat. “I won’t keep you. I know you’re still busy. I just wanted to stop by and say I’ve been watching Gideon with Carter. I raised you boys how I was raised, and how your grandfather was raised. Gideon’s doing it differently and I’m thinking maybe his way has some merit.”

With that his father rose and headed out the door. Gabriel sat in the chair, too stunned to absorb what had just happened. He told himself it didn’t mean anything, it didn’t change anything, but he had a feeling he was wrong.

Chapter 14

Noelle sat in Dellina’s living room. They were surrounded by three bowls of personalized wrapped chocolates and a stack of little cloth bags. Each bag got two of each of the chocolates as a wedding favor. Not an especially daunting task until Noelle thought about how many people were probably coming to the wedding. It would be a large portion of the town. Which meant lots and lots of bag filling.

Dellina had pulled her long hair back into a ponytail that sat on the top of her head. She had on jeans and a bright green holiday sweater.

“Thanks for helping me with this,” she said. “I know you’re busy at the store. It’s less than a week before Christmas.”

“No problem. We’re still closing at six.”

Gabriel had promised to spend some quality time with the cats before heading out to have dinner with his parents. He hadn’t said much but she’d noticed in the past couple of days he’d seemed more relaxed about them. She wondered if his work at the avalanche had made a difference. Something had, which was good.

She picked up two chocolates from each of the bowls, then dropped them into one bag and pulled the drawstring closed. After tying a little bow, she put the finished favor into a large white box and reached for more chocolates.

“How are the wedding plans coming?” she asked.

“We’re mostly there.” Dellina nodded toward the stack of papers on her kitchen table. “I’m at the going-crazy stage. A wedding is a lot to pull together, but this is all that times three, and it’s a secret. Plus, Mrs. Robson is threatening to retire.”

Noelle frowned, trying to place the name. “She owns Plants for the Planet?”

“Right. Our other florist moved to Hawaii, so now we’re down to one. I have no idea how old she is. I want to say 106, but I know that can’t be right. Still, one day she’ll mean it and then what will happen? I love her work. It’s fresh and beautiful and reasonably priced.”

Dellina drew in a breath. “Sorry. I get tense when I think about it. The town needs another florist.”

“We should put an ad in a national paper.”

“Don’t think I haven’t talked to Mayor Marsha about it.”

“Is everything else going okay?” Noelle asked.

Dellina sighed. “Yes. The menu is finalized. Ana Raquel and Greg were torturing me with all kinds of food from the Fool’s Gold cookbook they were writing. I’ve gained five pounds in the past month. They’ve suggested everything from baked wild mushroom risotto to white-and-dark chocolate chunk cookie pie.”

“That all sounds really delicious. Are you seriously complaining?”

“Sort of.” Dellina grinned. “Okay, not. But it’s been intense. Again, the issue is sheer volume. We’re talking six or seven hundred people. That’s a lot of food. I had to get permission to let a few more people in on the secret so we could get some help with the cooking and storage. A couple of the restaurant chefs are helping and a few of the really good cooks in town.”

She tossed a completed bag into the box. “Then there are the other logistics. It’s going to be late and a lot of the little kids will be tired and cranky. We’ve set up a quiet area with sleeping bags for parents who want their children to sleep but still want to go to the party. I’ve lined up teenagers to help with the babysitting, which means hiring them without telling them what it’s about. Let me just say the average sixteen-year-old girl wants details before she takes a job.”

She filled another bag. “There’s the live band and seating for that many people. It’s a logistics nightmare. I know everyone wants this to be a surprise, but I can’t help thinking the weddings are going to be the worst kept secret ever.”

“You’ve done your best,” Noelle told her. “Honestly, I can’t imagine how you’ve pulled this off. I would be curled up in the corner, whimpering.”

“There are nights that end like that. Just don’t tell anyone.” Dellina looked at her. “What about you? Are you okay with all this wedding fever?”

“I’m fine with it.” She paused, then sighed. “Okay, I’ll admit to twinges of...” What was the right word? “Longing, I guess. I want them to be happy, and I want what they have, too. I wish...”

“That your hunky doctor friend wanted more than just sex?”

Noelle winced. “Is it that obvious?”

“No, I was guessing.”

“Then I want you on my team the next time we play charades.” Noelle reached for more candy. “He’s great. More than great. But he’s not interested in anything long-term and even if he was, he’s leaving. I want to stay here and dig my roots in deeper.”

“I’m sorry he’s not the one,” Dellina said. “But the sex is great, right? Because that makes me so envious.”

Noelle grinned. “So it’s like that, is it?”

“Absolutely. I’m not looking for love. I just want a couple of hot nights. Or twenty.”

“Not love?” Noelle asked.

“No way. My folks died when I was sixteen. I got custody of my twin sisters when I was eighteen.”

“Wow, that’s tough.”

“For anyone, but I had it really hard. I was kind of flaky and irresponsible. My parents indulged me more than they should have. I wasn’t even close to ready and then I didn’t have a choice.”

Dellina paused, as if remembering. “I got my sisters through high school and college. They’re finally happy and settled in their lives. Now it’s my turn. There is no way I want to take on any responsibility right now.” Her brown eyes flashed with humor. “The only issue I want to deal with is a charming guy asking me if I want to be on top.”

Noelle knew she was both teasing and telling the truth. “I get that,” she admitted. “The whole fear of not being enough or the love being too much, as well as not wanting to take on one more thing.”

“I believe a well-trained psychologist would say that I’m afraid of commitment,” Dellina said cheerfully. “A flaw I can live with. One day I’ll be ready to be in love. Just not yet.”

She’d been like that, too, Noelle thought. After being sick and Jeremy dumping her. She’d been scared to risk her heart. But then she’d realized she’d been given the gift of a second chance. Was the lesson she really wanted to take away from that the idea that it was okay to live in fear?

She wanted to say she regretted loving Gabriel, but she couldn’t. He was wonderful. How could she not have loved him? Only now she was left with the fact that she was staying and he was leaving and when he left, her heart would go with him.

* * *

Gabriel’s mother passed over another listing. “This one has stairs.”

“Why shouldn’t we buy a house with stairs?” Norm asked, leaning over and kissing his wife’s neck. “We’re not old. Look at you, Karen. Every guy in the restaurant is checking you out. They’re probably wishing they were going to be me later.”

Gabriel held on to his beer with both hands and reminded himself that this, too, would pass. Not so much dinner with his parents, which had been pretty okay. But his father’s change of heart. Because a kinder, gentler version of the man was more than a little tough to deal with.

The quieter voice was great, as was the genuine interest in what other people were doing. Enjoying the restaurant rather than complaining was good, too. But the ongoing flirtation with Gabriel’s mother was tough to take. Gabriel was glad his parents had a loving and passionate relationship. But jeez, he was their kid. He didn’t want to watch it happen in front of him.

“Stairs don’t matter now,” Karen told her husband. “But what about when you’re eighty?”

“We’re still going to—”

“Dad!” Gabriel said sharply. “Give me a break, okay?”

Norm leaned back in his chair and grinned. “You should be pleased to know the sports equipment is still—”

“Norman,” his wife said. “You’re embarrassing our son.”

“He’s a doctor. He knows about sex.”

Karen beamed at her husband and Gabriel waved at their server. He held up his beer bottle, grateful Margaritaville was close enough to Noelle’s house that he could walk. Maybe if he got drunk enough, he wouldn’t be able to follow the conversation.

A woman in her forties stopped by the table. She had dark hair and brown eyes. She smiled at him. “Dr. Boylan?”

“Yes.”

She touched his shoulder. “Thank you so much for your work on the mountain. My son was injured. Several fractures and some internal bleeding. You stabilized him so he could make it to surgery. He’s doing well and is expected to make a full recovery. His father and I are so grateful you were there.”

He rose and shook her hand. “You’re welcome. I’m happy to help. Thanks for letting me know he’s going to be all right.”

Her smile trembled as if she were fighting tears. “If you’re not too busy, maybe you could stop by the hospital. He’d like to thank you himself.”

Gabriel nodded, knowing the kid wouldn’t recognize him. He’d been one of the badly injured ones—unconscious the whole time.

The woman left, and Gabriel sat back down. His father grinned at him. “Look at that. You’re a superstar.”

“It’s different,” he said, staring after the woman. “I don’t usually get to hear what happened to my patients after they leave me.” When he’d been deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, his job had been to get them stable enough to make it to a better hospital or for surgery. Even in Germany, he rarely dealt with any long-term care. He was on the front line and there weren’t updates on those who had been sent on.

Their server returned with his second beer, and his mother handed over a couple more listings they’d been to see. Life had returned to normal in Fool’s Gold.

* * *

After dinner, Gabriel said goodbye to his parents and started back for Noelle’s house. As he walked by Brew-haha, Mayor Marsha stepped out and greeted him.

“Just the man I was hoping to run into,” she said. “Can I buy you a cup of coffee? It’s late, but they offer decaf.”

Gabriel was tired and wanted to get home. He liked hanging out with the cat herd and looked forward to seeing Noelle. Still, the mayor was old enough to be his almost-grandmother and he’d been raised to be polite.

“Sure. Thank you.”

He followed her back into the coffee shop and settled across from her.

The mayor looked as she always did. A conservative suit, pearls, her hair up. He wondered what she’d been like forty years ago—when she’d been young and her life had stretched out before her.

“I’m sure you think you’ve been thanked enough for what you did, but I want to make sure you know how much we appreciate you stepping in to help after the avalanche,” she said.

“I’m glad I was here to help.”

The college-age server walked over with his coffee. The mayor sipped her latte.

“The town is growing. Over the past five years we’ve had a big upswing in the population. More young couples are settling here and having babies. Our demographics are improving.”

“Have you always lived here?” he asked.

“Born and raised.” Her blue eyes twinkled. “I’m California’s longest-serving mayor, you know.”

“I’d heard that. Congratulations.”

“I have a lot of years left in me. I think about retiring, but then what would I do with my time? I have a beautiful granddaughter and great-grandchildren. I’ve been blessed.”

“Which isn’t what you wanted to talk about,” he said gently, knowing they were going to get to the sales pitch soon.

“No, it’s not.” She smiled. “Did you meet the gentlemen from CDS?” she asked.

“The bodyguard school?” He nodded. “Ford and Angel were the ones to rescue my brother.”

“Yes. They’ve been an excellent addition to the community. Angel needs to let go of the pain of his past and fall in love again, but I’m hoping that will happen soon. We have a new PR firm moving to town.
Score.
The company is a partnership. Three former NFL football players will be moving here.” She sighed. “I know they’re going to make trouble, but eventually they’ll figure out how to fit in. On the bright side, they’ll be able to help our town advertise itself nationally.”

“I’m sure that will be a good thing.”

“We’re continuing our planning for a search-and-rescue team,” she added. “I’ve been thinking about it for years, but what happened last week has made the need even more apparent. Getting the necessary funding will be a challenge, but we’re up to it.” She glanced at him. “Your parents are staying in town.”

“I just saw some of the real-estate listings they’re considering.”

“And you?”

“I’m leaving.”

“May I ask why?”

Because...because... Gabriel stared into his coffee, as if the answers were there. “I have to go back to the army.”

“Oh. I thought you’d fulfilled your time.”

“Yes. I’m up for reenlistment.”

“But you haven’t made your decision yet,” she said. “You’re still considering your options.”

He wasn’t sure if she was asking him or telling him. Both options were slightly unsettling. Mayor Marsha seemed to know far too much about him, and he couldn’t figure out how. Noelle would have mentioned any conversation with the mayor, and he couldn’t see either of his parents chatting with her. Or maybe he could.