Noelle’s mother and father had never understood why their daughter hadn’t wanted to travel with them to some exotic island or exciting city to celebrate the Christmas season. They’d not understood that their children hadn’t wanted extravagant vacations for a gift. They’d simply wanted their parents to be home and attentive. But that scenario wasn’t Neal and Maxine’s style. As a result, Noelle had always chosen to go to her aunt and uncle’s, while teenage Andy had spent his Christmases with one of his grungy friends.
“Noelle, has anyone waited on you yet?”
At the sound of Jessi’s voice, Noelle looked up at the redheaded waitress standing directly behind the bar. The young woman was one of the few friends Noelle had made since she’d moved to the Carson City area. “Not yet.”
Resting a pencil over her ear, Jessi leaned forward and said under her breath, “We got new help and she’s as slow as molasses. But she’s so nice, I can’t help but like her.”
Smiling vaguely, Noelle shook her head. “Have patience. She’ll get into the swing of things. And I’m in no hurry. All I need is coffee and a cinnamon roll.”
“Coming right up,” Jessi told her.
When the waitress returned a few moments later with the order, she placed it in front of Noelle and added a small box next to the plate.
Surprised, Noelle stared at the gift wrapped in bright red-and-green paper. “What is this?”
Grinning impishly, Jessi shrugged. “Just a little something from me. You always give me tips when I know you can’t afford them. That means a lot to me. Open it.”
“It’s still a while before Christmas,” Noelle pointed out.
“So it’s a few days. We’re supposed to give to our friends all through the year.”
Since Jessi wasn’t about to let her take the gift without opening it, Noelle quickly tore off the festive paper and lifted the lid on a white cardboard box. Nestled in a bed of cotton was a barrette covered with colored rhinestones. It was feminine and sparkly and something that she would’ve never splurged on for herself.
“Oh, it’s lovely, Jessi.” For the second time in a matter of days, tears filled Noelle’s eyes. Feeling foolishly emotional, she tried to blink them away. “You shouldn’t have done this.”
“Don’t be silly. It didn’t cost much.”
Noelle gazed at the hair jewelry and couldn’t help but remember one particular Christmas Eve. It was Noelle’s birthday and since her parents had rarely acknowledged the day separately from Christmas, she’d been hopeful when they’d given her a gift to open early that whatever was inside the box was just for her special day. But then she quickly learned that the matching barrettes covered with real diamonds and emeralds had been purposely given to her to wear to a Christmas Eve party the family was planning to attend. Those barrettes hadn’t been given with the same sincerity as this gift from Jessi. That made all the difference to Noelle.
“I realize that,” Noelle said in a husky voice, “but you need to watch your pennies, too.”
Jessi laughed. “It’s just money. And I think it’s high time I saw you in something pretty.”
Before Noelle could thank her properly, a diner at the end of the bar called to Jessi. The young woman hurried away to tend to the customer.
Noelle put the lid back on the box and was digging into the cinnamon roll when someone sat down on the stool next to her. Always one to keep to herself, she didn’t bother looking around until the man spoke in a deep, familiar voice.
“This is a surprise,” he said. “I’ve never seen you in here before.”
Evan Calhoun! How had she managed to come across him here in the Grubstake this morning? Some sort of crazy fate was throwing them together.
Turning her head in his direction, she said, “I’ve never seen you here, either. But I don’t drop by that often. Maybe once a week in the midmorning.”
“Oh. I usually come in every day before duty.”
His gaze roamed over her face and Noelle had never been more aware of her appearance. Although she hadn’t taken great pains when she’d dressed that morning to come to town, she had put on a nice black sweater with her jeans and dabbed a bit of pink color on her cheeks and lips. Was he noticing that? Or trying to figure out some way to insult her as she’d insulted him the other night? Either notion made her cringe inwardly.
Trying to clear away the tightness in her throat, she asked, “How’s the head?”
“Back to normal. Thanks for asking.”
Drawing in a deep, bracing breath, she stared at the half-eaten sweet roll. “I—uh—hadn’t expected to see you again, but now I’m glad I ran into you like this. It gives me the opportunity to apologize to you. I behaved rudely the other night, and I regret it. You didn’t deserve that from me.”
She could sense him looking at her, yet she didn’t have the courage to turn and face him. Something about his eyes made her feel as though he was looking right into the deepest part of her, and that was a place she definitely didn’t want him to see.
“We’d both had a tough day,” he replied. “As far as I’m concerned, all’s forgotten.”
“That’s kind of you.”
She lifted the thick coffee mug to her lips. While she sipped, Jessi returned to take Evan’s order.
“Coffee and one of those things that Noelle’s eating,” he told the waitress.
Surprised, Jessi glanced at the both of them. “I wasn’t aware that you two knew each other.”
Evan smiled. “Noelle saved my life a few days ago.”
Noelle spluttered with embarrassment, and Jessi leaned curiously over the bar toward Evan. “Really? You’re the lawman. Aren’t you supposed to be the one saving the lives around here?”
He laughed. “The tables were turned this time.”
Groaning, Noelle said, “It was no big thing, Jessi. Evan fell off his horse and I just happened to help him get home. That’s all.”
The waitress was clearly disappointed. “Oh. And here I was thinking I would hear about you collaring some criminal.”
To Noelle’s relief, Jessi was called away at that moment. She used the distraction to turn her attention back to the last of the sweet roll.
Evan said, “I hope Lonesome isn’t giving you any problems.”
She glanced over at him. This time she allowed herself to take note of his clean-shaven face, the brown leather jacket covering a white shirt and the pistol holstered at his side. He looked strong and in total control today, and she had to admit to herself that he was too damned attractive to be walking safely among the female population.
“So you’re aware he’s still at my place?”
“Uh, yes. My brother Finn is in charge of all the Silver Horn horses, and he let me know it might be some time before he could send a hand out to pick up the paint.”
She frowned. His excuse hardly made sense, especially when a ranch as big as the Silver Horn probably had dozens of hired hands. “Then I could deliver him. It wouldn’t be that big of a problem.”
“Oh, no. I mean, there’s no urgency about it. The ranch hands have more than enough horses to ride. Just keep Lonesome