Sweet Christmas Kisses (164 page)

Maybe because she kept tangling with Campbell men.

Cowardly, idiotic Campbell men.

****

Michael watched Noelle flee and knew no power on earth could keep him from following. Before he’d taken a step, Holly grabbed his arm.

“Don’t you dare,” she said.

He shrugged her off. “Noelle needs me.”

“The last thing she needs is another Campbell man messing with her heart,” Holly said, careful to keep her voice low so as not to disturb the wedding.

Even so, Michael heard the warning in her voice.

“I’m not planning to mess with her heart.”

“You already are. Why can’t you let her be happy with Kirk Granger?”

“Why can’t you let your sister make her own decisions?” Michael shot back.

Before Holly could stop him, he brushed past her and headed into the woods. He didn’t know exactly why he had to follow Noelle. Didn’t know what words of comfort he could offer. She must be broken up with grief over Doug… again.

The notion that Noelle was probably sobbing in the dark over his idiot brother made Michael angry enough to spit nails.

He’d been on the edge of fury most of the day. Ever since he’d looked across the park and spied Noelle laughing with Dr. Kirk Granger. She’d looked happy and carefree.

Which should have made him happy.

Instead, he wanted to punch the guy in the face. Right after he laid out Doug for breaking her heart in the first place.

He finally found her by the nativity.

“Noelle...”

Her entire body stiffened. “Go back to the wedding,” she said, keeping her back to him.

No way could he leave her alone. Instead, Michael crossed the distance and spun her around.

Tears streamed down her face, and the sight of them made him furious.

Furious… and jealous.

Here they were after all this time, and she still couldn’t get over Doug. Maybe she never would. “When are you going to stop shedding tears over my idiot brother?”

Color infused her face, and she poked him in the chest. “When are you going to give me a reason?”

The comment caught him off guard. “What does that mean?”

She went up on her toes, and the motion brought her body flush against his. “Maybe Doug isn’t the only idiot in your family.”

Every cell in Michael’s body froze. He couldn’t mistake the invitation in her eyes. Or the implication that the reason for her tears had to do with him. A notion that sent his pulse into overdrive.

“I’ve been trying to do the right thing so we’re not both hurt again,” he said.

“Or maybe you’re scared.”

You bet he was scared. Falling for a woman who might still be in love with his brother? Not smart at all. Only he didn’t much care about being smart right now, and it seemed neither did Noelle, because she reached up and pulled his head down.

He lasted all of two seconds. Michael hadn’t forgotten the sensation of Noelle’s body pressed against him. The feel of her soft lips against his. So he tangled his fingers in her hair and took charge.

“Noelle?”

Holly’s urgent cry acted as a cattle prod, and they jumped apart like they’d been shocked.

Michael ran a hand through his hair. “Your sister’s timing is rotten as always.”

“Or maybe it’s perfect timing,” Noelle murmured. “It’s not like either of us are ready to declare undying love for each other, right? Go against our families and have everyone look at us like we should be on a daytime talk show.”

“I…” He could only stare at her, unable to find the words to explain his own fear.

Opening himself up meant risking his heart again. He’d already experienced one woman stomping his love into the ground.

“That’s what I thought,” Noelle said with a weary smile.

Holly’s cry echoed through the night again. “Noelle Joy Robinson! You’d better answer me!”

A moment later, Holly charged into the clearing. She took in the scene and then leveled a glare hot enough to singe toward Michael.

Noelle let out a sound of disgust. “Oh, knock it off,” she said, taking her sister’s arm and leading her away. She spared one more glance at Michael. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Michael watched them go. He already missed holding Noelle in his arms. More than that, he missed the closeness they’d shared. Watching her laugh and flirt with that doctor all day had torn him up.
He
was supposed to make Noelle smile. Not some slick orthopedic surgeon with a ready-made family. He was supposed to love her and take care of her.

Man, I am an idiot.

So busy trying to protect his heart that he’d almost missed the best gift he could have ever found.

Now he just needed to convince Noelle.

“You kissed him again last night, didn’t you?”

Noelle shrieked and nearly fell into the box she’d been searching through. “Don’t do that!” she said, scowling at her sister.

Holly crowded into the storage closet and slammed the door shut. “Answer me. Did you kiss Michael Campbell last night?”

“Are you kidding me? What are you? A jealous lover?” 

“No, I’m a concerned sister,” Holly said.

“A nosy sister,” Noelle shot back. “It’s none of your business if I kissed him.”

Holly pounced on the words. “So you are admitting it?”

“Stop acting like I’m some kind of criminal, and you’re a police interrogator. I have things to do. Like, did you happen to notice today is the start of
Story Time With Mrs. Claus
? And did you happen to remember
Mom
always plays Mrs. Claus? I have to find a replacement in the next two hours.”

“I don’t care about story time right now.”

The closet door opened again, and both sisters shrieked as Millie poked her head in. Their cousin shrieked right back.

“What are you doing here?” Noelle said, holding a hand to her chest.

“The better question is what are you guys doing here?” Millie shot back. “I heard you shouting from the front door.”

“Why don’t you ask my sister?” Noelle said. “She’s the one who cornered me and started poking into my life.”

“I reserve the right to poke when you’ve been sneaking around kissing Michael Campbell,” Holly said.

Millie gasped. “Again?”

Honestly, sometimes Noelle could do without any relatives at all. She pushed past both said relatives and went back to the main room.

Of course, her sister and cousin followed.

Millie practically danced through the store. “Spill.”

“Are you two out of your minds?” Noelle asked, looking at them with disdain. “I can kiss whomever I want.”

“Oh, I’m not here to judge,” Millie said, crossing her heart in an
I swear
gesture.

“Please. Like I believe that,” Noelle said.

“No really,” Millie said, clasping her hands together. “I just want details. Michael Campbell is a certified hottie.”

“You keep saying that,” Noelle said. “Since when did he become a hottie?”

Millie’s eyes widened in amazement. “Um… since forever? Come on, like you never noticed?”

“No,” Noelle said.

Holly folded her arms. “I never noticed him, either,” she said with a haughty sniff.

“Liar,” Millie said, rolling her eyes. “I would have killed to go out with Michael. Not that he even knew my name,” she said with a wistful sigh. “I was a lowly freshman when he was senior.”

Millie had wanted to date Michael? Rage heated Noelle’s veins for a moment, until she realized the emotion roiling through her was jealousy.

Jealousy over a schoolgirl crush. How ridiculous.

“Does your husband know you have fantasies about Michael?” Noelle asked.

“Shoot, no.” Millie giggled.

“And you…” Noelle rounded on her sister. “Weren’t you the one who told me about Michael’s six-pack abs, and how you went over to Mom and Dad’s every day when he was painting his parents’ house?”

“That was different,” Holly groused, cheeks glowing with embarrassment.

Millie gave a mock gasp of outrage and made a clucking sound with her tongue. “Holly Robinson Morris… you bad, bad girl.”

“Knock it off,” Holly said, rearing her shoulders back. “So what if I looked? I’m not going around kissing Michael in the bushes.”

“No, but Noelle is, and
she
still hasn’t spilled.” Millie grinned at Noelle. “Come on, help a girl solve the mystery of the century. Is Michael as good a kisser as he looks?”

The bell over the door jingled, but Noelle was too busy trying to cool her overheated senses to notice. “Seriously?”

“Eww,” Holly said at the same time.

Noelle’s head whipped around. “What do mean
eww
? Michael happens to be a great kisser. Fantastic even. He rocked my world.”

“Thank you. Glad to hear it.”

All three women screamed and spun toward the door where the man of the hour stood watching with a
very
satisfied look on his face.

“I did ring,” Michael said, pointing to the brass bell above the door. “I guess you were too busy.”

“Oh no,” Noelle said on a horrified breath.

“Oh, mama,” Millie muttered.

“Oh…“ Holly’s epithet ended in a muffled curse that would probably have led to her being grounded if their mother had been there, regardless of the fact that she was an adult.

“Do go on,” Michael said. “I’d love to hear more about my kissing prowess.”

“I bet you would,” Holly said. “What are you doing here anyway?

“I’m here for Noelle,” he said.

His molten gaze turned Noelle’s senses into absolute mush, and since her brain had short-circuited; she couldn’t come up with an intelligent response. “Umm… we weren’t supposed to meet until four-thirty.”

“This isn’t about the Christmas Village.”

“It’s not?” she squeaked out.

If possibly his gaze warmed even more. “No.”

“Well, too bad,” Holly said, bustling across the store to his side. “We’re busy. Today is the start of Story Time With Mrs. Clau
s,
and we’re short a Mrs. Claus.”

“
Now
you care that we don’t have someone for story time? You didn’t give two figs when you cornered me in the storage closet. I was in there to find the costume, by the way. I need to see if it fits me, as
guess who
will be filling in,” Noelle said, pointing to her chest.

Michael didn’t take his eyes off Noelle. “I’ll take care of your Mrs. Claus problem as long as you tell me where this closet is.”

“Why do you need our storage closet?” Holly asked, suspicion rolling off her in waves.

“It’s in the back hall,” Millie piped up. “Second door on the right.”

“Thank you, Millie,” he said before striding forward and taking Noelle’s hand.

“Wait!” Holly said, stepping in front of them. “You can’t just come in here and drag her into a closet like some Viking ransacking the village.”

“Okay…” Michael said, and then before Noelle could blink, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. Any protest died the moment his lips touched hers. He wasn’t gentle this time, but consumed her with heat and want. Noelle couldn’t help but respond. She threw her arms around his neck and stood on her toes so she could get as close as possible.

“Hey! Stop it!” Holly cried.

Noelle broke away from Michael long enough to mutter, “Shut up, Holly.”

When Michael finally ended the kiss, he was breathing hard, and Noelle could feel his heart racing in his chest.

He very carefully set her away from him. “Okay, that might have gotten a little out of control.”

“What was that?” Noelle asked, running two fingers over her swollen lips.

“Honey, if you don’t know what
that
was, you really have been out of the game too long,” Millie said, eyes dancing.

“That was me deciding to stop being an idiot,” Michael said. “That was me saying I want everyone to know how I feel about you.”

“Even your mother?” Noelle asked.

“Even her. It’s my parents’ annual Christmas party tonight. I’m taking you with me.”

“But we have the Christmas Village! I can’t abandon it.”

“Holly can handle it,” Michael said.

Holly’s eyes widened with outrage. “Me?”

Michael turned his head, and his expression gentled. “Please.”

Whatever she saw in his face must have caused her to soften because a slight smile tilted her lips. “Okay,” she said, shaking her head. “I go on record as being very against this… but, okay.”

“Eddie and I can help, too,” Millie added. “Everything will be fine.”

“Thank you, Millie. I’ll pick you up at seven,” he told Noelle.

“I live across the street,” she pointed out.

“Then I’ll walk you across the street, but we’re going in together.”

She couldn’t help but smile. “All right. It’s a date… of sorts.”

He kissed her one more time before turning to leave.

“Wait… you’re leaving now?” Noelle called after him. “Shouldn’t we talk or something?”

He looked over his shoulder. “I promised to find you a Mrs. Claus for story time.”

The door jingled, and Noelle stared at the space where he’d been standing.

“Oh baby, you are in so much trouble,” Millie said, looping an arm around her shoulder.

Noelle let out a gusty sigh. “I know.”

“Isn’t it great?” Millie squealed.

Junior High Noelle giggled. “Yes, it is.”

****

Locating a Mrs. Claus proved more difficult than Michael had anticipated. In fact, it took on the characteristics of a quest to find the Holy Grail. He knew their resident children’s author would be the perfect person to fill the role, but running her to ground wasn’t shaping up to be so easy. He had exactly three hours to find Emily Sinclair and convince her to read stories to kids so Noelle could be free tonight.

When three phone calls went straight to voicemail, he sought backup and information. He strode up Main Street until he reached Marry Me.

He was reaching for the handle but stopped when he caught a glimpse of the window display. A wedding dress was draped into a rocking chair. Someone had folded the sleeves of the gown in front so that they cradled what looked like swaddling clothes. Standing slightly behind the rocking chair was a tuxedo with one sleeve resting on the top, as if the groom was watching over his new family.