store is charming and you have customers waiting. Let’s open a couple of minutes early and get this day started.”
She stared into his eyes. For a second, he thought instead of opening early, he should take the minute or so they had and kiss her. Of course, kissing would lead to him wanting more and this wasn’t the time or place. But it sure would be nice.
“Hey, you in there! It’s freezing out here.”
The comment came from outside and was accompanied by an insistent knocking. Noelle squared her shoulders.
“Okay,” she said as she marched to the front of the store. “I’m ready.”
“Me, too.”
Although it turned out he was wrong. He wasn’t ready. There was no way to be ready for the onslaught of customers. They arrived in groups of twos and threes, they lingered and they bought. Bears and trains, CDs and throws. No corner of the store went unexplored. If he wasn’t restocking, he was bagging. Every now and then he carried bags to a waiting car.
“Excuse me, young man.”
Gabriel turned and saw a pleasant-looking woman leaning heavily on a cane covered with painted purple flowers.
“Yes, ma’am. How can I help you?”
“I’m looking for a menorah for a friend of mine and I noticed the one in the side window. It’s so pretty. Having it made of glass is very unusual and I like that the candles are all different colors. Can you get it for me?”
“Of course,” he said, already heading for the stockroom. “We have one in a box.”
He passed Noelle, who smiled wearily. Five minutes later, the lady with the cane had her menorah and was heading out of the store. He was about to check on the bears when another woman stopped him.
“You’re Gabriel,” she said, eyeing him. She had white curls and wore a bright purple track suit. “Gideon’s brother.”
“Yes.”
“I’m Eddie.” She smiled. “I need you to carry this to my car.”
She handed him a box about the size of a soda can. He stared at it.
“You want me to carry that?”
“Uh-huh.” Eddie nodded. “I’m old so you have do what I say. Come on. The day’s a-wasting.”
He had no idea what was going on, but wasn’t about to tell the seventy-something woman no. She led him out of the store and down the sidewalk. They walked to the corner and she pointed to a late model sedan. When they reached it, he handed her the package.
She smiled. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Still confused about what she’d wanted, he turned, only to feel her pat his butt. He spun back. Her expression was both innocent and satisfied.
No, he told himself. He’d imagined the light touch. And if he hadn’t, there was nothing he could do about it.
“Ah, have a nice day,” he mumbled before backing toward the store.
The steady stream of customers continued until Noelle closed and locked the door at six-fifteen. They’d both been on their feet since seven that morning.
“My feet hurt,” she said, untying her apron. “My back hurts and I’m starving.”
“Me, too, and an old lady patted my butt.”
Noelle looked at him and started laughing. “You’re making that up.”
“I swear it happened.”
“Eddie or Gladys.”
“Eddie.”
“Then I believe you. Did you get lunch?”
“No.”
“Me, either. Want to come by my place? I’ll order the biggest pizza you’ve ever seen. You’ll love it.”
She had a smudge on her cheek and dust on her jeans. She looked as weary as he felt. But as she invited him over, all he could think was that what he really wanted for dinner was her. Because when he was around her, the world somehow righted itself. Even if he was being harassed by seniors.
For a second he wondered what she would say if he told her the truth. He figured he was at even odds for her wanting the same and slapping him. Which meant the most sensible course was to say, “Pizza sounds great.”
Noelle pushed open her front door and flipped on the lights. The place was small—a two-bedroom starter home with a single bathroom. A classic ranch style, built in the fifties.
Gabriel walked in behind her. “Nice,” he said, glancing at the black leather sofa. “That looks comfortable.”
“Throw yourself on it. Seriously, I plan to do the same as soon as I order the pizza.”
She waited until he’d moved into the living room before sinking onto the bench by the door. She unzipped her boots and tugged them off, then stretched her aching feet. She hadn’t been kidding before—every part of her hurt. Even her hair. She couldn’t remember ever being this exhausted. And the thrill of it was she got to do the same thing tomorrow. At least she didn’t have to open until her regular time.
She stood and limped into the small kitchen. Once there, she pulled the pizza menu free of the magnet on the refrigerator door.
“All meat?” she asked.
Gabriel stood in the doorway of the kitchen. “You like that?”
“No, but I’ll get it on half.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “You can eat half a large pizza?”
“Yes.”
“That I want to see.”
“You will.”
She placed the order, adding a pint of Ben and Jerry’s, then put the phone back on the counter. She opened the refrigerator and pulled out two bottles of beer.
Gabriel’s expression of surprise returned. “I would have said you drink red wine.”
“I have mysterious depths.”
“I can see that.”
They headed back to the living room.
Her sectional sofa took up most of the floor space, but she didn’t care. There was a chaise that was perfect for stretching out to watch movies and she had a great reading light. She’d bought a nice big television because she wanted to see all the period details in Downton Abbey. Maybe an apartment would have made more sense, but she liked having a yard. Her landlord, local retired cyclist Josh Golden, had told her she could plant whatever she wanted. This past summer she’d gone crazy with berries. Next year she was going to experiment with a few vegetables. If her cash flow improved, she would buy a place, but for now, the tiny house was plenty.
Gabriel sat at one end of the sofa while she collapsed on the chaise. She wiggled her toes, wondering when her feet would go from seminumb and sore to seriously throbbing. She pointed to the coffee table.
“Feel free to put your feet up. I bought that at a garage sale for twenty bucks. It’s indestructible.”
He hesitated for a second, then bent down to unlace his boots. He pulled them off and then raised his stocking-clad feet on the battered wooden surface.
“Thanks. I’m used to standing all day, but for some reason this was different. Harder.”
“I know. I’m used to running around, too, but I’m completely exhausted. I think it’s the intensity.” She picked up her bottle of beer and took a sip. “You remember