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“I’m not sure.” The irony of his answer made him smile. Three days ago, he’d been champing at the bit to leave. “There are some...developments I want to look into.”
“Developments?”
“Nothing problematic, I assure you.”
On the contrary. If last night was any indication, he was on the cusp of something very significant. Noelle made him feel... He couldn’t think of how to articulate his feelings. Special? Important? Neither word fit. How did he describe his heart suddenly feeling a hundred times larger?
“You’ll keep me advised though, won’t you? I want to know if there are any complications,” his father said. “Doesn’t matter if they are big or small. I’d prefer you not go silent again.”
“Of course. I didn’t mean to give you cause for concern.”
“James, I’m always...” There was another pause. A longer one this time.
James couldn’t help the way his breath caught. If he didn’t know better, he’d say his father had been worried. “You’re what?” he asked.
“I’ve decided to stop in Copenhagen before I head home.”
“Oh.” That wasn’t what he was going to say. He looked down at the wrinkles on the sheets beneath him. Like tiny white rivers leading to Noelle’s side.
Maybe it isn’t all about business, she’d said. You still have hope.
What the hell. It was worth a try. “Hey, Dad?” The word felt odd on his tongue from lack of use. “Do you remember going into Boston to see the window displays?”
“I’m afraid you’re going to have to be more specific. I examine the window displays every year.”
“This was with me and Justin and...and Mom. Back when we were...” A family. “We went to see Santa Claus.”
“I remember your mother hated those trips. She only went because Justin insisted. Why?”
So much for his wonderful family memory. “I was thinking about repeating one of the designs next year. Vintage is very trendy right now.”
“But will it be in fashion next year, that’s the question,” his father replied. “Trends fall out of favor quickly these days.”
As did memories. “It was just a thought.”
“Well, you know my position on those displays. They outlived their expenditure long ago. I’ll be back by the middle of the week. Why don’t we connect then? Over dinner, perhaps.”
“Okay,” James said. With any luck he would have to cancel to take a certain sexy little elf sightseeing in Boston. “Have a safe trip.”
“You too, James.”
He let the phone drop to the floor. Stupid, his feeling kicked in the gut over one comment. Wasn’t like his father was revealing some kind of family secret. At least Noelle wanted him. The way he felt with her trumped anything—everything—else. Simply thinking her name chased his dark thoughts away.
Damn, but he was falling hard for her.
He stretched his arm to pull her close, only to remember when he struck bare sheets that she was still in the bathroom. “You can come out of hiding! I’m off the phone,” he called with a smile. It was sweet that she wanted to give him privacy.
When she didn’t respond, he flipped over on his back. “Noelle? Babe? You okay?”
The bathroom door was wide open.
What the hell? Jumping from the bed, he rushed across the room and slapped on the bathroom light. The room was empty. He knew it would be empty. He’d just hoped...
That was the problem with hope. It always ended with a sucker punch.
Noelle was gone. While he’d been dreaming of waking up beside her, she’d gotten dressed and left.
Maybe she went to get coffee, a small, desperate voice in his head said. He angrily shoved the idea away before it could take hold. He didn’t want to entertain possibilities, didn’t want hope. His fingers squeezed the towel rod, his body trembling with the desire to rip it from the wall. He could still see the way she looked at him in the restaurant. Like she cared.
Dammit. He smashed a fist on the marble vanity, roaring through gritted teeth at the pain. Dammit, dammit, dammit! Why couldn’t she have stayed a mildly attractive employee? No, she had to crawl under his skin and make him start to believe the damn greeting card was possible? He thought yesterday had been as mind-blowing for her as it had for him. He thought they were starting something here. He thought...
He thought she cared.
Joke was on him, wasn’t it? Like he could compete with her dead war hero of a husband. For crying out loud, his own parents didn’t want him; what made him think Noelle would?
If only she hadn’t been so damn special.
