Page 60 of Noel Secrets

He was afraid to push her away, but he had to take a chance. He could receive an assignment tonight and have to leave. He reached for her hand, and she let him cup her fingers and hand with his own. He appreciated the small victory and rushed out the words, “Have dinner with me.”

She shook her head, pulled her hand free, and took a large step back, almost colliding with a mom and stroller. “Excuse me,” she murmured, then turned back to him. “Too bold, Military Hero. I’ll see you Tuesday. If you’re lucky.”

“Forgive me for being too bold.” He’d never apologized for being bold.

“I’ll think about it.” The teasing light was back in her blue eyes.

Addie walked around him, and he reluctantly let her go. Pivoting, he watched her weave through the crowd. She glanced over her shoulder once and gave him a sweet smile.

Price rubbed at the stitch in his chest as she disappeared into the throng. He was forty years old and had dedicated his life tothe Navy until River talked him into retiring at his twenty-year mark and they were blessed with coveted positions with Aiden Porter.

He’d married Jaydyne, his high school sweetheart, when he was nineteen. The marriage lasted five years before she got fed up with him being gone all the time, divorced him while he was deployed, and found a banker with a nine-to-five and unlimited PTO. They had five children now.

It had been painful losing Jaydyne because of his dedication to his country, the Navy, and his unit. He wanted her to be happy, but it still hurt. Since then, he’d gone on dates but never anything serious.

Why did he feel like Addie Belle was the woman he’d been waiting for all this time? The sparkle in her blue eyes and the way they could tease were unique and special.

How could he get her to stay with him for longer than a few minutes or go on a real date?

He headed back to his pudding. Most likely he’d have another assignment with Aiden soon and he’d stand Addie up for the pudding date and never see her again.

That thought stung. He wanted to see her again.

If he got an assignment before Tuesday, he might pull some strings with Aiden’s tech guy Ollie and get her phone number.

He prayed that wouldn’t flip her out and hoped he wouldn’t have to go that route. Addie was more intriguing than any dolphin he’d ever come close to, and even more skittish.

Sadly, he could relate to being skittish with relationships, and that made him wonder who had damaged her.

Chapter Three

Addie sang “O Come All Ye Faithful” as she plugged in the lights for her Christmas tree and the garland above the fireplace. The gas fireplace warmed the drafty living room and all was cozy and bright.

The windows’ seals were long since broken and the outdated heating system in the nineteen-seventies bungalow hadn’t worked well in her three years of living here. She always kept the faucets at a drip when the temperature forecast was below freezing, but she loved her charming three-bedroom two-bath bungalow. In the summer it was the perfect beach house, right on South Middle Beach in Yarmouth.

In the winter, it was homey if not always as warm as she needed. She had Raynaud’s Syndrome, which meant the blood vessels in her extremities constricted in response to cold. If she got chilled, her fingers and sometimes her toes would turn white. It was painful and annoying. She’d had to figure out how to deal with the cold. She used space heaters, the fire, and piled on blankets, layers of warm clothes, and fuzzy socks.

She settled into the overstuffed cushions of her wicker couch, staring at her lovely Christmas tree with a warm blanket wrapped around her and her banana pudding in hand. Onespoonful and she was relishing the creamy deliciousness, but her mind was far from Christmas coming in a few weeks or her favorite treat.

Captain Price Sanderson. What a man. He made her smile, seemed to appreciate her teasing, and had a patient resolve that he must have developed in the military. He really seemed to like her, but he was holding back for her sake. There was no denying how attractive he was with those soulful and penetrating dark eyes, his rugged facial features, and his fit body.

It had been hard to walk away today. She wanted to know more about him. Maybe on Tuesday she’d let him talk her into dinner. What if he got an assignment from whoever he worked for and ditched her? Her mouth turned down and she put the pudding to the side.

Her phone rang. She snatched it up, grateful for the distraction.

“Gillian,” she called into the phone, cuddling deeper into the blanket and the sofa. “How are you?”

“I’m fine, but nobody cares how I am.”

Addie tried to protest, but her friend overrode her.

“How did banana pudding go?” Her friend from work was teasing, but her voice sounded tight. Gillian always wanted to know about Addie’s flirtations and dates, but sometimes she seemed oddly jealous.

“It was fabulous. Price is intriguing and manly, dreamy honestly. I didn’t stay long though. Gotta keep him guessing, right?”

“Says you. I’d have no idea how to keep a dreamy guy’s interest.”

“Says you,” Addie protested. “You’re incredible. Any man would be lucky to date you.”