Chapter Twenty-Nine

        The rest of the weekend felt like heaven for both Emma Jean and Noah. They spent all day Sunday being lazy around Noah’s apartment. They made love before breakfast, after breakfast, and again after lunch. They couldn’t get enough of each other. Noah had her in his bed, in the shower, and once that started on the kitchen counter but ended in the overstuffed chair that Emma Jean liked to sit in when she was looking out the picture window down over Perry Street. All that sex gave Emma Jean an idea for another gift for Noah, and she barely contained her giggle when the thought struck her.

        “What’s so funny?”

        “Nothing.” She was biting her lip.

        Noah lunged for her. She squealed as she tried to get away, but it was no use. He was faster and quite determined when it came to showing her just how much he had missed her, just like he promised he would.

        “No more,” she groaned much later, unable to move from where she was bent over the back of the couch. “You’ve worn me out.”

        “I know this isn’t a romantic thing to say at this juncture, but did you ever get tested like we talked about?”

        “No. After you kicked me out-”

        “I didn’t kick you out,” he growled.

        “-it didn’t feel like a priority. Did you?”

        “Yeah.”

        “Oh.” Ouch. “Sorry.”

        “It’s okay, baby.”

“I’ll make an appointment first thing after the holiday.”

“In the meantime, I’m going to start stockpiling condoms.”

“You might as well buy stock at this point.”

He laughed, but he didn’t disagree.

***

She was thankful that Monday was only a half day at work. It was Christmas Eve, but more than that, she was exhausted after Noah had had her on every surface in the apartment. Plus, she decided that ten o’clock on a Sunday night was the ideal time to whip together some Christmas cookies for Abel and Marissa. She hadn’t gotten either of them gifts because she hadn’t been working with them long, and she didn’t feel like she knew them well enough yet. She didn’t want to make things awkward. But, she’d wanted to do something, both as a kind gesture in the spirit of the holiday and to say thank you for giving her a job and the opportunity to get back on her own two feet.

So, arms loaded down with peanut butter blossoms, chocolate peppermint cookies, and molasses cookies, she said a silent thank you that someone, probably Marissa, had already arrived and unlocked the front door.

The morning moved slowly since it was the day before a major holiday and most folks had avoided scheduling anything. A St. Bernard came in for a wound recheck and Mrs. Kepner, who was close to ninety but didn’t look a day over seventy, brought in her cat with an abscess tooth. Emma Jean powered through her data entry and paperwork in the hopes that if she was able to get ahead of the curve she might be able to leave a little early. Noah was expecting her home around noon, but she had some last minute shopping to do she didn’t want him privy to.

Thankfully, the tides were flowing in her favor. At eleven o’clock, Dr. Fetterman appeared in front of her desk with an envelope. “Merry Christmas, Emma Jean,” he said, handing the envelope over to her. “Now, get the heck out of here.”

“Merry Christmas, Dr. Fetterman.”

He turned, one brow arched.

“Abel,” she corrected herself.

Tearing into the envelope, she gasped at what was inside. The memo line of the three hundred dollar check said ‘Christmas bonus.’ Tears of gratitude welled in her eyes. She’d only been working for Dr. Fetterman for a few weeks. There was no way she’d earned such a bonus, which only proved once again that Abel Fetterman was a truly good man.

Pulling herself together, she also pulled on her coat. She shut down her computer and gave her desk a quick once over before practically skipping to her car. She was on a mission, and she had just enough time to pull it off, assuming the holiday traffic wasn’t too much of a cluster. The stars must have been aligned because she made it to O’Shea’s, the general store, much faster than she’d anticipated.

O’Shea’s was a family-owned store, and despite the fact that their prices were a little higher than the average big box store, the residents of Medicine Wheel preferred to shop there. It’s welcoming atmosphere and friendly staff were two big reasons for this. Plus, the O’Shea’s were longtime residents of Medicine Wheel, and the town liked to take care of their own. Plus, being a cross between a grocer, a pharmacy, and a gift shop, it was a convenient one stop shop for day to day needs.

The tinkling chimes over the door heralded her arrival. Giving a quick wave to the woman behind the counter, she made her way to the back of the store until she hit the small kitchen wares section. Being a small section, there wasn’t much of a selection to choose from, but she found what she needed and made her way to the register to pay, snatching a couple of things off a gift display as she went.

“Did you find everything you needed today, love?” The young woman behind the register had an Irish lilt, which wasn’t surprising seeing as how the O’Sheas originally hailed from Ireland, but Emma Jean didn’t recognize her despite the fact that Medicine Wheel was a small town and they appeared to be close in age.

“I did, thank you.” She watched the young woman ring up her purchases and handed over her debit card. Then, before she could think better of it, she asked, “Are you new here?”

The woman brushed her strawberry blond curls out of her face. “Yes,” she smiled. “What gave it away?”

Emma Jean would have worried that she’d offended the woman if it weren’t for the twinkle in her eye. “Medicine Wheel is a small town is all,” she said by way of explanation. “And I’ve lived here my whole life.”

The woman nodded in understanding, smiling. “Aye.” She held out her hand. “Name’s Ryan. Ryan Flanagan. And yes, before you say anything else, I’m aware you Americans believe Ryan to be a gent’s name, but I assure you, it can go both ways.”

“You sound like you’ve recited that a lot.”

“Ye’ve no idea,” she said conspiratorially.

“Well, for what it’s worth, I think it’s a lovely name.”

“Of course, you do. You’re obviously a highly intelligent and worldly woman,” Ryan declared.

Emma Jean snorted. “I’m not so sure about  that , but thank you for saying so.” She gathered up her bag and bid Ryan farewell with a bright smile.

She genuinely liked the woman and considered chatting her up next time she was in the store. If she was new in town, she might want a friend, and after being under Cody’s thumb for so long, Emma Jean was all about expanding her social circle. She’d been popular in high school, but that was a long time ago. Many of those friends had either gone off to college or otherwise moved out of town. Besides, people changed. Who’s to say that she’d still be friends with those people even if they had stuck around. She missed being a part of a group. Having Noah and Tally back was a great start, and she’d be content if that was all she was blessed with, but she was thankful that it wasn’t. She got along well with Fiona, and she’d like to think of Abel as a friend, even if he was her boss. And, now it seemed like she was determined to bring Ryan into the fold. She smiled to herself as she climbed into the backseat of her car. She had to put her project together before she went home.

***

That evening, after dinner, Emma Jean was trying to decide on a movie for them to watch while Noah filled up the dishwasher.

“Actually, we have plans, so the movie will have to wait,” he said, coming up behind her.

“We do?”

“Yep.” He smiled crookedly. “We’re going out, so I need you to go upstairs and change into something comfortable and warm ‘cause we’re going to be outside.”

“Where are we going?”

He kissed her. “It’s a surprise, so play along.”

She pursed her lips, amused by his playful energy, but moved to do as instructed. She changed into a pair of jeans and her thickest, warmest sweater and came back downstairs to find Noah standing by the back door holding her coat, hat, and scarf.

He held the coat out to her. “Bundle up, baby.”

She put her boots back on first before taking the rest of her cold weather gear and suiting up. Once they were both wrapped in layers, Noah ushered her into his car and drove them to Tally’s. The ice and snow crunched under her feet as Noah lead her out toward the barn.

“Noah, what’s going on?” She was intrigued by what he might have up his sleeve, and her breath caught with the anticipation that fluttered in her chest.

“Patience, baby, it’s almost time.”

As they came upon the barn, she saw Tally and Tally’s general laborer, Carter, standing next to the giant horse-drawn sleigh that Hawkins Stable just started utilizing. They offered sleigh rides to townspeople and tourists alike. The sleigh could hold up to six people and had quickly become a popular attraction in Medicine Wheel. Of course, it helped that Tally’s land was vast and picturesque, so folks enjoyed touring it no matter the season.

“Welcome to Hawkins Stables,” Tally said as they approached. “I’m your host, Tally, and this is your chauffeur for the evening, Carter.”

Emma Jean snickered at her friend’s atrocious attempt at a British accent.

“Shall we?” Tally nodded in the sleigh’s direction, and Noah helped Emma Jean into the last red velvet covered seat in the back. The seat in the middle remained empty as Carter lumbered into the front seat to steer the horses.

Emma Jean peered through the darkness, her vision aided by the full moon above. “And who’s doing all the work tonight?”

“That would be Thatcher and Willow, ma’am,” Carter supplied.

“Please enjoy this complimentary hot chocolate during your ride.” Tally handed over the two travel mugs she’d been holding. “This one is for Ems; it’s got extra marshmallows in it.” Tally gave her a wink, holding up a travel mug with a picture of a horse wearing a party hat. Underneath the picture, it said ‘Rein it in, party people.’ Emma Jean chortled at the pun.

With their hot chocolate in hand and a cozy blanket tucked around their laps, Emma Jean and Noah set off of their moonlit sleigh ride with Carter at the reins. She snuggled into Noah’s side as they passed acres of pasture into the cluster of aspen before reaching the creek and circling back. The frozen night air bit at their faces, but they paid no attention to it. Emma Jean had her wide-eyed gaze on the beauty surrounding them, but Noah only had eyes for his Emmie.

Feeling the weight of his stare, she turned her face into his, brushing her lips against his whisker-roughened jaw. “This is so romantic, Noah. Thank you.”

He slid a gloved finger under her chin and tilted her head so he had her eyes. “I love you, Emma Jean.”

“I love you too, Noah. Always.” She barely got the last word out before his lips crashed into hers. They were making out like teenagers when Carter pulled the sleigh back up alongside the barn.

“Well, looks like that went well.” Tally’s voice penetrated their cocoon, and they separated slowly, not yet ready to let go of each other.

“Thanks for your help, Tal,” Noah said, helping Emma Jean down from the sleigh.

“Sure thing.” She looped her arm through her brother’s as the three of them walked to the car. “I’m sure Tuck will have Luke and me up at the buttcrack of dawn tomorrow, so come on over anytime after the rooster crows. We’ll do breakfast first, then presents. Dinner won’t be until six, though, so you can leave after presents and come back later if you have other plans.”

“Sounds perfect. We’ll be here for breakfast for sure,” he agreed.

“Great. I gotta go help Carter get the horses settled. See you tomorrow.” They exchanged hugs and smiles before parting ways.