Christmas Kisses with My Cowboy - Diana Palmer Page 0,97

to go?”

“Yes,” she said as her head shook in betrayal. “No. I don’t know, maybe. He’s leaving in a week anyway, so maybe it’s better this way, before I become too invested.”

What was she talking about? She was already so invested her heart felt as if it was pieced together by twice-used Scotch tape, ready to fall apart at the slightest breeze.

Her friends gave her identical looks of disbelief.

“You know we’ll support you, no matter what,” Shelby said. “But take it from someone who almost lost the best two things in her life. Relationships that really matter take work. I was so afraid of getting hurt or hurting the people I loved, I thought it would be easier to walk away. It wasn’t.”

“My whole life, I’ve been the one to put in the work,” Faith said, forbidding the tears to fall. “With my dad, my mom, and even though I love him to pieces, with Pax. For once, I want to feel what it’s like to have someone work for me. To know they think I’m worth the effort.”

“Sweetie,” Shelby said. “You are such a treasure. I don’t know how I would have survived these past few years without you.”

In a rare sign of emotion, Gina slipped her arm around Faith’s shoulder. “You know that we love you, right?” The three of them did a group hug that had Faith sniffling. “Who needs men when you’ve got girlfriends like us?”

“I do,” Shelby said. “But you guys are pretty great, too.”

They laughed and Faith breathed in the sweet scent of gingerbread and friendship. Noah had been right about one thing. Faith wasn’t alone. She’d made a family of her own. People who loved her as she was, and always had her back.

“I heard someone here hasn’t had their hot cocoa yet.”

Faith looked up to find Noah standing at her booth, with two steaming cups in hand and a heavy expression. Her heart pounded against her rib cage, as if it was trying to escape. Which was exactly what Faith considered doing. She started to stand, and a steady hand came down on either shoulder, holding her in place.

“You’re worth it,” Shelby whispered, not letting Faith get up. “But you’ll never know if you run.”

“I’m not above chasing,” Noah said quietly.

Faith took in his long legs and knew he could easily outpace her. “It doesn’t really seem like a hot cocoa–appropriate day.”

“That’s on me.” He set the paper cups down and took off his hat. “And something I’d sure like to fix. Because if you allow me the chance, I’ll make sure every day is a hot cocoa–appropriate day for you.”

Faith was having a hard time seeing through the growing moisture. “You won’t be here every day.”

“No, probably not,” he admitted. “But I’m thinking of putting in for a transfer.”

“To Sweet?”

“Yeah I’m hoping to spend more time with this amazing woman I met. Actually, it was more of a reconnection and I told her I wanted to court her, then acted like a jerk. Making her feel as if I didn’t trust her. Treated her feelings like an afterthought when she’s my every thought.”

Gina gave him a hard look. “Big words for a man who should wear a Bah Humbug shirt to alert people that his superpower is ruining Christmas.”

“Gina,” Faith scolded.

“She’s right,” Noah said. “I should have believed you when you said Pax was innocent. Because he is.”

Faith gasped. “What do you mean?”

“Turns out the eyewitness was Decalin Beaumont. He knew how the toys disappeared because he got hold of his dad’s key to the storage room at the community center and took them and the money. Then sold Pax his old laser gun set.”

“Why didn’t Pax say that? And where did he get the money in the backpack?” When she’d left Pax at home, it was with strict instructions not to leave the house until she returned. And when she did, they were going to have a serious come-to-Jesus meeting.

“I’ll let Pax tell you the rest. Just know that he wasn’t lying. Another person reluctantly came forward to confirm that Pax earned every penny of the money we found.”

“Reluctantly? As in you brought him to the station?”

Noah neither confirmed nor denied it, but she knew he was the reason Pax’s Christmas might still be saved.

“All this because someone made a false statement, fingering my brother?” Faith wondered how one person could cause so much devastation and harm. It hadn’t even been more than a few hours since she’d opened her