One Silent Night (Romeo Family Romance #9) - Jennifer Youngblood Page 0,30

won’t mess it up.

7

As Noelle got out of her car, the wind picked up, sending shivers through her body. She pulled her coat tighter around herself. The wind caught the door, swinging it back. With a swift push, she closed the door and used the clicker to lock it. Dark, low clouds filled the sky, pressing together like they were getting ready to dump snow. Snow was in the forecast. All morning long, during her shift at the salon, women had been jabbering excitedly about how they hoped it would snow during the Christmas Festival.

It was a little after one p.m. Noelle had gone into the salon at eight while Birdie watched Aiden. Saturdays were a critical time to pick up new clients who worked full-time jobs and couldn’t get to the salon during the week. Noelle didn’t know what she would do without her aunt. Birdie had been picking up Aiden from school every day and watching him until Noelle got home from work. Aiden loved it because Birdie often took him to get ice cream or to the ranch, where he could play with Madison.

In two short hours, Holden would be stopping by to pick her up so they could volunteer at the bake sale. Anticipation darted through her. She couldn’t deny that she was looking forward to spending time with him, but just as old friends, she kept reminding herself.

Things were starting to settle down at the salon. As promised, Birdie, Zoe, Briggs, Lemon, and Jaxson had all come in this week. Birdie had sent a few of her friends in, as well. Business was picking up for Noelle. And, thank goodness, she’d done a good job and managed to avoid any other hair disasters. The only downside to working at the salon was having to deal with Meredith who was as catty as ever.

Meredith took great pleasure in getting Noelle to do as much grunt work as possible. Noelle had lost count of the number of times she’d swept up Meredith’s station or sanitized Meredith’s hairstyling and cutting tools. The good news was that now that Noelle’s clientele was picking up, she would be too busy to be at Meredith’s beck and call.

Hugging her arms, Noelle opened the gate on the picket fence and walked up the sidewalk. She felt the cold ping of one snowflake and then another. Aiden would be excited about the snow. Something she couldn’t define caught her attention. Her skin prickled with unease as she glanced around. Was someone watching her? Her senses went on full alert as her heart picked up its pace. Her throat went dry as she swallowed. She took an assessment of the other houses on the street. Not a single person was outside, and there were no cars passing by. And yet, Noelle had the distinct impression that someone was watching her.

Birdie lived in the historical section of town, a safe and well-kept area. Built in 1920, the two-story home with its spacious front porch and careful attention to architectural details exuded grace and charm. The lap-siding was painted khaki and the trim a creamy white. It wasn’t just the house itself but also the setting—the large beefy trees and mature landscaping—that was so impressive. The neighborhood normally spoke of peace and tranquility, which is why Noelle’s sense that something was off screamed so loudly.

Relief swept through her as she stepped onto the front porch and quickly went through the front door, making sure to lock it behind her. Birdie routinely left her doors unlocked. Noelle was starting to think that might not be wise. Noelle edged over to the window and lifted a slat of the plantation shutter. Again, she scoped the area. Nothing.

Was she imagining things? Earlier in the week, after leaving the ranch, Noelle had questioned Birdie about the comment Zoe had made—about Birdie feeling like she was being watched. Birdie had brushed aside the topic, saying that she was probably just being paranoid. “It only happened once, as I was going into the garage,” Birdie said. “It could have been one of the neighbors, watching from a window. Unless it happens again, I’m not going to worry about it.”

But Birdie had been concerned enough about the incident to mention it to Zoe. And now, it had happened to Noelle. The TV was on in the den. Removing her coat, Noelle went in that direction. She found Birdie sitting on the sectional, her cellphone pressed to her ear. Aiden was on the floor,