“Definitely. Looking forward to having the gang back together,” Nick said before heading back inside.
Noel stared at that cherry-red door for several beats. What was that? There’d been years of sleepovers, joint family vacations, and even shared holidays with Nick and never had she noted the softness of his lips.
She spun away from the front of the house and made her way down the snow-covered sidewalk. Even as she climbed into her car, her thoughts dwelled on her reaction to Nick’s casual kiss goodbye.
It wasn’t the first time Nick kissed her, of course. He’d pressed his mouth to the top of her head earlier and countless times before that, but against the skin of her cheek it left a warm impression, as though branding her with his touch. It was the oddest sensation, especially because it was Nick!
Nick, who used to love playing Barbies with her, although he denied it as an adult. Who’d cleaned up her skinned knee and blown on the wound to ease the sting.
She rubbed her cheek with a laugh. The Winterses were a very affectionate group. They were always hugging, kissing, and enjoying the closeness. The kiss meant nothing to Nick. Or to her.
So why had a simple peck on the cheek made her react so unexpectedly?
Because Nick is the only man in your life who shows you affection?
The thought was true. She hadn’t had a real boyfriend in years and the casual encounters with Trip were basically wham-bam-boom. Not a lot of snuggle time in between.
That was on her though. She’d been telling herself for years that she was too busy for a real relationship, but in truth, she just didn’t like getting close to others. Letting people into her heart led to the pain of losing them. The Winterses were already hers before she shut herself off from the world, but it just seemed like a hard leap to open up her emotions to anyone new.
If she were being honest though, it was strange picking Nick up from the airport after years without him, knowing he was home for good. They’d shared Facetime calls, Snapchat, and texts, but without thousands of miles between them, what would Nick say when he realized she’d become a holiday hermit?
Noel climbed into the car and turned the heater on full blast, rubbing her hands together. Even the short walk from the house had turned her fingers to icicles. Before she put her car into drive, she slipped the CD into her player and tapped through to number seven.
Britney Spears’s “My Only Wish” blasted through the speakers and Noel laughed. Her favorite Christmas song. When they were eleven, Noel choreographed a dance to it and Nick laughed so hard he’d curled up on his side, holding his stomach until she pounced on him.
Singing the lyrics loudly on the way to her apartment, it startled her when Lizzo’s “Truth Hurts” interrupted her personal serenade. She tapped the answer button on her steering wheel without looking at the number, because she’d only assigned one person that ringtone.
“Hey babes, what’s happening?”
“I’m engaged!” Gabby Montoya screamed through the speakers.
Noel’s jaw dropped. In any other universe, tomboy Noel and girly Gabby should have never been friends. When Gabby moved from Texas to Idaho their freshman year, she’d immediately been scooped up by the popular kids. Noel, an honor student who’d enjoyed tutoring, was paired with Gabby, who needed help catching up. Their instant connection was cosmic and they’d been inseparable ever since.
“Whoa, what?! That’s amazing. Congrats.”
“I know, right? We were just hanging out in Drew’s kitchen after his little brother’s birthday and suddenly, both our families are standing against the wall and he’s down on one knee telling me I’m the one. That he can’t live without me and then he whips out this gorgeous ring. I couldn’t stop crying, I was so happy. I still can’t believe it!”
“I can! Drew knew he needed to lock someone as fantastic as you down before you got snatched up and after the lengthy chase you gave, he wasn’t taking any chances.”
“Well, now I need a maid of honor. I want to get together tomorrow for lunch if you’re free? I promise to make it all official, but I can’t wait until then to ask.” Gabby released a dramatic sigh. “Noel Carter, will you be my MOH?”
“That depends,” Noel teased. “Can I have input in the bridesmaids’ dresses?”
“Nope.”
“Do my own makeup?”
“Uh-uh.”
“How about my hair?”
“Maybe.”
Noel laughed. “Eh, screw it, I’m in. You two settle on a date yet?”