Chapter 10 New Rules

While Noelle and Nash were perched in the open doorway of the ambulance, giving their statements to the police, another 911 call came through the radios the paramedics were carrying.

"Got an expectant mother in premature labor." The address given was none other than that of Bear Mountain Ranch!

"It's Shelly," Noelle gasped, struggling to stand. "We have to get to the hospital. I promised her."

By now, the paramedics had removed Nash's half-melted bionic prosthesis and were snugly wrapping his upper arm to protect the puckered, blistered skin and ward off infection.

"Any chance you can get us to the hospital?" Nash directed his question to the nearest paramedic.

The guy chuckled. "You've definitely earned yourself a ticket to the ER, Mr. Carson. Hop on in!"

The team of paramedics insisted on hooking both him and Noelle up to I.V.s on the drive back to town, assuring them they were only doing it as a precaution. "You'll both be as right as rain in two snaps."

Despite his promise, the paramedic's expression was sober as he radioed ahead to alert the medical staff about Nash's burns. Nash wasn't too worried about it. They'd appeared to be in the first or second-degree range. Nothing he wouldn't quickly recover from. They'd applied a local anesthetic, so he wasn't in much pain.

A few hours later, Shelly gave birth to her son three weeks and two days ahead of his due date. The infant was surprisingly filled out despite his early arrival into the world. He was just shy of six pounds and was pronounced in perfect health after a careful examination.

"We might have to wait a few more weeks for those dimples," Noelle sighed from her perch in her wheelchair beside Shelly's bed. She'd been allowed to follow her friend to the recovery room. After the boy's weeping parents, she'd been the very next person allowed to hold the precious bundle.

Nash watched her from the doorway of the hospital room with his heart in his eyes. With her usual penchant for putting others' needs above her own, Noelle still had an I.V. in her arm. Instead of working toward her own discharge, she'd expended her efforts on convincing the nursing supervisor in the E.R. that it was vital to Shelly's wellbeing to first be escorted to the young mother's hospital room. Nash was beginning to see the appeal of living in a small town where everybody knew everybody.

He'd insisted they take out his own I.V. and discharge him after treating his burns. They were as mild as he'd originally assumed. He was in need of a shower and a new bionic arm. Other than that, he was fine.

More than fine.

The sight of Noelle holding Shelly's infant son nearly stole the breath right out of his lungs.

"Ooo, someone else is catching the baby bug," Shelly chortled tiredly from her pile of pillows and blankets. She wasn't looking at Noelle, though. She was looking at him, and she wasn't wrong.

He wanted it all with Noelle —marriage, babies, and the happily-ever-after she'd helped him believe was possible. The next step was popping the big question, and he already knew exactly how he was going to do it.

June

Not once hadNoelle ever anticipated a birthday with this much pent-up excitement. Her childhood had been a lonely one. Her college years had been spent studying her brains out and working her fingers to the bone on one internship after another. This year's birthday, however, she was going to get to spend with her dearest friends in the world.

And Nash. The man her heart belonged to.

She'd been unashamedly clinging to his new bionic hand the entire drive to Bear Mountain Ranch, trying to ignore his younger brothers' endless string of pithy comments from the backseat.

"Just friends, huh?" Flint leaned over the seat cushion to give their joined hands another mocking look.

"Very good friends," Nash assured with a wink at Noelle.

"Friends who hold hands," Noelle tossed in a demure voice over her shoulder. She nearly spoiled it by bursting into laughter.

"And kiss now and then," her boyfriend drawled.

"So, it's official?" Ames quirked his eyebrows at them in confusion. "You two are finally dating?"

"I didn't say that." Nash caught her eye.

"You implied it," Flint growled. He sounded like he was fast growing tired of their game. He wanted answers.

"We agreed to a friendship pact before I left the hospital in Phoenix." Looking back now, he was overwhelmed with gratitude over the timing of her proposal. She'd given him something positive to think about in the middle of so much pain and grief. She'd also given him something to look forward to. Something that had led them to a much brighter here and now.

"You agreed to what?" Ames sounded dubious. He lifted his Stetson to run a hand through his tousled blonde waves, tousling them even further.

"Basically, it's been my job to protect your brother from the perils of a rebound relationship," Noelle explained, chuckling. "And he's been doing the same for me." That was the understatement of the year. She shuddered at the memory of Ellison Faust forcing her into his car at gunpoint.

"For you? That's understandable." Flint jabbed a thumb in his oldest brother's direction next. "For him?" He made a scoffing sound. "Just for the record, he's never gotten this sweaty and cranky over any other woman he's dated. You're the first."

Though Nash looked ready to throttle him, Noelle blushed hotly at the implication of his words. In his own way, Flint had just revealed to her that this was the first time Nash had ever truly been in love. It was both humbling and breathtaking.

"I love him, too," she confessed softly. It was time to put Ames and Flint out of their misery. They'd been kept in the dark long enough. "So much," she added, gently squeezing her boyfriend's fingers.

He laced them together, anchoring her hand more fully against his. His new bionic arm felt more lifelike than the last one. He'd been chosen to participate in some cutting edge medical treatment group. His new prosthesis felt so real that sometimes she forgot that it wasn't. The special formula used to make the outer sleeve was just the right balance of suppleness — a near perfect match to the skin on his left arm. The internal elements contained a heating mechanism that adjusted the temperature of his arm to match that of his normal body temperature. Even more remarkable was the fact that the arm had been programmed to interact with the nerve endings in his bicep to send messages to the bionic elbow, wrist, and hand below. He now had much better control over his movements, a truly miraculous medical advancement.

"Oh, wow! That's an awful lot of cars!" Noelle stared in amazement out the window as they reached the Hofstetter residence. It was located adjacent to the Bear Mountain Ranch grounds. Two other farmhouses shared the same street —the one Brady and his wife owned and the one Brady and Shelly's parents lived in.

Though Shelly was still on maternity leave, she'd insisted on hosting what she promised would be a small, cozy birthday gathering. From the number of cars crammed into her and Chad's driveway, plus the additional cars lining the road in front of her house, Noelle wasn't sure that her idea of small and cozy matched Shelly's idea of small and cozy. She could only hope that the new mama of three wasn't overdoing it.

Nash parked on the street at the head of the long line of cars. He, Noelle, and his brothers walked together to the front door of Shelly and Chad's home. Shelly pulled open the door before they could knock or tap the doorbell button — a much slimmer, less swollen version of her. She was fast recovering from her pregnancy.

"You made it!" She threw her arms around Noelle. "Happy, happy, happy birthday to you, my friend!" She was still hugging her as she tugged her further inside the house.

"Surprise!" A roomful of voices chorused the word as her friends jumped like jack-in-the-boxes from their hiding places behind a scattering of couches and chairs across the great room.

Noelle jolted in amazement, then started chuckling. "Thank you, everyone! Thank you so much for coming." She gave Shelly another squeeze hug before letting her go to gaze around them in awe. It felt like half the town had shown up for the occasion. Brady and Adeline were there, of course. So were Laura and Lucy, plus Angel and Willa Castellano and several of the rodeo riders from the dinner theater cast. It was a full house.

Noelle was deeply moved by how much trouble Shelly had gone to on her behalf. She'd ordered a massive three-tiered confetti cake and a charcuterie board for their guests. Noelle suspected they'd been prepared by the five-star culinary staff at Castellano's. It was a feast fit for royalty.

Gift bags and boxes erupted like a small volcano from a table to the right of the cake. Just looking at all the brightly wrapped packages made her heart swell. Never before had she felt so adored. So accepted. Unlike the first time she'd lived and worked in Pinetop, it felt like she finally belonged there.

Though she wasn't the least bit hungry, her friends insisted she grab the first plate and start the food line. She made herself take a few small token bites, too excited and happy to consume more. It was like a dream she never wanted to end.

After everyone finished eating, Nash nudged her into a chair by the gift table that Shelly had tied an enormous red bow around, a clear sign that it had been designated for the birthday girl. He handed her an oblong box about a foot and a half long and nearly as tall. "I want you to open my gift first."

"It's so beautiful!" She settled in her chair, clutching the gorgeous box. It was almost too pretty to tear into. The lovely vintage watercolor wrapping paper was tied with a green velvet ribbon and a few narrower strips of white beaded ribbons.

She untied the ribbons first and let them drape against her lap. Then she oh-so-carefully pulled open the first tab of wrapping paper.

"We're going to be here until Christmas," Flint groaned. Ames elbowed him back into silence.

When she finally got the package open, she was enchanted by the hand-carved box that lay inside. "Oh, wow, Nash!" She lifted the wooden box, surprised by how heavy it felt. What could possibly be inside it that weighed so much?

As she tipped up the lid to take her first peek, the tinkling sounds of a classic Christmas carol filled her ears. It was The First Noel.

My name. She instinctively knew it wasn't a coincidence.

She lifted the lid higher and stared, mesmerized, at the nativity scene unfolding before her. Intricately carved shepherds, sheep, and wise men spun and danced around Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, and the angel hovering behind them. The figurines were painted in such intrinsic detail that she was certain it was the Lee sisters' work.

Something round glinted like fire from the angel's hand. It had been tied there by an ultra thin, nearly translucent metallic thread.

A ring?"Nash?" She looked at him to confirm that she was seeing what she thought she was seeing. You bought me a ring?

He took a knee in front of her. "Our friendship means the world to me. I don't ever want to give it up. But I think we can set a few new ground rules and make it even better." His voice grew husky with emotion. "Will you marry me and be my best friend…for life?"

"Yes!" Her hands flew to her heart. "I would be honored," she whispered. She watched through a haze of tears as he gently moved the heirloom music box from her lap to the table. He deftly untied the engagement ring and reached for her left hand to slide the square diamond onto her ring finger.

"It's stunning!" She reached for him. "I love it. And you." She cupped his face in her hands and leaned in to touch her lips reverently to his. A wistful sigh rose from a few of their friends.

Nash curled a hand around the back of her neck and slanted his mouth over hers, deepening the kiss. Their friends started to clap and cheer. The kiss went on and on.

Flint cleared his voice loudly, unable to go long without being the center of attention. "Is it just me, or does it look like these two very good friends have done this before?"

His words were met with knowing chuckles.

Nash drew back to run his thumb over Noelle's lower lip. "Guess we weren't fooling too many people."

She felt smiles spilling out of her like sunshine. It was possible his brothers had figured out they were in love before they'd figured it out themselves.

Though nobody seemed in a hurry to leave, Noelle didn't want to wear Shelly to a ribbon. As soon as she finished opening her birthday gifts, she started hinting about leaving.

"I want my baby fix before I go, though, pretty please." She folded her hands beneath her chin in a pleading gesture, loving how her diamond engagement ring caught the rays of the setting sun from the nearest window.

"I was about ready to go check on the babysitter." Chad Hofstetter disappeared from the room and returned a few minutes later, proudly cuddling their latest squirming bundle against his shoulder. Baby Landry looked so tiny against his tall lumberjack frame. His brown beard brushed the infant's nose as he pressed a kiss to the top of his silky head.

His expression was one of enormous pride as he handed his son to Noelle. "Fair warning. He's got a pretty good left hook on him."

"Oh, and don't let him get too close to your earrings." Shelly winced and touched one of her earlobes. "I made that mistake once." She buzzed around Noelle like a happy bee. "You totally want one," she hissed.

"I totally do," Noelle sighed, burying her face against the baby's powder-scented neck. "He smells so good."

"At the moment," Shelly chuckled. "Like every other male, he can get pretty raunchy at times."

"That's my boy!" Chad, who'd clearly overheard her comment, slung an arm around his wife's shoulders. He bent his head to nuzzle her cheek. "Thanks for giving me another son."

She pouted up at him. "You're just glad that the boys outnumber the girls in our family now."

He dove in for a quick, hard kiss on her lips. "I'm game for evening up our numbers anytime you want, darling."

"Chad!" She snorted out a laugh. "We have company!"

"It's okay," he assured her with an unholy wink. "I was about to run them off, anyway."

After that, their friends flocked over to say their goodbyes to both Noelle and their lovely hostess.

Soon, it was just Noelle, Nash, his brothers, and the Hofstetters left in the room.

"I am so grateful for everything you did today. There are no adequate words," Noelle gushed as she reluctantly handed Landry back to his mama. "I can't believe you did all of this." She fluttered her hands at the room. "For me."

"How could I not?" Shelly murmured the words against her son's cheek. "You went to a lot of trouble to be there for me when this little guy made his early appearance." Her eyes were glistening when she raised her head. "You were in the ER yourself, for pity's sake! I'll never forget it."

Noelle's eyes grew damp as well at the memory. "You and Landry managed to turn the worst day of my life into something beautiful. For that, I will always be grateful."

"We could stand here and mush all over each other until we're old and gray…" Flint edged into their tight circle with a playful waggle of his eyebrows to tug Noelle toward the front door. "Yo, Nash," he called over his shoulder. "Come get your woman and go."

Nash gave him a dark look from the other side of the room where he and Ames were gathering armfuls of birthday gifts to carry to the truck.

Noelle dug her elbow into Flint's side. "Are you going to help them or what?"

"Nope." He pressed an extra noisy kiss to her cheek. "The best thing I can do for Nash right now is let him carry his own weight."

Nash must have overhead Flint's comment as he strode in their direction. "How about we let you walk home, Mr. Unhelpful?"

"On second thought…" With a wink at Noelle, Flint hurried deeper into the room to grab a load of gifts.

Nash dropped his brothers off at their ski lodge first. Then he drove three doors down and pulled into the driveway of a much larger chalet — two full stories of cedar walls, windowed outsets, and balconies.

"This is really nice!" She shot Nash a curious look. "Who lives here?"

"Nobody at the moment." He reached for her hand and brought it to his lips. "I talked to the realtor about it yesterday and told her I'd bring you here this evening for our first walk through." He kissed her fingers. "Assuming you said yes to the question I asked you earlier."

"You want to purchase a home for us in Pinetop?" Noelle wasn't sure she'd heard right.

"I'm open to the idea." He lowered their joined hands back to the console between them. "The Castellanos have offered to make us a prominent part of their Christmas show this year. If we accept their offer, we're going to need a more permanent place to hang our hats while we divide our time between here and Texas."

She exhaled slowly as she absorbed his words. "So you're not selling Canyon Creek Ranch?" It was a relief to hear it.

"Definitely not," he assured. "Remember, Ames has a pilot's license, so we can jet between here and Dallas anytime we need to."

She nodded thoughtfully. "How do he and Flint feel about spending more time in Pinetop?" Her own feelings on the topic were mixed. As much as she'd enjoyed getting to spend time with Shelly and the baby, the rift between her and her parents had grown even wider.

"Believe it or not, they're pretty sold on it." He gave a dry chuckle. "I suspect our friendship with the Lee sisters has sweetened the deal. Plus, they claim they're having more fun than they expected, not having to risk incurring a major injury every time they step into the ring. None of us intended to ride broncs forever."

A mid-sized white SUV pulled into the driveway beside them.

"That's our realtor." Nash smiled tenderly at her. "You ready to do some house shopping, babe?"

"I'm ready." She blew him a flirty kiss. "I like our new ground rules, Nash." As she reached for the door handle, he abruptly tugged her back in his direction.

"Which one?" His voice was low and teasing. "The part about getting to kiss me in public now?"

"Definitely that one." Her voice was dreamy. "And getting to tell you how much I love you anytime I want to." During her abduction, she'd been terrified she might've missed her final chance.

"Tell me again," he begged huskily.

"I love you, Nash Carson." She gazed deeply into his eyes. "Always and forever." She would never get tired of telling him that, and never get tired of seeing his expression soften when she did.

"I love you, too." He kissed her with his eyes as he reluctantly let her go. "Let's do this, babe." Joy glowed in his gaze as he pushed his door open and stepped into the mountain breeze.