Page 49 of Home for Christmas in July

Without turning around, she waves her hand over her head in acknowledgment.

I shift my attention to Noelle, who’s staring down at the real, unopened clue. “This is your party, so you get to pick. We can head out to the sheriff’s department and report this guy or we can continue the scavenger hunt with the understanding that you do not take off on your own again. That means if we have to put it aside until I take care of Santa-related business, you wait.”

She exhales, long and slow. “This guy, whoever he is, is a creep and a jerk. But as far as I know, it’s not against the law to sabotage a scavenger hunt.”

“So you’re choosing Option B?”

“Option B,” she confirms.

“And no freelancing.”

“No freelancing,” she parrots dutifully.

I give her a grin and gesture toward the envelope. “What are you waiting for, then? Open it.”

CHAPTER 21

Noelle

My stomach is jumpy, my pulse is fluttery, and my heart is a drum. I need a mug of chamomile tea and a bubble bath. But what I have is a stalker and a scavenger hunt.

And a protector. I eye Nick. By rights, he should be at the inn getting ready for the weekend. Stocking the bar or practicing “ho, ho, hos” in the mirror. Or something. Instead, he’s appointed himself my guardian angel. And judging by his wide-legged defensive stance and fisted hands, not to mention the steel in his hazel eyes, he’s taking this job way too seriously.

“Open it,” he urges.

Right. The clue. I tear into the envelope making no effort to open it neatly. He leans closer to read the note over myshoulder, and his scent—somehow spicy and pine-fresh at the same time—fills my nose. I take what I hope is a subtle sniff and try to focus on the clue rather than the man brushing against my shoulder. It’s basically an impossible task.

You’re nearly done. Your final clue signals when an angel gets his wings.

I feel my brow scrunching up as I stare down at the words. Nick’s proximity must be scrambling my brain cells, because I’ve got nothing. I’m clueless, as it were.

I look up at him. “Any ideas?”

He drops his chin and gapes at me. “You’re kidding, right?”

I read the clue again. What am I missing? I return my attention to his face.

“No, I’m not kidding. I have no idea what this one means.” I try to concentrate. “An angel, apparently a male one. Maybe the topper on the tree in the town square? That’s an angel, isn’t it?”

He’s shaking his head before I even finish the sentence. “No. For one thing, the tree topper in December is an angel; the July tree topper is anangelfish.”

Right. The summer tree is decorated with, well, summery things.

“Oh, yeah.” I twist my mouth to the side and think.

He continues, “Besides, it’s obvious what this clue means. It’s the easiest one.”

I throw my hands wide. “Obviously it’s not obvious to me. Care to enlighten me?”

“It’s fromIt’s a Wonderful Life.You know, the Jimmy Stewart movie.”

“Okay, so what’s it mean?”

He’s side-eyeing me now. “You’ve seen the movie, right?”

“No. Actually, I haven’t.”

I wait for the reaction that this admission has garnered more than once over the years. There it is. His jaw hinges open and his eyes bug out.

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