Living on Snow Hope Island has its perks: it’s beautiful, the community is like a family, and if you’re an elf but find the North Pole too busy, it’s the ideal place. Still, Noel is lonely. He loves running Frosty’s Diner and he has a cat, but he wants more.
When Charlie Claus shows up on the island, Noel is instantly attracted to him. The more time Noel spends with him, the more he falls for Charlie. Would Charlie ever give up his life and move to the island permanently?
Same universe as Operation Toy Rescue and Operation Reindeer Rescue but can be read as a standalone.
With Noel and Charlie we get to see how the blending of contemporary and fantasy is what makes this universe something special. There is just the right tinge of normalcy and Christmas magic to satisfy both sides of the holiday coin. Their romantic journey in this holiday short is deliciously delightful. I don't know if the author has plans for future tales from Snow Hope Island and the North Pole but I do know that I'll be keeping an eye out next holiday season because finding these surprises really brightened up my holiday reading time.
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By the time the dinner rush was over, bone-tired. Gus stayed a little later than usual to help but Noel sent him home at eight when the last guest was heading out. He knew Gus’s wife was waiting for him -- they’d just married a few months ago and were still in that adorable honeymoon stage. Not that Noel was jealous about that. Not really. Perhaps a little. Maybe.
He was just starting to clean the grill when the bell rang again and without looking up, he knew it was Charlie. The air crackled and his heart thrummed in his ears as he pivoted slowly and found a snow-covered Charlie, still standing in the doorway, awkwardly hopping from one foot to the other.
Heat spread through him slowly, warming him from the inside out until he felt as if he were wrapped in a cozy fleece blanket. Pure happiness filled him and he wasn’t sure he’d ever experienced it like that before.
Their eyes locked for a moment and his chest tightened. Was Charlie feeling it too? Noel swallowed hard and mentally chided himself for briefly forgetting how to speak. Until Charlie let out a quiet chuckle and broke the moment.
Noel waved him in with a smile. “Hey, Charlie. I was really hoping you’d stop by. What can I get you?”
“Am I too late?” He stayed near the door, as if to leave if needed.
“No!” he answered, a little too loudly. “I mean, no, we don’t close for another hour. Come in and get warm.”
He stomped off the snow and came closer. “I meant to get in here earlier, but got busy working again and lost track of time. I do that a lot.”
Noel grabbed a towel and wiped down the counter, gesturing to a stool. “Well, no worries. I’ll fix you up with something warm -- whatever you’re in the mood for.” He bit back a grin at the way Charlie’s cheeks pinked up. Interesting ...
Charlie slipped his coat off and laid it across a stool and stood awkwardly at the bar, his eyes sweeping the empty diner. “Not too busy today?”
Noel braced his hands on the counter and leaned in close, noting a pale pink blush spread across Charlie’s face. He smelled like vanilla and mint and Noel wanted to breathe deep, but figured he might weird Charlie out, so he fought the urge. “It was busy earlier, but this time of year most of the islanders are off to bed early because they’re all up at the crack of dawn.”
Charlie met his gaze. “So am I messing up your schedule coming in late?”
“Like I said, you’re not late. And even if you were, as long as someone’s here, you’re always welcome.” His gaze fell to Charlie’s pink lips and then to his throat as Charlie swallowed hard. Noel smiled as he brought his eyes back to Charlie’s. “Especially if it’s me here,” he whispered and tried not to chuckle when Charlie’s blush deepened. God, the guy was adorable -- and so fun to flirt with.
Charlie chewed his lower lip as he slid onto a stool. “I’d hoped you would still be here,” he admitted softly as he met Noel’s gaze.
Noel’s heart leapt in his chest, but he tamped down the excitement. “Admit it, you just want me for my ham and Swiss sandwiches,” he teased, winking at him.
Charlie surprised him by flirting right back. “Who doesn’t want a man that can handle a griddle the way you do?” He asked coyly as he leaned his forearms on the counter.
Noel grinned. A confident Charlie was an even sexier Charlie. He leaned across the counter until they were only a few inches apart. “How can my griddle and I serve you?”
Monday Morning Menu
Sarah Hadley Brook lives smack-dab in the middle of the Heartland and is the mother of two wonderful young men, as well as two cats. During the day, she works in the nonprofit world, but reserves evenings for her hobby-turned-passion of writing, letting the characters she conjures in her mind take the lead and show her where the story will go. When not working or writing, she can be found reading, working on dollhouses, trying her hand at new recipes, or watching old movies and musicals. In her ideal world, Christmas would come at least twice a year, Rock Hudson and Doris Day would have costarred in more than three movies, and chocolate would be a daily necessity. She dreams of traveling to Scotland some day and visiting the places her ancestors lived. Sarah believes in “Happily Ever After” and strives to ensure her characters find their own happiness in love and life.
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Operation Reindeer Rescue
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