Free Christmas on 4th Street (Fool's Gold Romance) by Susan Mallery

now.”
    “Thanks.”
    “You waiting on a woman?”
    He was, but didn’t want to have the conversation. It would mean explaining why and that would take both of them places they didn’t want to go. His father had spent his life in the military but had seen little actual combat. It was a timing thing. While Gabriel hadn’t been under live fire, except when the field hospitals were attacked, he’d been plenty close to what went on. Gideon had lived it, of course.
    Regardless, their father would feel he was one of them and want to talk about it. Gabriel had never been able to figure out what to say.
    “Just enjoying the morning,” he told his father.
    Norm nodded. “Beautiful country.”
    “So it seems.”
    “I heard you had a job in town.”
    Gabriel opened the travel mug and drank the hot coffee. Warmth filled his stomach. “Just for the holidays.”
    “Retail?”
    From the tone it was obvious his father thought retail was as distasteful as having to clean up the local dog park.
    “I like it.”
    His old man turned to him. “You can’t mean that. You’re a soldier.”
    “I’m a doctor and I’m not suggesting a career change. I have a lot of time on my hands. This is good, honest work. Different. Seeing people all excited about the holidays reminds me what the fight is about.”
    Most of the words were true, he thought with some surprise. He didn’t have enough to fill his day and the store was unexpectedly pleasant.
    “Just don’t get any ideas,” his father grumbled.
    “About?”
    Gabriel knew it was wrong to bait his father, but did it anyway, even as he continued to watch the driveway.
    “Leaving. You’re staying in.”
    “You asking or telling?”
    “Leaving’s not an option,” Norm told him. “You owe them.”
    “I’ve paid that debt. I gave the army what they asked in return for my education.”
    “It’s not enough. This isn’t about the letter of the law, it’s about the spirit. You have to do the right thing, boy. That’s how you were raised.”
    Gabriel drew in a breath, then faced his father. “You’re saying I can’t leave.”
    “Yes. Stay and get your twenty. You’ll still be young enough to get some fancy hospital job and earn your millions.” Each word dripped with distaste.
    “You think it’s about the money?”
    “What else? It’s like those jet jockeys who take their training to some airline. Disgusting. They should stay in until they’re released. Leaving isn’t right.”
    “You think service isn’t a choice? It’s indentured servitude, with pay and medical? Once you sign up, you’re in for life.”
    “That’s how it should be,” his father told him. “If you’re thinking of leaving before your twenty, you’re dishonoring this family. I should have known you’d be like this. You never understood the importance of what was right. Never understood the history you’d been born into. When I was your age—”
    Whichever of the stories he’d been about to launch into was cut short when Noelle drove around the corner. She managed to stay in the middle of the driveway, right until the end. Gabriel saw the triumph in her blue eyes. Then she hit the brakes a bit too hard and went sliding.
    He heard her shriek and guessed she was spinning the wheel too hard. Sure enough there was a sweep to the right, then to the left, all in slow motion. Her car came to a gentle rest against a snowbank by the porch.
    He stood and started toward her. Norm stayed on the porch, muttering something about female drivers.
    Noelle opened her car door and stepped out.
    “That is so unfair,” she yelled. “I was careful. I went slow and it was perfect right up until the end.”
    “You hit the brakes too hard.”
    She glared at him. “You think?” She turned and kicked her tire. “I’m not good at snow driving. Why is that?”
    Instead of answering, he put his travel mug on the roof of her car, then pulled her close. She had on a thick coat and a red knit cap. Her long,