“I am. I canceled out on Mom—told her I was meeting an old friend.”

“Did she ask any questions?”

“No, but I could tell she was disappointed. I do so hope we’re successful.”

“Me, too. Listen, I’ve got news.” Thom told her about the old photograph and what his father had said earlier. He hoped it would encourage Noelle, but she seemed disheartened when she spoke again.

“If your parents searched all these years, what are the chances of us finding a replacement now?”

“We’ll just keep working on it. I’m not giving up, and I’m guessing you feel the same way.”

“I do—of course.”

“Good. How soon before we can meet?”

“Fifteen minutes.”

“I’ll wait for you at my parents’ place.”

On his way out the door, Thom grabbed the list Martha, his secretary, had compiled and when he read it over, he knew why he paid this woman top dollar. Not only had she given him the name and address of every store in the entire state, she’d also listed their Web sites and any other Internet information.

“Merry Christmas,” he said, then gave her the rest of the day off with pay.

Noelle was already parked outside his parents’ house when Thom arrived. She got out of her car and joined him as he pulled into the driveway.

“Hi,” she said softly.

Thom leaned over and kissed her. “Hi.” The key to the house was under a decorative rock. He unlocked the door and turned off the burglar alarm. Holding Noelle’s hand, he led her into his parents’ home.

Noelle stopped in the entryway and glanced around. It’d been many, many years since she’d walked into this house. It wasn’t really familiar—everything had been redecorated and repainted since she was a little girl—but the place had a comfortable relaxed feel. Big furniture dominated the living room, hand-knit stockings hung on the fireplace and the mantel was decorated with holly. The scent of the fresh Christmas tree filled the air.

“Your mother has a wonderful eye for color and design,” she commented, taking in the bright red bows on the tree and all the red ornaments.

Still holding her hand, Thom led her into his father’s den. The oak rolltop desk sat in the corner, and Thom immediately started searching through the bottom drawer. He found the stack of photographs his father had mentioned and sorted through them with Noelle looking over his shoulder. She leaned against him, and he wondered if she realized how good it felt to have her pressed so close to him. Or how tempting it was to turn and kiss her…

“That’s it,” she cried triumphantly when he flipped past a black-and-white picture. She grabbed it before he had a chance to take a second look. Examining the print, she murmured, “It really was exquisite, wasn’t it?” She passed it back to him.