“It’s going to be different,” Cat acknowledged, joining him at the window. “But different doesn’t have to mean worse. If anything, it’s going to mean a whole hell of a lot more to people after what you’ve all been through.”

Noah sighed and said nothing.

“You’re right to be skeptical, to be protective. Not every show that could have come in here would have Merry’s best interests at heart. But we do. I do.”

“I know what you were doing with Jasper,” Noah admitted. “I get it, and it’s nice of you.”

“What? Trying to get him to saw off his own arm for ratings because his family doesn’t have enough going on right now?”

“Sorry for that. I’m tired, stressed. I don’t usually take it out on people, but for some reason, your mere existence pushes my buttons.”

“Right back at you.”

“I wonder if I’d feel the same way in different circumstances?” Noah posited. Felipe padded into the room and rubbed up against Noah’s legs. Reluctantly, he bent to ruffle the cat’s ears.

“You mean if you didn’t have to watch me like a hawk to make sure I’m not ruining your town for advertising dollars?”

He straightened. “Pretty much, yeah.” His smile was wry, and when he looked at her like that, Cat felt a little hiccup zing through her blood. Noah Yates was a good-looking man. Too bad about the whole personality thing.

“Well, I guess we’re never going to find out, are we? Now let’s go get you mic-ed.”

“Mic-ed? Oh, no. I’m not participating.” Noah shook his head.

Cat smiled and showed her teeth. “The handsome city manager opening his home to his neighbors and a stray cat? Oh, yeah. You’re participating. And you’re going to hold Felipe in your lap.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Six weeks to Christmas Eve

Well, it had happened. Just as he’d known it would. Noah slammed the phone down into the receiver. The first episode of Merry’s Christmas had aired two days ago, and the calls hadn’t stopped. Volunteers offering their time, contractors who suddenly found openings in their schedule, businesses hoping to give Merry residents discounts on this and that.

Cat King was hell-bent on turning his life, his nice quiet town, into a circus.

And now he was the one fielding all the calls. Well that wasn’t going to fly. He had a job to do, a town to provide for. Noah didn’t need to be the network’s answering service.

He shoved his arms into his coat. “I’m going out,” he told his part-time secretary Carolanne.

It was cold, and the forecast was calling for snow this week. But his anger, his sense of inconvenience kept him warm.