by Sabrina York
Noah barked out a laugh, picking up the shake.
He couldn’t wait to see Bree’s reaction, and he was certain Mia couldn’t either.
Looking puzzled as they approached, Bree was sitting in a corner booth.
“What the…?” Bree’s eyes went wide when Noah laid down the shake on the table in front of her.
“That’s from Phil,” Mia said, obviously trying not to laugh.
After laying down the sundaes, Mia dug through her purse, and pulling out her phone, she snapped a quick picture of Bree with her mouth gaped open.
“Hey,” Bree said. “What am I supposed to do with this?” Suddenly, she looked at Mia. “Did you say Phil?”
Mia looked at Noah, raising her brow.
Noah countered, “Uh, Phil Jordan.”
Bree swallowed. “Is that the same Phil who plays varsity basketball?”
“That’s him,” Noah answered.
Bree looked dazed. “He’s a friend of my brother’s.”
“Well, I think he might want to be your friend too.” Obviously teasing, Mia put her hands on her hips. “That’s twice today. You’ve been holding out on me, Bree. I thought we told each other everything?”
Bree laughed. “You two better sit down and eat your sundaes before they melt.”
Noah was pretty sure Bree had purposely laid her monstrous bag in the seat beside her, and he grinned when Mia was forced to sit across from Bree.
Noah winked at Bree as he slipped into the seat beside Mia.
Bree grinned.
Watching Mia eat the sundae was trouble in itself, Noah thought. She was awakening all kinds of crazy desires in him that he didn’t know he was capable of feeling. Even the way she scooped the ice cream into her mouth and took the extra time to lick off the spoon had him thinking about how those lips would feel against his.
He cleared his throat and decided to watch Bree instead.
And Noah just couldn’t help it when he began laughing loudly, because she looked determined to show her appreciation of Phil’s gift by finishing it off.
“I just can’t eat anymore,” Bree finally admitted. “I think I’ll take it home and put it in the freezer. There must be a gallon of ice cream here.”
“Nah,” Mia said. “But maybe a half gallon.”
Bree giggled, but then her eyes went wide as she looked over Noah’s shoulder.
Phil walked up to the table. “Hi, Bree.”
“Hi, Phil. Thanks for the shake,” she answered.
Phil smiled. “You’re welcome. Hey, I have a half an hour break. Would you like to go for a walk?”
Bree looked at Mia. “Do you mind? Is there time?”
“It’s only ten. We still have an hour,” Mia answered.
“We’ll be around,” Noah reassured her. “I thought I’d show Mia the gazebo, since there’s a good chance we’ll be performing there this summer.”
“Alright.” Bree grinned, looking at Phil. “I guess I’ll bring along my shake. I thought I’d take it home and put it in the freezer for tomorrow.”
Phil laughed. “I did kind of go overboard, didn’t I? We can stop by the soda fountain and I’ll grab a freezer bag for you to slip it into.”
“Alright,” Bree agreed, reaching for her purse and sliding out from the booth.
Noah grinned when Bree glanced over her shoulder with a comical look on her face. She seemed incredibly nervous, but Phil was a great guy. He’d been one of the first kids in town who’d reached out to Noah after his move from Virginia. In fact, Phil was responsible for getting Noah his job here at the Dragonfly Pointe Inn, since management had been searching for responsible teenagers to hire, hoping to draw a younger crowd into the café.
Mia suddenly looked shy. “I don’t know why she’s so surprised. People gravitate toward her, and she just doesn’t see it.”
Noah grinned. “She’s something else, isn’t she? I remember when she came along with her brother once when we practiced. We had to stop like twenty times because she kept asking questions and giving us advice.”
Mia’s eyes went wide. “No?”
“Oh, yeah,” Noah answered.
Mia held her hand over her mouth, looking horrified.
“Actually, her advice wasn’t bad.” Noah grinned. “It’s because of her we stopped with the heavy metal. When we blended our individual preferences, and I started writing my own songs, we began drawing a wider audience. She’d make a terrific manager.”
Mia seemed a little less nervous when she laughed.
“Are you ready for that walk?” Noah asked, standing from his seat.
Nodding her agreement, Mia slid from the booth onto her feet in one graceful movement, picking up her purse.
9
Noah reached for Mia’s hand, and this time she smiled, clasping his warmly as they walked through the café toward the exit leading to the lakefront.
Mia was looking around her in awe as they strolled along a cobblestone pathway. “I wonder why I’ve never been out here before?”
The lakefront backdrop was incredible. A patio had been constructed nearby, and near the edge of the bank, a wide waterfall spilled rhythmically into the lake. A beautiful array of perennial landscaping surrounded the large pool where the waterfall originated, recycling and pumping water from the lake.
Noah answered, “There have been a lot more tourists than usual this past year, and Bree probably wouldn’t think about bringing you here if she hasn’t been here in a while herself.”
Reaching upward, Mia gently shook a dragonfly windchime hanging from the branch of a nearby pine. “Everything’s so beautiful.”
Noah smiled. “You ought to see what it looks like during the summer, when they’ve planted flowers and the lilies and hydrangeas are blooming.”
Mia looked at him oddly. “You know about flowers?”
Noah became sheepish. “From Gram and Gramps. I was kind of a head case when I moved here, so they tried to keep me busy with gardening, since they grow flowers and vegetables.”
Mia squeezed his hand as they approached a bridge leading toward the gazebo. “I think it’s nice. Growing things is something I’ve always been interested in, but since I lived in Chicago, all I could do was plant pots with vegetables outside on our apartment patio.”
Once they reached the edge of the gazebo, Noah dropped Mia’s hand, gazing into her eyes.
“What else are you interested in, Mia Michaels?” Noah asked softly. “I’ve heard you sing.”
“You have?” Looking surprised, she turned away, leaning against the railing and staring across the lake.
“You have a beautiful voice,” Noah said, laying his hand on the railing and taking a moment to appreciate the view. The remains of the fiery sunset radiated a warm purple glow across the calm clear water of the lake.
“What a view,” Mia said, echoing his thoughts. “My dad has all these strange ideas about my future, when all I really want to do is teach.”
Noah looked at her curiously. “What kind of strange ideas?”
Mia shrugged. “Oh, like the only music worth singing is opera. Plus, music to him is a hobby, and can’t be anything else.”
“So, you want to teach music?”
Mia gave him a mischievous grin. “And choreography.”
Noah blinked. “You’re a dancer?”
“I am.”
Noah laughed, shaking his head. “No wonder you gave me such a hard time about my moves at the beach.”
“Aw. You weren’t that bad.” She grinned again, turning away. “I just couldn’t think of anything else to say.”
Noah cleared his throat. “I’ve been having that same trouble too.”
“You?” She seemed startled. “But you seem so…I don’t know—confident, I guess. And not nervous at all on stage.”
Noah muttered, “Yeah, well, that’s apparently easy for me, compared to trying to come up with a way to approach you.”
When Mia laughed, it sounded like music in his
ears. And a smiled tugged at the corners of his mouth. God she was beautiful, and at that moment, he wanted to reach out and pull her into his arms.
But it was way too soon.
Shoot. Think of something, you idiot, before you do something you regret.
Noah asked abruptly, “So, how would you choreograph your song?”
She blinked. “My song?”
Oh, to hell with it, he thought, reaching for her hand and pulling her close.
She was a perfect fit.
Noah said softly, “Don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about.”
He laid her head against his shoulder and began to sing slowly and softly as he danced with her around the edge of the gazebo.
‘When I looked into your eyes,
A shooting star dashed through the sky,
And I finally figured why,
I’m hypnotized.
I’m star-crossed, star-crossed.
I’m hypnotized,
By cerulean blue eyes.
Star-crossed, star-crossed.’
Noah keyed up into a falsetto.
‘I’m star-crossed,
I’m hypnotized,
Cause I know I see forever in your eyes.’
Mia kept her face pressed against his shoulder, saying softly, “You have such a beautiful voice, Noah.”
Noah broke away, so he could look into her eyes, which he was surprised to see were damp with tears. “Sing along with me? Show me what kind of moves I should be making when I’m onstage?”
At that moment, he almost kissed her. Her eyes were luminous pools of blue under the light of the moon, which had arisen in the sky above.
Her face was raised to his, and even though he got the impression that she did want him to kiss her, instinct kept telling him no, it was way too soon.
And that she’d probably never been kissed. And the thought made him want to slow down, to make each moment they had together special—not just for her sake, but for Noah’s as well.
Because who knows what would happen if he ended up being deployed overseas.
10
Why was Mia getting the impression that Noah was memorizing her face and he was thinking about saying goodbye?
What was going to happen after he graduated next week?
But before she got a chance to ask, she found herself singing along with him. Surprisingly, she was never shy when she danced, and as she began demonstrating some simple moves, which were all he really needed because of the type of music their band performed, she got lost in the moment.
He was a good student, and had a natural rhythm, but it was obvious he’d never danced before his performance tonight.
“Okay,” Noah said. “I’ll give it a dry run.”
She watched him move left, running through the first verse of the song. After a quick half spin, he moved his feet with the beat, heading in the opposite direction as if he was performing to the other half of a crowd. When his voice rose into the falsetto, he looked upward first before his eyes met hers for the final verse.
‘Cause I know I see forever in your eyes.’
The moment Noah approached, Mia knew he was finally going to kiss her.
Until someone cleared their throat and began laughing.
“Geez, Noah. You’ve got some serious skills, there.”
“Shut up, Phil,” Noah answered with a grin.
Instead of giving her the kiss she’d been hoping for, Noah wrapped his arm around her shoulders and held her close.
Mia sighed deeply, glancing at Phil and Bree. It was obvious from the rosy color tinging her cheeks that Bree had been kissed.
“You should have seen Noah at the beach tonight,” Bree said, getting a dreamy look in her eyes. “He rushed into the audience and began singing to Mia.” She sighed deeply. “It was so romantic.”
Phil was obviously ready to say something more, and probably laugh, but when Noah glared, Phil shut his mouth and smiled widely.
Bree said suddenly, “Hey, I just looked at my watch and it’s about quarter to eleven, Mia.”
Mia blinked. “Really?”
“This night went by way too fast,” Noah said. “I guess Phil and I had better walk you two to the car.”
Phil looked at his watch. “I’d probably better say goodnight here and let Noah take over, since I have to work for another few hours.”
“Goodnight, Phil,” Bree said.
Phil turned back, glancing at Mia and Noah. “Ah, what the heck,” he muttered, walking back to Bree and pulling her into his arms for a lingering kiss.
When he pulled away, Bree said softly, “I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
Phil answered, “You bet you will. I’ll be there at seven sharp.”
Bree was blushing when she looked at Mia, who was smiling widely.
Noah kept his arm around Mia’s shoulders as they walked along the path leading around the inn.
He hesitated, when Bree unlocked the door, but instead of kissing Mia on the lips, he gave her a hug.
Noah smelled of fresh air and pines, and as he pulled her closer, rubbing his face against hers, his scent alone was enough to set her heart racing madly.
Oh, well, she thought, giving Noah a rueful smile before stepping into Bree’s car. She’d much rather share that kiss when they were alone.
“Goodnight,” he said softly, when Mia rolled down the window.
“Goodnight,” she answered, as Bree put the car in reverse.
Bree made the turn around the curve and was approaching Mia’s house, when she finally glanced over. “You’re being awfully quiet.”
Mia frowned. “I just realized that Noah didn’t actually ask me to go out with him.”
Bree looked puzzled. “Shoot. But wait a second. Isn’t their band playing somewhere tomorrow night? And don’t they practice during the day?”
Mia rolled her eyes. “Yes, you’re right. It’s just me being insecure. I forgot, he works at the café too. He’ll be there tomorrow afternoon.”
“Want to stop by there tomorrow?”
Mia bit her lip. “No. I don’t think I should. I got the impression Noah was a little uncomfortable when Phil was talking about the money Noah would make if his band performed at the Dragonfly Inn’s summer concerts. I have a feeling he works as much as he does because he has to. I wonder what he’s planning on doing once he graduates?”
“Oh, shoot, Mia. Didn’t he tell you?”
Mia heard the anxiety in Bree’s voice as she turned into the driveway and pulled up near the garage, shutting down the engine.
“Tell me what?”
“Once he turns eighteen, Noah’s going into the Air Force.”
Mia stilled, overwhelmed by disappointment, because as much as she hated to admit it, she was already falling for him hard.
11
At four o’clock the next afternoon, Noah stacked the last load of clean dishes on the shelf and pulled off his apron before walking over to the timeclock.
Phil strolled into the kitchen. “Taking off?”
“Yep,” Noah answered. “We need to get a little practice in beforehand.”
“Coming in tomorrow?”
Noah grimaced. “I promised I’d come in for a few hours at lunch since it’ll probably be busy.”
“You know it’s a shame that Bree and I can’t bring Mia along to watch your performance tonight.”
“That’s the bad thing about playing at carnivals and fairs. None of my friends get to watch us perform. But we’re lucky we’ve got Mike, who’s twenty-one, who can book these gigs for us in the beer tents, not to mention the hole in the wall bars,” Noah said, watching Phil check out. “That’s where we earn the most money.”
“What do you guys do—sign a disclosure because of your age?” Phil asked, taking off his apron and hanging it in his locker.
When Noah walked outside through the back doorway from the kitchen, Phil followed.
“Yes. We basically admit we’re underage, and we’r
e willing to be subject to prosecution if we’re caught drinking.”
Phil laughed.
Noah smiled wryly. “They’re coming down a lot harder on things like that these days. Personally, I don’t have time to screw up my life.”
“I hear yuh. I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to going to Wisconsin this fall,” Phil answered. “I really want to play varsity ball. I hope I have half a chance.”
“I wouldn’t worry, I think you’ll make it.” Noah looked thoughtful, unhooking his helmet from his bike and slipping it on. “I’m not exactly looking forward to enlisting. But flying is something I’ve always wanted to do. Gramps and my dad both did.”
“I’ll admit, I’ve always had a fascination with flying,” Phil said, opening his car door. “Hey, I’ll see you tomorrow. Where did you say you’d be tonight?”
“Lofton’s Founder’s Day Celebration,” Noah answered, revving up his engine.
“Maybe I’ll drive Bree over there. I thought about doing something stupid like bowling but going to a carnival might be a lot more fun for a first date.”
Noah pursed his lips, looking thoughtful as he wheeled around his bike. “You’re right. I’ll bet she’d like it. I’ve spent so much time making the rounds performing, I’ve never really spent any time checking out the carnivals and fairs we’re performing at.”
Phil nodded his obvious understanding. “See you tomorrow.”
Noah waved, taking off on his bike.
But Noah was thinking hard as he made a left on Beach Road, heading toward Emily Richardson’s place. When was he going to have time to be with Mia? Noah had tossed and turned the previous night, thinking about her and every stupid thing he hadn’t done yesterday.
Like why hadn’t he kissed her?
And now he was even more concerned about whether he’d done the right thing by approaching her in the first place.
Noah pulled up to the security gate of the Richardson house, pressing the buzzer. “Hey, Emily. It’s Noah.”