“You can’t tell anyone,” both Leigh and Logan said in unison.
“Of all people, you two should know nothing around here stays secret for long,” Lindsay said, tucking the novel into her purse and kissing the two girls. “Besides, this is the best bit of gossip I’ve had to share all year.”
* * *
THE SOUND OF a fire-truck siren echoed through her living room walls later that day and she rushed to the window, glancing toward Victoria and Luke’s house.
She released a sigh of relief when she saw the house looked fine—no flames, no smoke—and she couldn’t hear the smoke detector as she normally could when Victoria tried to cook.
When the truck pulled into her driveway instead, she narrowed her eyes to look through the windshield. Noah? She went to the door and opened it as three kids hopped down from the truck with Noah’s help.
Oh, he was wearing his firefighter’s uniform. That was hardly fair. A man’s hotness rating went up by at least ten points when he wore a uniform of any kind. Military, police, fireman—it didn’t matter. And Noah had nowhere else to go on the hotness scale.
“Hey, what’s going on?” she asked, stepping outside.
“Aunt Lindsay, that was the coolest thing ever!” Jacob said, dragging his backpack on the ground.
“Yeah, it was totally awesome,” Caleb agreed. “Noah let us run the siren all the way from the community center.”
“Yes, I heard it,” she said with a laugh. “I thought Vic was trying to cook again.”
He laughed as he lifted Melissa from the truck.
“Hey, Mel, how was summer camp?”
The girl had a dreamy expression as she said, “I’m in love.”
What was the appropriate reaction to that? On one hand, as cool Aunt Lindsay, she was amused and happy for the kid, especially since she was finally happy. On the other, as a responsible guardian, she was nervous.
Nathan had forbidden his child to date until she was twenty-five, and while she’d thought it extreme before, she was starting to see her brother’s side.
“Really? On the first day?”
“It’s love at first sight. Like mom and dad.”
She caught her breath. Since the day of the funeral, that was the first time Melissa had mentioned her parents.
“Well, it certainly was for them, so who knows?” She caressed the girl’s cheek.
“Can I call him?”
Lindsay hesitated. “You have his number?”
She nodded.
Lindsay looked helplessly at Noah.
He shrugged, clearly as confused as she felt.
“Five minutes, okay?”
“Okay,” the girl said, hugging her. “Thanks, Aunt Lindsay.”
When the kids disappeared inside, she said, “Love at first sight at eight.”
“Oh, come on, you know you had a boyfriend in fourth grade.”
“Yes, exactly. That’s what I’m worried about.” She bit her lip.
“You turned out okay,” he said.
“The jury’s still out on that.”
“I’m making the ruling and I say you’re perfect.”
She swallowed hard. “So, why are you dropping off the kids?”
Had Ben forgotten to pick them up? She wanted to be angry, but she’d actually forgotten a few times. It wasn’t easy for non-parents to think like parents.
She sometimes still forgot to bathe the kids every night, the way Rachel used to. And the last thing she wanted was to be known as the aunt who sent smelly kids to camp.
“I offered to drive them when I saw Ben drop them off this morning.”
She winced. His tone sounded nonchalant, light, but she knew he was probably dying to know what had happened between her and Ben.
“Things are complicated. He’s helping.”
She shoved her hands into her jeans’ pockets and rocked back on her heels.
“You don’t owe me an explanation.”
Then why did she feel as though she did? “Did you want to come in...for a drink or something?”
“I would, but I have to get the truck back in case there’s an emergency. Besides, I don’t drink while I’m training.”
Training. Right. His fight was less than two weeks away.
“How’s that going?” she asked in an attempt not to reveal her discomfort on the subject.
“Good. Brandon finally let me back in the gym.” He laughed, shaking his head.
“That’s...great.”
“You don’t really think so.”
“Well, it doesn’t matter what I think.”
“It does to me,” he said, moving closer and reaching for her. “Come to the fight.”
She shook her head.
He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. “Okay.”
Her pulse raced as his hold tightened around her and he stroked her cheek. She felt so tiny in his big arms. Tiny and safe and...happy.
When he lowered his lips to hers, she felt her knees give way beneath her. She gripped the back of his firefighter’s jacket as he leaned down to look at her.
“Fighting’s not your thing. I respect that.”
But fighting was his thing.
“How about breakfast tomorrow?”
He pulled back and looked at her in surprise. “You’re asking me out?”
There was no harm in that, right? She owed him for canceling their night out. And the whole Ben thing had her feeling as if she owed him something.
She sighed. “Answer quickly before I change my mind.”
“Yes. Breakfast. I love breakfast.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
“FINALLY,” NOAH SAID, leaning back in his chair under the umbrella of the outside tables at Joey’s Diner on Main Street.
Lindsay raised an eyebrow over the coffee cup she’d been clinging to as if it were a life preserver since she’d met him for the breakfast thing. “Does it really count if I can barely keep my eyes open?”
“I’m sorry. The thing is...you shocked me when you asked and I had forgotten about previous commitments I have today. But I desperately wanted this...breakfast.”
“We could have rescheduled.”
“You wouldn’t have,” he said matter-of-factly. “I was forced to come to your house and drag your butt out of bed.”
The look on Ben’s face when he’d arrived that morning had made it all the more sweet.
“You’re probably right,” she said, smiling over her coffee cup.
Man, even sleepy and grumpy, he couldn’t resist touching her. Leaning forward, he reached across the table and, taking her cup from her, set it aside and took both of her small hands in his.
“I’m not sure how soon we can see each other again after this morning. I’m training all week and then Friday I head to Newark for the fight weigh-ins that afternoon. The fight’s Saturday, followed by post-fight conferences.”
Her expression fell, but to her credit she hid her disappointment well.
“That’s fine. I’ve got a lot going on this week, too. In fact, I’ve got a lot going on forever. Or at least for the next sixteen years. What’s the legal age that you can kick children out of the house?”
“I think the day after Mac and Abby turn eighteen, you should be in the clear,” he said with a sympathetic laugh. Her life really had been altered drastically and he marveled over her ability to adjust as well as she had.
He wondered how much of that had to do with Ben and he fought a feeling of jealousy and annoyance that it was the other man helping her with the children. He wanted to be the one she could rely on.
The waiter approached with the coffee pot and Lindsay nodded, extending her nearly empty cup.
“I ca
n’t believe you’re not constantly vibrating with all the coffee you drink,” he said.
She smiled as she cradled the fresh refill between both hands. “I can’t believe you don’t drink coffee. How do you stay awake?”
“My secret,” he said with a wink.
“So, today...your plans? More fight preparation?”
He took a sip of orange juice and hesitated. “I promised someone I would help them with something.”
“Family stuff?”
Dominic was probably the closest to family he had, so he nodded. “Sort of.” He paused and when she remained silent, he knew what she was thinking.
“Come with me.”
Dominic wouldn’t mind Lindsay hanging out with them today. And Noah certainly wasn’t looking forward to leaving her, especially if this was their only chance to be together this week.
“I don’t know, Noah. Meeting the parents is really not my thing. I never know what to say or how to act.”
She looked panicked.
“My mom left my dad and me when I was seven and I haven’t seen her since. My dad and I haven’t spoken in over ten years—he’s an alcoholic and not a nice man,” he confided for the first time.
“I didn’t know that. I’m sorry, Noah.”
The last time he’d seen his father was the day he’d come home from juvenile detention only to find him drunk, no food in the house and the place a mess.
When his father had swung at him, he’d countered with moves he’d learned from some of the other boys in the center. It would surprise most people to know juvie had been the place he’d felt safe and cared for, and hadn’t had to wonder where his next meal would come from.
She stroked the palm of his hand with her thumb. “So if we’re not meeting your parents, who are we going to see?”
He smiled. “You’ll see.”
* * *
LINDSAY COULDN’T REMEMBER a time she’d ever felt as content, as carefree or as excited than she was at this moment, on the back of Noah’s motorcycle, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist.
Noah’s confession about his family made her ache for him... For a mother to leave her child behind to deal with an alcoholic father alone... That was unacceptable—no matter the circumstance.
As a nurse she felt as though she was helping people and she could offer love and support and assistance during difficult times for them and their families. It was a different kind of heartache. But one she could handle.
He turned into the community-center parking lot and stopped near the back entrance.
He removed his helmet and climbed off, helping her to do the same. “The community center?”
“Yeah. There are some pretty cool kids here I’d like you to meet.”
“Noah, if you have a kid, tell me quickly.” She’d dated single dads before and she was okay with men who had children...who were divorced...but a heads-up was always nice. Being blindsided by a child or worse, an ex-wife, was not something she was okay with.
He shook his head. “Lindsay, take a breath. No kid...or ex-wife, in case you were wondering. Don’t you think I might have mentioned something before now?”
His amusement made her laugh.
“Sorry, I’ve dated a lot of men with disclosure issues,” she muttered.
“Come on.” Taking her hand, he headed toward the door.
Noticing some teenage boys near the building smoking and eyeing the bike, she said, “Um, Noah, are you sure your bike is okay?”
“Don’t worry, they always bring it back,” he said, opening the door and holding it for her.
Inside tables were set up and kids studied in small groups. Several older teens played volleyball at the other end of the open room and to their right, another group played cards. She hadn’t known the community center offered any programming on weekends. Most of the activities the kids were involved in took place during the week.
“There better not be any betting going on over there,” Noah called to the cardplayers.
A nearby kid spoke up. “I’ve been keeping an eye. Hey, Noah.” He turned to look at her with interest.
“Mario, this is my friend, Lindsay. Lindsay, Mario is one of the head volunteers here at Turnaround.”
An outreach program? She’d never heard of anything like that in Brookhollow. “Nice to meet you.”
“You, too. Are you hoping to get involved?” the high school student asked.
“Um...” She hadn’t even known Turnaround existed five minutes ago.
“One thing at a time. I’m introducing her to some of you guys today,” Noah said.
“Well, if you want, I can give Lindsay a tour. I think Joanne wanted to talk to you.” The boy frowned. “More denied funding, I think.”
Noah’s face clouded but, squeezing Lindsay’s hand before he released it, he said, “You’re in good hands with Mario. This shouldn’t take long.”
“Oh, yeah, no problem. Go.”
As he headed toward the office, she turned her attention to Mario.
“I take it by the look on your face, you didn’t even know we existed until now,” he said with a smile.
“You caught me. Noah hadn’t mentioned where he was taking me,” she said.
Noah participated in an at-risk youth outreach program? And he’d never said a word. Most men she’d dated had rarely done an altruistic act in their lives and if they had, they’d have been singing their own praises from the rooftops.
There was clearly a lot more to the man she’d pegged as an empty-headed fighter with a great body.
“Yeah, Noah’s not exactly the type of guy to go around announcing that kind of stuff...being a tough MMA fighter and all that,” he said with a smirk. “Don’t tell him I told you, but he’s not that tough.”
“Oh, no?”
Mario shook his head. “A softie. He’ll do anything for anybody.”
His constant offers to help her these past few weeks were proof of that. “He’s a great guy. So, how long have you volunteered here with him?”
“Since the first week he started the program, about ten months ago.”
Started the program? “You mean the program was his idea?” Lindsay couldn’t help but wonder what would have sparked such an interest in Noah. Fighting was the only thing he talked about.
Mario nodded toward the entrance as another boy entered. “There’s Dominic. He works with Noah once a week.” He waved to the teen.
“Mario, can you help me with my math problems?” a girl of about twelve asked, holding out her summer school math workbook.
The sight of it brought back a million memories of Lindsay’s own summers spent in summer school.
Nathan had always done well in school; the studying had come easy to him, whenever he did study. She’d struggled with a slight learning disability for years and had always had to put in extra time and effort to barely pass her courses.
She hoped Nathan’s children had gotten their father’s brain.
“Sure.” Mario hesitated, glancing at her.
“Go ahead. I’m good,” she said.
When the older boy led the girl toward the tables, Lindsay looked around. Several new computers were set up in the space and in the corner next to the indoor basketball nets were several sets of weights where some teenage boys worked out.
She wondered how much of it had been government funded. Probably not much, she thought wryly. Getting government funding for anything, except the local sports programs, was a challenge. Even the medical clinic had to fight for funding and relied heavily on fund-raisers. Like the Fourth of July events in the park next week.
The thought of the Independence Day celebrations made her pause. How would the kids feel about going this year, without their parents? It had been a tradition to go to the
fairgrounds together, then stay for the fireworks. This year she was working the medical-clinic booth, and she hoped the kids would be okay with Ben.
Noah came out of the office and she pushed the worry aside.
She cocked her head to the side and tried to look annoyed, but her attempt failed. How could she be upset that he’d never told her about all of this? It was endearing and more than a little fantastic. He was endearing and a whole lot of fantastic.
* * *
“I GUESS I owe you an explanation,” Noah said outside the medical clinic as he was dropping her off for work just before noon.
“You don’t owe me anything, but I am curious,” she said, taking off the helmet and checking her watch as she climbed off the back of the bike.
“Well, what would you like to know?”
He’d answer anything she asked. Taking her there had been a big step for him. A discussion about his own past was sure to come up. She was finally softening to the idea of him, and them together, and he was afraid anything she learned about his life before fighting might push her away again. But she had to know everything.
“How did you get involved with the program?”
“It started small. When I met Dominic, I saw a kid who wanted to do the right thing, but he was lost, not sure what the right thing was. I kind of forced my way into his life, offering as much support and encouragement as I could...and then when it seemed to work, I wanted to help more kids.”
“Wow.”
“It really is wow. These kids could have gone either way, but now they’re graduating, some have jobs, and they want to help others. It’s great to watch.” He smiled.
“You must be really proud.”
He nodded.
“Which is why I don’t understand why you don’t tell anyone about it.”
They moved to the picnic table outside the clinic and sat. “The truth is I’m not sure how long the program is going to be able to continue. We keep losing funding because of regulations.”
“Regulations,” she said in frustration. “I know all about regulations and how they can put such rigid constraints on things to the point of making doing anything good impossible.”
Moving closer, he wrapped an arm around her. “The main issue is that I can only be there once a week. I wish I could do more, be here more, be more involved, but with the fighting...”
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