"You know what?" she said loudly, biting her lip. "Forget I asked. Let's talk about something else. What flavor is the wedding cake?"
There was no point in keeping it all a secret. Since she and Noah were going out on a date the next night, they were probably going to find out anyway.
"I met Noah a few years ago during one of his business trips."
Such a simple sentence but it didn't even begin to cover what all had happened and the myriad of emotions that night evoked to this day.
Dizzy and Leann's mouths formed perfect Os.
"I didn't realize," Leann finally said. "You knew Noah before. Mallory never mentioned anything about that."
"Because she didn't know," Liz explained. "I didn't realize we had a connection through Mallory and Carter, and neither did he until I saw him last night."
"That must have been some surprise," Dizzy observed. "You didn't even have an inkling?"
"Not a one," Liz confirmed. "I'm sure that Mallory said Noah's name at least once but I didn't put it together with the Noah that I'd met two years ago. We didn't know each other's last names, either."
Leann was frowning, and Liz could practically see the wheels turning in her head. Clearly, there was more unsaid about this story than they'd been told.
"You met on a business trip?" she asked.
"In Chicago. I was there interviewing for a job and he was there having some sort of ranch meetings. I'm really not sure what it was all about, to be honest. We both ended up having a drink in the hotel bar and got to talking."
They'd "gotten" to a hell of a lot more but Liz wasn't going to reveal any of those details. From the looks on her new friends' faces it appeared they were working out those details on their own. Smart ladies.
"You never saw him again after that?" Dizzy queried. "And then you saw him again last night? Wow, that's some major fate action there."
"I never saw him again, and yes, you could say fate was working overtime. It was a shock to see him."
Leann was still frowning. "And you recognized each other? After all that time?"
"It was only two years ago," Mallory defended. "Of course, they recognized one another."
Liz knew what the other woman was trying to say but without saying it out loud.
"We closed the bar down," Liz said. "So we'd spent several hours together."
Her expression cleared, Leann smiled and nodded. "That makes total sense. You two hit it off. But you didn't exchange phone numbers or anything? That's unfortunate."
"It was fine," Liz lied, pushing the pizza box away, her appetite gone. "Who knew that we'd meet up again like this? It was a surprise to us both."
"I think it's a wonderful surprise," Dizzy said with a smile. "The universe always has the last word. You and Noah must have some unfinished business with one another."
That was the understatement of the century.
12
Noah was hot, sweaty, and dirty and that was exactly the way he liked it. It was a warmer than usual day and the Montana sun beat down on the back of his neck. He'd spent the morning moving part of the herd from one pasture to another and now he had a few minutes to clean up before lunch.
He didn't have to do the physical work on the ranch any longer. He had plenty of hired hands and he could simply sit in his office all day if he wanted to, but that sounded like hell to him. All of his brothers and cousins spent too much of their time under fluorescent lights taking calls and sitting in meetings. There was no way he could do that. He craved being outdoors even when it was bitterly cold or hotter than Satan's balls. A physical challenge made him feel alive.
It was working the ranch that kept him close to his parents, as well. While they weren't old, they weren't as young as they used to be, either. Being involved in the day to day running of the ranch meant that he saw his mother and father, and his aunt and uncle too, pretty much every day of his life. A few months ago, when his dad had been sneezing and coughing, Noah had convinced him to take a few days rest and recover. When his mother had decided to redecorate the family room, Noah had been there to move the couch this way and then that way. And then back to where it had originally been located in the first place. His dad didn't need to be lugging furniture around anymore. Not when he had healthy sons to do it.
Pulling a handkerchief from his pocket, he mopped at the back of his neck as the sound of ATV engines filled the air. Three of them were heading straight for him, a cloud of dust in their wake. When they stopped a few feet away, Carter, Mallory, and Liz took off their helmets.
This. Right here. This was the woman that he remembered from Chicago two years ago. Liz's eyes were sparkling with happiness and her cheeks were pink with excitement. She looked incredibly excited and not a bit worried about danger lurking in every corner of her world.
Noah helped Liz off of the ATV, tucking her helmet under his arm. "Having fun?"
"That was amazing," she gushed, squeezing Noah's hand. "I loved it."
"I think we've created a monster," Mallory laughed, throwing her arm around Carter. "We've been eating Liz's dust all morning."
"I believe it," Noah said. "Carter drives like our grandmother."
His younger brother flipped him the bird but it was done with a smile. They'd been giving each other a hard time since they were toddlers.
"I didn't realize you were touring the ranch."
Grinning, Carter slapped Noah on the back. "That's my older brother's way of saying that he thinks he knows everything that's going on around here and he's annoyed when he finds out that's not true."
"I'm not annoyed, I'm just surprised."
Because I usually do know what's going around here.
"There's some cold drinks in the barn," Noah said. "Anyone thirsty?"
They all were, of course, so they stomped over to the barn where Noah retrieved four sodas from the refrigerator in the small office. He did most of his paperwork at home but they needed a spot to sign for deliveries and such.
Carter gave Mallory a little nudge with his elbow. "How about a little walk? We can stretch our legs."
Liz smiled in encouragement. "Go ahead. I'm going to rest a bit and cool off."
Noah laughed when the two lovebirds practically ran out of the barn. "I think they wanted to be alone."
"I think they did. Carter isn't too thrilled about Mallory wanting to live separately before the wedding, and frankly, I don't think she's liking it much, either. She told me this morning she hasn't been sleeping well. It could be from wedding nerves or she could be missing him."
Now they were alone. Carter and Mallory wouldn't be back right away and he had unexpected time with Liz. He could already feel that familiar awareness building between them.
"Could be a little of both," Noah agreed, tugging at the collar of his shirt. The office felt hot and stuffy, or maybe it was the way Liz's old blue jeans clung to her delicious curves. She was slimmer than before in Chicago but still absolutely devastating. "Why don't we give them some couple time? We can relax and you can tell me what you thought of the ranch."
He was surprised by how much he wanted Liz to like it. It would be even better if she loved it. He wanted her to love everything about Tremont and the Andersons.
They settled on the old flowered loveseat in the corner that had once sat in his parents' living room but had been relegated out here when they bought new furniture. After all the kids had grown. Now their sofa and chairs were getting a beating from the grandkids.
Damn, she smelled good. Clean and flowery. He, on the other hand, smelled like old socks and was twice as filthy. He tried to back away so she wouldn't get a whiff but the two-cushioned couch was too small and he ended up moving about two inches. They were so close their knees were pressed together and he could feel the heat of her skin through her denims and his own.
Damn. He needed to calm the hell down.
"I think it's huge. As in humongous. I had no idea and I have a feeling I didn't see all of it."
He was
sure she hadn't. It would have taken most of the day and some of it was too rugged to travel with an ATV.
"Some of it can only be seen on foot or horseback," he agreed, shifting on the cushion. The pull toward her made it hard to keep his distance. "And in certain times of the year."
"What I saw was quite beautiful. And...efficient. We saw some of your people moving cattle and it was almost like a beautiful synchronized dance. Everyone knew their job and they just did it like it was no big deal. It was fascinating to watch."
Liz couldn't have said anything nicer. It was a terrific compliment. Noah took great pride in the way the ranch was run.
"Thank you. It means a lot that you noticed."
"You're welcome." Her fingers fumbled with the buttons on her jean jacket. He watched fascinated, remembering how those fingers had stroked his skin. "I'm looking forward to tonight."
"Me too."
Christ on a pogo stick, this conversation was painful. It was as if they didn't know each other at all, which was ridiculous. They knew quite a bit, although there was much more to learn.
"I–"
Liz was going to say something but the words stuck in her throat as their gazes clashed. The tension in the room had ratcheted up about a million times and Noah couldn't take it anymore. Without conscious thought, he reached for Liz, tangling his fingers in her hair and pulling her closer until their lips finally met.
Fucking finally.
He'd waited two long years for this and it was even better than he'd ever imagined in his wildest dreams. And he'd dreamed a hell of a lot. She tasted like orange soda and Liz and...more. That was it. He'd figured out her secret.
She tasted like more than he'd ever found with anyone else, anywhere else. Once you have more, you can't settle for less.
Noah couldn't get enough of her heady kisses and she seemed to be of the same mind. Her hands slid over his back, not caring that he was sweaty and dirty and basically rank. He'd forgotten that himself but he couldn't have stopped kissing her to save his life. He drank from those pillowy lips until they both came up for air, gasping for breath, their chests rising and falling rapidly.
"Wow," she mumbled, her amber-colored eyes wide. "That was..."
"Yeah," he agreed. "It was."
"Inevitable," she whispered, her finger tracing his jawline. "It was inevitable."
He had a strange feeling that they were inevitable. After all, the universe had done all this work to give them a second chance. He wouldn't screw it up.
13
It was their first date, and it was as awkward as Liz's actual first date when she was fifteen and Brian Ryerson had taken her to a football game and then pizza with their friends afterward. They'd kissed on her front porch. No tongue. They'd gone out three more times, kissed some more, with tongue, and then he'd promptly dumped her for Celia Martinson, who had a finished basement with a pool table and air hockey.
It had been Liz's first broken heart.
As nervous as she'd been on that first date didn't hold a candle to how nervous she was tonight with Noah. She'd showered and exfoliated. She'd shaved and moisturized. She'd spent fifteen minutes picking out an eye shadow color and even longer selecting lipstick. Mallory had appeared amused by the entire production but she did say that she'd worried about her first date with Carter. That had been a blind date and of course, it hadn't gone very well. They'd hated each other at first and then the whole stranger dying at the end of the night... They'd had a rough time getting together, to say the least.
But this... was horrible. Their first real date was heading to disaster-city and she didn't have a clue how to stop it. Funny how that night so long ago the conversation had flowed so easily but now that the stakes were higher, they sounded like two strangers.
It had happened before. Earlier today when they'd been waiting in the barn for Carter and Mallory, it had been awkward. Luckily, they'd broken the ice by kissing. But now that ice was back along with a hell of a lot of tension. Should she grab him and kiss him again? She wasn't against the idea but there was a hell of a lot more people around now than there were at lunchtime.
Noah had brought her to a local roadhouse for before dinner drinks and to hear his cousin Jason sing. Apparently, Jason was quite good but he only did this every now and then. Since he was in town his friends had convinced him to join up with the band tonight and do a set or two of classic rock. After his cousin performed, Noah had promised to take her to a local Italian eatery where the chicken parmesan was legendary. Mallory had backed up Noah's claim wholeheartedly.
It shouldn't have felt awkward. She and Noah were with a bunch of Anderson couples who had showed up to cheer on Jason. They'd even had to push two tables together so that everyone would have a seat. Mallory and Carter were there, along with Gigi and West, Leann and Zack, Easton and Dizzy, and finally Shane and Arden. Travis and Aubrey were home with a cold. Jason's wife Brinley also joined them, although her husband teasingly threatened to take her onstage as well. Mallory said that Brinley and Jason sounded great together.
There was much joking and bantering going on but Liz could feel the gazes of the others on her as she sat next to Noah. Did they know the story? The whole story, which included the steamy night she and Noah had spent together? Had he told them that she was a mess and why? She didn't know and she was afraid to ask. Maybe they wouldn't think she was good enough for their brother-slash-cousin. Easton especially was giving her a look that could only be described as skeptical. If she had to guess, she imagined that Noah's twin would be rather protective.
Noah pointed toward Liz's half-empty drink. "Another? That looks watered down."
She'd decided against alcohol and had stuck to cranberry juice. "It's fine. Are you getting another?"
He shook his head. "I'm driving. One's my limit."
They'd run out of conversation again. She had the overwhelming urge to kiss him and put an end to all of this nonsense.
He did, in fact, look quite kissable. They were both in casual jeans tonight but not the same ones they'd worn earlier in the day. Noah's were dark indigo and they fit his tight rear end perfectly. He had paired them with a light blue button down and a black pair of cowboy boots. His longish brown hair had been tamed with some product and his jaw and chin were cleanshaven.
I kind of miss the stubble.
"Are you hungry? We can leave right after Jason sings." Noah paused, his gaze darting to the stage where the band was getting ready to play, and then back to her. "Or we can go now. I mean...if you're not having a good time. This might not be your thing."
He didn't say it unkindly. If anything, he sounded panicked that she might not be having fun. Which she wasn't.
Because she thought that everyone was staring at her.
Paranoid much?
Yes, I am. What's it to you?
Liz didn't want Noah to think that this was about him. This was about her.
"I know this sounds stupid but I feel like everyone is looking at me. Isn't that crazy? I know they aren't but I can't help it."
Noah's brows rose and his smile widened. "Honey, they absolutely are looking at you. In fact, they're looking at both of us."
"Should I even ask why?"
"Because we're the new couple and they're curious. I haven't dated much in the last few years."
He hadn't? That was...interesting. She hadn't, either. One guy for awhile and it hadn't ended well. Then a few blind dates that went terribly. Mallory had urged Liz to go on them based on her own luck but Liz hadn't found her one true love. She had found a guy that didn't trust restaurants and wanted to see his food cooked. They should have gone to those Japanese places where they make your food in front of you on a grill.
That relationship had lasted approximately three hours. Just long enough to go out to dinner, eat, and drive her back home. They'd split the check. No hard feelings.
"It's nice to know I'm not just being paranoid."
Noah threw back his head and laughed, the sound ri
ch and throaty. It sent a tingle down her spine and hitched up that pesky tension between them a few more notches.
He really does look yummy.
"They're just being nosy. It's the downside of being part of a big family."
"Do they know...?"
He shook his head. "I haven't said anything and I don't think Carter and Mallory have."
"Dizzy and Leann know. But they don't...know know."
That we had hot sweaty sex in my hotel room. But I think they suspect.
"That's fine. I don't have any big secrets from them. If you want me to, I can make a face at them. They might stop looking. Or they might just try and be more sly about it. It could go either way."
It wasn't important. Now that she knew it wasn’t her imagination, it didn't bother her near as much. Surely when the band started up their attention would be elsewhere?
It was only a few minutes later when Jason stepped onto the stage and in front of the microphone. He introduced himself and the guys in the band before launching into a classic rock song from the seventies that Liz was particularly fond of. Two songs later, she could see why the whole family had gathered here tonight. The band was great and Jason could really sing. When they took a short break to check a malfunctioning amplifier, Mallory held up her phone.
"How about a group photo? I'll post it as some pre-wedding fun."
Liz wasn't a big user of social media, but she enjoyed seeing all the pictures that Mallory had posted over the last few months keeping everyone up to date with the wedding planning. Everyone scrunched together to get in the shot, Liz and Noah cheek to cheek.
"Say cheese!" Mallory said in a singsong tone.
They all obediently repeated it, a wide smile on everyone's face. The flash had her blinking but she recovered quickly, watching Mallory tapping on her phone.
"I'm going to post this now while I remember. If I have a few more drinks, I'll forget about it until tomorrow."
Dancing With Danger (Danger Incorporated Book 10) Page 9