Zane knocked his twin’s hand down. “On point like a Q-tip.”
Adam laughed. “What does that even mean?”
Noah ignored the antics of the boys, who were acting as if they were roaming the school halls again. “What’s she doing these days?”
“High school principal,” Zane explained.
“Really?” Noah’s jaw went slack as Adam and Zane sobered, and they shared a moment of silence over what had to be every teenage boy’s biggest dilemma—not wanting to be called to the principal’s office but wanting to be called to the principal’s office.
“Yeah. Those were the days. When Adam didn’t have a chance with Miss Woody, and—”
“Like I was the only one who tried for her attention,” Adam interrupted. “Remember when you connected me with your FBI contact?”
“My roommate? Kenny?” Noah asked.
“That’s the guy.”
“Of course, I remember.” Noah nodded.
“Long story short, he helped me sort through a few issues, and now I’m with the woman I plan to spend the rest of my life with. I wouldn’t care if Miss Woody walked in the door now or not.”
Noah stared at them, realizing that not only had he moved back to Eagle’s Ridge but also that everyone he knew there seemed to have settled down. Not that he’d be dating. What did it even matter? Now he had a kid. “A lot’s changed.”
“Not that much.” Zane smacked Adam with a pillow from the couch. “If Miss Woody walked in, all of us would do a double take.”
They burst out laughing. Adam threw his hands up. “Hey, hey. Lay off.”
Noah checked the time again. “Teagan and the school bus will be here soon.”
Adam pushed off the couch and clapped his hands. “Guess we’ll roll.”
Zane stood as well. “Teagan’s smart and knows everyone.”
Those were his mother’s exact words when describing Teagan, and she’d also noted that Teagan’s son was close to Bella. Besides his mother and Aunt Virginia, it seemed Teagan was the other person who’d helped the most with Bella before he could come home.
Noah slapped his buddy on the back. “Thanks, man.”
They walked toward the front of Lainey’s house. “For what it’s worth, I’d have fed the kid pizza too.” Adam kicked one of Noah’s bags that remained by the front door. “Think it should look like you plan on staying?”
He ran his hand over his jaw and into his hair. “It feels weird to move into Lainey’s bedroom.”
“I’d figure it out fast. And if you don’t, Bailey’ll let you have it.”
Noah chewed the inside of his mouth. “I haven’t cleaned up the guest room.”
Zane shook his head as he opened the front door. “No one says unpack this second, man. Just get it out of the hallway.”
A Subaru pulled into the driveway, catching their attention.
“Tell Teagan we say hey. You know she’s the school counselor, right?” Zane tacked on as they stepped down the front porch, cutting through the front yard and waving a friendly hello to Teagan.
No, he did not. He’d have to remember to ask his mom and aunt why they’d neglected to mention that the woman dropping by had caretaking credentials. Then again, that was one of the many things Noah had no clue about today. Pizza. Storing bags. Inviting school counselors over.
Noah stepped out, tossing an arm to wave bye then greet the woman he knew only as Teagan, the mother of Bella’s friend. The guys pulled away as the Subaru’s door opened.
“Teagan?” He strode forward, extending his hand to the confident woman whose brown hair picked up a hint of red in the sun. “Hey there. Noah Coleman.”
“Nice to meet you.” Her vibrant amber eyes weren’t as warm as her smile, though they were beautiful, and her cool handshake firmly gripped his. “Teagan Shaw.”
“Nice to meet you.” Their hands parted, and he immediately wished he’d known the guidance-counselor aspect of Mrs. Shaw before inviting her over, whether Bella and her son were close or not. He had the immediate sense that he was undergoing an evaluation, which he would fail miserably. Hell, he’d only been stateside for less than forty-eight hours, and most of that time had been spent on travel and untangling his life from the United States Navy SEALs, something he thought he’d never do until he retired. “So.”
She smiled crisply.
He tried for something a little less frigid. “You’ve known Bella for a while?”
“I have. Since she was very young.”
Noah didn’t know if that was a finished thought because he could’ve sworn she left off And who are you? Where have you been? Was it an immediate dislike for him, or didn’t she trust him? Maybe the better question was, why should she trust him? Hell, why did he want her to?
He glanced away, ignoring that she wasn’t hard on the eyes. Not that he would notice at a time like this. Was he even meant to be a parent?
Noah cleared his throat and acted as though she wasn’t the first woman he’d seen before. “What’s your kid’s name?”
“Will.”
“Sounds strong.”
Her eyes narrowed. “How much do you know about Bella?”
“Right now?” Noah took a deep breath then gave an awkward grin. “Less than I’m going to know tonight.”
From the looks of it, Teagan didn’t find that as amusing as he did. “She’s a good girl.”
Well, no kidding. She was Lainey’s daughter. Of course, Bella was a good girl. Noah would go out on a limb and say she was an amazing girl. Instead he rolled his lips together, and he and Teagan squared off awkwardly. His jaw was tight. Frustrated that this woman was so quick to judge, Noah tried to focus on his plan and the advice he’d been given, mostly because Teagan was only protecting his niece. “Tell me more.”
A delicate, if not careful, smile curled on Teagan’s lips. “About Bella?”
“Sure.” He paused, surprised how well that had worked. “Or her and Will.”
Teagan’s dark brown hair lifted on a breeze, highlighting its red hue. “They’re best friends. I can barely pull them apart.”
“Best friends,” Noah repeated.
Teagan finger combed her hair back in place as the wind tried to lift it again. “They believe in magic and wishes. They tell stories and dreams to each other.”
“Like a little boyfriend-girlfriend?”
“No, I think they always pretend to be brother and sister.”
“Gotcha.”
“You’ve been told Bella’s too young for our gifted program?”
“Yes.”
“That’s my background, and I keep an eye on her and those resources at school. So, if you need to bounce ideas, questions—anything, really—consider me available.”
He nodded. “I appreciate that.”
“It’s also my job to make sure that her home and school life balance.”
“Makes sense.” Given that she was a guidance counselor, but what was Teagan getting at?
“I was the school’s point of contact with your parents.”
“I know. My mom is the one who set this up,” he said, starting to feel defensive.
Teagan’s eyes crinkled as she studied him. “Are you ready for this, Noah? She’s been through so much.”
“You think I don’t know that?”
“And you’re new back in town.”
Again, the obvious. “What’s your point?”
Teagan chewed on her bottom lip. “Your mom mentioned you were pulled out of a war zone recently. Like, last week.”
He grit his molars. “Yeah, Mrs. Shaw, a week ago today, I was in Serbia. What about it?”
“Wait, hang on.” She stepped closer. “You’re hearing me all wrong.”
“Maybe your delivery is lacking.”
Her face pinched, and it hit him in the gut, though she’d been a bulldog moments ago.
“I can tell it was, and—” She inched back, staring toward the sky before turning back to him. “I don’t know you,
but Lainey was a good friend, and I love Bella. I’m sorry I came off as abrupt. I just can’t stand to see her hurt again, and you’re an unknown.”
Noah’s jaw relaxed. “I’m glad she has you in her corner.”
Teagan gave a noncommittal smile.
“And I hope that you don’t find me an unknown for long. I’m an open book. Family’s my world. Always has been, even if you never heard of me before.”
Her smile showed more teeth that time. “Heard of you, yes. Bella thinks you walk on water.” The happiness faded. “Lainey did too.”
Noah swallowed the unexpected burst of pain in his throat. “If we’re being honest, I have a few tricks up my sleeve.”
Teagan laughed, and thank God he did too. He didn’t want to tear up in front of a woman he barely knew. But she had been on the forefront of a battle that he hadn’t been able to wage in person.
Noah tipped his head back and looked at the sky, letting the cool northwest breeze blow over him. He smiled into the sun as it warmed his face for a moment, before he looked back at Teagan. “Thank you. From a Navy SEAL to a… soldier of, I don’t know, social work. Thank you.”
Her forehead scrunched. “You’re welcome?”
He got a kick out of her. He glanced sideways at her smirk, and they cracked up. Letting loose, just knowing that he could hurt and still find amusement in life’s everyday silliness, felt great.
“You’ve had the most honest reaction to my guardianship. Everyone is a cheerleader.” Family and friends had promised that it would be all right, explaining that if anyone could persevere through a transition like this, he could.
“They mean well. I meant well.”
He scrubbed a hand over his face. “People say that no one knows what they’re doing, and that she’s so smart, that whatever I screw up, she’ll pick up the slack. But this?” He blew out, shaking his head. “This is next level.”
A yellow school bus rounded the corner, and Noah’s heart thundered in his chest as it had the first time he’d buckled in for a simulated helicopter crash into dark water. He knew he was strapped tight, that impact wouldn’t be that bad, but the Navy had programmed their crash to gyrate and twist as rushing water filled the small space. He’d escape, he’d survive, but it might be hell on the way.
Teagan touched his arm, tapping him twice as his high school football coach had done. “If you need a helping hand, I’m handy.”
The school bus came to a stop, and that was what he needed—not his friends, parents, or bloggers sharing advice and answering questions. He needed help. Why did it take until this moment for him to realize what he knew instinctively on the job? The most complicated tasks needed teamwork.
The yellow doors at the front of the bus angled open, and his pink-and-glitter niece descended the two stairs in one jump before landing on the sidewalk with a little boy protectively coming up behind her.
“Thanks,” he said. “I could use the occasional teammate.” Because it was game on as the biggest of life changers ran toward him with open arms.
CHAPTER TWO
Teagan’s fingers curled around the purse strap as if it was a lifeline. She’d known every person who had cared for the little girl while Lainey had been sick, and after she passed. Teagan and Noah had just had their tense moment. The day was chock-full of emotion and the unknown, and she couldn’t be a tenth as uncertain as Noah was right now. Still, she worried whether Noah was the right man for the job.
“Uncle Noah!” Bella’s bright eyes and exuberant smile showed no hesitation, despite the reason he was here, as she bound from the school bus and skipped, with Will warily remaining close. Like mother, like son. He too didn’t want Bella’s life to have any more hiccups.
Though it wasn’t as if Virginia and Michael could continue to care for Bella. The Strams were older, and with Michael’s hearing fading and their mobility slowing down, everyone had decided while Lainey was still healthy and active that Bella’s grandparents shouldn’t be the primary caretakers for the long term. They would keep Bella only while Lainey went to hospice and then until Noah could come home.
Will hung back and let his best friend go as Bella jumped into Noah’s arms. The uncle-niece reunion was sweet, though Will didn’t seem interested, and Teagan motioned for him to come closer as she walked toward her son, stopping just off the driveway, in the thick green grass where Bella and Noah had crouched. Teagan kissed the top of Will’s head. “Hey, baby. How was your day?”
“Fine.”
“What’d you do?” She wrapped her arm around his shoulder, embracing him, but he was as rigid as a white pine.
“Nothing.”
The reply was typical for any kid, but today his voice floated away on the northwest breeze, more distracted than normal. When Will didn’t return the hug, Teagan squeezed his side. It was time to put her profession to work at home. “Which color marker did you use the most today?”
“Blue,” he mumbled. “I drew the sky. And then the rain. You couldn’t see the rain until I pressed really hard to make the drops, and then Bella said the sky looked like it was crying.”
“Was it crying?”
“Nope.” He shook his head. “And she’s a crying expert.”
All of Teagan’s heartstrings pulled simultaneously. “I know, baby. She’s had a hard couple months. But that’s why you’re such a good friend.”
The long middle-of-the-night calls with Lainey rushed back, from years ago when Lainey’s husband Davis had died. Lainey had worried how it might screw up Bella when no one from his side of the family came to the funeral. She didn’t want old Eagle’s Ridge drama to taint Bella because her father had married into the uppity side of the river, abandoning his roots.
In Teagan’s opinion, they had abandoned him and their blood, but at least they showed their true colors.
She shuddered. Would she rather have the unknown wild card of a Navy SEAL raising Bella or family members who wouldn’t attend a funeral? Obviously, Noah, and it wasn’t her call, anyway. Lainey had decided on him long ago, and Teagan agreed with her. But that didn’t mean the decision was one hundred percent apprehension free.
“But.” Will fidgeted. “Bella stopped crying when her mom stopped hurting.”
She swallowed an emotional lump in her throat. “I know that too, baby.”
At least, it had seemed that Bella was more at peace. Teagan and Will stared at the man on his knees in front of his niece. Noah wasn’t what Teagan had pictured, and she’d never imagined he would be that handsome. Given Bella’s family similarities, Teagan assumed he would have brown hair and eyes. What she didn’t expect was how expressive he was without saying a word or how caring his questions were and how softly his voice carried when she knew he was a professional military man with determination and drive.
There was an all-knowing edge to his face, where sun lines creased the corners of his eyes and laugh lines surrounded his mouth. Noah had to be tired—and overwhelmed, not that that would be an excuse for Teagan to cut him too much slack—but he held himself tall, even when on his knees with Bella.
“Is he going to be a good friend?” Will asked.
“Grown-ups aren’t always supposed to be a friend.” She pulled Will around to face her so they weren’t staring. Well, not staring as blatantly. Teagan still kept a close eye over Will’s shoulder. “What did you eat first from your lunch box?”
“Yogurt raisins.” He peeked around her shoulder. “Bella didn’t eat much.”
“I can appreciate that. Maybe she was nervous?”
“Think so. Her tummy feels funny too.”
“That happens sometimes.”
“Why are they so happy, then?” A thousand questions crossed his precious forehead as he tried to understand the intricacies of extended family.
Sometimes Teagan didn’t even understand that concept. “Do you love Grandma Sue?”
A silly smile replaced the tight one. “Well, yeah.”
“But do you know her very w
ell?” Teagan tapped him on the nose. “You might be anxious to see her. When you do, you’re very happy.”
The dots connected in his mind, and his scowl softened as a little O formed on his lips. “Can I go over and say hi now?”
Teagan glanced over. Bella, all sunshine and smiles, was tugging Noah toward them until Will took off. It was quite the sight, the wisp of the girl and the thick, muscled man. Then Bella let go, and Noah remained in place and let his gaze follow the kids. His face was a mystery of triumph and terror.
Teagan bit her lip, watching the tough guy sweat the small stuff. He was in the deep end—so far that he couldn’t find a proverbial purse strap to cling to if he’d wanted one.
Bella trotted over to Teagan’s side, pushing onto her toes. “Can we go inside?”
She had just established the pecking order of who was in charge. Bella had asked Teagan—not Noah—if they could go inside the house Noah would now live in. Teagan lifted her eyebrows toward Noah. “I don’t know. Can they?”
He sucked his cheeks in, as though he didn’t know if they could go in and play or not. Maybe Noah had planned on making decisions only for Bella, and now he had to make or punt a choice for Will as well.
Teagan half twisted his way, deferring. “Because it’s good with me if Will plays for a bit longer.”
Picking up on her cue, Noah nodded, his square jaw loosening. “Sure. Have at it.”
The kids took off through the front door like steamrollers, and she closed the small gap between the sturdy yet wildly unsteady man with less speed but even greater intention. “That wasn’t a test of your command.”
“I’m sorry?” The corner of his eyes crinkled as though he didn’t like that she might’ve read his thoughts.
Smiling quietly, she shrugged. “Kids default to routine. I grant permission more often than you. It was more normal for Bella to ask my permission even though this is your house.”
The tendons strained as he cracked his neck and popped his shoulders. “It’s Lainey’s.”
“Well…” She ignored how he stretched his body and focused on how adults dealt with the stress of losing a loved one. Other than continuing education hours and occasional practicums, she’d never had to work with adults. Kids were different in how they alleviated stress.
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