Noah

by Cristin Harber

  His brow furrowed, and he had no idea what the hell to make of that. “Really?”

  “I’m not sorry, but…” Teagan bit her lip. “What if they woke up? Or saw?”

  He shrugged. “Then you explain.”

  “That I was making out with you in the hallway?” She rubbed her temples. “I just met you. What kind of example is that?”

  Ouch. That was a first. Shot down and insulted. Was that twice in a row by the same woman in one night? Yeah, there was a record he wasn’t thrilled to set.

  She stared at the kids. “We didn’t think that through.”

  “Right.” He rolled his shoulders and stretched. “But we got it out of our system.”

  Teagan pivoted. “Maybe. Is that what we call that? Getting it out of our system?”

  No. He’d call that a hot precursor to best-in-show sex. Nothing that happened in the hallway had gotten her out of his system. If anything, he’d had the taste he’d hoped for, and now he wanted more.

  Teagan shook her head. “Can you imagine if Bella saw us?”

  “She’s a smart kid. Smarter than me half the time. I’d talk to her.”

  “If Bella got hurt again? I’d hate myself.”

  “Why would she get hurt?”

  Teagan’s hair fell to the side as her head tilted. “She thinks the world of you. Don’t you know that?”

  Flattery wasn’t something he was comfortable with, and he brushed it aside. “Same could be said for you too.”

  “She’s special to me too, and she’s lost her dad, her mom. If she saw us kiss and romanticized the idea…” Teagan pressed her lips together and lifted her shoulders. “It could break her little heart if it didn’t go however she imagined.”

  Hell. When Teagan put it that way… Noah cringed. “Hadn’t thought about it like that.”

  She bit her lip. “Now that you have?”

  That was a lot of pressure to put on a kiss or even a friendship, which was what he wanted more than anything else from Teagan, even if it killed him to choose between touching her or simply being able to chill or ask questions if they came up. “Maybe we shouldn’t have.”

  “You understand.” Teagan wrapped her arms around him and hugged.

  His eyes sank shut, and this was a gut punch. Clearly, Teagan hadn’t been on the same page that said just being friends meant they couldn’t touch. Noah breathed deep to ignore how she fit in his arm but then had to ignore how sweet she smelled. He grunted his answer, focusing on his platonic response more than any coherent agreement.

  With an extra squeeze and a quiet thank-you, Teagan broke apart and headed to the couch. He followed, wondering what more he could add as she sat and twisted her leg underneath her. Noah took an overstuffed chair facing her. In his world, he’d always known what to say and how to say it. But in this new world, he wasn’t the focus any more. Hell, this was his world now. He had to listen.

  “What’s that look?” she asked.

  He dropped his head, staring at the carpet as heavy seconds drifted by before looking back at Teagan. “You have very intense eyes.”

  She blinked, sitting back as though that might change how powerful her gaze was. “That’s a good thing?”

  “They’re sweet and true and just like everything about you.” He inhaled slowly. “You’re beautiful, and you’re also so damn right.”

  Teagan’s lips parted.

  “I won’t say that again, but I had to tonight. And one more thing.”

  She licked her bottom lip then quietly asked, “What?”

  “In the hall.” He blew out a slow breath of air. “That was intense, and that you put the brakes on because of them?” He nodded toward the floor. “You’re really something special. A good mom, person in Bella’s life—friend.”

  Teagan’s cheeks pinked at the flattery, and he meant every word of it. “We’re going to be good friends.”

  She stared at Will and Bella sleeping peacefully. “Despite the absurd number of times today that you proved I grossly misunderstood who you are. And I just met you.”

  A platonic friendship with Teagan could’ve meant death by slow torture, and maybe it was because he’d just experienced the hottest kiss of his life. But “I just met you” suddenly made him believe everything happened for a reason, and he’d have to sit back and figure out what that reason was.

  CHAPTER TEN

  “I’m ready.” Bella stood in front of her bedroom with a backpack on and the Velcro straps on her shoes fastened in place. “Uncle Noah.” The little girl all but tsked. “You do not look ready.”

  That was because he wasn’t. What were they ready for? School was over. He hadn’t burned down the house in days. Heck, the weekend was so close he could taste it. But Noah seemed doomed for disaster, or at the very least disappointment, because whatever he was supposed to have done or gotten ready for, he hadn’t even started.

  His list of all things Bella-related had been left on his desk at Nuts and Bolts.

  “Today’s the day that I read to Gambler.”

  Gambler? Gambler! His buddy Zane’s dog. How could he forget picking Bella up at the library a few months ago? Gambler was one canine that was hard to forget. A little bit crazy, a lot bit excitable, and unable to resist. Noah smiled, seeing that Bella was clearly under Gambler’s charm as well, though he was clueless about the after-school activity.

  “That’s today?”

  “Uh-huh.” She nodded hard enough to make her glitter headband fall off.

  “I have to be honest, ladybug.” She wouldn’t understand the level of mental exhaustion he was struggling with. “I didn’t even have Gambler on my radar.”

  This week had kicked Noah’s ass. Bella had morphed from his sweet niece to an unrecognizable tornado of a child after he purchased the wrong color of glitter hand sanitizer—no one had mentioned he should expect that. Then there was the drama of a monkey bar contest gone wrong, where Noah had choked down the urge to teach her how to elbow the little cheaters when no one was looking.

  What he would’ve given for some pure physical exertion to drain him. He had dreams of BUD/S training where they dead lifted a telephone pole in the Pacific Ocean. He wanted to crawl to the top of a mountain with too much gear and not enough air. All of that sounded far easier than trying to figure out why she did, said, and ate nothing at school every day based on his after-school and dinnertime interrogations of her time spent at kindergarten. Though after checking in with her teacher, he found out that Bella was indeed doing, talking, and eating, and that he should ask different types of questions. Starting next week, he had a plan.

  “How was lunch?” would become “How many bites of your sandwich did you eat?” Instead of “What did you do today?” he’d ask “What color markers did you color with?” Come Monday, Noah’s tactics would be on point and ready to be deployed.

  But right now he needed a strategy to achieve balance. Or sanity. How did moms manage everything? Bella barely had any activities outside of school, yet Noah’s head was overloaded. There was a running list of birthday party invites, classroom volunteer opportunities, appropriate meal planning options…

  “Okay. I won’t practice reading aloud today.” Her shoulders slumped. “I suppose I could read to you, though I excel when I read to Gambler.”

  Ugh. She was breaking out her SAT words on him and likely knew the definition of manipulation. “I think we have to RSVP for those things. Gambler might not even be there.”

  “He’s always there. Gambler’s daddy likes Miss Grace.”

  Noah cocked an eyebrow, thinking back to Teagan’s concerns about how Bella might read things into adult relationships if she saw one forming. “Really? How do you know this?”

  “They like each other.” Bella took her backpack off. “What should I read to you?”

  Noah’s curiosity was suddenly stronger than his exhaustion. Would Zane know how Bella knew about him and Harper? Hell, what was Noah doing? Trying to see how much Bella could piece together a
bout adults dating? That wouldn’t change anything with him and Teagan. Still… “You’re sure it’s today?” He checked his watch, though he didn’t know what time the program started.

  “Yes, today. But we need to leave now. I have enough time to have a snack then drive without being rushed.” She paused. “You can Google it if you want to check.”

  “I trust you.” There was no point in double-checking the calendar, and he was struck by Lainey’s words falling out of Bella’s mouth. Enough time to have a snack then drive without being rushed. It sounded so like her. Never rushing. Always preparing for others, and that killed him. Everybody in Eagle’s Ridge had had time to prepare for Lainey’s death. Everyone except him.

  Noah cleared his throat. “Sure thing. Let me go—”

  Bella beamed. “I already packed my snack.”

  Of course, she did. She prepared like her mother. “Then let’s load up.”

  Noah turned, and Bella skipped past him and pushed out the front door like the five-year-old that she was. All traces of her mom and the gifted, verbose child were gone. Either way, he was glad Bella was getting him out of the house. The fresh air and a new set of walls might do him some good.

  ###

  “Please, Mom. Please. Please. Please. I never want to go. And now I want to go.” Will pouted in the backseat as Teagan watched him in her rearview mirror.

  She had a headache that wouldn’t quit, and with school dismissing early today, she hadn’t finished everything that she needed to. Will dropping a library bomb on her shouldn’t have been a problem. But his complete overreaction to her balking was.

  Not that she wanted to punish him for wanting to read, but Teagan wondered why it had to be today. Oh, what the heck. How often did Will beg to go to the library? Never. “Only…”

  “Thank you!” he chimed with a quick kick of his legs.

  “Only because we love books and we love libraries, but we do not love attitude problems. Do you read me?” She flicked a glance at the rearview mirror, and he beamed.

  “I read you!”

  If anyone ever said that advisors had kids figured out, they were nuts. Teagan changed course and maneuvered through town, easing down the quiet tree-lined street, then pulled into the parking lot.

  She gave another glance into her backseat. She had never seen him this ready to be at the library before, and as soon as she shifted into Park, Will fumbled with his belt. She unbuckled her own seat belt, and he was out the door, barely slamming it hard enough for it to click before he rushed toward the library.

  The quaint library was one story and wrapped with a thick line of old trees shading its expansive porch. Teagan loved its bright red doors, but Will beelined away from the entrance.

  “What on earth?” She didn’t see where he was—or why he didn’t go inside—and Teagan snagged her purse from the passenger seat then swiftly trailed him. “Will?”

  The parking lot was filled, but that wasn’t a surprise. It was a busy place, but there was nothing to indicate what had caught his interest. Her heart pounded. He wasn’t one to take off, and truthfully, he was a bit tenderhearted. If he was ever separated or lost, he’d worry.

  Teagan rushed around the corner, no longer able to see her son. Until she did. His little feet had carried him across a small field to a group of kids and dogs nestled on blankets.

  This was the program where kids read to animals. Teagan took a relieved breath and pushed her sunglasses into her hair, getting a better look at the faces. Certainly, Will had sat with Bella. Then a quiet laugh startled her from behind.

  She spun and saw two men. “Noah? And… Zane?”

  Teagan had met the other man at a fundraising race, and she’d seen him around town lately with Harper Grace, the librarian.

  Zane gave a quick wave. “Nice to see you, Teagan. I was just catching up with my old friend.”

  “Don’t let me interrupt you. I was”—she gestured toward the group—“catching up with my kid.”

  Both men cracked smiles, but Zane begged off. “I need to keep an eye on Gambler. He’s fine until a rabbit hops by. Then…” He shook his head. “Pandemonium. Gets the kids laughing, though.”

  The men shook hands goodbye, and Noah eased onto a bench. He had an arm thrown over the back, and he tossed a lazy wave for her to come closer. “You can join me if you like.”

  “I didn’t expect to see you.”

  “I could tell. I’m not sure you expected to see anyone.” He tapped the empty space to his side. “And you look confused, which is my look, considering Bella spent thirty minutes explaining a toy she hopes Santa brings her.”

  Teagan stepped closer. “Why’s that confusing?”

  “Because the things are named after text speak or emojis. The entire time I thought she was trying to sound like a big kid.” The corners of his mouth curved and his lips pinched as though he knew how ridiculous the situation sounded. “I was translating in my head. Laugh out loud. Be right back, or something. I don’t know, but it turns out that’s what these things are called.”

  “You win the day.” Teagan slapped a hand over her mouth and still giggled. “Oh, man.”

  “Like she’s getting a smiling pile of poop.” Noah scowled. “How about these two letters—N. O.”

  Teagan couldn’t find him any more endearing. “Okay, you’ve got to let it go. Emojis aren’t going anywhere.” She leaned closer and whispered, “But you don’t have to buy smiling piles of anything.”

  “Fair enough.” He half grinned. “Tell me a funny story from your day.”

  “I had a kid in fourth grade sent to my office today about a money tree.”

  His brow pinched. “What’s a money tree? Other than, man, I wish I had a money tree.”

  “Close.” She tilted her head. “Apparently, if you nag your mom long enough for something, she will shake the money tree and it will arrive.”

  “What?”

  Teagan nodded. “Yeah. Needless to say, I have a kicking headache.”

  “And how was this your problem?”

  “His science teacher wasn’t making progress, talked to the parents, who wouldn’t correct their kid, who doesn’t believe in Santa, but does believe in the money tree.” Teagan rubbed her temples. “Maybe one of my top ten most-interesting-and-frustrating parent-teacher-child conferences ever.”

  “You don’t get paid enough.” He pursed his lips, failing to hide his laughter. “Whatever you make, that’s not enough.”

  “I don’t know how we ended up here. I just wanted a little quiet.” She finally perched on the edge of the bench, putting far too much thought into how far—or close—she should sit. “We’ve never been to this program before.”

  “Me, either.”

  Teagan laughed and massaged the headache at the base of her neck. The fresh air and good company would help.

  “There’s a pressure point that might help. If that’s a tension headache.” He pointed below and then in between his eyebrows. “Take two fingers, like this. Press for a minute then give it a break. You can also do the base of your skull and neck.”

  “Really? Thanks. I rarely get headaches.”

  He shrugged. “It’s handy to know if you’re in the middle of nowhere and one pops up.”

  Wow, he could play down his heroics. She switched to her neck. “Middle of nowhere with a headache, huh?”

  “No, try more like…” Noah scooted over, brushing her hair away. His hands covered hers, holding her fingers still and pressing her thumbs deeper. “Do you feel that?”

  “Maybe.” The reaction sparkling through her was more about his touch than headache mitigation, and she didn’t want him to think she was so shallow a touch could make her flustered. “I think so, thanks.”

  “No, that’s not it, then.” He brushed her hands away. “You would know.”

  Noah ran his hands down her shoulder, twisting her on the bench to position her for better access, then he put his hands on her neck again. They were warm and still.
Strong. His thumbs pressed the top of her hairline then slid down her spinal column. Teagan’s insides fluttered, same as before when his hands covered hers, then he stilled again. The pads of his thumbs moved away from her spine with a steady pressure until he stopped again.

  “Right here,” he said, kneading her neck then increasing the strength of his touch with a steady push.

  Her head dipped back, and Teagan’s breath left as her eyes fluttered shut. A rush of bliss made her mouth taste sweet, and she inhaled deeply, rolling her head up as he carefully released her neck.

  “Like that.” Noah kept a hand at the back of her head.

  Teagan took account of her body. The headache had dulled significantly. Was it even there? But better, her muscles had relaxed. She eased to face him again, not wanting to break the trance he’d cast over her loose muscles. “How did you do that?”

  “Pressure points.” He shrugged.

  “Magic.”

  “In martial arts, you can use pressure points to immobilize a person, right?”

  She nodded.

  “Same concept. Pressure points can be applied to basic human reactions. Pain, pleasure. It opens or closes blood flow, releases natural chemicals that can hurt or heal.” Noah didn’t scoot back, and their chemistry didn’t care what barriers they’d erected after they’d kissed. The connection was still there. “All useful things to have in the field if you can’t pop ibuprofen for a headache.”

  Her headache had gone, but her interest in his hands had not. “That really helped.”

  This was the awkward moment, those few minutes that would define whether they could really be friends, and Teagan didn’t want to lose him. She couldn’t. Noah had an indescribable quality that made her smile in a way that she hadn’t smiled all day. Shifting her purse into her lap, she brought their attention back to the kids. “Will isn’t at Bella’s reading level. I’m surprised he knew about this.”

  Noah watched her a second longer than was comfortable and eased back against the bench, not sliding away, and cast a long glance onto the field. “She’s been doing this for a few months now. Maybe they talked about it.”