Chasing Noel

by Debra Elise

  “Really? By all means, don’t hold back.”

  “Noel, I love you and all the other girls as if you were my sisters. I think that’s why we’re all so close. Because we found the sisters we always wanted but never had. But I’m going to give you this advice whether you want it or not.”

  Noel braced herself. If there was one thing she hated, it was advice. Advice about her personal life anyway. “Alright, I’m listening. But I’m not agreeing to anything.”

  “Be open.”

  Huh. Not what she expected. “Be open to what?”

  “Everything. Be open.” Kelsey stood up, hugged her, and walked out of the room. “I’m going to grab a shower since you’re here. I haven’t washed my hair in two days. Take care of your goddaughter and enjoy the moment. I have a feeling come Monday you’re going to need to be very open.”

  What the …? “Kelsey Marie, you get back here. What are you talking about?”

  Noel stared at the spot where Kelsey had disappeared for a long while. Dammit, she was up to something.

  CHAPTER SIX

  “So, I hear you and Noel finally, uh did the horizontal mambo, and then you let her get away?”

  Kelsey Sullivan, now Kelsey Jansen, was the only person in his life who’d dare question him, well except for Noel. And he wasn’t about to discuss his sex life with her even if he really wanted to know what Noel had told her.

  “Gee, good afternoon to you too, Kelsey. And I’m not going there. I’m working because you see that’s what I do in my office. So, if you don’t mind…”

  “Mind? Me? Nope, not a bit. Okay, how about we discuss why you and Noel made that ridiculous agreement of spending just a night together and how two smart people could be so stupid?”

  He’d hoped the one night; actually, two would have been enough. A week later, he knew the time they spent at the cabin would never be enough. Now he just had to decide if he was strong enough to put himself out there and ask for more.

  “TS? Hello? Boy, you two are a pair, aren’t you?”

  Which question to answer first? Kelsey’s words weighed heavy. Did he want to be a pair? Could he succeed in a relationship with a woman the way he had in his business life? His messed-up childhood had shaped or better yet warped his views on love and marriage. Until Noel. She’d managed to twist his thoughts, his cold heart, in a direction he couldn’t have predicted.

  “Thomas Scott, stop tuning me out. If you don’t want to talk about Noel and what happened, fine.”

  Shit. She was so not fine. Must be sleep deprivation. Had to be. TS couldn’t stand the thought of Kelsey being mad at him.

  “Pardon me, I didn’t want to interrupt, but TS your interviewer is here from Pinnacle Sports Magazine. Should I have him wait or…” Lois gave Kelsey a warm smile, handed TS the reporter’s business card, but gave him a frown.

  TS knew that look. Lois had been with him since the beginning. First, as a receptionist at the first tech company, he started, then the office manager than his personal assistant when he sold the tech company making him the youngest billionaire in America. She knew him better than anyone. And she didn’t hold back on her opinions.

  “So, I heard what Kelsey said about you and Noel and if you want to know what I think—"

  “No, Lois. I really don’t.”

  “Too bad. I’ve watched you avoid anything permanent in your personal life for too long. Noel is a lovely girl, and you should stop acting like being alone is okay. It’s not. You need someone like her. You deserve to be happy, TS.” Lois finished her short speech and crossed her arms.

  “Christ, is there anyone in my life that doesn’t have an opinion about this?”

  “No.”

  “No.”

  Kelsey and Lois answered simultaneously.

  He looked between the two women who’d been in his life the longest. They’d always had his back. They’d always let him know when he’d crossed a line. They were the only ones he let in. But even with them, he’d held back, didn’t share the dark spaces from his past, a childhood that had cemented his bachelor for life attitude.

  He looked down at the card Lois handed him. Shit, now he had to deal with this. The reporter, the Sports Pinnacle, the nation’s leading magazine on professional sports, had sent wasn’t one of his biggest fans. In fact, the guy had written an article shortly after TS bought the Outlaws railing against him as a spoiled rich boy using his daddy’s money to be a part of the sport TS could never hope to be a player in.

  Proof that the hack had done little to no research on his past or the accomplishments he’d achieved on his own, without his father’s wealth. Damn, he did not want to deal with this now, but if he put him off, then the chance of a less then favorable article was guaranteed.

  “I appreciate that you two have my best interest at heart, but I’m a big boy, and I can handle my own love life.”

  “Well, alrighty then. But you better do it quickly because Noel’s going to move her business out of state if you don’t do something and I mean a big something. So, I need you to get your act together and—”

  “Move. What? Wait, when?”

  “Oh, so that got your attention. Well, good. Because since your stupid decision to sleep together just once, both of you have lost your minds. Noel thinks she’s ready for a new start—somewhere else. She also thinks she’s too damaged to find love, to be in love, etcetera, etcetera. Which is ludicrous, by the way. So, you need to fix this. Now.” Kelsey walked over and stood next to him.

  Whoa, love? This was not about love—at least on his part. And he was pretty sure if Noel had those feeling’s she wouldn’t have agreed to just their time at the cabin and no more.

  When did things get so complicated? He looked at Kelsey and took in her disapproving glare. “You practicing for when Mari’s a teenager and walks in the door after curfew with that look?” He asked.

  “You wish. I know you, TS. And you haven’t been happy for a long time.”

  He opened his mouth to refute the claim. She cut him off before he could speak.

  “I’m talking on a personal level. Purchasing the Outlaws, building the condos on the lake, plus all the other company’s you buy up, that’s business, and it should make you proud. But those are just things, TS. They’re not going to keep you warm at night or bring you contentment into your golden years. Only love can do that. And that, my friend, is what you’re missing. What you need. So, swallow whatever pride you’ve been holding onto and pick up the phone and ask Noel on a real date.”

  “Since when does one have to do with the other? I’m not looking to marry Noel or anyone else. End of story.

  “You’re wrong, TS. This is about love. It’s about opening yourself up to the possibility. You can’t hide your feelings from me. I know there is something there between you and Noel. Take a chance.”

  He wanted to ignore her plea, but he wasn’t going to argue with Kelsey. There was no use. She already knew why he didn’t believe in love. The safe thing to do was let her think he would consider it “What aren’t you telling me. What did she say to you about our time at the cabin?”

  “Not much. But enough to know that there’s something there worth fighting for. You both think you’re each better off alone. And that’s crap. Work out what’s keeping you from being happy and believing that you’ll be no different than your parents were. Just because they failed at love doesn’t mean you will too.”

  She hit on TS’s biggest fear. No wonder she was the only one he let get close to him. “I’ll think it over. That’s the best I can do right now, Kelsey.”

  Long after Kelsey left, TS sat in his chair, staring down onto the field. His very own field of dreams. He’d accomplished quite a bit in a short amount of time. But was he willing to put himself, his heart, on the line? Did he really see a future with Noel? He knew he wanted her but forever was a damn long time.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  NEW YEAR’S EVE

  Noel heard excited squeals and giggles as s
he stood on Caris and Blake’s front porch. Today was the fifth time she’d come to sit with the toddler. They’d been blessed with her adoption last year, and the family of three had blessed Noel with the joy of spending time with Valeria on their date nights.

  She was eighteen months old and was ruling the household. She charmed everyone who met her with wide-eyed brown eyes and infectious giggles.

  Caris had been having fertility issues before Blake, then Valeria came into her life. She had been so happy when their whirlwind love story played out with the hippies of endings by becoming a family.

  Noel was happy for Caris and all her girlfriends. She didn’t begrudge her circle their happiness. They’d earned, no deserved every bit of joy in their new lives. And the fact that each was wrapped up tight with an Idaho Outlaw the irony she was now involved, correct that had a brief hook-up with TS wasn’t lost on her. Apparently, they all had the same type.

  They were all going to get a big kick out of her sleeping with TS.

  But she’d long ago made up her mind that having a family of her own wasn’t a priority. She was determined after watching her mother go through continued betrayal by her father then take him back again and again simply because she didn’t want to be alone had been a painful lesson to learn at a young age.

  Noel had wished it had been her mother that had left her father than the other way around. The day her father walked out on them, she’d vowed to never let a man close enough to ever treat her that way.

  She was happy in her new role as ‘Auntie’ of three and counting. She received all the fun and unconditional love without the loss of sleep or the cost of orthodontia and college.

  The mini fireball rounded the corner of the entryway and let out another round of giggles. “No-No, Auntie No-No.” A blur of dark brown curls made a beeline for Noel. She pressed her cherub face against the window next to the door and grinned.

  “Valeria! You do not go to the door by yourself.” On the toddler’s heels, Caris appeared with a sippy-cup in one hand and a hairbrush in the other.

  Noel noticed Caris looked like she’d just stepped out of a magazine even though she’d put in a full day at work and been wrangling her energetic daughter while also getting ready for a date with her husband. Her soothing tone as she reprimanded Valeria was perfect in her profession as a psychologist and washed over Noel, making her feel calm just by being in the same space as her. She secretly wanted to be Caris when she grew up.

  “Yes, sweetie. It’s Auntie Noel. Now be a good girl and stop kissing the window. Oh, no licking, either.” Caris picked her up and opened the door.

  “Welcome to chaos. Hope you’re ready, she’s gotten her second wind.” Caris led the way into the front room and handed the toddler over.

  “Are you kidding? Auntie No-No came to play. Isn’t that right, Val?” She rubbed noses with Valeria and twirled her around and was rewarded with more giggles.

  “Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you. Her pj’s are on the dresser, she’ll need to put on the nighttime pull-ups, and yes, I know you know the routine, sue me.”

  Noel wasn’t insulted. Caris was a mom. A very organized, type-A mom, but she was loosening up ever so slightly.

  “Don’t worry. I won’t let you down, Doc. Now you go grab Blake and get out of here and ring in that New Year right. We girls have serious business to attend to, don’t we Val?” She swung the toddler like an airplane and gently landed her on the couch.

  “Again. Again! No-No.”

  Noel fell down on the couch and laughed. “In just a minute, sweetie. I need to take my shoes off and— “

  The front doorbell rang, and Caris excused herself. Blake walked into the room, and the little girl immediately jumped off the couch and threw herself into her daddy’s arms. From number one to two just like that. Guess she couldn’t blame Val. Blake was one of the best guys she knew, and he’d taken to fatherhood quicker than any man she’d seen. Caris was very blessed. And it didn’t hurt that he was fine to look at. In fact, all her girlfriends had become just as lucky.

  A familiar voice tickled her ear. She turned to the entryway as Blake, with Val, in tow greeted the man she’d done her best to stop thinking about.

  “Hi, Noel.”

  “TS.”

  Nobody said anything else. She wasn’t sure how to act. They hadn’t said, well she hadn’t said anything about them except to Kelsey. Had TS told Blake? And why was he here?

  “You didn’t have to drop off the paperwork, TS. I could have picked it up next week.”

  Blake took the folder TS handed him, and with Valeria still on his hip disappeared into the back of the house.

  “TS, we were just going out. It’s New Year’s Eve.” Caris moved into the room and crossed her arms. “Don’t you have plans, either?”

  TS wasn’t listening to Caris. He was looking at Noel. And Noel was trying not to react to the heat in his gaze or the grin on his face. The one that melted her insides—every single time.

  Caris moved to block TS’s view of Noel. “Listen, we don’t get out often, so when Blake comes back, no baseball talk.”

  He leaned around Caris and gave Noel a wink. “Yes, Ma’am. No baseball talk. Promise. Is it okay if I talk with Noel? Is that allowed?”

  Noel couldn’t gauge Caris’s reaction since she was still looking at TS. Did Caris suspect anything? Caris could read people better than anyone she’d ever met. But then again that went along with her job.

  “Sure. But Val is the priority. Don’t monopolize Noel’s attention, okay?”

  “Sure. I’ve got ah, a couple interior design questions I want to ask her. Since she’s here.” He offered Caris his best grin.

  “Mm-hmm.” Caris turned to Noel. “Make sure you boot him out before Val gets sleepy.”

  And when TS wasn’t looking, she mouthed, ‘later’ to Noel. Well, that just proved her point. Nothing got by Caris.

  Blake came back in the room, handed Val off to TS, and grabbed his wife’s hand. “Let’s get before they change their minds.”

  She watched as Blake and Caris said goodbye and gave loud smacking kisses to Valeria that had her giggling again. The toddler waved bye to her parents and patted TS on the face.

  “Sketchy.” Valeria rubbed TS’s face.

  He looked confused.

  Noel burst out laughing. “She means scratchy—your beard.” She pointed to his face.

  “Ah, yes. I’m very sketchy.” TS rubbed his cheek against the little girl’s. Then he waggled his eyebrows. More giggling.

  “All right, you two. Enough. I think we should read a book. Val, could you go get me your favorite book, sweetie?”

  “Book. Down.” She pointed to the floor and waited.

  TS took the order and set her on her feet.

  They both watched her race out of the room.

  “We have less than a minute before she returns. What sort of question could I answer that the one you hired, can’t.”

  He unleashed another grin. This time it was not so innocent. And was full of wicked intent. “Well, it dawned on me that I hadn’t given you a good reason why I gave the job to someone else and not to you.”

  “TS. You don’t owe me—"

  “Yes, I do, Noel. Give me five minutes. Then I’ll leave. Please?”

  She wasn’t prepared for this or for him.

  “Alright.” Noel still wasn’t sure what was going on, but she’d play along.

  Before he could explain, Valeria came running back in the room with her favorite book. It was about bunnies, and she knew it by heart, which she found out last time when she skipped a page on accident and the little girl shook her head and made her read the page.

  “Hey, how about you read the book to Val, and I’ll go get her milk?” She hadn’t expected him to jump at the chance to read the bunny book, but he was just full of surprises.

  He grabbed Val’s hand, took the book, and sat down on the couch. She crawled up into TS’ lap and snuggled in. Noel felt a twinge
of something she’d couldn’t put her finger on.

  While they were busy discussing the carrot patch, the baby bunny was lost in, she found the milk and warmed it in the bottle warmer. So many extra gadgets needed for a little human. She was pretty sure her mom never had one of these. When the milk was ready, she found TS and Val on the floor on their stomachs playing with the toddler’s favorite stuffed animals. A bunny and a bear that was outfitted in Outlaw colors.

  They were whispering so she couldn’t make out what they were saying. She stood back and let them have their playtime. Kelsey had told her how good TS was with Mari. Not that she thought TS wouldn’t be, however before everyone started having babies, she’d never pegged him for the fatherly or even the fun uncle type. Apparently, she was wrong.

  When Val let out her second yawn, Noel decided to step in. “Okay, little one. Time for milk, then bed.” She bent down and scooped up the sleepy girl and met TS’s intense gaze.

  She shook her head at him. “You’re insatiable.”

  “It’s your fault.” He sat back, then pushed off the floor to stand.

  He was standing too close. Her pulse picked up, and he was still staring at her like she was his favorite, stuffed bunny. Ugh. This was getting a bit complicated. She hadn’t expected him to show up in her life like this. Now he was reading bedtime stories and playing on the floor with their friend's toddler and wanting to apologize to her.

  She needed him to leave before she broke the babysitter’s main rule—no boys allowed. It didn’t matter that Caris and Blake knew he was here. It mattered to her. And she needed to guard her heart.

  She broke eye contact and sat down and gave Val her milk. Soon the little girl was nodding off, and she carried her into her room. She got her off to bed and found TS still sitting in the same spot as when she left.

  “I know you think I’m going to ask you to make out, but I’m not. Well, I might if you ask nicely.” TS paused, flashed her a smile then went back to pacing.

  She hadn’t either until he brought it up. Great now she couldn’t not think about it, or them together. “TS, what did you want to say?”