A Baby and a Betrothal (12 page)

Noah would never understand the deep roots of her fear of rejection. Even though he'd been through a lot with his family, he'd always had their unwavering love and support. She forced a laugh, tugged away from his grip and grabbed the sandwich from his lap. “You win,” she said lightly. “No more bread ends for me.”

He studied her a moment then unwrapped his sandwich. “I hope that's true,” he said. “If you need somewhere to donate all those ends, my stomach volunteers.” He took a bite and gave a little moan of pleasure. “Especially if the ends come with your chicken salad between them.”

She appreciated that he let go of the topic. The rest of the afternoon saw them back to their normal camaraderie. She stifled a yawn as he docked the boat an hour later.

“Worn-out?” he asked, hopping onto the wood planks and tying a rope to one of the poles.

“Exhausted,” she admitted. “I've been tired in general lately.” She gathered her sunscreen and tote bag and stood. “I hope I'm not getting sick. There's too much to do before the Founder's Day Festival for that.”

He reached out a hand and steadied her as she climbed onto the dock. “That's what I'm talking about. You work too hard, doing your part and everyone else's.”

“Olivia is pregnant,” she argued, exasperated they were back on this subject. “It's not like she dumped her responsibilities on me for no good reason.”

“All I'm saying is you matter, too.”

“Point taken.” She dropped her sandals to the ground and shoved her feet in them, starting toward his truck before he could lecture her any longer. His words were especially irritating because they were true. She was pushing herself too hard, taking on more special orders at the bakery just as the summer tourist season was heating up. With the extra work for the festival, she was spread way too thin. It grated on her nerves to have Noah point it out. People praised her overzealous work ethic. They didn't chastise her for it.

Noah caught up to her as she reached the back of the truck. “Don't be mad. I only want you to take care of yourself.”

The concern in his eyes was real. She knew that. He'd only said out loud what she'd been thinking the past week. “Maybe I'll put Lelia in charge of some of the smaller orders. She trained at a bakery in San Francisco, so she knows her way around the kitchen.” Katie had never shared any significant chunk of responsibility at Life is Sweet since her grandma's death. But she couldn't keep going at this pace.

“Good idea,” he said and opened her door for her.

“Do you need help with the boat? I didn't mean to run off and leave you with all the work.”

“I've got it.” He patted the passenger seat. “You probably swam a couple miles today. You deserve a rest.”

The truck's interior was warm from the sun beating through the front window. Katie's eyes started to drift shut, but she managed to stay awake while Noah maneuvered the boat onto the trailer. By the time they headed back toward town, her eyelids were so heavy it was hard to fight off her need for a nap.

“Close them,” Noah said softly.

With a sigh she did and immediately drifted asleep.

She woke in her own bed, the light spilling through the curtains indicating early evening. She vaguely remembered them arriving at her house and Noah carrying her to her bedroom. Rubbing her eyes, she climbed from the bed. She needed to find the new cell phone she'd got to replace hers and check messages in case anything had come up with the bakery or the festival. She found the cooler bag, her purse and her phone sitting in a neat pile on the kitchen counter. Next to them was a plate covered in plastic wrap with a note on top.

“I'm not the only one with favorites. Thanks for a great day. N.”

She unwrapped the plate to find a peanut-butter-and-banana sandwich. He'd even cut off the crusts. She quickly took a bite, savoring the chewy peanut butter and sweet banana slices. So Noah remembered her favorite sandwich?

She knew it wasn't a big deal—they'd been friends long enough that he should remember that kind of detail about her. As she chewed, she tried—and failed—to convince herself that she'd be able to remain friends with Noah while trying to fall in love with another man.

Where did that leave their friendship? Katie didn't want to think about the answer. Maybe it would get easier once his mom was fully recovered and he wasn't around all the time?

She only hoped that was the case. Otherwise, she was in big trouble.

Chapter Twelve

B
y the time Noah checked in with the Forest Service ranger station and returned the boat to Crimson Ranch, it was almost dinnertime. When someone was sick or in trouble in Crimson, food poured forth from the community like manna from heaven. Right now there were enough lasagnas, casseroles and soups in his mother's freezer to last them another three months. He and Emily took turns defrosting food for dinner each night while his mom wrote thank-you notes for the meals, flowers and miscellaneous bits of support she'd received.

The house was empty when he walked in, however, and his mom's Toyota SUV that Emily had been driving wasn't in the garage. He hoped this meant pizza or some kind of carryout for dinner. A person could only handle so much lasagna.

His mother spent most of her afternoons reading or doing crossword puzzles on the screened-in back patio, but when he didn't find her there, Noah quickly climbed the steps to the second floor. She'd been doing great since she'd returned from the hospital, almost back to her regular self as far as Noah could tell. He also understood how quickly something could change. The pancreatic cancer that claimed his father had been sudden and ruthless, only a matter of months between the initial diagnosis and his dad's death.

“Mom, where are you?” Noah shouted as he sprinted down the hall to the master bedroom. The door was closed, and he burst through then stopped as his mother's gaze met his in the mirror over the dresser.

“What's the matter?” She whirled around, took a step toward him. “Are you okay?”

He held up one hand as he tried to catch his breath and still his pounding heart. “Of course I'm okay. It's you I'm worried about.”

“Me?”

He nodded. “Why are you dressed like that?” She wore a long, flowing skirt with a gauzy tunic pulled over it. A bright beaded necklace circled her neck, a gift from his father for her fortieth birthday, shortly before his dad had got sick. Her head was covered in a silk turban, covering the scar that ran from her temple to her ear. He'd got so used to seeing her with a simple knit cap or a baseball hat, he couldn't quite make sense of her looking so glamorous. She was even wearing makeup, something he hadn't seen his ever-practical mother do in years. Suddenly his skin felt itchy. He glanced at his watch. “Where's Emily? It's her turn to make dinner.”

“I'm sorry, sweetie. Did I forget to tell you?”

“Tell me what?” he said through clenched teeth.

Her smile was wide. “I have a date tonight.” She spun in a circle, and Noah's mouth dropped open. His mother was twirling as if she was a teenage girl or princess-movie character. “I have to admit I'm a little nervous.” She turned again toward the mirror, patted her head. “I wish my hair would grow back faster. I may have more wrinkles than I used to, but I always had good hair.”

Noah felt as though his head was about to start spinning, as if he was some demon-possessed horror-movie cliché. “Where's Em?”

“She drove to Aspen to meet a friend from back East who's vacationing there. Davey went with her. It's a big step for both of them. Other than helping Katie with a few things for Founder's Day and grocery runs, your sister has barely left the farm since she got here.”

“Mom, you've been home less than a week. Don't you think you should take it easy?”

“I feel great, like something in me is coming back to life. Does that sound silly?”

It would have a few weeks ago, but after spending time with Katie, especially the way it made him feel to be the one to help her overcome her fear of the water today, his mother's words struck a deep chord inside him. All of them had been wounded by his father's death and they'd each stopped living in their own personal ways. He realized now that Tori's betrayal, so soon after his father had died, had made him wall off his emotions. He might act like casual flings and random hookups were all he wanted in a relationship, but that was a lie he couldn't maintain any longer.

Seeing his mother go out with another man might be difficult, but he'd never deny her the chance to feel alive again. She deserved whatever—or whoever—could make her happiest.

Meg opened a tube of lipstick, dotted another layer onto her lips. He walked up behind her, wrapped her in a hug and kissed her cheek. The scent of the perfume she'd been wearing for years, flowery and delicate, washed over him. He couldn't remember smelling it since his father's death. She'd put away too much of herself as part of her grief. “You don't need makeup to look beautiful, Mom. You know Dad would have wanted this. For you to be happy again.”

“I loved him,” his mother whispered, her eyes shining with tears.

“I know.”

“He was proud of you, Noah.”

His arms stiffened, and he tried to pull away, but she held on to his wrists. “I know you don't believe it, but he already saw the man you were going to become. Don't ever doubt that.”

“I don't doubt his vision, but my ability to live up to it.”

“If you could only—”

The doorbell rang, interrupting her. “I think that's for you,” Noah said with a smile and released her.

She dropped the lipstick onto the dresser and smoothed her fingers under her eyes. “I can't believe I'm nervous. It's just dinner.” She gave Noah a quick hug. “Come down with me and meet John.”

He followed her down the stairs and opened the front door while she gathered her purse. It was odd to see her doctor standing on the other side, not wearing a white lab coat or scrubs. Tonight the man wore a collared shirt and thin cargo pants, both carrying the logo of a well-known fly-fishing company.

“Dr. Moore,” Noah said, but didn't move from the doorway. He'd never got into the “man of the house” role since his father died but felt suddenly protective of his mother.

“Please call me John.” The older man smiled, almost nervously, and tilted his head to try to look around Noah. “Is Meg ready?”

“Almost.” Noah stepped onto the porch. “Where are you
kids
headed tonight?” Tater ambled up to them, sniffed at the doctor, who scratched her behind the ears.

“There's a new restaurant that opened recently off the highway between here and Aspen. The owner is one of my patients.”

Meg walked up behind Noah, and the doctor's eyes lit with appreciation. “You look wonderful,” the man said softly then glanced at Noah, one brow raised.

Noah gave him a small nod. “Have her home at a reasonable hour. She still needs rest.”

“Noah,” his mother said on a laughing breath. “He's a doctor. You don't have to lecture him.”

But John only nodded. “I'll take care of her,” he assured Noah, as if he knew Noah's words were about more than her physical well-being.

“Have a good time, then.”

She kissed his cheek, and then she and John headed for the Audi SUV parked in front of the house. It was another perfect summer night, the air holding just a hint of a breeze and the sky beginning to turn varied shades of pink and orange. Noah watched them drive away as Tater pushed her head against his legs. “I'm not the only one who's been left without dinner, huh, girl?” She nudged him again and he went back into the house and scooped kibble into her bowl.

As the dog crunched, Noah looked around the empty kitchen. He could heat up leftovers from the fridge, but he was no longer in the mood for dinner. Normally Noah craved solitude when he wasn't out with friends. It was part of what he loved about his job with the Forest Service, the ability to lose himself in the quiet of the woods. Despite being social, a piece of him needed occasional alone time to recharge. It was one more excuse he'd made for not engaging in serious relationships. He didn't want a woman to encroach on his private time. “Determined to be single,” Katie had called him. While that determination had once felt like a privilege, now he realized the price he paid for it was being lonely.

It didn't sit well, and he took out his phone to start texting. Suddenly the last thing he wanted in his life was more time by himself.

* * *

“Why are we out here on the most crowded day of the year?” Liam Donovan growled as he slowed to steer his MasterCraft speedboat around another group of smaller boats on Hidden Canyon Reservoir over the holiday weekend.

Noah pulled the brim of his ball cap lower on his head as he scanned the boats dotted around the water.

“Because Noah is stalking Katie,” Liam's wife, Natalie, answered with a grin.

Noah shot her a glare.

“And Noah taught me to wakeboard.” Natalie's nine-year-old son, Austin, munched on a piece of red licorice, practically bouncing up and down on the seat next to Noah.

“You did great, kid.” Noah ruffled the boy's dark hair.

“I could have taught you to wakeboard,” Liam said, turning to look at his stepson.

Austin shrugged. “He's better than you.”

“Ouch,” Liam muttered.

Natalie reached over and rubbed his shoulders. “You have many other skills, dear husband.”

Noah's gaze flicked to his friends. Natalie and Liam had been a couple in high school then spent close to ten years hating each other. When Liam had returned to Crimson at the end of last year, he'd been the consummate example of the phrase “money can't buy happiness.” Liam was a hugely successful entrepreneur and had recently headquartered his newest company in Crimson. But reuniting with Natalie had made the biggest change in him. Liam finally realized there was more to life than business. Noah had to admit he envied his friend. To rediscover that kind of love was a gift, he now realized.

“There she is.” Noah stood, pressing his palms to the edge of the boat. She wore a two-piece bathing suit, which practically killed him, and her thick hair was tied back in a ponytail. The sight of her did strange things inside Noah's chest, so he tried to focus on what he could control. “They've got a whole group on that boat. Might be too many. Not sure if it's legal.”

“Want me to call them in?” Liam asked with a laugh. “Or do you remember how many guys we used to pile on my boat in high school?”

Noah snorted. “We were lucky we didn't sink that thing.” He gestured toward the red-and-silver powerboat floating near the far end of the reservoir. It was at least twenty-six feet, the bright colors and sleek lines making it look as if it belonged in Southern California instead of a mountain lake high in the Rockies. “How close can you get without them spotting us?”

Natalie looked at Austin. “Don't listen to either of them. You will never do the stupid things these guys did.” She pointed two fingers at her eyes then turned them toward Noah. “I'm not sure I like what's going on here. Why are we spying on Katie? She's on a date.”

“You know how she feels about water. I want to make sure she's comfortable.”

“You're not looking to sabotage her?” Natalie narrowed her eyes. He didn't blame Natalie for doubting him. But even if he and Katie were only friends, Noah wanted to be the best damn friend he could.

“No one deserves happiness more than Katie,” he answered, sinking back into his seat as Liam inched closer to the cliffs where Matt's boat was anchored. “I want to make sure she gets it.”

“With Matt?” Natalie asked. “Because she likes Matt, Noah. It could turn into something more if given the chance.”

“Nat, enough with the third degree,” Liam said gently.

Noah rubbed the back of his neck, where a dull ache had been bothering him since the morning.

Austin handed him a long band of licorice. “You need this more than me.”

“Thanks.” He took the licorice and bit off one end, meeting Natalie's wary gaze. “I'm not going to mess it up for her. Promise.”

“Okay,” she said after a moment. “But that still doesn't explain why we're here.”

Noah didn't understand it himself. A part of him hoped that Katie would see them on the water and realize she belonged with him instead. He squinted as they got closer, trying to identify the people on Matt's boat. He could see the woman who worked with Katie at the bakery—Lelia, he'd heard her called. There were three other guys with them, all lean and rangy, friends of Matt's, he assumed.

The truth was he liked the feeling he'd had when he and Katie spent their day on the reservoir.
He
wanted to be the one to help her if she got scared, to bolster her confidence and make her see she was more than she believed. Now she laughed at something Matt said, throwing back her head and exposing her delicate throat as that long tumble of dark hair cascaded over her shoulders. Noah felt his pulse leap at the sight and wanted nothing more than to lay Matt Davis out on the ground.

“We should go,” he said suddenly. “Nat, you're right. It's stupid that I'm spying on her this way. Katie can take care of herself.”

“No way,” Austin whined. “Liam, you promised we could go cliff jumping.”

“You promised
what
?” Natalie choked out.

Out of the corner of his eye, Noah saw someone throw an oversize rubber inner tube into the water off the back of Matt's boat. Ignoring Liam and Natalie, he turned his full attention across the water. Katie was fastening a life vest across her chest as Matt adjusted one on Lelia's tiny frame.

Katie smiled at something one of the other guys said, but her hands were balled tight at her sides. “You don't have to prove anything to them,” he whispered, willing his words to carry to her.

Instead, she and Lelia climbed onto the colorful tube, stomachs down, and Matt pushed them out behind the boat. Noah glanced at the sky—perfectly blue and the air was almost still. The temperature was forecast to hit over ninety today, so conditions were perfect for tubing. Hell, he'd had a great time in the water an hour earlier helping Austin learn how to balance on the wakeboard.