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Skylar and Everly came walking in, Fontaine trailing behind them, and my daughter darted her eyes between me and her mother. “So… How are we going to do thisget to know youthing?
11
EVERLY
For all her bravado, I could see the fear and worry in Skylar’s eyes. Maybe even a little anger. She had every right to be angry, even though Noah and I had perfectly reasonable explanations for the situation we found ourselves in.
“Come sit down, sweetie.” I patted the seat next to me and moved to the back of the couch. “Let’s talk about this.”
She followed the gesture and sat next to me. She twisted so she faced me. Noah sat on the floor between the bleached wood coffee table and the couch, staying close to us. Sky darted her eyes between us.
“I don’t know that there’s anything to talk about.” Skylar crossed her legs mirroring me on the couch. “You two had a thing and mom fell pregnant and couldn’t contact Noah and here we are all these years later. I get it.”
“Sweetie, it’s a bit more complicated than that.” I didn’t want her to think we weren’t taking her feelings seriously. “I need you to understand that.”
“And I need to not have any details. Trust me. Just knowing you two had sex once is enough to make me puke. I don’t need anything more.”
Oncewas understating it a bit, but I got her point. I chanced a look at Noah who was stifling a smile. I raised a brow at him. And as if he understood the question I didn’t realize I was asking, he gave me the smallest nod.
He leaned his back against the coffee table and stretched his legs in front of him. “That’s fair, sweetheart. But do you have any questions?”
Sky looked at him and tilted her head. “Where do you stay?”
“I’ve been staying at Hope’s Haven while I recovered from…” He looked at me then back at Sky. “I needed some recovery time and Hope Salinger allowed me to stay at her B&B. But I will stay on the couch here until we find the person who sent the snake. Or I find a place of my own and we can move in there. At least temporarily.”
“What? Why?” She glared at me like I needed to fix the situation. “He can stay in my room, and we can share.”
Noah’s voice was calm as he explained. “Ideally, we would’ve moved out, but your mom and I agree, we’re not going to let that asshole uproot your life. Your mom stayed in your bed last night and I stayed in hers. But I’ll be on the couch, and she’ll be in her bed so you can have your room to yourself.”
Sky rolled her lip while she looked from the couch to Noah’s legs. “While I appreciate you letting me know last night’s sleeping arrangements, I don’t think you’re going to fit on this couch.”
“I’ve slept in worse places, kid.” The comment from Noah was so flippant, I could easily forget what that meant. I tried not to think about it too much. My daughter had a different mind.
“That’s right. Big bad hero, and all.” Skylar was edging on territory that could upset Noah if we're not careful. “Did you sleep in a war zone?”
“Yes.” Noah didn’t elaborate, but he did offer her something else. “Sweetheart, I need you to know that I sometimes get nightmares. Please know that you cannot wake me up.”
She nodded, looked at me, then back at Noah. “Why not?”
Noah took a few deep breaths. I could only imagine how difficult it had to be to confess to Skylar and me at the same time. When I met him all those years before, he hadn’t mentioned nightmares. And we did drift off to sleep occasionally. Not a lot but it did happen.
When I thought he wouldn’t answer, he leaned forward and looked directly at Sky. “In my nightmares I am almost always fighting something or someone. I have woken up thrashing and punching. Sky, you cannot wake me. I cannot risk hurting you.”
“Okay.” Her voice was so small. Her worry had morphed into concern. “I promise not to come near you.”
“Thanks, sweetheart. I promise the only way I can get any sleep is knowing that you will do everything you can to keep yourself safe.”
I blinked the moisture in my eyes away. In that moment, I knew we would be okay. Oh, it wasn’t going to be easy, and we had a long road ahead of us. But the tension easing from Noah’s shoulders as our daughter promised to keep herself safe, told me where his priorities were. And the concern in her eyes brought tears to mine.
I cleared my throat and blinked some more. “Do you have any more questions, honey?”
She shook her head. “Mom, you and I could share my bed. I mean three nights a week you have gigs anyway?”
I smiled and looked at Noah. “That was my suggestion. I think it’s a good idea.”
Noah threw his hands in the air and glared at me. “United front, woman. You’re supposed to have my back.”
“Oh, trust me I do.” Like Sky, I looked between the couch and Noah's body trying not to pause and stare. “Your back is my primary concern. This is not comfortable. Besides, I’m less likely to wake you up in the wee hours coming home from a gig, if you're behind closed doors.”
