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“Looking at you two, I would never have guessed you are just general manager and owner of a bar,” his mom remarked.
“I’m with Mom and Dad on this,” Tracey added, smirking.
He knew what his family were alluding to, but he had already established that he couldn’t be in a romantic relationship with Jordan and still keep her as his general manager. It wasn’t in the best interest of the business. Or Jordan’s best interests.
Noah knew how he felt about Jordan, but if things went wrong, he would be left a shell of himself, and he wasn’t willing to risk his business or his heart. And how could he put Jordan in a difficult position where she might want to leave Slap Shot?
“Son, she rushed to your side to be with you during a family emergency,” his mom said. “She made it a point to be your shoulder to lean on, so you weren’t alone during an uncertain situation.”
“But I had all you guys,” Noah said.
“Not the point,” Tracey interjected. “She came. For you.”
His dad tried to situate himself in the bed better but winced in pain and gave up. “Don’t let the fear of the unknown stop you from being happy. From what I saw, she feels the same way that you do.”
“What does that mean? It’s not like you can read her mind.” Granted, Noah was aware how well he and Jordan meshed during their short-lived non-relationship. But he didn’t realize their feelings were so obvious to others—well, others besides Harrison and Talia.
“Boy, please tell me you see the way that she looks at you!”
“Yep. Those longing glances and caring hugs,” Tracey chimed in. “And I saw the way you were holding her hand like it was the most natural thing in the world.”
“Mom?” He looked to his mother for some help, but all she did was grin.
“Noah, you know exactly what they’re talking about,” Lexi said. “Even I picked up on the way you held her hand.”
Noah had been so wrapped up in the fear of possibly losing his dad, he hadn’t been paying attention to how he and Jordan were acting. All he knew was that he’d been feeling so lost, and she had shown up to be by his side right when he needed her.
“Noah, what is going on in that brain of yours, son? I see the wheels turning,” his dad commented.
“I don’t know. You know I’ve never been big on relationships. They just weren’t me, and in my line of work, there’s always the threat of being traded hanging over my head, I never wanted to start anything serious. Not that there was anyone I cared that much about.”
“But you care about this girl?” his mom asked.
He looked at his mom, and she nodded for him to go on. He took a deep breath. “Ever since Jordan came into my life, I’ve felt like she was that person I never knew I needed. Then in the worst moment of my life, she shows up here to make sure I’m okay.”
“Noah, life is too short to have regrets,” his mom said, tears in her eyes. “When I got the call about your dad, all I could think was that I wanted one more chance to see him, to tell him I love him.” She smiled at his dad, and the love shone out of her. His dad simply gazed back at his wife with adoration.
That was the kind of love Noah wanted for himself.
Looking around the hospital room, and then looking at his injured father, Noah thought that maybe his parents were right.
“If you feel for that girl the way I think you do, tell her,” his dad said. And as if his dad was reading his mind, he added, “We can’t predict the future, so don’t spend precious time worrying about it. Don’t let unfounded fears stand in your way.”
A soft knock on the door caught his attention.
“Noah,” Jordan called softly and waved him into the hallway.
“Hey,” he said quietly, as he gazed into her eyes. As always, he was struck by her beauty. But now he found he was seeing her as his family saw her. Kindness and generosity radiated from her. She was his person. And he hoped his family was right, and that she felt the same way about him.
“Hey,” she replied, and her smile was almost bashful. Clearing her throat and moving her glance to the side, she continued, “I should get to the hotel, it’s late and I have an early flight. I need to catch a few hours of sleep at least.”
“You sure? I could take you. I have a feeling they’re going to kick us out of here real soon. Visiting hours are long over, and I think we’ve just been lucky so far.”
“No.” She shook her head. “Your family needs you. I can see my way out.”
He smiled and pulled her into a hug. “Thank you for being here,” he whispered. “I wish you didn’t have to go.”
At that moment he knew his dad was right. He’d been so concerned about how a relationship with Jordan might affect Slap Shot and Jordan’s career if things ended badly, he had never given them a chance. The casual thing was purely selfish. He hadn’t considered how good things could be if a relationship between them worked. Suddenly he understood that’s what Sam was getting at, when he said Talia and Harrison were successful running The Sin Bin together because they were life partners. That was exactly what he wanted with Jordan.
