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Everyone Rowe saw Noah acting that way with were people he counted as his family first. And a few people at Ward Security. But JB was different. He was a friend Noah made outside of Rowe. Was there a reason Noah didn’t contact old friends? Rowe didn’t think he was keeping Noah away from his friends, but it did strike him as odd.
“You’ve been quiet,” Noah said later that night when they were stretched out on the lumpy motel mattress. Gah! He missed their bed already. “That black sedan outside of Sally’s house bothering you?”
“Not really,” Rowe replied and yawned. He rolled over and wrapped his arm across Noah’s waist, snuggling closer. The air conditioner was cranked up, and there was only a thin blanket on the bed. He was going to take advantage of Noah’s body heat. “I kind of figured she might be watched by whoever is behind Chris’s death. We’ll get another look at them tomorrow when we talk to her. Maybe catch a plate number off the car.”
“Then what? JB’s not still bothering you? Not that hug?”
“What? No!” Rowe said, sounding offended. “That’s ridiculous.”
“Thanks for tonight. We both appreciated it. Good distraction. I don’t know how many people he’s close to back home. I’m glad he kept in contact with Chris and Paul after leaving the Army, but it’s not the same as having someone you can talk to and hang out with in person.”
Rowe turned his head, brushing his lips against Noah’s shoulder. “Is there a reason you didn’t when you left? I mean, I get you ending things with JB on the physical side, but you look like you were pretty good friends. Why not keep in contact?” Rowe knew his voice sounded hesitant. He and Noah didn’t talk about his time in the Army after Rowe was forced to retire early. Rowe had been there. He knew how bad it could get. There was no reason to drag up those ugly memories if he didn’t have to, but there had to have been a few good ones in there too.
Noah sighed, but he didn’t tense under Rowe’s touch. “At the end, I was in a really unhealthy headspace. I didn’t have a home to go to when I got out. You were the last friend I had that was a civilian, and your wife had just been killed. I wandered for a while, which just put me in a darker place.”
“But those men were your friends…”
“And I couldn’t burden them with my problems. They were still stuck in war zones, worrying about whether they were going to get blown up or shot. They didn’t need the added stress of my problems. And I damn well didn’t want them worrying about having my same problems when they finally got out. It wasn’t fair to them.”
“What about later? When you got your head on straight?”
Noah chuckled. “Later, when? You mean when we were taking down Jagger? Or helping Royce out with his unique family issues? Or even Dom’s brother problems? Or how about that impromptu trip to Oklahoma that ended in our best explosion yet?”
“And then Snow’s little kidnapping,” Rowe added with a little groan.
“In between all that, I’ve been helping you build up Ward Security and spending time with our Cincinnati family. Life has been busy.” Noah paused and bit his lip. Rowe lifted up on one elbow so he could more clearly see Noah’s thoughtful expression. “But I should have made the time. I regret not reaching out to Chris, Paul, and JB. You would have really liked Chris and Paul. They aren’t quite as rowdy as your brothers, but they were good men with just the right amount of crazy.”
“I’m sorry,” Rowe murmured.
Noah gave him a sad, uneven smile. “You’ve got nothing to be sorry about. I told myself there wasn’t time. Too busy. But I was making excuses and I was wrong. I should have made time. I’d like to make time now…for JB. Just friends.”
“I think that’s a good idea. And I can always use another friend too.”
Noah’s grin became absolutely huge. He lunged forward and sealed his soft lips over Rowe’s in a warm, tender kiss that wrapped right around Rowe’s heart. Fuck, this man was his everything.
“You’re a saint, Rowe Ward.”
Groaning, Rowe rolled to his side and flipped off the light on the nightstand closest to him. “You’re damn right I am.” He wished he didn’t still hate JB a little bit for knowing what it was like to be touched by Noah. Not quite a saint. But he’d try…for Noah.Chapter SevenThe next morning, a woman in her early thirties in jeans and a yellow sweater answered the door of that cute little house, her eyes red and swollen. Rowe’s heart turned over for her because he knew all too well how she was feeling. Losing his Mel had left him a shambling disaster for too many months. He’d finally had to escape, run away to the Colorado cabin he’d inherited from his grandfather, so he could get some breathing room. He couldn’t imagine how she was dealing with staying in the same house that held all the memories of her husband.
