“Your dad retired?” she asks. “He can’t even be sixty yet, can he?”
“They’re both fifty-nine,” I tell her. “But they act like they’re thirty.”
“Good for them.” Changing the subject she asks, “How’s the new job? Is my brother driving you crazy yet?”
“It’s good, and no,” I tell her. “Noah’s been very nice. He brought me a plant to welcome me on my first day.” Tingles crawl up the base of my spine. He looked adorable standing in my room holding it out to me.
There’s a long stretch of silence before Lorelai asks, “Noah brought you a plant? Was it poison ivy?”
“Mums,” I tell her. “Purple ones.”
“Huh. That seems out of character. You don’t suppose he’s finally decided to return your love?” she teases.
“First of all, I do not love your brother.”Anymore,I silentlyadd. Even though we both know that once upon a time Noah Riley was all I ever thought about. “Also, I’m not in the market for a man. The last one has ruined me for the species.”
“I hope Brett swallows his tongue in his sleep and chokes to death. I hope he trips into traffic and gets hit by a bus.” After a beat, she adds, “I hope he drives off a cliff.”
I don’t bother to point out there aren’t any cliffs in the area. Instead, I say, “I hope he lives a long and healthy life.”
“What? Why?”
“So, he can go broke trying to take care of his daughters.” Then I add, “And I wouldn’t mind if his wife left him for someone else. Someone taller.” Brett is only five ten, but he lies and always tells people he’s six feet.
“I could get behind that,” my friend says. “Maybe she could leave him for someone who’s younger, too. Possibly Brazilian.”
“Why Brazilian?” I want to know.
“There something kind of swarthy and sexy about South American men. Don’t tell Luke I said that.” She laughs before adding, “Clearly, I also have a thing for men of Irish ancestry as well.”
I drain my mug of hot chocolate before asking, “How are things going with you two?”
She sighs dreamily. “So good. I mean, who would have ever thought Luke Phillips would come back to Maple Falls and sweep me off my feet? Not me, that’s for sure.”
“It does seem rather surprising. There don’t appear to be that many single men in town.”
“Not that you’re looking,” she reminds me.
“Definitely not,” I assure her.
“And as much as I’d love to have you for a sister, I don’t think Noah is good enough for you. He’s so grumpy all the time.”
I have yet to experience grumpy Noah, but I don’t tell Lorelai that. Instead, I say, “I’m so tired I can barely keep my eyes open. I think I’m going to hit the hay early.”
“Good night, my friend. Congrats on your new place.”
After we hang up, I take my laptop to bed with me. I go on several sites looking for lamps and actually buy a couple before snuggling under the covers. Then I spend most of the night dreaming about the last person I should be thinking about.
Noah Riley fills my thoughts like he used to when I was a girl. We talk and laugh. We hold hands while going for long walks. It’s pure heaven. Especially when he leans down and touches his pillowy soft lips to mine. I want the kiss to go on forever, but Noah eventually pulls away. He looks at me so longingly that my heart positively melts. And then he says, “I can’t wait to marry you. We are going to make the most beautiful babies together.”
Just like that, my dream turns into a nightmare. I wake up in a cold sweat and my heart hammers in my chest. Noah wants to have kids of his own and that’s not something I’m capable of. As such, I’m going to have to redouble my resolve to keep him in the friend zone.
My last conversation with my mother pops into my head. The one where I tell her that I’m enough on my own.
All I have to do now is convince myself that’s true.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
NOAH
