The adoration in his voice made her smile. As did the expression on his face in the photo. He looked to be about five or six and was gazing up at his grandfather with rapt attention, his love and respect evident, while his grandfather appeared to be imparting an important life lesson.
A twinge of sadness washed over her and she spared a thought for the grandparents she’d never known.
‘Do you remember what he was saying to you?’
‘He was teaching me how to add a log to the fire. Made sure I’d know how to do it safely once I grew big enough.’
‘He taught you a lot, didn’t he?’ The wave of melancholy that had washed over her was beginning to evaporate. She recalled Noah’s stories of the time he’d spent in his grandfather’s workshop. ‘Was he the one who taught you not to climb on unstable objects?’
Noah grinned. ‘I don’t remember. Probably. It’s a very important life lesson, you know.’
‘Mmm, so I’ve been told.’
A moment passed before they erupted with laughter, the rift between them mended, just like that. Now she was free to share her news with him.
‘Noah, I—’
‘No, wait, please. Let me apologise for yesterday.’ He scrubbed a hand over his face and sighed. ‘It was completely unfair of me to ambush you like that in front of everyone.’
She shook her head. ‘You didn’t.’
‘I did,’ he insisted, ‘and I’m sorry.’
His sincerity caught her off guard. She opened her mouth to speak, to tell him it was okay, that he didn’t need to apologise, but she swallowed her words, not wanting to brush his aside as if they were nothing more than an empty platitude. Because the truth was, his regret at putting her in the spotlight proved that he understood her in a way no one else ever had. Even Rosie, her own mother, hadn’t comprehended the magnitude of her struggles, yet here was this man, who’d known her for no more than a few months and who was her opposite in so many ways, who recognised the signs of her anxiety and regretted contributing to her discomfit.
So instead, she nodded, accepting his apology. Still, she wondered whether he had any idea just how much it meant to her, because in that moment, if he’d held out his hands and asked for her heart, she would’ve willingly placed it in his care, knowing with absolute certainty that he would always do everything in his power to protect it.
Dipping her head, she turned back to the photos, needing to steer the conversation away from any topic that required her to be overly vulnerable.
‘Tell me more about your grandad.’
‘Beth …’
‘Is this him in his workshop?’ She stepped forward, ignoring Noah’s concern, and gestured to an old photo of a middle-aged man sanding the surface of a large slab of pale wood.
Noah sighed, but nodded when she glanced his way. ‘Yeah, that’s him. In his happy place.’
‘Yours, too, from what you’ve told me.’
‘Yeah. He had me sawing and hammering alongside him from the age of four.’
‘Did he teach you how to make furniture as you got older?’ she asked, recalling that Noah’s grandfather had made a dining table for his wife.
‘He tried.’ Noah chuckled. ‘But I didn’t really have the patience for it and preferred doing things on a bigger scale. My first solo project was a chook pen out the back here for Gran, then I designed and built the arena for Mum’s riding school.’
‘Before moving on to renovating entire houses, huh?’
‘Eventually, yeah.’
‘What is it about renovating that you love so much?’
Noah looked around the homestead, as if drawing on his memories of having transformed the place. ‘Making an old house new again, giving a place that’s been loved a new lease on life. It’s such an honour, you know? There’s nothing else like it. It’s—’ His brows drew together and he lifted a hand to the nape of his neck. ‘Shit, it’s like a drug, Beth, I swear.’
The passion in his voice made the hairs on her arms stand up. She’d been feeling confident in her decision before Noah showed up, but now she knew with absolute certainty that she’d chosen the right path.
‘You’ve convinced me,’ she murmured, still slightly mesmerised by the intensity with which he’d spoken.
‘What do you mean?
