ChapterNine
Codie
I squealed before hurling myself into Noah’s arms. I hadn’t seen him since he went away to college. That was a few years after Mav and I broke up. And I’d missed him like crazy. He’d been like a little brother to me when Mav and I were dating, and losing him was almost as bad as losing his brother.
He laughed as he swung me around. “Damn, it’s good to see you, Codie.”
When he set me down and framed my face with his hands, I felt the hot sting of tears burn my eyes. I thought I’d already dealt with everything I’d lost during that period of my life but I realized I’d never really dealt with the loss of Noah.
“I missed you,” I whispered, shaking his shoulders. “And if you make me cry, I will kill you. Fair warning.”
He hauled me against his chest, kissing the top of my head. He was a couple of inches shorter than his brother, but they looked so much alike. Dark hair, olive skin, blue eyes, sexy, mischievous smile. Only Noah’s smile appeared to be dangerous, while everything about his brother screamed ‘caution’.
My best friend cleared her throat and I remembered not only were we in the midst of thousands of concert goers who would probably trample us in their haste to find their seat, in the excitement of seeing Noah again, I’d forgotten I wasn’t alone.
“I’m sorry, Noah this is my best friend, Amanda. Amanda, this is Mav’s younger brother, Noah.”
“Damn,” she said, accepting his outstretched hand while Noah tugged me against his side. “Good genes in your family, or what?”
Noah laughed, but I gave her the stink-eye. “Excuse my friend, Noah. She has no filter.”
She shrugged, raising her upturned palms. “What? I just call ‘em like I see ‘em. The guy’s hot. Like he doesn’t know that already.”
I’d met my bestie at an AA meeting twelve years ago and we’d been soul sisters ever since. I gave her a part-time job at my shop that worked around her schedule, while she pursued a business degree.
Noah’s eyes locked with Amanda’s and I immediately felt like a third wheel. He was a few years younger than her, but that didn’t seem to matter to either one of them.
“How long are you in town, Noah?” I asked, trying to break the trance between them.
“Uh…” He finally broke the eye-lock, turning his attention to me. “I have to head home Sunday. Work on Monday.”
Amanda smiled while sizing him up. “That gives us time to get to know each other better.”
“Excuse me?” I demanded. “We’re heading home in the morning.”
She waved me off. “Relax, it’s not like you have to work this weekend. It won’t kill you to stay another day or two.”
Yes, it will! Are you crazy? I can’t trust myself to be in the same city as Mav for more than twelve hours!“Before you throw yourself at poor Noah, why don’t you ask if he has a girlfriend.”Please, for the love of all things holy, let him have a girlfriend.
“Single,” he said, letting his gaze travel slowly over Amanda.
I knew my best friend was hot. Guys hit on her all the time. Corkscrew blonde curls, green eyes, a petite figure, and a smile most said was her best feature. Personally, I thought it was her infectious laugh. She didn’t care who was around or how obnoxious she sounded, that girl knew how to belly laugh.
“What a coincidence,” Amanda said, slipping her arm through Noah’s. “Me too.”
“Codie!”
I turned around to see Marisa and Sierra weaving their way through the capacity crowd. I’d only met Sierra a couple of times, when she visited my shop with her sister-in-law or husband, but Trey’s wife seemed like a sweetheart.
“Hey!” I hugged Marisa, then Sierra. “It’s so good to see you guys.”
“I’m supposed to be working,” Marisa said, rolling her eyes. “But Trey and Mav are big boys, they can dress themselves.”
Sierra laughed, hip-checking her sister-in-law. “Yeah, you just have to lay their clothes out for them.”
I smiled at their easy rapport, thinking they shared the same kind of relationship I did with Amanda and my sister. “Where’s Luc?” I asked Marisa. “I haven’t seen him in a while. What happened to that tattoo he was talking about getting, the pinup girl with your face?”
Marisa giggled. “That would be so awesome, wouldn’t it? You should totally talk him into doing that, Codie.”
