Page 37 of Starry Nights over Dragonfly Lake

As Beth sat there, she realised how quiet Noah was. Perhaps he could help? After all, he was a boat maker apparently. Didn’t that warrant a fair degree of skill with carpentry?

But as she waited for Noah to offer his services, there was nothing but silence from him. Did he not want to help the family? Especially in their hour of need?

For the first time since meeting him, she felt that his good looks were marred by his sullenness and she felt instantly irritated by him. And she was going to have to share a room with him that night to carry on their pretence to keep Jeremy away from her! The day just kept getting worse and worse, she thought.

By the time everyone headed upstairs to bed, she was more cross than she realised, especially when the bedroom door slammed shut behind her.

Noah turned to face her, smiling for the first time that evening. ‘Are you trying to prove to your ex-boyfriend down the hall that we’re rushing into bed in a desperate hurry? Because you nearly broke the hinges on that door.’

She shrugged her shoulders, too angry to form a response.

Noah seemed oblivious though and carried on joking. ‘Well, darling, time for bed, I think.’

‘I’ll sleep on the sofa,’ she said, in a pointed tone.

‘I’m happy to share,’ he said, gesturing at the bed.

‘I’d rather share a bed with Tiny,’ she muttered.

He scratched his head, looking bemused. ‘What’s up with you all of a sudden?’

‘Nothing,’ she said, going into the bathroom and slamming the door shut behind her.

Why was she mad with him, she wondered?She instantly knew why. Because if she had a family like Noah did, she would do anything for them. His silence and way of holding them back from him just made her feel even more that life was extremely unfair.

By the time she had changed into her pyjamas and headed back into the bedroom, he was lying on top of the bed covers.

‘Are you sure you don’t want to join me?’ he asked, patting the sheet beside him with a grin.

‘Quite sure,’ she told him.

‘Okay. What’s up?’ he asked, sitting up and swinging his legs around so they were on the carpet. ‘Normally I can’t get you to shut up but tonight you’re all one- and two-word answers. It’s like you’ve had a total body swap.’ He sighed. ‘It’s the fake dating thing, isn’t it? Do you still have feelings for Jeremy?’

‘Of course not,’ she snapped.

Then a look of comprehension swept over his face. ‘Oh. I get it.’

‘Do you?’ she asked, wondering whether he did.

‘You did say you like to fall in love and it happens all the time. We should have been more careful.’ He grimaced. ‘Listen, it’s very flattering and all that because you’re a beautiful, intelligent woman but I don’t…’

Beth stared at Noah, aghast. ‘I don’t believe this!’ she hissed, putting her hands on her hips. ‘You’re worried that I’m developing feelings for you? Is that what you’ve deduced? Good grief! And, by the way, you couldn’t be further from the truth!’

‘Oh. Okay then,’ he muttered and for a brief moment she wondered if he was blushing.

But Beth couldn’t stop talking now. ‘Do you really think I could fall for you of all people?’ she carried on. ‘You’ve upset Faye who I’ve never heard anyone have a bad word about, by the way. And why would they? She’s wonderful and kind and gentle butoh no, you had to sit there like a sulky teenager all night instead of eating even a small portion of her delicious stew. Then when Ben was talking about how worried he was for the future of his home, of everyone’s home, you just sat there silent. You could help with those cabins and yet you gave no offer to help, nothing.’

‘It’s not my business,’ he told her, his eyes flaring.

‘It’s your family!’ she snapped back. ‘And still you don’t care.’ She laughed without humour. ‘No wonder you’re so perfect as a fake date. Do you know why? Because you’re the last person I would want to fall in love with. You’re cold and cynical, unwilling to think about anybody but yourself. You have such a narrow view of people. And just when the Jacksons need you more than ever, you can’t help them even though it’s blindingly obvious that you could.’

‘If they were my family, where were they when I was growing up?’ he said. ‘Where were they when I needed them?’

‘Have you asked them?’ she replied, although his question had taken the sting out of her anger. ‘Because by bottling everything up and pretending to be enigmatic, you just seem cold and unfeeling. Maybe you are anyway, I don’t know. But don’t worry about me jumping into the bed with you in the middle of the night because you’re so handsome and a great kisser. Do you really think I couldn’t keep my hands off you for a whole night?’

His eyes darkened for a moment and she recognised the look of pure lust in his eyes. There was a connection between them that she couldn’t deny and yet she could never fall for someone like that.

‘But like I said, I’d rather sleep on that uncomfortable sofa again than next to you.’