Page 152 of You Fall First

Noah

Still smiling. Might keep doing that all night.

When I read my response, my heart swells.

For the thousandth time.

Me

Same. Sweet dreams, Cowboy.

He didn’t reply, but that’s no surprise. Dutton and Paige probably pounced on him the minute he walked in the door. Or, more likely, Dutton was already asleep, and Paige accosted him for information. A smile plays on my lips as I imagine what he told her.

Yep. Jo and I are a real thing now. No more pretending. In fact, I never was.

You’re so right. She is smart, and beautiful, and also all mine.

Ah, yes. Our future’s so bright, we have to wear shades.

Hah.

He’s not that old and corny. My dad, on the other hand …

A giggle slips out of me, and I tug a robe on over my pajamas to head down for breakfast. My stomach rumbles in anticipation, and all I’m even thinking about is toasting a bagel. A little cream cheese and coffee. Nothing fancy, but I’m practically drooling. Love sure increases your appetite. Or mine, at least. And, apparently, love also makes me lazy when it comes to cooking.

I take the stairs two at a time and make my way directly to the kitchen.

Love.

Maybe that’s too strong a word for how I’m feeling about Noah, but I’m absolutely falling for him. And I don’t have time to come up with a better descriptor before I crash into my mom.

She’s on her way out of the kitchen while I barrel in.

“Whoops!” I flash her a grin and continue my waltz toward the refrigerator.

“Don’t you look happy as a clam this morning.” She follows me back in, leaning against the counter.

“Are clams happy, though?” I shrug. “I’ve always wondered.”

She lifts a brow. “You’ve always wondered if clams are happy?”

“Okay, this might be the first time, but the question’s still legitimate.” I dig for the cream cheese in the back of the fridge. “Where did that phrase even come from?” I quip. “Happy as a clam. The way I see it, clams are stuck underwater their whole lives, working hard to grow pearls, only to have their prized possessions pried out of their shells. To me, that sounds slightly less than ideal.”

I collect the bagels from the pantry, then turn to find my mom blocking the toaster.

“Excuse me,” I chirp, moving around her to pop in a bagel.

“So.” Her lip twitches. “I take it your date went well.”

“The date was perfection,” I say with a sigh. “Noah’s the exact kind of gentleman you’d expect him to be. And, Mom? I’m telling you. He really and truly likes me.”

“Of course he does.”

“No, no.” I wave a palm at her. “Don’t you dare say ‘of course’ like that’s a foregone conclusion when it comes to me. Not after you witnessed the entirety of my pathetic dating experience. Even the word entirety suggests an inaccurate level of history. There’s been hardly any dating, and what I did manage was a catastrophe. I swear I would’ve given up on romance forever, except I actually do want to find love. I want to get married and raise a family. I want to pop out a bunch of babies like Kendal and …”

I slam my mouth shut.

My mom’s other brow lifts. “And who?”