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He nodded like he had expected that answer. Another moment of silence passed. “Claire.” He paused. “I wish you believed you don’t have to do everything alone. It’s okay to need somebody else. It’s not a weakness.”

She looked down at her coffee, avoiding making eye contact.

“Hey, look at me.”

Against her will, her eyes lifted to meet his gaze.

“You do realize it’s okay to not want to be alone. To let someone do things for you. To have a person in your life. Right?” Silence. “Claire.”

She finally spoke. “You really just do things because you’re a nice person and you care about people? No strings attached?”

“Yes.” Realization dawned on his face. “Is that why you made me dinner? You think I expect something from you in return?” Silence again. “Claire,” he continued, “I don’t expect anything from you. You don’t have to do anything for me. Okay?”

“Okay.” She took a sip of her coffee. “Stop saying my name like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like I’m fragile.”

“Believe me, you are anything but.”

Her grip tightened around the mug. Somehow that was worse than if he had said she was fragile.

I wish you believed you don’t have to do everything alone. It’s okay to need somebody else. It’s not a weakness.

Noah’s words replayed over and over again in Claire’s mind as she lay in bed. She couldn’t sleep. She kept tossing and turning.

Could that really be true?

That contradicted everything she had ever believed.

But Noah Carter sure had a way of making it seem true.

Claire didn’t know what to do with that.

She had spent two hours making shrimp tacos because Noah looked tired.

Maybe that was what caring looked like. Remembering someone’s favorite meal. Noticing when they needed something. Wanting to make their day easier without expecting anything back.

And maybe Noah wasn’t the only one doing it anymore.

The thought should have scared her. Strangely, it didn’t.

CHAPTER 9

The Realization

Saturday morning, Claire was downstairs in the coffee shop.

Noah had texted her last night and said he wouldn’t be able to do their usual grocery run because his mom, sister, and niece were coming into town.

She was currently trying to decide if she would go alone or just not get groceries. She had already walked halfway toward the exit twice. Each time she’d stopped.

Old Claire would have one hundred percent gone grocery shopping alone. It never would have even crossed her mind to have somebody go with her.

But now, that just felt lonely.

Apparently, Claire was not as comfortable being alone as she pretended.