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“Sometimes that’s the best thing to do.” Mom winked and bumped the dishwasher closed with her hip. “Just spend time together. Your heart will tell you everything you already need to know. But by the looks of you, it already did.” She stroked my hair, and I leaned into her touch.
“Thank you. You might be right. I don’t know. We’ll go wherever our road takes us, but I’d really like to see where that is.”
“And you will.” She smiled. “Why don’t you go and get your young man? Your brother can do the rest of the kitchen.”
I pulled her into a tight hug and kissed her cheek, then went in the direction of the living room. I could hear Dad’s deep voice making a joke about the last season of football, followed by the rich sound of Noah’s laugh mingling with my brother’s deep one.
I leaned against the wall out of sight. I wanted to listen, just for a while. My dad and brother had always been protective of me, and as much as I ribbed on my brother and fought with him, his approval mattered to me.
Our family gatherings were bad enough with Aunt Bethel around without me marrying someone that nobody liked.
Not that I was saying I’d marry Noah. That was… way in the future. We weren’t even an official couple on paper yet.
My point, though…
They were friends.
I could hear it. They were all genuinely happy in each other’s company, and it made my heart swell. I could stand here all night and listen to them talking, but I also knew I needed to grab him and spend time with him before we both worked all weekend.
He had overtime and I had an engagement party. I’d be setting up flowers for hours.
I pushed myself off the wall and poked my head in the doorway. “Hey.”
All three men turned with a smile. “Hey, honey,” Dad said. “Are you coming to steal Noah from us?”
“You’re getting him on Sunday. Don’t be greedy.”
Noah laughed and put his beer down. “Let me know about Sunday.”
Preston saluted him. “I promise this trip to Lucky’s won’t end in you feeding raccoons.”
“I’m holding you to that,” Noah warned him before he shook my dad’s hand. “It was a pleasure to meet you, sir.”
“Son, I’ve told you. If you call me sir one more time, I’m going to forbid you from dating my daughter.”
“Good luck with that,” I said wryly.
Noah laughed. “Noted. And I’ll make sure I chase up the fire report tomorrow. They said it would be in in the morning.”
Dad nodded. “Good job. You kids have fun and be safe.”
“Thanks, Dad.” I waved and lead Noah to the front door. He doubled back into the kitchen to bid my mom goodbye before he came back and grinned at me.
“Let’s go.”
“Where are we going?” I stepped outside.
“No idea. But I’ll follow you anyway.”
“So cheesy.”
“Like those tater tots your mom served. Can I hire her to cook for me?” He closed the door behind him and took my hand, slipping his fingers between mine.
I groaned. “Don’t. She loves cooking. Couldn’t you tell by the banquet she served you?”
“You mean your dinners aren’t normally like that?”
“Oh, no, they are, but there was at least two extra casseroles there tonight.” I nudged him with my elbow. “She likes you.”
“I am pretty likable.”
“Here we go.” I sighed. “Mr. I Saved Your Life is back again.”
Noah laughed, nudging me right back. “Stop it. You know I’m messing with you.”
“I know. But I like messing with you, too.” I grinned. “Sorry about Aunt Bethel. She’s temperamental.”
“Like I said, it doesn’t matter. It was a great dinner, and your family are pretty normal compared to when you get all mine together.”
“What’s your family like?”
“My family?” There was a note of surprise in his voice. “Insane. Completely fucking insane, but they’re the best at the same time. My parents have been married since they were nineteen, and that’s pretty much the benchmark for most of my family.”
“Except you?”
“Pretty much. I think my parents knew I wasn’t the person who’d settle down at home, though. They knew I hated my hometown, and they weren’t surprised when I said I was moving here permanently.”
“You hate your hometown?”
He looked down at me. “You sound equal parts relieved and surprised about that.”
“I just—I am surprised, that’s all.” I shrugged in my attempt to be nonchalant about it. “I love my hometown.”
“I love it here, too.”
“So you’re not going to leave?”
“Whoa.” Noah stopped us on the sidewalk, pulling me to the side beneath some trees so someone walking their dog could go past us. “Where did that come from?”
A lump formed in my throat. “Nowhere.”
“Reagan.” He dropped my hand and trailed his fingers along the side of my face, pushing my hair away. “What do you mean?”
My stomach was in a knot. “My mom said something in the kitchen. About me being afraid that you’d leave. And… she was right.”
