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“Emma!” Cameron greeted her by nuzzling her cheek with his nose. She let out a delighted cry.
“I missed you,” Emma said in a soft voice. She stuck her lip out.
Cameron pressed a kiss on her cheek. “I always miss you, pumpkin.”
“Emma.” A beautiful blonde woman appeared in the doorway. She shook her finger at the child. “It isn’t nice to run away from Mama.”
Emma tugged on her father’s chin. “I wanted to see Daddy.”
Cameron shook his head at her. “You gotta listen to Mama. Trust me. She knows best.”
The woman turned toward Noah and stuck out her hand. “Hello. I’m Paige, Cameron’s wife and Emma’s mother. You must be Noah. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Pleased to meet you, Paige,” he said, shaking her hand. He waved at Emma. “Hey there, cutie.”
Emma hid her face in her father’s shoulder. Noah reached out and tickled her arm. She let out a shriek of laughter, then said, “Again.” Noah tickled her a few more times, much to the child’s delight. Her giggles reached inside his chest and tugged at a place he hadn’t even known existed.
“You’re a natural with kids,” Paige said, her words making Noah feel as if he was ten feet tall.
“I have a few nieces and nephews,” he acknowledged. But I’d love one of my own, truth be told. He didn’t say the words out loud. Noah simply allowed them to marinate.
After a few minutes his boss excused himself and went out into the dining area with Paige and Emma. Noah couldn’t resist watching them as they settled at a table. Cameron reached out to hold his wife’s hand as his daughter climbed up into his lap. The love they shared shone like a beacon.
Noah couldn’t stop staring at Cameron and his amazing family. What must it be like, he wondered, to belong to someone and to bring a new life into being? For so long now it had been Noah against the world. He had deliberately set up barriers so that no woman could come close to breaking down his defenses. He’d spent so much time laying the foundation for Catalano Security that he had neglected his personal life in the process.
How many times had friends attempted to set him up on dates since Kara? More than he could count on two hands. For the most part he’d always said no. And the few times he had agreed to go, Noah had always found fault with the women. Too tall. Too short. Overly talkative. Not personable enough. So many excuses to avoid getting close to anyone.
Being back in Alaska made him yearn for things he didn’t have in his life. A woman to love and be loved by. A place to call home. Comforting arms when the slings and arrows of life became too much to bear. Seattle was where he lived. It wasn’t a home.
Although he’d had rumblings before about his lifestyle, these feelings had become stronger and stronger with each passing day. Being here in Love was changing him. And he couldn’t help but wonder if the presence of a red-haired waitress was a big part of the transformation.
* * *
By the time Noah’s shift was over, all he could think about doing was heading back to his place and taking a hot shower.
Later that evening, after he had eaten dinner and watched a little television, his cell phone rang. Noah let out a groan as he glanced at the caller ID. Sussex! He had completely forgotten he’d scheduled a phone call with him to discuss any new developments regarding his assignment.
The moment he picked up, Sussex snapped, “I was expecting your call.”
“My apologies. I worked a late shift.”
“Anything new to report?” The man’s voice was full of tension.
Noah hesitated a moment before replying. He still wasn’t sure what he intended to tell Sussex about Sophie. Although he was honor bound to report back to the man who was paying for his services, he only had to give him the facts. Nothing more.
“Catalano? Are you still there?” his client barked from the other end of the line.
“I’m still here,” he said. “And I really don’t have much to report. Sophie’s life mainly consists of working at the Moose Café six days a week. She hasn’t gone out on any dates since I’ve been here. Although she did express an interest in getting married and settling down. According to her, that’s the reason she came to Love, Alaska.”
Sussex sputtered. “Getting married? Settling down? She could have stayed right here in New York City and done those things with me!” he said in a raised voice.
Noah detected hurt in Sussex’s voice, along with a dose of arrogance. “I can’t say I blame you for feeling that way,” he said. If Sophie had been his own fiancée this news would have been like pouring salt in an open would.
“So it’s clear from what you’ve told me that Sophie is seeking a husband in that two-bit Alaskan town,” Sussex huffed.
Noah bristled at the insult his client had hurled at the community of Love. “I wouldn’t exactly call it two-bit. This town is full of great people and interesting places. Sophie seems to have found a home here, sir.”
“Love, Alaska, is not her home! It’s a temporary resting place. And you’d do well to remember that. Make no mistake about it! My goal is not only to get my fiancée back, it’s to bring her back home to New York City. So, considering the fact that you’re in my employ, that’s your objective, too. Unless, of course, we’re not on the same page.” Sussex’s tone sounded biting to Noah’s ears. Clearly, the man didn’t like being challenged on anything regarding this assignment. Or Sophie.
