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She locked gazes with him. “In case you hadn’t already guessed, yes. I fancy you very much.”
Just hearing her confirm his hunch made Noah feel like a high-flying kite soaring up in the sky. She had feelings for him. And if he wasn’t mistaken, they were deep ones. He was the first man she’d had feelings for since arriving in Love.
He cleared his throat. Noah had been wondering about where Sophie was in the healing process. It was hard to get over being betrayed by someone, especially one you’d been engaged to marry.
His own feelings wouldn’t let him stay silent. “There’s something I wanted to ask you the other night, but I didn’t want to overstep.”
Sophie looked alarmed for a moment, then nodded. “Go ahead. Ask me.”
“Your ex-fiancé hurt you very badly. Have you found a way to move past it?” Noah’s chest felt as tight as a drum. His heart was thumping wildly as he awaited her answer. He knew what it felt like to walk around with a heart that had been shredded. Kara’s treatment of him had left him with a shattered soul. And for the first time in years, Noah felt free of the shackles Kara had placed on his heart.
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“I can say with one hundred percent certainty that I’m in a much better place these days. I don’t feel as wounded by it. I guess you could say I’m moving toward closure. Sadly, I don’t think I ever truly loved John. He was very close to my father, so it was almost a foregone conclusion we would be an item. He pursued me in a rather relentless fashion. When I accepted his proposal of marriage it was for all the wrong reasons. I admit that. But I never sought to use him or diminish him as a human being. I was just young and impressionable and under a lot of pressure. And I foolishly believed I would grow to love him through our union.” She let out a sigh. “Coming here was a big wake-up call. I realize now that there’s only one reason to marry someone. Love.”
Noah heaved a great sigh of relief. It mattered to him whether Sophie was ready and able to build something with him. As a man who cared deeply for her, he’d needed to know the answer to that question. It made Noah feel more grounded in his own relationship with Sophie, and what might be possible for them down the road. Hearing her talk about Sussex had convinced him that she was the wronged party in the relationship. Sussex had fed him a pack of lies.
He knew his grin must be stretching from ear to ear. “I have to admit, I’m happy to hear that.”
“Why?” Sophie’s simple question, asked with such sincerity, humbled him. She was so innocent and trusting. So genuine.
“Because I care about you very much,” he whispered, running his finger over the slope of her cheek.
He’d been tempted to tell her he had feelings for her, but he needed to come clean with her about being a private investigator before he professed his love. It wouldn’t be right to lay that on the table when a lie stood between them. And he might be dragging his feet, but he couldn’t bear the thought of upsetting Sophie on her special day.
Birthdays were sacred. Tomorrow he would tell her the truth, when everything had died down and he could break it to her gently, in a quiet setting. Until then he would show her in word and deed how deeply he cared about her. Maybe it would soften the blow that was coming. Noah knew Sophie might never forgive him for his betrayal, but he prayed she would find a way to understand. They both cared about each other in a deep and meaningful way. Surely that had to count for something in the grand scheme of things.
Noah dipped his head and pressed his lips against Sophie’s in a tender, celebratory kiss. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. He knew his heart was pounding like a jackhammer. He wondered if Sophie heard it thumping, and if so, did she know it was because of her?
A feeling of dread gripped him. Before he started fantasizing about the future he needed to get control of the present. He needed to speak plainly to Sophie and reveal everything he’d been keeping close to the vest ever since he stepped foot in Love. Just the thought of doing so made his palms moisten.
As Noah drove Sophie back to the Moose Café for her birthday celebration, he battled a serious case of nerves. He had unexpectedly found happiness in this small Alaskan hamlet with the woman of his dreams. He didn’t know what he would do if it was all snatched away from him.
Once the party was in full force, Noah got into the swing of things and focused on celebrating Sophie’s special day.
Noah joined in with the others as they sang to Sophie and presented her with a chocolate layered birthday cake, and he found himself wishing for things he’d stopping hoping for ages ago. A woman to have and to hold. Children to teach and nurture. A home where love would be on display in abundance.
He watched as Sophie closed her eyes and blew out the candles on her cake. Noah hoped all her wishes would come true.
Dear Lord. I haven’t been one to believe in happily-ever-after, but lately I’ve changed my tune. Because of Sophie. She’s changed me. Her unwavering faith and goodness has transformed me. Please continue to walk on this path with me. I need You now more than ever. Let Sophie hear the truth and see an even greater truth. Can you show her that my love for her far outweighs the things I’ve kept from her?
He had fallen for Sophie. Noah had tumbled over the edge to a place where there was no safety net. He had resisted the pull in Sophie’s direction, but in the end, his feelings had been stronger than his doubts and fears. And it was far too late to reel his emotions back in. But because his feelings were so strong for Sophie, he needed to be completely honest with her. He couldn’t go on like this.
There was no question about his next step. He was going to tell Sophie all of his truths. Noah was going to confess everything to her about his profession and his association with her ex-fiancé. And he was going to pray and hope for forgiveness and a new slate here in Love. He would have to come clean with Cameron, also, and figure out a replacement for himself at the Moose Café. And somehow, maybe there was still a shot at salvaging his company. He’d received a huge chunk of payment from Sussex, and by all rights his client owed him the remainder. Noah was still fighting for Catalano Security and all his employees.
God could move mountains. Sophie had helped restore Noah’s faith. She’d shown him that God wasn’t done with him yet. She had nudged her way into his heart, until now he wasn’t sure if he was coming or going. Surely He could help Noah figure out how to get himself out of this messy situation.
Chapter Eleven
Noah had tossed and turned all night, filled with the knowledge that he might very well lose Sophie today when he told her the real reason he had come to Love, Alaska. He winced at the thought of giving her even one ounce of pain. He shook his head. Maybe he was in too far to come out of this mess in one piece. He hadn’t even been truthful about his last name. So many lies stood between them. For a man who never felt afraid, he was quaking in his boots.
Although he wasn’t certain the timing was right, Noah knew he had to come clean today. It wasn’t right to hold Sophie in his arms and kiss her while sitting on a mountain of secrets. She deserved to know about Sussex and Noah’s true profession.
Tonight was Jasper and Hazel’s rehearsal dinner. It was a huge event, scheduled one week before the nuptials. They had invited the entire town of Love to enjoy the prewedding festivities. In seven days’ time they would be joined as husband and wife. Since the Moose Café wasn’t big enough to hold the whole community, they had decided to host the party at the town hall. As mayor, Jasper was able to green-light the celebration.
Noah didn’t know a whole lot about weddings, but he did recognize the absolute joy on Hazel’s face as her wedding day drew closer.
Noah and Sophie were attending the dinner together. He almost couldn’t believe what had transpired over the course of the last month. He’d fallen for the woman he’d been hired to spy on. Never in a million years would Noah have imagined a case of his taking a turn like this one.
