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He wanted to wipe the look from her face, which was shocking for Noah to realize.
He hadn’t felt the urge to comfort a woman since Cheryl’s visit, either.
He felt it now, and that scared him spitless. “I recommend an axe.”
Willow gave him a blank look. “Pardon me?”
“Chopping firewood is a great way to release tension. Of course, it’s not exactly an after-dark activity.” And of course, the moment the words were out of his mouth, his mind went there.After-dark activity. Tangled sheets and sweat-slicked skin. His body responded to the thought.
Now? His libido picksnowto return? After a year’s hiatus? While he’s kneeling on the old tile floor of the General Store? Sheesh.
Noah immediately attempted to recover. “Of course, there’s always bowling.”
She sputtered a laugh and swiped the tears from her cheeks. “Bowling.”
“Nothing like slinging a sixteen-pound bowling ball down the lane to work off steam. Although you should probably stick to twelve or thirteen pounds. The lanes in Lake in the Clouds are on the north end of town. On State Street. They’re open until ten.” Then, Noah did something he couldn’t begin to explain. He added, “You want to go?”
What did I just say?
Willow’s expression turned incredulous. “Bowling? Now?”
“I want to go bowling!” Drew exclaimed.
Just who is having the breakdown here?
“Are you better now, Mama?” Emma asked. “Did you get a boo-boo?”
Willow shifted her gaze away from Noah and toward her daughter. “I’m okay, honey. I’m sorry I worried you.”
Okay, he needed to recover and fast. Noah attempted to rise and do it gracefully, but he had to grab hold of the dairy case and wrench himself up. Damned if Willow didn’t pop up onto her feet and try to help him.Great. Just great.
A disembodied voice spoke over the General Store’s intercom system. “Attention, shoppers. The store will be closing in ten minutes. Please make your way to the checkout counter now.”
In the meantime, Drew was bouncing from one foot to another. “What about bowling? Are we going to go bowling with Mr. Tannehill? Please, Mom?”
Noah racked his brain for a way to ward off this nonsense in the wake of his runaway mouth. He couldn’t spend the next hour or, God forbid, two hours around this family. In the company of a preschool-aged girl. His nightmares that night would have nightmares.
Luckily, Willow tossed him a lifeline. “No. We can’t go bowling. You’re in your pajamas.”
Noah wasn’t about to point out that there really wasn’t much difference between a grocery store and a bowling alley where children’s fashion was concerned. Not in Lake in the Clouds, anyway.
Unfortunately, Drew did it for him. “Why is it okay for us to wear pj’s to the store but not the bowling alley?”
“Because I said so.”
Noah exhaled a silent sigh of relief. She’d rolled out the definitive mom response. He was safe. Now he needed to scurry back to his cart, grab coffee, and head for the checkout. Nettie didn’t abide stragglers at closing time.
“Nobody will care,” Drew said. “I’m not ready to go home yet. Besides, it’s too late to take Grampy’s creamer to him. He’ll be asleep. I think we should take it to him early in the morning and have breakfast with them. That’s a good idea, don’t you think, Mom?”
Emotion flickered through Willow’s eyes, though Noah couldn’t put a name to the type of emotion it was. Pain? Anger? Despair? It was there and gone so fast he couldn’t be sure. However, Noah’s stomach sank when she pursed her lips, shifted her gaze between her children, then lifted it to meet his.
Willow’s bright smile didn’t reach her eyes as she said, “Actually, I do think that’s a good idea, Drew. Thank you, Mr. Tannehill. We’d love to go bowling with you tonight.”
Noah reached for a Hail Mary, an excuse to withdraw the invitation. He came up blank. Well, he could fall back on being the crusty curmudgeon of Lake in the Clouds. Throw out a “never mind” and turn and walk away.
His gaze settled on the boy who had gone from shuffling foot to foot to hopping up and down in joy.
Sure, and kick a few kittens on your way out. Maybe run over a puppy or two on the drive home.
