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Mia zipped the duffel bag and turned around. She put her hands on the edge of the dresser behind her and leaned against it.
There were so many words to describe Noah.
Protective.
Observant.
Gentle.
Disciplined.
Intense.
All things she loved about him, but for reasons that were hard to explain to someone she barely knew.
“Noah is...wonderful. He’s the definition of kind. Thoughtful. He does everything with intention and purpose. He’s a gentleman. Intelligent, and even though he doesn’t show it much, he’s funny.”
She thought back to the years before his brother died. He’d always been reserved, but there was a noticeable difference in his personality from that point on. Noah had a before and an after. One wasn’t better than the other, but “before” Noah had been a little more carefree and easygoing. “After” Noah took a little coaxing to relax and let loose. “He’s adventurous. Loves to go rock climbing. He used to go all over the country with his brother to climb mountains.”
“Used to?”
Mia dropped her gaze, wishing she hadn’t mentioned that.As little information as possible.“He doesn’t travel as much anymore. He still climbs, but mostly around here.” She grabbed the bag and slung it over her shoulder, frowning a little.
She hadn’t thought about that in a while, but occasionally wondered—why didn’t he go on climbing expeditions anymore? At first, she figured it was just because he missed Nathan, and didn’t like the idea of going without his brother.
But that was a long time ago. Graham still went out of state, sometimes on multiweek trips to Canada or Wyoming. Noah never went unless it was nearby and was never gone for more than a few days.
“I guess that’s a good thing,” Reagan said, jumping off the bed to follow Mia out of the room. “He’s a married man now. Can’t be going out of town every weekend and leaving you alone.”
It took a few seconds for those words to settle into Mia’s brain, but when they did, she stumbled a little.
Reagan steadied her. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” Mia said distractedly.
Leaving you alone.
Noah’s brother had died the same weekend Mia was diagnosed...but no. Surely that—surelyshehad nothing to do with his change in his lifestyle.
She shook off the thought as they entered the kitchen.
Claire stood near the counter, her hand deep in a bag of chips. “Ready?” she asked, mouth full.
“I think so.”
Claire brushed her hands off and grabbed the KitchenAid box from the counter. “Damn, this is heavy.”
Mia had set two suitcases by the door, and she rolled one behind her while Reagan took the other. Her friends helped load the items into the car, which was already packed with hanging clothes.
“See ya later,” Reagan said, giving her a quick hug and heading back inside.
Mia turned to Claire, who leaned against the Subaru with a satisfied grin on her face.
“Are you not even a little sad to see me go?” Mia asked.
“Of course I am.”
“Your creepy, clown-sized smile says otherwise.”
