noticeable was the fact that, for the first time since returning home, I couldn’t hear the TV/music/video game blaring throughout the entire house. “I’m going to murder that kid.”
Noah held his hands up in a placating gesture. “Now, just calm down, wildflower—”
“I’m calm!” I snapped. “Totally calm! I’m so calm I’m the definition of the word!”
His lips lifted even higher, taking his grin to a full-blown smile that rocked me to my very core. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Seeing him smile again—a smile I’d fallen in love with as a girl—wasn’t supposed to have a hold on me any longer. And the fact that I felt my stomach clench at the sight of it only stoked the flames of my anger.
Damn him for being so stupidly sexy!
Stepping away from the stovetop, and the now extinguished fire, he came so close I could smell him. That distinct smell of the outdoors and clean cotton combined with just a hint of spice, something all Noah’s, hit me with the force of a Mack-truck. Emotions I’d tamped down for years warred with each other inside me. I couldn’t tell if I wanted to scream, cry, cuss, or throw myself against him and sniff long and hard. That stupid fucking scent was imprinted on my brain, bringing back a whole slew of memories, both good and bad.
“I’m sorry,” he offered softly. “Don’t blame Ethan. It’s not his fault, he’s just a clueless kid, Harlow. He didn’t know what he was doing when he invited me, I swear. The last thing I wanted to do was make you uncomfortable by coming here.”
“Then why are you here?”
His warm tawny eyes went soft, full of regret and sadness as his gaze scanned over my face. The intensity was too much. I had to look away. Casting my eyes down, I saw Noah’s hands clenched in tight fists at his side, as though he was trying hard to control himself from reaching out and touching me.
“Because I want to make things right.”
His answer surprised me. My head moved of its own accord, my eyes training on his as I searched them for honesty. Nothing but sincerity stared back at me as he continued. “Because you’re back in Pembrooke and I can’t stand the idea of you turning and walking in the other direction any time our paths cross. I owe you so much more than an apology, and I know saying I’m sorry won’t make up for what I put you through, but I am , Harlow. I’m so damn sorry for hurting you. I want us to be able to live here without that hovering over us for the rest of our lives. I don’t want you to hate me.”
“I don’t hate you.” My mouth opened and the words came out before I could control them. I could see by the slight widening of his eyes that my response had been unexpected. If I were being honest, I hadn’t expected to say them either. But I’d already admitted to Ethan that I didn’t hate Noah, and I’d come to terms with that realization. What had happened between us was so long ago, we were just kids, really. It was time to move on and leave it in the past. I owed it to Ethan to make his life easier. I owed it to Grammy to try my hardest to be happy. Hell, I owed it to myself to try and move on so I could get out of this damned holding pattern my life seemed to be stuck in. Maybe what I needed in order to move on after all these years was closure.
“And you’re right,” I continued. “Pembrooke’s small, so we’re bound to see each other around. It wouldn’t do any good for things to be awkward every time it happened. Besides, if everything goes as planned, I’ll be working at the high school shortly after Thanksgiving, so holding a grudge wouldn’t really be wise, would it?”
Noah’s shoulders slumped in relief, his smile coming back in full force. “No, I guess not.”
With a lift of my chin, I held my hand out to him. “So, no more awkwardness. Deal?”
I saw a flash in Noah’s honey-colored eyes. A flash of mischief that I’d seen countless times when we were together. “Does
Noah held his hands up in a placating gesture. “Now, just calm down, wildflower—”
“I’m calm!” I snapped. “Totally calm! I’m so calm I’m the definition of the word!”
His lips lifted even higher, taking his grin to a full-blown smile that rocked me to my very core. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Seeing him smile again—a smile I’d fallen in love with as a girl—wasn’t supposed to have a hold on me any longer. And the fact that I felt my stomach clench at the sight of it only stoked the flames of my anger.
Damn him for being so stupidly sexy!
Stepping away from the stovetop, and the now extinguished fire, he came so close I could smell him. That distinct smell of the outdoors and clean cotton combined with just a hint of spice, something all Noah’s, hit me with the force of a Mack-truck. Emotions I’d tamped down for years warred with each other inside me. I couldn’t tell if I wanted to scream, cry, cuss, or throw myself against him and sniff long and hard. That stupid fucking scent was imprinted on my brain, bringing back a whole slew of memories, both good and bad.
“I’m sorry,” he offered softly. “Don’t blame Ethan. It’s not his fault, he’s just a clueless kid, Harlow. He didn’t know what he was doing when he invited me, I swear. The last thing I wanted to do was make you uncomfortable by coming here.”
“Then why are you here?”
His warm tawny eyes went soft, full of regret and sadness as his gaze scanned over my face. The intensity was too much. I had to look away. Casting my eyes down, I saw Noah’s hands clenched in tight fists at his side, as though he was trying hard to control himself from reaching out and touching me.
“Because I want to make things right.”
His answer surprised me. My head moved of its own accord, my eyes training on his as I searched them for honesty. Nothing but sincerity stared back at me as he continued. “Because you’re back in Pembrooke and I can’t stand the idea of you turning and walking in the other direction any time our paths cross. I owe you so much more than an apology, and I know saying I’m sorry won’t make up for what I put you through, but I am , Harlow. I’m so damn sorry for hurting you. I want us to be able to live here without that hovering over us for the rest of our lives. I don’t want you to hate me.”
“I don’t hate you.” My mouth opened and the words came out before I could control them. I could see by the slight widening of his eyes that my response had been unexpected. If I were being honest, I hadn’t expected to say them either. But I’d already admitted to Ethan that I didn’t hate Noah, and I’d come to terms with that realization. What had happened between us was so long ago, we were just kids, really. It was time to move on and leave it in the past. I owed it to Ethan to make his life easier. I owed it to Grammy to try my hardest to be happy. Hell, I owed it to myself to try and move on so I could get out of this damned holding pattern my life seemed to be stuck in. Maybe what I needed in order to move on after all these years was closure.
“And you’re right,” I continued. “Pembrooke’s small, so we’re bound to see each other around. It wouldn’t do any good for things to be awkward every time it happened. Besides, if everything goes as planned, I’ll be working at the high school shortly after Thanksgiving, so holding a grudge wouldn’t really be wise, would it?”
Noah’s shoulders slumped in relief, his smile coming back in full force. “No, I guess not.”
With a lift of my chin, I held my hand out to him. “So, no more awkwardness. Deal?”
I saw a flash in Noah’s honey-colored eyes. A flash of mischief that I’d seen countless times when we were together. “Does
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