Page 6 of Tides of Change
“Let me get a pen, and I’ll sign your books.” I hooked a thumb toward my office.
Garrett handed me a Sharpie with a quick, confident flick of his wrist. “Came prepared.” A hint of a grin tipped his lips.
I raised a brow and accepted the pen. “Were you a Boy Scout?”
“Yes, but I’m a deputy sheriff now. We’re even better prepared than the Boy Scouts.” A glint twinkled in his eye.
I snorted a laugh and plucked the pen from his fingers. “Have a seat.”
Garrett settled into the club chair, and Noah jumped onto the sofa next to me. “Sign mine first!” His little face peered up at me, wide and hopeful.
“Please,” his dad admonished.
“Please,” Noah said sheepishly and ducked his head.
I opened the book to the title page and asked, “Do you know how to spell your name?”
He nodded. “N-O-A-H.”
“Very impressive.To my friend, Noah,” I printed. “Happy Reading!—Mr. Ethan. There you go.”
As I handed him the book, his eyes grew impossibly wide, and he clenched the signed copy. “I’m going to show my teacher!” he declared, pride in his voice.
“Buddy, we’re going to keep the book at home,” Garrett said gently.
Noah’s expressive face scrunched up like a prune. “Why?”
“Because Mr. Ethan is very famous, and he doesn’t want people to know he lives here.”
Noah turned to me, confusion in his gaze. “Why?”
How could I explain my reticence to a child when I couldn’t even tell Garrett the truth without sounding like I was paranoid? My words tangled in my throat, and I stumbled to explain. “Umm?—”
Garrett jumped in. “He wants quiet time.” Relief poured through me at his simple answer, suitable for a young boy.
“Oh.” Noah’s eyebrows raised. “We have quiet time at school,” he said matter-of-factly, as if everyone knew about quiet time.
A smile tugged at my lips. “Yes, like that.” I nodded and tried to match his seriousness. It was impossible not to be charmed by his earnestness.
His head tilted a bit, and his gaze considered me. “Do you have playtime, too?” he asked innocently, as if the idea of a world without playtime was both baffling and a little tragic.
A chuckle escaped before I could stop it, and I pressed a hand to my chest as if that might help contain it. “No playtime,” I said finally and grinned at him.
“Well, you should.” His little face became thoughtful. Then he lit up. “I know! You can come to our movie night tonight.”
“Buddy, Mr. Ethan probably doesn’t want to watch a Disney movie,” Garrett said. Yet hope lived in the depths of his eyes.
“Who doesn’t likeFrozen?” My lips twitched. “But I don’t want to impose upon your family. And…shouldn’t you ask your…wife…first?” I was blatantly fishing for information, but I was curious about the woman I saw at their house in the evenings. Garrett had seemed to give signals that he returned my interest, which was confusing if he had a woman in his life.
Garrett’s brows drew together, and the awkwardness deepened. “Oh, Harper? No, that’s my sister. She watches Noah when I’m working evenings and weekends.”
Relief filled me, and I couldn’t stop the quiet smile that slipped onto my face. Perhaps Garrett felt the buzz between us after all.
“Auntie Harper makes blanket forts! With different rooms in them!” Noah’s voice rose with excitement. His eyes sparkled, and his entire face lit up like he’d just shared the world’s best secret. It was impossible not to get caught up in his enthusiasm; the way he looked at me, so expectant, so utterly convinced that blanket forts were the pinnacle of happiness, made my chest tighten with affection for my new little friend.
“Auntie Harper sounds like a lot of fun,” I said with a gentle smile. The words came easily, but behind them was a pang of longing I hadn’t expected. When was the last time I’d felt the joy Noah radiated?
“Yeah!” Then the light in his eyes dimmed, and he kicked his dangling feet against the sofa. “But then she makes me go to bed.” His lower lip stuck out in a pout.
