Page 22 of Stolen Kisses
Noah looked at Krista. She wasn’t imagining it this time. Even with sunglasses, she could feel his eyes trained on her. He’d protested a little when she’d asked him at Castaways, but he was enjoying today.
“I wish you were my dad,” Adam said then, throwing his arms around Noah’s waist.
Noah’s smile and eyes fell. So did Krista’s floating heart.
“You would make the best dad,” Adam said, looking up.
For a moment, Krista felt sorry for more than Adam. She felt sorry for Noah, too, because he looked absolutely lost on what to say. She worked with kids every day. She was used to witnessing their broken hearts and responding to impossible questions. Noah wasn’t.
“Afraid I’m not dad material,” he finally said, a stunned quality to his voice. “I make a good friend, though.”
“You don’t have kids?” Adam asked.
Noah shook his head. “Nope.”
“Why not?”
Krista hung on Noah’s answer, too. Adam was right. Noah would be the best dad. He was great with children.
“I, uh…” He gestured to the fish, still flopping around on the floor. “Should we put this on ice to take home or throw her back?”
“Throw her back?” Adam asked. “Why would we do that?”
“Well, sometimes a fish deserves a pardon. She could stand to grow a few more inches.”
Adam thought for a moment, the question he’d asked Noah long gone from his mind. “Yeah, okay. But we should take a picture so my mom can see.”
“Definitely.” Noah nodded.
Krista pulled out her cellphone and opened the camera app. “Boat photographer is my job,” she said. “You two squat down behind the fish…Smile,” she said, then pressed her index finger to the button at the bottom center of her phone.Click.“Great. I got it.” She lowered her hand and watched as Noah expertly pulled the hook out of the fish’s mouth and set it free back in the water.
Not dad material.Noah’s words said it all. She’d always wanted kids in the same way that she’d always wanted him. Noah was never going to grow up, but she had. And it was time she started going after grown-up things. Things that he didn’t want and would never be able to give her. Maybe it was time she said yes to Dr. Chandler Dale.
—
Noah was a lot more comfortable in jeans and a T-shirt than the suit he was now stiffly wearing.
Jack slapped a hand across his back. “This might be the first time I’ve ever seen you in a suit.”
“And it might be the last,” Noah said, inspecting himself in the mirror.
Noah’s older brother Sam stepped up beside him in his own suit. “We are a couple of handsome bachelors. Maybe we’ll get lucky with one of the bridesmaids.”
Noah frowned and turned to look at him. “The bridesmaids include Krista and Abby. And Abby hasn’t given you the time of day in, oh, about two years now.”
Sam’s smile fell to a flat line. “I was only joking about the bridesmaids. And it’ll be two years in February, but who’s counting?”
Jack patted Noah’s back with a chuckle. “Well, maybe Sam’s not getting lucky, but you could always give up the fight and admit that you wouldn’t mind stealing a few kisses from Krista. Unless…” Jack raised a brow.
“Unless what?” Noah busied himself adjusting his tie in the mirror.
“Unless you already have and we’re all just clueless,” Jack said.
Noah whirled to face him. “She’s my friend. Best. Friends. How many times do I have to tell you two before you get it through your thick skulls?”
Both Jack and Sam were belly laughing now. They enjoyed ribbing him way too much—one reason he’d never liked his position as the youngest brother.
“Assholes,” he muttered, tugging on his suit jacket, too. It was hot and uncomfortable and he couldn’t wait to take the thing off.
