Page 21 of Stolen Kisses
What is going on with him?
Adam drew her attention, pointing to a fish jumping out of the water. Another followed, followed by another after that. Noah brought the boat to a stop and walked out on the front deck to lower the anchor.
“Did you see all the fish?” Adam asked him, freeing himself from Krista’s arms and running forward.
“No running on the boat,” Krista warned, unable to help herself. He had on a life jacket and there was no way Noah would let anything happen to him. She trusted Noah with her life and Adam’s.
“Yeah, buddy,” Noah said, grinning back at Adam. “That’s why I stopped the boat. All those little jumping fish are trying to get away from a bigger fish. That’s how it works down there.”
“Really?” Adam whipped around to look at Krista. “Did you hear that? There’s a big fish down there in the water!”
Krista laughed. “Mr. Noah knows how to find the fish. That’s why I asked him to take us out. This is what he does all day.”
Adam turned back to Noah. “That is so cool! Can you teach me to catch a big fish?”
“Yeah, little man. That’s my plan.” He gestured to the back of the boat. “I even brought you a lucky pole to learn with.”
Adam jumped softly on his feet, making the boat rock just slightly.
If Krista wasn’t imagining it, Noah looked right at her and grinned. With his dark glasses, she couldn’t be sure, but she smiled back anyway. He was the hero of the day for doing this for Adam. Adam’s hero, and hers.
Noah led Adam to the back of the boat for several minutes. They chatted in low voices that Krista couldn’t make out. Closing her eyes, she tipped her head back and absorbed the sun, letting the stress of the week pool out of her. This day was utter perfection, thanks to Noah.
Her heart did that thing it often did when she thought of him. It swelled until it was hard to breathe. She needed to stop feeling this way about him. She knew it down to her core, but she couldn’t shake the bone-crushing crush she’d had on him for so long. Maybe if she went out with Dr. Dale, he could fix her heart and stop the constant palpitations she had when Noah was around. Noah had even suggested she go for it with the young doctor the other day, so why hadn’t she?
“Hey.”
Krista opened her eyes to meet Noah’s. “Hey,” she echoed back. There went her heart again, swelling with helium, floating into her throat, and giving her this shrill voice that she had to consciously temper.
“You sleeping on the job?” he asked. “You said if I brought you two out here you’d lead the show.”
“I never said that.”
He lifted a brow. “I’m surprised you remember what you said.”
His tone of voice made prickles of awareness ride up her spine. “What do you mean by that?” she asked, lowering her voice to a whisper so Adam couldn’t hear her. “Did I say something the other night? After I drank. You said I didn’t, but I’m not sure I believe you.” She pointed a finger. “Noah, you better—”
Adam came bursting between them. You’d never know he’d just spent a week in a hospital bed. “Let’s catch that fish before he gets away! Come on, Noah!”
Krista’s gaze moved to Noah.
“I told him to drop the ‘Mr.’ Makes me feel old,” he explained.
“When in reality, you’re nothing but an oversized kid.”
“Exactly.” Noah turned back to Adam. “Let’s go! Fish beware!”
Krista stayed back, watching them together. Noah was so good with Adam. He helped the boy position the pole just right in his hands and hovered behind him, waiting for the line to jerk. A few minutes later, Adam squealed and Noah hugged his arms around him, guiding the child’s hands to reel in the fish quickly.
“Oh, I think this is going to be a big one,” Noah said, loud enough for Krista to hear.
She sat up to watch, excitement fluttering through her veins.
Adam squealed and cheered even louder as a silvery fish landed on the floor of the boat. “I caught one! I caught one! Miss Krista, I caught a fish! Is it big?” he asked, whirling to look at Noah. There was pure joy and admiration in his eyes.
Noah took his time assessing the fish. “Yeah. I’d say that one’s a winner. Seven inches long, maybe half a pound. Look at the color on that fish.” He gave his head a shake. “I might be hiring you for my crew one of these days.”
Adam’s grin stretched to both ears. “Really?”
