Page 35 of Stolen Kisses
Chapter 8
On Friday night, Noah finished packing his bags for the weekend. He’d be leaving first thing in the morning to travel up to the North Carolina mountains where the Sawyer cabin was. It’d been a year and a half since he’d been there. He, Jack, and Sam had traveled up there right after Sam’s separation from Abby. That weekend, they’d discussed any- and everything except Sam’s crumbling marriage.
Noah pulled out his phone and hesitated. Krista had told him she’d drive up separately, but that didn’t make any sense. And why would she want to? They were best friends, even if lately there’d been a wedge between them. One wedge being Dr. Dale. Noah snarled at the image of the doctor in his mind. He didn’t like the guy. Chandler Dale came off as smug and snooty—and not what Krista needed. Noah wasn’t what she needed either, though.
On an inhale, he pushed dial and waited for Krista to answer.
“Hello?” she finally said after five rings.
“Don’t tell me you were sleeping already.” He glanced at his watch. “It’s only eight-thirty.”
“I was out late last night,” she said, breaking into a yawn.
Noah’s back teeth clenched hard. Had she been out late with Dr. Dale? “Oh. That’s great,” he lied. “You must’ve had a hot date.”
“Um-hmm,” she sighed, sleepily.
It was obvious she didn’t want to talk about Dr. Dale with him. Fine. He hadn’t called to talk about that, either. “So, uh, I’m all packed to head up to the cabin tomorrow morning. I know you said you would drive up yourself, but that seems crazy to me. You know how distracted and restless I get on long drives.”
“Oh.”
Noah could imagine Krista pulling her lower lip between her teeth and biting down softly like she sometimes did when she didn’t know how to respond.
“And you like to sleep on long car rides. Wouldn’t that beat driving? Especially when you’re sleep-deprived.” Because of Doofus Dr. Dale.
“I guess,” she finally conceded.
“So I can pick you up, we’ll drive together, and then we’ll knock out all the cabin work we have to do as Best Man and Maid-of-Honor. It’ll be a breeze. Sound good?”
Krista hesitated. “Well, I have to make a few stops to buy some,um,romantic items along the way for Grace, which is another reason I thought we’d be better off going separate.”
Noah imagined buying rose petals or something for some other girly romantic gesture. They could find a florist shop on the way, although fake petals might be more practical since the wedding wasn’t for a few more weeks. “Fine by me. I’ll help you.”
“Oh. Okay…Well, sleeping on the way up really does sound nice. Are you sure you don’t mind?”
Noah’s shoulders dropped in relief. An old-fashioned road trip to the mountains sounded like the perfect way for them to get out of their funk. “I’m happy to drive. Pick you up at seven a.m.?”
Krista groaned. “Another reason I wanted to drive myself. Even when you sleep in, you’re up way too early.”
“But you can sleep on the way,” he reminded her.
“Fine. I guess I should get up and finishing packing.”
“Great. I’ll stop and get the muffins from the BB Café before I pick you up.”
“And coffee. Don’t forget that,” she said.
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
After hanging up with Krista, Noah stretched his arms overhead. He was tired, but reluctant to hit the mattress. Every time he did, Krista showed up in his dreams, wearing a little less clothing than the time before. He needed to see her as just one of the guys again, wearing a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Except now when he saw her in those, she looked like sex on a stick. And despite himself, he wanted her like he’d never wanted any woman before. Andthatwas his reasoning for why driving to the mountains and spending the weekend with Krista was a bad idea.
—
Noah honked his horn outside Krista’s townhouse at seven a.m. the next morning. She came walking out her front door, a yawn stretching her sleep-creased face as she opened the back door to his Jeep, tossed her overnight bag in, and then plopped down in the passenger seat beside him, smelling like lavender. Noah handed over her coffee. “Almond milk and four sugars.”
“You’re awesome.” She took a sip, closing her eyes as if the coffee was liquid gold.
Noah had to pull his gaze from her mouth, suddenly fantasizing that same look of satisfaction on her face with him. He cleared his throat, gripped the steering wheel tighter. “All right. Here we go. You just let me know when and where you need to stop to do those errands you were talking about.”
