Page 105 of Stolen for Keeps
“I’m safe,” I said. “The baby train’s definitely headed your way first.”
Sheryn narrowed her eyes. “Excuse you, didn’t we talk about this at the store?”
“Yeah, yeah. And we both know the more someone says ‘not now,’ the faster two become one,” I said.
Noah nearly snorted milkshake out of his nose. “Please don’t drag me into this. I’ve spent years convincing myselfTwo Become Onewas just a Spice Girls song, not a prophecy.”
Right about then, Nick pulled up at the curb, clearly on some kind of mission from the shop.
“Trouble?” Sheryn asked as she stood.
“Labels,” Nick said with a sigh. “Someone swapped the alfalfa with the sweet feed again.”
“Scandalous,” I deadpanned. “Better notify the spreadsheet before the goats start a mutiny.”
Sheryn tossed a piece of waffle at me. “Don’t come crying to me when your backyard chickens end up bouncing off the walls.”
She kissed Dylan’s head, winked at me, and climbed into Nick’s truck.
And just like that, it was the three of us again—me, Noah, and Dylan. The sugar, the sunshine, and thealmostsuspicious peace.
I settled closer to Noah. “I met the sheriff and the deputy at Paul’s,” I said.
“You okay? Did they say anything?”
“No. They just got completely swooned over by Dylan,” I said, trying to keep it light. “But the nerves were there. I really hope no news is actually good news.”
“Come here.” He opened an arm, and I leaned into him. His hand traced slow lines up and down my back. “Whatever shows up, we’ll face it. I’ve got you.”
“Part of me wants it to just…happen. Be caught. Get it over with.”
“You took back the necklace to do something good. There’s nothing noble about going back behind bars,” he said quietly. “I’ll defend you, Maya. Like no one else ever did.”
And I knew he would. Back then, I’d had no one. Just some court-appointed lawyer doing his pro bono duty and barely pretending to care. I’d gone to prison with barely a fight.
We both turned to watch Dylan trying to get Reko to sipfrom a straw. Reko just licked the milkshake off the side and gave Dylan a bored look.
“When everything’s settled, maybe we could…” Noah started, then hesitated. “You know, think about…two become one, then become three?”
I smiled before he could finish. He looked like he was bracing for me to laugh it off, to give him a dozen reasons to hold that thought.
But despite everything I’d told Sheryn, the words came easily.
“I’d love to have a family with you, Noah.”
He lit up. “Seriously?”
“Absolutely.”
He sprang up, took my hands, and spun me in a circle like a fool in love. Which he was. Which I was.
Dylan stared at us, perhaps thinking we’d lost our minds. Reko, unimpressed, dropped onto the grass with a huff.
Yeah, I was the happiest mess in Buffaloberry Hill right now.
29
NOAH
