Page 13 of Saved By Noel
My heart seizes with gratitude at the sight of my plant baby in his extremely masculine hands. It’s most certainly gratitude,notattraction. I mean, maybe a mix. “That’s really sweet of you,” I respond. “Um, do you know how to take care of plants?”
He shrugs a shoulder. “I’ll Google it. Don’t worry about it—you go take care of your parents.”
I resist the urge to throw my arms around him in a tight embrace. Although I may be the poster child for the physical touch love language, I know not everyone appreciates it. Especially from someone they’ve only met twice. Despite whatever raging chemistry vibes hang in the air between us.
Walking out to my car and his massive truck, I apologize three more times and thank Clark four more times. I climb into my Honda and punch in the hospital address. Before pulling out of the driveway, I take one final peek in my rearview mirror at Clark’s face. A pang of disappointment shoots through me.
I guess my dreams will hang out in the periphery for a while longer.
Chapter ten
Clark
“C’mon boy,” I call out to Chase, opening the passenger door so he can jump into the truck. This is a job he can join me on—helping Davis repair one of his kayak storage racks. As we make the drive along the ridge to the riverbank, I make it a pointnotto think about a certain cabin at the top of that ridge. Or a certain cabin’s new owner.
It’s been over three weeks since Clara swept in and back out of town like a tornado. Sometimes I convince myself that I imagined her presence here, but then I see that dang plant sitting in my front window. Reminding me that it happened. Reminding me ofher.
Although, Clara’s abrupt exit was exactly what I needed to snap me out of whatever temporary trance I’d fallen into around her.
“You and Dad will always come before the cabin.”
Clara’s declaration to her mom was a slap to the face in the best kind of way. This is a temporary getaway for her, not a place she’s putting down roots. Somehow in the twelve hours betweenbusting open that bathroom door and watching her drive away, my heart had done some funny things.
It had a . . . feeling. Something I’m usually quick to shut down, not spend all night examining and encouraging.Ihad done some funny things, things akin to flirting. Had her mom not called, I might have accepted her invitation to a cup of coffee and stayed a while. Who knows what I might have shared with her under the influence of those periwinkle-blue eyes.
But now my inner walls are back up where they belong. I absolutely will not slip up again around her, not now that I’m prepared to keep her at arm’s length along with everyone else. The only reason I ever drive past her cabin on the ridge checking for signs of life is solely due to her plant still in my possession.
I’d considered reaching out to Rhonda to try to get Clara’s phone number. Rhonda’s the only real estate agent in town—she had to be the one to sell the house to Clara. But small towns are cesspools for rumors, so I couldn’t afford to let the town’s biggest gossip make assumptions about why I wanted to contact Clara.
So I waited. And occasionally drove past the empty cabin,notthinking about strawberry-blond curls or freckles. Or a honey voice and bright laugh. Or dry humor delivering witty statements so casually I was completely caught off guard.
Or the electric feel of slender fingers gripping my biceps.
I’m definitely not thinking about those things as I drive toward my best friend—the only close friend I have left. Chase whimpers and nudges my arm, as if sensing my thoughts and reminding me of his presence in my life.
“Okay,twoclose friends,” I tell him, ruffling his ears. He dances in the passenger seat as I turn down the road to Deer Floats. Chase knows exactly where we are, and it’s one of his favorite places.
“Hey, it’s getting cold now. You stay out of the river,” I lecture Chase, knowing full well he’s going to sprint to the water the second I open the door.
Davis calls out a greeting as I pull my toolbox from the back of my truck, Chase already chest deep in the river. “He’s yours for the rest of the day,” I say, nodding my head toward my soaking wet dog.
“Liar.” Davis grins, knowing I never leave Chase for long. We rescued each other when we both needed it most and can’t stand to be apart.
Davis claps me on the back. “Thanks for coming out. I need to get all the kayaks and canoes stored indoors before winter arrives. But turns out the combination of a preschooler and a toddler has a way of wrecking productivity.”
Inside the main storage garage, we set to work repairing the broken kayak rack. Davis shares one story after another about Syd and the kids, but I mostly respond with one-word grunts.
“So . . .” Davis pauses, signaling a shift in conversation. “Still keeping that plant alive?”
I grunt again. “Growing two new leaves, I’ll have you know. I’m perfectly capable of keeping a plant alive, thanks to some basic research.”
A teasing grin spreads across Davis’ face, which is right next to mine since he’s holding the boards in place I’m about to screw together. I resist the urge to elbow that smirk right off his smart mouth. “Wow, really going above and beyond in this care-taking favor. The plant owner must be something special. Clara, was it?”
I glower at him. I never should have mentioned Clara to him. “It was the nice thing to do in the moment for someone who was panicking. I didn’t realize it would draw out into a three-week-plus gig.”
Davis clucks his tongue. “Keeping track of how long she’s been gone, are we?”
His taunting is drowned out by the sound of my drill, which I allow to “accidentally” slip toward his hand as a warning.
