Page 48 of Cluelessly Yours

My stomach flutters.

“So, you’re kid-free for the night?” he asks, and I nod.

“The boys are sleeping over at Brooke’s.”

“Nice.” Noah grins at me over his pint of beer. “You deserve to have some nights to yourself. Probably doesn’t make it any easier to leave them, though, huh?”

My whole body sinks an inch into my stool.Why does it feel so good to finally have someone understand how torn I’m feeling?

“Mom guilt is a bitch.”

Noah grins. “Trust me. Not all moms feel guilty. It just means you’re a good one.”

“I’m so sorry, Noah!” a voice calls from behind us. “I hope you weren’t waiting long!”

We both turn around, and my stomach jolts when I come face-to-face with the pretty redhead who singlehandedly ruined the name Mary for me.

She looks slightly frazzled, but she’s still painfully attractive. And my stomach tries to migrate into my shoes at the realization that this is thethirdtime I’m seeing them together.

There’s no way this is just a fling.

“Don’t worry about it, Mary,” Noah says through a chuckle, spinning on his barstool to accept her hug as she gives it. “Haven’t been here more than ten minutes.”

“Thank goodness,” she exclaims and kisses him on the cheek.

I feel like an uninvited voyeur, but this time, with the shift Noah made to my stool when he sat down, it feels like there’s nowhere for me to run.

“I don’t want to interrupt your night, guys,” I say, trying to keep my voice casual and taking the last swig of my wine in preparation for dismissal. “And I should probably be on my way anyway.”

“Sammy, no. Stay,” Noah states quickly and reaches out to gently grip my thigh.

“No, it’s okay. I really don’t want to interrupt. I—”

“No, seriously, stay,” Mary adds with a soft smile directed straight at me. “I’m just dropping keys off to Noah. I’m Mary, by the way.” She holds out her hand, and I swallow my pride and take it. I’m too old to play the hostile victim toward a woman who’s done me no conscious wrong.

“Sammy,” I reciprocate.

“So,you’reSammy,” Mary states and glances over at Noah like she knows something I don’t. “It’s really nice to finally meet you.”

Finallymeet me? As in, she’s been waiting for the opportunity?

“Mary is my sister’s home health nurse,” Noah unexpectedly explains, making my gaze jerk violently toward him.

He hasa sister? Who requires a home health nurse?

“Honestly, I don’t know what I’d do without her,” Noah adds with a genuine grin. “Mary has been taking care of my sister Kara for several years now. Most days, she’s my saving grace.”

“All right. All right. That’s enough. Any more compliments and I’ll start melting like the wicked witch.” Mary waves him off with a laugh and looks at me. “Sammy, if you haven’t noticed, Noah is one of the nicest, most charming guys you’ll ever meet. Even my husband Jared is in love with him.”

Her husband Jared? As in,she’s married?

If I weren’t sitting down, I’d be on the floor right now. They’re going to have to rewrite the end of the Bible if there are any more revelations.

She smirks at me and reaches into her purse to pull out a set of keys. “Speaking of Jared, I need to get home to celebrate the momentous occasion of him cooking dinner for once.” She slides the keys across the bar to Noah. “Kara loved our little day-trip to the Central Park Zoo. I got her back to the facility in time for dinner. Your Range Rover is parked in your favorite spot in the garage. And don’t worry, I only managed a few dents in it.”

Noah rolls his eyes with an amiable chuckle. “Very funny.”

“Sammy, it was really great meeting you. I hope I’ll get to see more of you inthe future,” Mary says with a wink and reaches out to grip Noah’s shoulder with a friendly pat. “And I’ll check in with you tomorrow, boss.”

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