“Sorry my misery is irritating you.”
He thought of how mad he’d been when he came back from New York. How much anger he’d felt toward his dad and how Grace pulled him out of it. Now when the devastation felt like it might suffocate him, he couldn’t turn to the one person who would make it better.
“You’re not irritating me. I get it. But I seem to remember a time when I felt like you do now and you said there were no problems we couldn’t solve.” Chris sat up, throwing the remote onto the coffee table.
Noah threaded his hands behind his neck and stared at his brother. “Dude. We threw money at your problem. I tried to do that here.”
Chris laughed, but Noah didn’t know what was so funny. “We threw money at it because that helped us out of the situation and it worked in that case. What we didn’t do was throw money at Everly and disregard her feelings.”
Noah’s hands dropped. “I was helping. I wasn’t disregarding her feelings. I was saving her from that nightmare she calls a mom. Seriously, man. That woman ought to marry our father.”
“Ew. She’d be like your sister then,” Chris said.
Noah stared. “No, she wouldn’t. What’s wrong with you?”
Chris stood. “Me? You said it, you weirdo.”
“I was just saying how perfectly matched they’d be.”
“Never mind them. Think about Grace.” Chris walked over to stand in front of him.
“All I can do is think about her, Chris. She’s it. I can’t think of anything else.”
His brother clapped his shoulder, kept his hand there. “I know, man. That’s how it happens. Hard and heavy.”
“That’s what she said,” Noah said with no inflection.
Chris arched a brow. “Really, jackass?”
Noah shrugged. “It seemed necessary.”
Chris dropped his hand, walked around the wall that divided the living area from the galley kitchen. Noah followed.
“We wouldn’t want anyone taking care of Dad for us. We did it ourselves because it felt damn good to do it. To make that break without anyone else’s help.” He grabbed a couple of sodas from the fridge, tossed one to Noah.
Noah caught it, tapped the top before popping it open. “I know. I just … I wanted to do it for her. I didn’t want her to have to face that alone. She did it her whole life and I needed her to know I’m in this for real.”
“Yeah but you did it in a way that made her feel like she couldn’t do it herself. You took the choice away.”
“So I shouldn’t have helped her?”
“No. You shouldn’t have tried to save her.”
“I just need to fix it.” He hated the desperation in his own voice.
“Let her lead.”
Noah stared at his brother, wondering when he’d gotten so smart.
Instead of asking, he shoved Chris’s shoulder. “Mr. Know-It-All.”
Chris shoved him back with a wide grin. “Which one of us is living with the love of his life? You could learn from me, young Jedi.”
The two were locked in a futile double headlock when Everly walked through the door. From his awkward, bent position, he saw her hang her keys on the little hook by the door and remove her shoes.
“This is new,” she said, coming into the living room.
“Hey, Evs. How was shopping?” Chris’s breathing was heavy.
She stood close to them, her hands on her hips. “Crowded. How was the visit with your brother?”
“Pretty good. Except he doesn’t like being told what to do,” Chris said.
“Just because Everly took pity on you doesn’t mean you’re a relationship guru,” Noah grunted.
They shuffled but neither of them gained any traction and Noah was starting to get a kink in his neck.
“Is Grace okay?” Everly asked, tilting her head to better meet Noah’s gaze.
“He hasn’t heard from her,” Chris said, circling them around again.
Everly bent and tilted her head so she was looking sideways at them. “Do you two need someone to yell ‘break’?”
“You can’t yell, Evs.” Noah grinned, rubbing his knuckles on Chris’s head.
She gave him a wry grin, stood up, and said, “Break,” at a perfectly reasonable decibel.
They released each other, both of them groaning a little as they stretched, rolled their shoulders.
Everly kissed his brother on the cheek, leaned her head against his shoulder, but looked at Noah. “You okay?”
He shook his head. “I just need to see her. Talk to her. I need to make it right.”
“How did her presentation go?”
“It’s not for a few more days.” His thoughts started turning like gears, making him miss whatever Chris and Everly were saying.
He pocketed his keys from the kitchen table and started for the door.
“Wait. Where are you going?” Chris followed him to the door.
He turned back, unable to contain his grin. “I’m going to win back my girl and show her I always keep my promises.”
46
Grace was livid at herself. She glanced around the classroom once more, taking note of how many of her classmates had brought significant others, including Rosie. Noah had left her alone for four days now, and the emptiness that crept inside of Grace’s body was unlike any she’d ever known. Different from the nights she’d hidden in her closet in their trailer because she kept hearing strange noises and her mother was out at the bar. Different from hearing that the grandparents she’d never known had died. But it was her own fault. She’d sent him away, told him to respect her words, and he did. He did exactly what she’d asked and he was going to miss her presentation.
“We can reschedule,” Rosie whispered, leaning over to Grace.
Grace shook her head, looking at Josh, wishing she could just ask about Noah, but if she said his name out loud, she might cry.
She’d worked toward this for so long. She would not make it less because her personal life was in tatters. Of your own making. If you don’t like how things are, change them. She lifted her chin. She’d go to him. As soon as she finished up with the slide show.
“No. Let’s do this.”
She did her part, speaking the words she’d rehearsed more times than she could count. She kept her gaze on the screen to lessen the nerves of having to stare out at the audience. Of having to deal with the fact that he’d promised. You can’t hold this against him. You told him to stay away. Rosie cleared her throat, pulling Grace back into the moment. It wasn’t until the clapping started that she took a full breath, forced a smile for her teacher, her classmates, their special someones, Josh … and Noah.
Grace’s knees wobbled as their gazes locked. He stood leaning against the wall beside Josh, focused on Grace. She pulled in a deep breath, her heart rebooting. She continued to stare, feeling the smile take over her face without any effort. Rosie nudged her shoulder.
Mrs. Kern stood, glanced back at Noah, which struck her as odd. “Fabulous job, ladies.” She walked to the front of the room, turned to face everyone. “All of you did so well. I’m not sure how they’ll choose an intern. I’m so proud of how far all of you have come and you should be as well.”
Grace locked her hands together, unable to break eye contact with Noah. Just looking at him was refueling her energy, her breath, her heart.
“Now, there’s one more special presentation but it’s for one person only. I’ve set up snacks in room 310 if you’ll all join me and we can celebrate your successes.”
Rosie squeezed her hand. Grace looked at her, squeezing back. “What’s going on?”
Her friend hugged her hard. “This is where you get the chance to choose the happiness you deserve.”
Grace pulled away, stared at her cryptic friend. Everyone filed out, including Rosie and Josh, until only Noah and Grace were left.
Noah walked to her, keeping too much distance between them. She wanted to close it, fall into him, and hold on tight.
; “I had a plan but I didn’t account for how seeing you would scramble my brain.”
She laughed, understanding. “Plans are good. I’m sorry I haven’t answered your calls.”
His jaw tightened. “You needed time. I want to give you whatever you need but I can’t wait any longer to make things right between us.”
Air whooshed out of her lungs. “You still want there to be an us?”
He closed the distance but still didn’t touch her. “I want that more than I’ve ever wanted anything. I have something to show you, if you can give me a minute?”
He walked to the table. Grace realized Rosie had left her computer attached, and Noah fiddled with it, then adjusted the lights in the room. He pulled a chair closer to the screen while Grace did her best not to wring her hands. She’d forgotten how to breathe without him in her life, and now she pulled in oxygen like she’d been starved of it.
What really struck a chord was the realization she’d come to over the last few days: she’d follow him anywhere. She understood how her mother let herself ache over a man for years upon years, carrying the flame and the hope of him coming back. Because if she couldn’t fix things with Noah, she’d do the same. She also understood how that could make a person hard. Closed off. Like a wounded animal lashing out in the face of more hurt. That didn’t excuse her mother’s behavior, but it lessened some of Grace’s anger.
Noah gestured to the chair. “Can you have a seat?”
She sat, hands clasped in her lap, heart beating like a rabbit on the run.
His fingers flexed, in and out. “Six weeks ago, I didn’t see the words ‘house’ and ‘home’ as different. They’re synonyms, essentially the same thing.”
A small smile snuck onto her lips. He was presenting a project just as she’d done.
“I’ve learned a lot in that time. Not just about what makes a house a home but what kind of man I want to be, what kind of life I want to live. What kind of person transforms you, much like you transform spaces.” He paused, cleared his throat, and Grace could see the nerves in the way he stood. His eyes were tired, like maybe he hadn’t been sleeping any better than she had.
She was transfixed by every little thing about him. The way his hair looked slightly mussed, how his shirt fit perfectly over his strong arms and chest. How his lips twitched just a little and his gaze held hers like they were tethered, like they were keeping each other afloat.
Noah pressed Play on his slide show. Her heart squeezed painfully hard when Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani’s duet “Nobody but You” came through the sound system. It was his words coming up across the screen, however, that put her back together again.
I had no idea what made a house a home.
Until you.
A 3D image of the first level of a house appeared. It was empty.
A house becomes a home when you make it your own with the person you love.
Splashes of paint colored the image, furniture zoomed in, landing in spots on the screen, transforming the room from barren and empty to full and vibrant.
It isn’t paint on the walls or the furniture you buy. It’s who pulls you out of the couch when you’re stuck.
Grace laughed too loud, her eyes filling with tears.
The song continued to play, talking about loving no one else.
A beautiful slide with a picture of Noah’s house filled the screen.
This is just a house. Without you, it’s empty. Without you, I am empty. A house is a shell. A blank canvas. A home is a masterpiece.
Their paintings appeared on the next slide. The final slide was black. The words that came up made it hard to breathe.
You are my home, Grace. My everything. Nothing matters without you. I’m sorry I didn’t listen but I hear you and will do better in the future. I want a future with you. Finding you helped me find myself. I love you.
Grace was so blown away, she forgot to breathe. He moved toward her as she stood up and crossed the room. Their arms went around each other, and she buried her face in his neck.
His hands moved over her like he was making sure she was real.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered.
“So am I.” She leaned back just enough to see him. “You want to protect the people you love. I should have been more understanding of that.”
“We’re both still learning.” He pressed his forehead against hers, his hands pulling on her hips. “It might take a lifetime to figure it all out.”
Her breath hitched. “That’s a long time.”
He nodded. “It is. About the same time frame for how long I plan to love you, make you happy, and keep my promises.”
Emotions swirled around like ballerinas. “I didn’t think you would come. It would have been my fault if you broke your promise.”
“It doesn’t matter because I didn’t. I won’t. I need you in my life. I know we have things to sort out and discuss but—”
She went up on tiptoe. “Not now. Right now there’s just us. Just this. I love you, Noah. I love everything about who you are. You keep saying I make you better but you’ve done the same for me. You’ve shown me happiness is okay to grab ahold of without guilt. You’ve taught me there’s life outside of work.”
“No,” he said, a silly grin on his face. “You taught me that one.”
Grace wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tight. “We’ll teach each other. We’ll learn. We’ll mess up. We’ll fix it. But we’ll do it together.”
“No more time apart,” Noah whispered into her hair.
With a sly smile, she pulled back. “You missed me.”
He shrugged. “Only as much as I’d miss air. You miss me?”
“About the same,” she said right before she kissed him.
“So, what now?” Grace asked as she laid her head on his shoulder.
Noah’s arms were her favorite place to be. “Now we go home.”
She looked up. “Which house is that?”
He kissed the bridge of her nose. “Whichever one you’re in, Gracie. Wherever you are, that’s where I’ll be.”
* * *
Grace couldn’t wait to go home with Noah. It felt like a beginning. The beginning of everything. They took their own vehicles back to their places. As she was hurrying out of her car, intent on nothing more than throwing herself into his arms, she saw he was on the phone.
His gaze heated when he looked at her, his arm extending to pull her in even as he carried on with the conversation.
“That’s fantastic. I can sign the papers right now. Yes. Yes. Great.” He ended the call, pocketed his phone, and framed her face with his hands.
Grace put her hands to his wrists. “What was that?”
“That was a foundation that wants to invest in the community center. They heard about it through Sergio so maybe the guy wasn’t a waste of time after all.”
She didn’t know she could feel so much happiness on someone else’s behalf. “That’s amazing.”
“It’s just a start but it’s something. Unfortunately, I need to go meet with them.”
She saw the indecision on his face, and she wanted nothing more than to curl up with him and shut the world away. But they had time. Lots of it. Going up on tiptoes, she squealed when he lifted her, bringing her closer.
“Go, do what you have to do. I have some things of my own I need to do.”
“Oh yeah?” He kissed the underside of her jaw, making her lose her train of thought.
“Yup. Just make sure when you get home, the rest of your day is cleared for us.”
He pulled back, still holding her around the waist, her feet dangling in the air. “I love you, Gracie.”
“I love you. So much it scares me.”
“Don’t be scared. I’ve got you.”
She nodded, her heart completely at ease. “I know.”
47
“Anything else?” Josh called as he wound the hose back up.
Grace looked around, thrilled with the transformation. Him
having to run an errand turned into a blessing, and once again, her friends were right there when she needed them.
“No. This is awesome. He’s going to love it.”
Rosie wandered over to where she stood under the canopy. Grace eyed the table her friend had set up. “It’s perfect.”
Resting her head on Grace’s shoulder, Rosie murmured, “You deserve this. Him. Everything.”
Grace looked at her friend. “So do you.”
Josh wandered over to them. “We having a moment?”
Rosie laughed. “Just appreciating life.” She walked into his arms, resting her head on his chest.
“Thank you so much for this, guys. I have a few more things to do—” A car door slamming cut her short. Grace hurried around the side of the house. “I’m not ready yet, you guys need to—” She stopped short as Tammy marched toward her, anger written in every line of her body.
She felt Josh and Rosie at her back, and she had the same urge as she did with Noah, to protect them from the hostility of this woman. Instead, she absorbed their need to protect her.
Tammy waved a check around in the air. A cab idled in the distance. “This check wouldn’t cash. What the hell, Grace? We had a deal.”
“I told Noah to cancel it. You had no right to take anything from him.”
Tammy stopped in front of her, breathing heavily, like being spiteful stole her breath. She ignored Josh and Rosie, but Grace felt their presence like a shield. Noah’s car turned in to the drive. Grace winced. She’d wanted to welcome him home with happiness, not with her mother.
Tammy grinned almost gleefully as Noah hurried over to them, heading right to Grace’s side. “What’s going on?”
Waving the check at him, she sneered. “Your stupid check was useless. Fix it.”
Grace’s heart burst when Noah looked right at her, love, trust, and strength in his gaze. “What do you need, Grace?”
She took a deep breath, stepped in front of him, and went with her gut, knowing if it didn’t work the way she hoped, she wasn’t alone. Either way, she needed to do this or she would spend her life feeling like a bad person and would always wonder if she’d done enough.
How to Love Your Neighbor Page 29
