She felt a little faint when she heard the click of the lock and she squeezed Chester, which caused him to bark again. “Hi.” Okay, maybe she should have thought out her greeting.
Noah stared at the pair of them for a moment. Chester tried to jump into Noah’s arms, but Sabrina held him tight. “Good morning.”
“Big day.” Sabrina nudged her way past him into the apartment and put Chester down. He immediately barked and scrabbled across the wood floor, on the scent of something.
“What is that?” Noah’s gaze tracked the dog, who had his head jammed between the couch and a side table, his tail wagging madly.
“That’s a dog. Don’t get out much, do you?”
“You know what I meant.” He pinned her with a look, those beautiful blue eyes finally focusing on her. Not through, not around her. On her. Sabrina might have melted right there if she hadn’t feared that Noah would simply mop her up and put her outside. “What is the dog doing in my apartment?” His eyes narrowed. “Sabrina, he’d better not be a gift.”
“Chester is my dog. Mine. He’s simply here for a visit.” She clasped her hands together when Noah ran his fingers through his hair. She wanted to do that for him. “Consider him a mascot of sorts.”
Noah studied her, only looking away when Chester, apparently bored with his investigation, ran over and slid into his legs.
“He’s still working on stopping,” Sabrina said. Chester, more paw than dog, leaned against Noah’s leg until Noah finally gave in and bent down to scratch him behind the ears.
Chester whined in puppy ecstasy. Sabrina told herself not to be jealous. Not even when Noah crouched down to give the dog a full-body scrub and tell him he was a good boy. His fingers danced over the collar fit for a diva. “Nice collar.”
Sabrina had picked up a pretty, sparkly red one studded with diamonds before heading to the shelter. Daisy had helped. It wasn’t until they got there and Chester stole her heart that Sabrina realized she should have bought something neutral. Oh, well. It had looked sparkly and pretty in the store, and it looked just as sparkly and pretty around Chester’s neck. “He’s comfortable with his manhood,” Sabrina told Noah.
A smile quirked the corner of his mouth. Her heart, which had been living in the vicinity of her toes these past few weeks lifted. Only to her knees, but it was a noticeable improvement.
“I wanted to wish you good luck, though I’m sure you won’t need it.”
“Thanks.” His smile flickered again.
Sabrina wanted to hug him, but she held back. Marissa had said she needed to let Noah come to her now. She’d made her position clear and after today, everyone in town would know it. Her pulse raced a little when she thought about what she’d done, but she shoved the trickle of fear away. Trish wouldn’t fire her. Probably. No matter the outcome, it would be worth it. It had to be. “Have you read the paper yet?”
Noah pointed to the folded-up edition sitting on his table. Her unopened envelope sat beside it. She felt a slice of pain lance through her, but kept her smile in place as she walked over to pick up the envelope and wave it at him. “Not much for reading, I see?”
He had the grace to look embarrassed. “Yeah. I’ve been busy.”
He’d had time to read her letter if he’d wanted to. Then again, he hadn’t thrown it away, either. The rest of the house was immaculate. No old papers or mail waiting to be tossed. Everything neatly filed and in order. So perhaps this situation wasn’t as bad as it first appeared. “Well, maybe you can read it later. After the election.”
He nodded.
“You should read the paper, too. The online edition.”
His brow furrowed. “Aren’t they the same?”
“Usually.” Sabrina paused, but Noah didn’t ask for an explanation. Neither of them said anything for a moment. Why didn’t he say something? Recognize the significance of Chester, who would not be easy to take to the city? Ask how her career at the paper was coming along? Mention her red cowboy boots? Instead, he just watched her, those blue eyes as silent as his lips. “Well, I should get going. You’ve got a busy day and I need to vote.”
Noah nodded and gave Chester one final pat. Chester, who’d rolled onto his back, stopped wagging, looked up and yipped.
“Come on, buddy.” Sabrina patted her thigh to call Chester. She scooped up the bundle of energy and prepared to leave. Perhaps this would be their future. Casual conversation that never delved beneath the surface, a good rub for her dog and then they’d go off on their separate ways.
“Sabrina?”
His voice pulled her back. She held her breath and squeezed her dog until he yelped. She loosened her grip from death to chokehold and tried to look like nothing had happened. Nope. No dog barking here.
“You look good.”
Thank God for red cowboy boots.
* * *
NOAH SAT IN HIS OFFICE while his supporters mingled outside on the floor of the dealership. They’d closed down sales and turned the floor into the campaign war room for the day. No one was going to buy a used truck or a new car with all the election excitement anyway. Large-screen televisions were set up around the floor space, tables loaded with campaign paraphernalia. Nets holding streamers and balloons were hung overhead ready to be opened when, or if, Noah was announced as the winner. Supporters mingled around, nibbling from the plates of food set up, proudly sporting their “Vote for Barnes” buttons.
It had a different feel than the previous elections when Noah had run unopposed. Those years, they’d thrown the same party but there had been no sense of urgency. He would be the mayor, and that was that. They’d spent more time debating the merits of the other mayoral races happening across the province, since by law every city and town held elections on the same day.
This year the mood was high. Noah was the only one not enjoying the buzz, which was why he’d excused himself and taken up residence in his office. Why had Sabrina decided to invite herself into his apartment on this morning of all mornings? And what was with the dog? Noah wondered who’d care for the dog when Sabrina inevitably left. Perhaps he should offer. He could use a companion.
He fiddled with her letter, which for some reason he’d grabbed before exiting his apartment. He’d gotten as far as opening it, but hadn’t yet pulled out the pages. Did he really want to do this? Especially today, when he had other things on his mind?
“You need to see this.” Noah looked up to see his brother walking through his office door, waving an iPad at him. Kyle had downloaded an app that kept track of the votes as they were reported and was proudly showing it off to everyone at the dealership.
“Is the vote close?” Noah put the envelope down, glad to push it aside for the moment, and focused on his brother. Although no one said it, this was no ordinary Election Day. It was the first time Noah had faced competition and though early polls suggested an easy victory, Noah had learned not to take anything for granted. His muscles tensed.
“It’s not about the vote.” Kyle placed the tablet on Noah’s desk and angled the screen to face him.
Noah glanced at the screen, which displayed an article about the election. Why did Kyle want him to read this now? The election was under way. Half the votes were probably already cast. He frowned and looked back at his brother. “Can this wait? I’m a little busy.”
“No, you’re not. Read.” Kyle maintained his position. “Marissa sent me in here. And Mom. You know I can’t leave without making an effort.”
“Wimp,” Noah said. As though he’d have done anything different. But he picked up the tablet. “Happy?”
“I’ll wait.” Kyle crossed his arms over his chest.
Noah huffed out a breath. His brother knew him too well. He’d planned give a cursory examination to the article, then return the tablet to his brother and do his best to forget all about it. Apparently
that would not be permitted. Slowly, he scanned the paper and found Sabrina’s byline. His lungs seized. He didn’t know what she’d written, but he was sure he’d prefer to read it later. In the privacy of his own home.
When people talk about a home, they usually mean a building. A place to lay your head. A place to eat. A place to raise your family. For me, home is something different.
It’s a person.
And his home is here in Wheaton.
Noah inhaled slowly.
He gives this town all of himself. He protects the residents. He makes the hard decisions. He asks for nothing in return. In short, he’s the heart of this town.
I could go on extolling all his virtues, of which there are many, but that would probably embarrass him. He likes to pretend that he doesn’t deserve any special treatment or accolades, that he’s just a regular resident. But he’s so much more. His opponent? Well, my mother always said that if I had nothing nice to say I shouldn’t say anything.
Trish wanted this to be a balanced article, highlighting both candidates. She’s not going to be too pleased when she sees this. But if this means that just one of you, one single person who didn’t plan to vote, will now head to your polling station and vote for Noah, then I’m satisfied. Even if it means I’ll never work in this town again. (Well, except for the coffee shop. Love you, Mom and Dad.)
There’s only one candidate who’s right for this town. And one candidate who’s right for me.
Noah Barnes. Go vote for him.
Noah blinked, read the article again, his breath caught in his chest. Sabrina had written this. For him. Potentially putting her job at the paper at risk. She loved that job. He looked up at his brother.
“Well?” Kyle asked.
But Noah didn’t respond. Thoughts churned through his mind. Would she stay? Really? Could he trust her not to leave this time? “She’s just trying to help me win.”
Kyle shook his head. “No, that’s not the only reason. You know she bought a dog.”
“Chester.”
Kyle nodded. “She bought the apartment, too. I think she’s serious when she says she isn’t leaving.”
“She bought the apartment?”
“That’s what she told Marissa.” He smiled. “You should talk to her.”
He wanted to. Badly. His eyes strayed to the envelope. But what would he find inside? Another viewpoint? One where she told him that she had to go? And which one was real? Noah rubbed the back of his neck. “I’ll come join you in a minute,” he told his brother.
He handed back the tablet, but remained seated at his desk, waiting until the door clicked shut before picking up the envelope again. The paper smelled like her. Did he really want to know what she’d written? He tapped the corner against the desk.
“Hell with it.” He slipped the pages out and flattened them. Whatever she’d written couldn’t be as bad as not knowing.
Noah,
I don’t know what to write.
I want you to know this was a difficult decision for me. I’m used to being on my own. Not that my parents aren’t fully loving and supportive, but I haven’t had to answer to them or anyone in years. It’s always just been me. What do I want? What works best for me? (Only-child syndrome. Me, me, me.)
But I thought about you when I made this decision. Your kindness. Your smile. The way you look at me. The way my chest squeezes when you walk into my apartment. The way you make me feel like I belong. The way I’m not sure I’ll be able to let you go.
Because I know that if I stayed, it would be forever. That scares me. I’m not ready to give up my career dreams yet. I feel like I’ve still got something to prove. And I want to know that when and if I come back, it was my choice.
I thought about rewriting this, cleaning up the bits I crossed out and polishing it until it was worthy of publication. As you can see, I decided against it. This is me. Mistakes, crossed-out sentences, poor word choices. Poor life choices? Probably.
I’ll probably regret this decision one day. I’m sorry. I wish you could come with me, but your life is in Wheaton. I couldn’t ask you to leave the town you love so much. That wouldn’t be fair to you. I love you too much to ask that of you.
No, scratch that. I love you.
Sabrina
Noah’s lungs contracted. This wasn’t what he’d expected. Sabrina had wanted him to come with her? He reread that line to make sure he hadn’t seen what he wanted to rather than what was there. But no, that was what she’d written. A flush of heat stole through him. And now she was back, according to her letter because she’d chosen to return.
She’d chosen him.
Noah didn’t stop to think about what he was doing. A floating sensation filled his limbs. For the first time since she’d left he felt light, as though the weight of life wasn’t wearing him down.
He didn’t stop to shake any hands or kiss any babies on his way out. Not that he needed to. Based on the joking comments directed to his back, everyone in the war room knew exactly where he was racing off to. Obviously, they were regular readers of the paper’s online edition.
He made one stop and sped the rest of the way to make up time. The wheels of his car kicked up dust as he peeled into the driveway. He jumped out, not bothering to lock the car door or even close it and hurried up the steps. To Sabrina. To home.
He hammered on the door, then hammered again when she didn’t answer fast enough. Chester yipped a greeting. Noah smiled. She’d gotten a dog. Whose paws were the size of a corn field. She’d never be able to afford an apartment big enough for him in Vancouver. No, Chester would need the wide open space of Wheaton.
Noah heard Sabrina shushing Chester, so he thumped on the door again. Let the dog make some noise. He needed to see her. Now.
“Noah?” Her eyes widened, warmed and then shuttered closed. As if she was afraid. The thought punched him in the gut. He’d done that to her. Well, he’d just have to make it up to her. Starting now.
He walked in, scooping Chester up under one arm when the dog accidentally butted him in the shin in excitement. “I read the article.”
Chester barked happily. Sabrina didn’t. “I see.”
“And the letter.” Noah breathed slowly, reverently. “You’re staying.”
“Which I’ve been telling you for weeks.”
He shut the door behind him, stepped toward her. Her hair looked like silk, felt like it, too, when he smoothed a hand over it. “I was stupid.”
The light reappeared in her eyes. “Really?”
He nodded, slowly pulled her forward until she was pressed up against him and the puppy. Okay, the puppy was not a part of his planned seduction. He carefully placed Chester on the ground and gave him a pat. “Good boy. Go play.”
Chester woofed and scrabbled off to the corner of the room where something new held his attention.
Noah straightened and faced Sabrina. “I need to tell you why.” He gripped her hands. “I know I didn’t listen to you, but I’m asking you to be a bigger person and listen to me.”
“Of course.” Her smile could have lit the entire town.
He pulled her close and hugged her. Just hugged her, long and hard.
Every night when he’d gone to sleep—on those occasions when he wasn’t staring at the wall thinking about her—she’d drifted through his subconscious. Always smiling, laughing, dragging him into the middle of whatever caught her interest. She flitted through his dreams, close enough to touch if only he wasn’t afraid to reach. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t afraid anymore. He was.
Life held no guarantees. Noah was well aware of that and had been from far too young an age, but he was more afraid of losing her forever. Of seeing that bright light focused on someone else. Someone who wasn’t afraid to accept what she offered so generously. Of living the r
est of his life on the sidelines because he hadn’t taken the opportunity when it was handed to him.
Hell, not even handed to him. When it hunted him down, waited on his porch steps and bought a dog. He gave her another squeeze. “I’m afraid to leave this town. I’m afraid that if I’m not their mayor or if I leave them, they won’t let me back in.”
Sabrina pulled away to look at him, but didn’t speak. Her arms circled more tightly around his waist.
“My biological mother died when I was a baby. I was too young to remember her and by the time I was old enough to ask, my dad was gone, too.” He gritted his teeth. He didn’t like talking about this, which was why he usually didn’t. “I’m not from here. Not like you. I can’t trace my ancestors back to the town founders. I can’t even trace them back a single generation. But when I needed this town, when I thought they would send me away, they didn’t. They took care of Mom and Kyle and me.”
Sabrina lifted a hand to cup his cheek. The gentleness of her touch, the silent support almost undid him.
Noah swallowed. “I don’t want to lose them.” He couldn’t imagine life without them, but he’d lived it without Sabrina and he knew which was worse. “But I can’t lose you.” He looked down at her, “If you got a job offer somewhere else. Toronto, New York, London. I’d want you to take it. And I’d want to go with you.”
“Noah.”
“I mean it.” He brushed her hair back, letting his fingers slip through the long, silky length. She’d hurt him when she left. He wouldn’t deny that, but she’d also come back. She’d risked everything. For him. “Thank you for not giving up on me.”
She pretended offense. “As if you could shake me so easily.”
This Just In... (Harlequin Superromance) Page 25
