Noah had cleared a spot for the fire and was arranging the wood into a tepee with the smaller kindling in the middle. She was mesmerized by his meticulous efforts.
When he finished arranging them, he dug in his coat pocket and came up with one of the paper granola wrappers he’d shoved in there earlier. He twisted it tightly like a candlewick and lit the end.
Josephine held her breath, waiting for the kindling to catch fire. When it did, Noah blew gently on the flame to encourage it. A few minutes later it caught. The flame flickered steadily and began spreading to nearby twigs.
“That is the prettiest sight I’ve seen all day,” she said.
He spared her a smile as he held his hand out for the saw. “I’ll get more boughs. Why don’t you use the shield to clear out a spot for us to bed down? Right here between the hill and the fire.”
“Okay.”
She looked at the appointed spot as he disappeared into the evergreens. There was barely room for the two of them to stretch out along the hill.
She wasn’t saying no to body heat tonight, that was for sure. Her heart gave a couple of heavy thumps at the thought of sleeping in Noah’s arms again.
By the time she finished carving out a bed, the fire was going strong, and the sky was getting dark. She sat back on her heels, breathing hard from her efforts, her back damp with perspiration.
Where was Noah? The wind whistled through the treetops, and the creek gurgled in the distance. In ten minutes the last of daylight would seep from the horizon, leaving total darkness. There would be no starlight or moonlight tonight. Only a bit of firelight. That would leave an awful lot of darkness beyond the glowing circle.
What if something had happened to him out there? What if she were left out here all alone? Adrenaline flooded into her blood, making her heart pound and her breaths go shallow.
Stop it, Josephine. Everything’s going to be just fine.
A twig snapped somewhere in the distance, and she sagged against her heels as Noah emerged from the darkening woods.
“Getting dark quick.” He dumped the load of boughs into the area she’d carved out.
She didn’t know how he’d cut all those so quickly.
“Why don’t you spread these out? I need to lay in enough wood to carry us through the night.”
“I’ll go with you.” She couldn’t keep the bit of panic from her voice.
He gave a little nod. “All right.”
They swept through the area, gathering fallen, half-buried branches. By the time they’d laid in enough for the night, Josephine was ravenous and thirsty. They settled on the fallen log and broke out the cheese sticks and bottled water. It wasn’t nearly enough.
“I think we can afford a bit of cereal too,” he said. “But let’s save most of it for morning. We can have some of the nuts for lunch and what’s left in the afternoon.”
“Is the coffee still warm?”
“I don’t know, but we should probably save it for morning. We can heat it over the fire. That’ll help warm us up and give us some energy.”
She looked over at him, his face glowing in the firelight. His elbows were perched on his knees as he stared into the wavering flames. If he was worried, he surely hid it well.
“Noah . . . we’ll make it back tomorrow, right?”
He gave her a sideways glance. “It should take about eight hours to get back to the main road if we keep a good pace. And who knows? Maybe we’ll get lucky and come across some hunters or something.”
Her teeth chattered in the waning light. “Speaking of hunters . . . What kind of wildlife should I be worried about besides bears, which I now know are not hibernating?”
The corner of his lips turned up. “I got my rifle. You don’t have to worry about the wildlife.”
She surveyed him for a long moment, the full weight of their predicament hitting her. It was her fault they’d come out here to begin with. Her fault they were stuck without the snowmobile. If she was shivering and numb and miserable, it was her own fault. He surely didn’t deserve any of this.
“I’m sorry I lost our gas can.” She waited a long time for his reply.
“We’ll get through it.”
It wasn’t the response she longed for, but it would have to do.
“Your feet are dry?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“You warming up?”
Her toes were numb, and her fingers were stiff with cold. “I am. The fire feels divine.”
Thank God for the rugged boots and coat. She supposed she had sensible Mary Beth to thank for that. She’d bet Noah wished he were with his girlfriend right now. It was probably driving the woman batty to know he’d gone off into the woods with his wife/ex-wife.
“I’m surprised Mary Beth didn’t object to our little excursion today. She must be awfully understanding.”
He poked at the fire with a stick. Sparks shot up into the sky, flickering out a ways up. The smell of burning wood consumed her senses.
“She’s not my girlfriend.” His low voice scraped the night air. He stared into the fire, quiet, his mouth pinched. Seemingly nothing more to add.
“But you said—”
“I never said anything.” He lifted a shoulder. “You just assumed.”
And he hadn’t corrected her. Not once. She tried to be angry over the omission, but relief bubbled up instead.
You stop that right now, Josephine. There’s no reason to be relieved. Not a single one.
“Well . . . rumors abound,” she said.
“You can’t believe everything you hear.” He got up and started adding more wood to the fire. “We should probably turn in early. We have a long day ahead and need to get an early start.”
Josephine made herself busy arranging the pine boughs over the frozen ground at the base of the incline. They would lie lengthwise, the hill on one side, the fire on the other. The snowbanks would provide extra wind blockage.
The body heat extra warmth.
Her heart gave an extra thump as she lowered herself onto the boughs, crossing her legs pretzel-style.
Noah finished up with the fire. Approaching, he held the backpack aloft. “Pillow, meet Josephine. Josephine, pillow.”
“Sure beats nothing.” Her heart flopped at the thought of curling up with Noah again. She told herself it was his warmth she sought. “How—how do you want to do this exactly?”
“Lie down. I’ll climb in behind you.”
She did as he said, facing the fire, which was burning a safe distance away. Her breath caught in her throat. She could hardly wait for his . . . warmth.
He climbed over her and lay down, stretching along her length, his knees tucked up behind hers. He settled the backpack under their heads and slipped one arm under her neck and the other over her waist.
“This okay?” His breath fanned her cheek.
“Y-yeah.”
His warmth felt so delicious. Instinct relaxed her tense muscles. The crackling fire warming her front, Noah warming her back . . . It wasn’t the worst position she’d ever been in.
“I’m blocking your heat,” she said.
“I’m warm enough. Try to get some sleep.”
Even when she was a big fat idiot he still put her needs first. He always had. How could a woman not fall for a man like that? And if she were honest she had to admit she was falling, bit by bit, all over again. As quickly and helplessly as she had the first time.
Chapter 23
Copper Creek
Three and a half years ago
Noah never did ask her out on that second date. Instead, he took her to the hardware store to pick out trim . . . and it was late, so they ended up stopping by the diner on the way home. Then he insisted she check out the stain color of the wood floor in Ellijay’s barbershop. And hey, there was a great coffee shop just down the street—had she ever been to the Martyn House?
By the time the renovations on her shop were completed, they’d been on no fewer than seven field trips and ha
d spent hours working and talking and laughing.
But no more kissing. Which had Josephine a tad disappointed. No, not disappointed—befuddled. Yes, that’s all it was.
As she wrote him the final check for his work, she couldn’t deny the pinch in her throat or the worry twisting her insides. She’d only met him two months ago, but he’d grown on her. She couldn’t even imagine the next week without him at her side.
He had a way of looking at her. Not like other men did, exactly. Oh, she definitely sensed his attraction. It was assuredly mutual. But when she did silly things like get paint on her nose or trip over thin air or laugh like a hyena . . . The way he looked at her—like he just might adore her—stole her breath away.
Her last customer had long since gone for the night, and Noah stood beside her at the new counter. The smell of fresh paint and stain lingered in the air, mingling with the scents of her styling and shaving products.
She’d swept up as Noah had put on the finishing touches—filling nail holes on the new trim and replacing the electric plates. He was officially finished now. Not a single thing left to keep him around another minute.
She ripped the check from the ledger and handed it to him with a big smile. “Thank you, Noah. I’m very pleased with how everything came out.”
He took the check and tucked it into his shirt pocket, his eyes never wavering from hers.
Her heart gave a little wobble at the intensity she saw there.
“Everything?” he asked.
She held her smile steady. “Of—of course.”
She was helpless against the pull of him. No man had ever had this effect on her. They hadn’t even had a second date, and she was already half in love with him. The realization made her want to run upstairs and hide under her covers.
His gaze dropped to her lips, and she suddenly changed her mind. She didn’t want to run. She wanted his kiss, and she wanted it more than her next breath.
He ran his knuckles along her cheek. Did he notice the shiver that ran through her? Her heart threatened to jump right out of her chest, and she pressed her fingers against it.
He lowered his head and brushed her lips in a kiss as soft and tender as the first one. Heaven knew she’d relived it in her mind often enough. She’d wondered if she’d built it up in her mind to such monumental proportions that another kiss couldn’t possibly compare.
But nope. She surely hadn’t. And she didn’t think she could bear it if he ended it so quickly again.
She didn’t have to fret, however. He cupped her jaw, slid his other hand around her waist, and brushed her lips again.
Every nerve ending came to life, buzzing, tingling, until she was lightheaded with the sensation. She slid her hands up the solid curves of his biceps and around his neck. He wasn’t going anywhere. She was going to make sure of it.
He deepened the kiss and Josephine melted into him helplessly. She’d never waited so long for a man to kiss her—really kiss her. And the wait had only sharpened her need. Her fingers forked into his hair, finding it as thick and soft as she remembered.
He pulled her closer, his hand sliding to the back of her head. Heat flushed through her, making her burn. Making her legs go weak and her pulse skitter wildly in her chest.
A long, heady moment later he broke the kiss, setting his forehead against hers. Their raspy breaths mingled in the quietness of the shop.
“You make me lose my mind,” he whispered into the gap between them.
She kept her eyes closed, trying to find some semblance of control. Impossible. She was as weak as a newborn kitten and twice as needy.
“Go out with me Friday,” he said.
She breathed a laugh. Oh, the man knew what he was doing. How could she say no now? He’d just given her a tiny dose of his drug, and she was already addicted. Hopelessly addicted.
He eased away, tipping her chin, and she opened her eyes.
He held them for a long, steady moment. “Go out with me, Josie,” he said, his voice as thick as honey.
His thumb slid along her jaw, stealing her breath, her common sense. She tried to dredge up the voice that told her she was just asking for trouble. But one look in his eyes, and the words scattered like pollen on a summer breeze.
And in its place something unfamiliar. Something beautiful and unexpected and dangerous.
Hope.
She swallowed hard against the knot in her throat. “All right.”
That weekend Noah finally took her for that picnic. Afterward he saddled up two of the horses from Sweetbriar Ranch, and they rode through Pleasant Gap. It was beautiful land: tall grass, towering evergreens, and a rippling creek winding through it all.
He told her about working one summer on the ranch as a stable hand when the construction business was slow. She could tell he’d loved every minute of it.
They talked about his faith, and she told him about the white bus that picked her up for Sunday school when she was little, about asking Jesus into her heart. He listened carefully, and she had an inkling he heard more than she actually said.
It was her first time on a horse, and he was patient with her, going slowly, giving direction. They rode so long that she was saddle sore by the time they returned to the stables, and he chuckled as she limped to his truck.
She gave him a mock scowl and smacked his arm, but he only caught her hand and pressed a kiss to the palm. Her heart turned over in her chest at the look in his eyes. And she wondered how he stirred so much with just a look when other men only left her numb.
At her door he kissed her good night, and she was loath to let him go. Her heart pounding in her chest, she searched his eyes.
“Come upstairs for a drink.” She pressed closer, already imagining the hard planes of his muscles under her fingertips.
He looked down at her with hungry eyes, a wry smile forming slowly on his lips. “You make it hard for a man to say no, Josie.”
She gave him a lazy smile, her lashes fluttering. “Then don’t.”
Indecision flared in his eyes. A muscle in his jaw twitched, making shadows dance under the exterior light. His lips turned up in a gentle smile a moment before he eased away.
Josephine’s chest tightened. She felt the sting of rejection.
“Come to church with me tomorrow.”
She blinked. He was nothing if not unpredictable. “Church?”
“You’ll like it. I promise.”
He’d told her a bit about Faith Community today. He talked about his faith with such ease. It was an important part of his life, that much was obvious. It used to be important to her too. But that seemed so long ago. Almost like it had happened to somebody else.
He slipped his hands into his pants pockets. “What do you say? I’ll pick you up at nine fifteen.”
She was closed tomorrow. And she did want to spend more time with him. And maybe, some tiny voice inside whispered, going back to church would help.
“All right,” she whispered, mainly because she seemed incapable of saying anything else when he looked at her that way.
He’d been right, she found the next morning, sitting with his family on a pew near the front. She did like his church. The people were friendly, the pastor down-to-earth, and the walls hadn’t come crumbling down when she walked through the oversize wooden doors.
Noah began calling her every night, and she found herself looking forward to the calls. He made her laugh, made her feel wanted—more than just physically. He took her to the Rusty Nail on a regular basis, and they danced, moving together as if they were two halves of the same whole.
It was at the Rusty Nail that they ran into Pastor Jack.
Noah slipped his arm around her shoulders as Jack approached their booth. The men shook hands.
“Jack, meet Josephine Dupree. Josie, this is my good buddy, Jack. He pastors the Lutheran church down the street, but we Baptists try not to give him too much grief.”
Josephine’s face burned as she shook his hand. “Hello.”
<
br /> He gave her a nod and a smile that seemed strained. “Josephine.”
She couldn’t quite meet his eyes. She was certain her face turned a dozen shades of red at the memory of all her secrets. Her confessions, laid bare in the privacy of his office.
Discreet confessions, she reminded herself, smiling through her discomfort. Pastors were surely bound by confidentiality.
Weren’t they?
Jack knew everything there was to know about her. Every dark, ugly sin she’d committed. The temporary relief she’d found through her confessions now seemed worthless in the face of what she stood to lose.
What if he told Noah what he knew? Noah would know what she was. That she was unworthy of him.
Worry welled up in her soul as the men caught up. She kept a smile plastered on her face as her mind spun. Perspiration broke out on the back of her neck, and she cupped it in the coolness of her palm.
Time dragged as they made small talk, and finally Jack wandered off to another table. Josephine tried to act normal, and if Noah noticed anything amiss he didn’t say so. Later he gave her a long, heart-stopping kiss on her stoop and sent her inside with a sweet kiss to her forehead.
The next few days she waited for the other shoe to drop. She envisioned Pastor Jack calling Noah to warn him about her. She envisioned Noah showing up one night after closing, saying he needed to talk to her.
Each time he called, her stomach rolled, her fingers grew cold, and her knees weakened.
But nothing changed. Noah continued to call, and he took her out, and they talked and laughed until, little by little, he’d stolen every last bit of her heart.
The realization was altogether unpleasant, made her feel raw and vulnerable. Especially since he had yet to say the words she longed to hear.
A couple weeks after their run-in with Pastor Jack, they made their relationship exclusive. It gave her a measure of peace to know that the women whose heads turned when Noah walked by had no claim on him.
She shifted in the passenger seat on the way home from a restaurant in Ellijay late one Saturday evening. She reminded herself she had no reason to expect anything from him. He was just a man, like any other.
Sweetbriar Cottage Page 16
