Chapter 11 Everly
Chapter Eleven
EVERLY
For all her bravado, I could see the fear and worry in Skylar’s eyes. Maybe even a little anger. She had every right to be angry, even though Noah and I had perfectly reasonable explanations for the situation we found ourselves in.
“Come sit down, sweetie.” I patted the seat next to me and moved to the back of the couch. “Let’s talk about this.”
She followed the gesture and sat next to me. She twisted so she faced me. Noah sat on the floor between the bleached wood coffee table and the couch, staying close to us. Sky darted her eyes between us.
“I don’t know that there’s anything to talk about.” Skylar crossed her legs mirroring me on the couch. “You two had a thing and mom fell pregnant and couldn’t contact Noah and here we are all these years later. I get it.”
“Sweetie, it’s a bit more complicated than that.” I didn’t want her to think we weren’t taking her feelings seriously. “I need you to understand that.”
“And I need to not have any details. Trust me. Just knowing you two had sex once is enough to make me puke. I don’t need anything more.”
Once was understating it a bit, but I got her point. I chanced a look at Noah who was stifling a smile. I raised a brow at him. And as if he understood the question I didn’t realize I was asking, he gave me the smallest nod.
He leaned his back against the coffee table and stretched his legs in front of him. “That’s fair, sweetheart. But do you have any questions?”
Sky looked at him and tilted her head. “Where do you stay?”
“I’ve been staying at Hope’s Haven while I recovered from…
” He looked at me then back at Sky. “I needed some recovery time and Hope Salinger allowed me to stay at her B&B. But I will stay on the couch here until we find the person who sent the snake. Or I find a place of my own and we can move in there. At least temporarily.”
“What? Why?” She glared at me like I needed to fix the situation. “He can stay in my room, and we can share.”
Noah’s voice was calm as he explained. “Ideally, we would’ve moved out, but your mom and I agree, we’re not going to let that asshole uproot your life.
Your mom stayed in your bed last night and I stayed in hers.
But I’ll be on the couch, and she’ll be in her bed so you can have your room to yourself. ”
Sky rolled her lip while she looked from the couch to Noah’s legs. “While I appreciate you letting me know last night’s sleeping arrangements, I don’t think you’re going to fit on this couch.”
“I’ve slept in worse places, kid.” The comment from Noah was so flippant, I could easily forget what that meant. And I didn’t want to think about it too much. My daughter had a different mind.
“That’s right. Big bad hero, and all.” Skylar was edging on territory that could upset Noah if we're not careful. “Did you sleep in a war zone?”
“Yes.” Noah didn’t elaborate, but he did offer her something else. “Sweetheart, I need you to know that I sometimes get nightmares. Please know that you cannot wake me up.”
She nodded, looked at me, then back at Noah. “Why not?”
Noah took a few deep breaths. I could only imagine how difficult it had to be to confess to Skylar and me at the same time. When I met him all those years before, he hadn’t mentioned nightmares. And we did drift off to sleep occasionally. Not a lot but it did happen.
It took him a moment, then he leaned forward and looked directly at Sky. “In my nightmares I am almost always fighting something or someone. I have woken up thrashing and punching. Sky, you cannot wake me. I cannot risk hurting you.”
“Okay.” Her voice was so small. Her worry had morphed into concern. “I promise not to come near you.”
“Thanks, sweetheart. I promise the only way I can get any sleep is knowing that you will do everything you can to keep yourself safe.”
I blinked the moisture in my eyes away. In that moment, the world clicked into place.
Everything would be okay. Oh, it wasn’t going to be easy, and we had a long road ahead of us.
But the tension easing from Noah’s shoulders as our daughter promised to keep herself safe, told me where his priorities were.
And the concern in her eyes brought tears to mine.
I cleared my throat and blinked some more. “Do you have any more questions, honey?”
She shook her head. “Mom, you and I could share my bed. I mean three nights a week you have gigs anyway?”
I smiled and looked at Noah. “That was my suggestion. I think it’s a good idea.”
Noah threw his hands in the air and glared at me. “United front, woman. You’re supposed to have my back.”
“Oh, trust me I do.” Like Sky, I looked between the couch and Noah's body.
Unlike my daughter, I needed to take a moment to pause and stare.
“Your back is my primary concern. This is not comfortable. Besides, I’m less likely to wake you up in the wee hours coming home from a gig, if you're behind closed doors.”
He raised a brow at me. “You think I’m going to be able to sleep if you’re not here?”
“Oh, brother.” Sky rolled her eyes. “I have homework to do while you two thrash this one out.”
She got off the couch, but I caught her arm. “Honey, do you have any other questions?”
“Is there a statute of limitations on questions?”
I rolled my eyes at Sky’s drama and shook my head. “No, of course not.”
“Then when I have them, I’ll ask. I know where he was, and I know how this happened. I wish someone had told me what to expect. I mean Noah is going to be in my life now. And I need to get used to that, but I don’t want to talk about it.”
I nodded and turned to Noah. He also nodded but I could tell he was not happy.
As soon as Sky was out of ear shot, he turned to me and smiled. “That went better than I expected. You made her sound like a drama queen.”
“I said she was arrogant and could throw a tantrum. But she’s more of a quiet storm than a full-on tornado. She’s not entirely happy. My guess is she’s angry.”
Noah stood and sat on the couch next to me. “With me, right?”
“You’re a quick study, Mr. Moore” His eyes darkened, and he shifted a little but continued as if nothing shifted between us. “Yeah, and I think she’s bottling up so she doesn’t lose you.”
“She won’t. I may have only known her for two days, but she is now the single most important person in my life.”
I swallowed the burn in my throat and blinked again. I mean, that was what Skylar was to me, I had since the day she was born, but to hear Noah, who had just been thrown into fatherhood say those words did things to me.
If I wasn’t careful, I could fall for the man.
I wasn’t entirely sure that was completely healthy either.
Being a good dad to my daughter was never something I was looking for in a man.
Good role model? Yes. But it was only part of the criteria.
Yet, there I stood and suddenly that seemed like the most important part of Noah. He loved his daughter instantly.
That idea did things to me.
Noah waved a hand in front of my face. “Ev, you cannot look at me like that. Unless you want us to redo the sleeping arrangements.”
“Please.” Was I looking at him like I wanted to jump his bones? I didn’t think so. I didn’t have a single dirty thought in my head when I considered him as a dad. “There was no way I was looking at you with lust.”
Noah swallowed, those caramel speckled eyes focused on me. “No, there was no lust. Though, I am willing to bet that’s there, too.”
“It is.” The words popped out of my mouth before I had a chance to think better of it.
My gaze dropped to Noah’s lips then back to his eyes.
My tongue darted out and swiped over my lower lip.
The action drew Noah’s gaze to my mouth, and he moved closer to me.
His head inched forward as his fingers threaded into my hair.
The familiar tug brought back so many memories, like coming home.
The moment our lips touched, any lust I was trying to deny came up, front and center. I opened for him without prompting or hesitation. His taste was familiar, bacon and Noah, and something more. He was more than I remembered.
Moaning into his mouth, I moved closer. His free hand tugged at me.
“Mom.”
Both of us jumped apart, chests heaving, just as Skylar walked back into the living room. Her eyes darted between the two of us. She flattened her lips, obviously stifling a smile.
She looked between both of us. “You two look so guilty.”
“Honey, did you call me? Did you want something?”
“Can I go up to the house? I have a math problem I need Bex to help me with.”
I shook my head. “She’s not home. She’s at the farm looking at my car.”
“Hey.” Noah frowned at Skylar. “I’m not bad at Math myself. I could help you?”
“What do you know about multiplying fractions, old man?”
His lip twitched. “Bring it, Kid.”