Chapter Twenty-One Noah
Chapter Twenty-One
Noah
“That’s three.”
I look up to find Ezra walking out from the back office. “What’s three?”
“Weddings. We have three additional weddings booked for this place, which means we’ve not only recouped the renovation cost, but we’ve profited as well, and we haven’t even had Izzy’s wedding yet.”
My jaw drops. I wish I could say I’m surprised, but I’m not. And it’s all because of Odette.
She has worked her ass off to make this place what it is. Sure, I did most of the manual labor, but it wouldn’t have become what it is without her guidance. She knew exactly what this place needed to make it a sought-after wedding venue. Now it is.
Ezra’s lips pull up into a rare smile. “With this and the news that the old man is selling us the rink, this is turning out to be a damn good week.”
I’ve tried not to focus on it too much with all the extra work I’ve been doing to make sure the cidery and farm are perfect for Izzy’s wedding in a few days, but Stick Taps Community Iceplex is officially happening.
We’ve been talking about it for what feels like forever, and I can’t believe it’s coming to fruition.
I’m even more excited about it after my trip to the rink with Odette.
The way she lit up when I told her about it and her reassurance that I could do it.
Her faith in me. I don’t know, it shook something loose inside of me that’s been building for a long, long time.
“Are you finally going to admit turning this place into a wedding destination was a good idea?” Ezra asks.
I grunt, but he’s right. It was a damn good idea. We now have that extra level of security to do this. And truthfully, this whole thing hasn’t been as painful as I thought it would, though I’m sure a lot of that has to do with Odette.
She actually kind of made the process . . . well, fun.
It doesn’t hurt that I think she’s fun too.
I never thought I would be in this position again, but lately I’ve been finding myself thinking about something I haven’t in a long time—a future with someone.
More specifically, a future with her.
I know Odette worries about the curse and wants this to be casual and fun, but I . . . I don’t think it is anymore.
Wild, considering I’ve spent the last several years swearing off relationships and any talk of marriage. But those things don’t sound as scary as they once did, and I think that has a whole hell of a lot to do with the dark-haired beauty I can’t seem to stay away from.
I like her. A lot. I like spending time with her and the way she makes me laugh. I like how she calls me on my crap. I like how she isn’t afraid to be herself with me.
I just simply like her, and I don’t want this thing between us to end.
For days I’ve been trying to figure out how to tell Odette how I feel about her.
The last thing I want to do is stress her out more than she already is.
I can tell she’s still anxious that something will go wrong with the wedding, even though everything is coming together perfectly.
I don’t want to add to that by telling her I broke our number-one rule.
This isn’t just fun for me anymore. This could be the start of something real, and I have no fucking clue how Odette feels about that.
After the wedding, I tell myself. I’ll talk to her after the wedding.
Give her time to come down from it all. I know she thinks I’m not going to want to see her or talk to her anymore just because she’s not out at the farm every day, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
At this point, I don’t think I could go a day without seeing her, and fuck if that isn’t a whole other bag to unpack.
“Careful,” Ezra says. “You keep smiling that dopey smile like that and you’re going to be the one renting out the farm next.”
I take the rag I’m using to wipe down the table and throw it at him. It plops loudly against his crisp, powder-blue dress shirt. Ezra and I are pretty different in how we dress for work. He’s usually in slacks and a nice shirt, but I much prefer my jeans and boots.
“Okay, one, gross.” He peels it off himself, leaving behind a wet spot. His usual frown is in place as he throws it onto the table. “Second, I’m just saying. I’ve never seen you so damn happy. It’s nice. I mean, a little weird, but nice.”
“I thought you were against Odette and me being together?”
“Nope. I never said that. I just said I think you’re an imbecile for hiding it from your sister. I still firmly believe that part.” He gives me a pointed look. “I actually happen to think you and Odette are a great fit.”
My brows shoot up. “Really?”
“Really. You complement one another nicely. She’s, you know, all bubbles and sunshine, and you’re . . . well, you’re kind of a dick. It’s a good balance.”
“Careful, Ezra,” I say. “That was actually almost nice of you.”
“Yeah, well, shut the fuck up and get back to work.”
“You forget you’re not my boss?”
“No, but did you forget to lock the chicken coop?”
“Huh?”
He flicks his chin in the direction of the windows. “The coop. Did you close it?”
I look over my shoulder. “What the . . . fucking shit. Son of a bitch. Where the hell did she come from?”
Tootsie struts through the property like the free-range chicken she wishes she were.
“No clue.” Ezra claps me on the back. “But you better get on that. I don’t want any bad reviews for Izzy’s wedding, especially not when we’re booking up so fast. Gotta make a good first impression.”
Ezra returns to the back office, likely to hide away and crunch more numbers on I don’t even know what at this point. That is his forte, not mine.
After dropping the rag off at the counter and letting the other bartender know I’m heading outside, I push through the back doors and catch up to Tootsie.
She looks up at me like she is unsurprised to see me.
I chase her back toward the coop, where the rest of the chickens are still tucked away safely, and thank goodness for that.
“How?! How could you possibly do this to me? Again?”
Cluck.
“No, I don’t want a whatever. I want to know. What’s your secret? How are you doing it? How the fuck are you escaping?”
Cluck.
I grab the wire on the coop, shaking it. “I secured this thing. I know I did. There is no damn way you’re getting out of here without a bit of help.”
Cluck cluck.
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “I swear, Tootsie. I am one more incident away from turning you into chicken nuggets.”
“What have I said about threatening the livestock?”
I turn to find a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed Odette, but not even seeing her lifts my mood. Not when Tootsie keeps escaping, and not when I slept like complete shit last night.
I even went to bed early. I had my book and a cup of tea. I did the whole slow, steady breathing thing. But none of it helped. I lay awake until 2:00 a.m., tossing and turning until my alarm finally went off just before six.
I have a distinct feeling it has to do with the fact I was missing the woman standing before me.
We’ve spent practically every night together as of late, and going to bed with the sheets cold beside me has never felt right since.
I couldn’t settle my mind. I couldn’t stop thinking about what she might be doing, even though I knew she was hanging out with my sister.
Something about a last sleepover before Izzy’s wedding.
I have no idea. All I know is that I missed Odette, and now I’m cranky because I slept like crap, and my damn chicken is still escaping.
“What are you doing here?”
She smiles, despite my grumpiness, and I can’t help but to think back to when she said she liked that side of me. “Gee, Noah, it’s nice to see you too.”
Shit. I’m being an ass.
“I’m sorry. I’m happy to see you. I truly am. It’s just . . .” I hitch my thumb over my shoulder toward the chicken coop. “Tootsie is still escaping, and the wedding is in three days.”
She screws her face up. “That is a bit of a problem.”
It is a problem. The last thing I need is to have my chicken running around and causing havoc everywhere.
I need to figure this out, and I need to figure it out now.
“Can I help?” she asks, and I fucking love that she wants to step in and try to fix it.
I shake my head. “No. This is my thing. I need to handle this.”
I realize then there’s a van in the parking lot just behind her, and a bunch of dudes are unloading what looks like instruments.
“What’s going on there?” I ask, nodding toward them.
She follows my gaze. “Oh, that? The band wanted to practice in the space, to make sure they get the acoustics right or whatever. Is that okay?”
I shrug. “Yeah. Whatever. It’s no big deal.”
She smiles softly, then closes the gap between us, pressing up to her toes and kissing me quickly.
It’s reckless, considering it’s daylight, we’re out in the open, and there are all kinds of people around, but fuck, I am so glad to feel her lips on mine. It’s exactly what I was missing today.
I give her a look that says What was that for? and she knows exactly what I’m asking without me voicing it.
“Wanted to,” she says simply with a lift of her shoulder. She flashes me a grin that has me a little weak in the knees, though I’d never admit that out loud. She motions toward where the band is still unloading. “I’m going to go make sure they get settled in okay. I’ll come back later?”
Translation: Do you want me to come back later?
I nod. “Yeah, I’ll see you later.”
I’m rewarded with another smile.
She wiggles her fingers and saunters back over to the barn, and I watch her go every step of the way.
Which is exactly how I don’t miss every single one of those fucks ogling her.
I get it. She’s a gorgeous woman. But she’s my gorgeous woman.
No, Noah. Not yours. Not really. But you want her to be.
I tape that thought shut inside a box in my mind, then get to work on the chicken coop.