Chapter 38
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
NOAH
The shadows across the snow-covered lawn were growing longer by the moment. The solstice had come and gone, but it would be months before they ate dinner in the daylight again.
Noah’s boots pounded on the sturdy porch boards. His father and Alex stood off to the side, speaking quietly.
Alex saw Noah first and held out a thermos. “Irish coffee. Figured you’d be stopping by. How’s Teagan holding up?”
Noah accepted the thermos and opened the cap, breathing in the scented steam, holding notes of strong, hot coffee and good whiskey. “She’s resting. Bear’s with her.”
Martin chuckled. “That dog is smitten with her.”
“He’s not the only one,” Alex said, shooting a glance at Noah.
Noah ignored him. “Where’s Donal?”
“Went back to his hotel,” Alex said.
That was probably for the best. Noah had been avoiding the guy.
He didn’t like the fact that Donal had suddenly shown up out of the blue after nearly three decades of not being around.
Sure, Donal had claimed he hadn’t known Teagan’s mother was pregnant when he left, but if he cared enough about the woman to give her a family heirloom, why had he left at all?
“Do you believe he is who he says he is?” Noah asked quietly, taking a slow drink to mask the edge in his voice.
Alex shrugged, practical as always. “I can tell you, the Callaghans don’t make mistakes. Not about family. If they say he’s her father, he’s her father.”
“What about a DNA test?”
Martin nodded. “Done the minute he stepped off the plane. But it wasn’t necessary. You saw him when he first laid eyes on her, Noah. He knew, the same way I knew which newborn was mine every time I stepped into the hospital nursery.”
Noah didn’t argue, but suspicion simmered anyway. Maybe it wasn’t the truth he doubted—but the repercussions. Now that Donal knew about Teagan, would he want to get to know her? Build a relationship with her?
Want to take her back to Ireland with him?
“How long is he staying?”
“He’s leaving the day after tomorrow,” Martin said.
“So soon?”
“Said he had to get back.”
“I’ll bet,” Noah muttered. “What’s more important than his daughter?”
Alex looked at Martin. “He doesn’t know?”
Martin shook his head.
“Know what?”
“Donal O’Callaghan isn’t some poor sheep farmer,” Alex said carefully. “He runs an empire.”
Noah snorted, then realized Alex wasn’t kidding. “You’re serious.”
“The O’Callaghans have owned and operated a luxury whiskey distillery in Ireland for generations.
Donal took that family wealth and expanded into international shipping and logistics, turning the whiskey distribution into a global empire that now handles goods far beyond alcohol—luxury hotels, investments in transportation hubs, private jets. How do you think he got here so fast?”
“That makes Teagan …”
“An heiress,” Alex finished for him.
Well, hell. How could he compete with that?
“Does she know?”
“No,” Martin said. “Donal didn’t want to overwhelm her.”
And it would be overwhelming. Noah was having difficulty wrapping his mind around it, and he hadn’t just spent days in the hospital after nearly being beaten to death and woken up to discover a father he’d never known.
Alex clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Take heart, brother. You’ve got something Donal doesn’t.”
“Yeah? What’s that?”
“Her trust. You’ve been there when she needed you most. And she’s in your cabin now, waiting for you.”
Noah took the long way back, skirting the woods before turning down the frozen drive toward his cabin. The sky had already deepened into a deep blue, providing a stunning backdrop for thousands of twinkling stars.
He’d said it before, and he’d say it again—fate was a cruel bitch. For the last two decades of Teagan’s life, she’d been poor, abused, and alone while her father was rolling in wealth and flying in private jets, unaware of her existence.
Soon, however, she would know about all that and more.
It was like one of those fairy tales, where the girl mucking the stables turned out to be an heiress, only Teagan’s story came with scars and self-imposed exile.
Would she be eager to shed her metaphorical rags for riches? Or could she be happy with a simpler life, say, one with a man who would be there for her, who wouldn’t walk away?
Someone who wouldn’t see her as fragile or broken or an obligation, but a true partner in every sense of the word.
He wanted to be that man.
But could he?
The cabin lights glowed faintly against the dark. Noah hesitated at the door, searching for the right words. Until now, he’d felt secure in his role as Teagan’s protector. She’d had no one else. Now, her father was in the picture, and he had far more resources to see to her needs.
Noah wouldn’t blame Teagan if she embraced her new life and walked away. Hell, after all she’d been through, she deserved that and more. He had his own issues to deal with before he could offer her the kind of stable, well-adjusted man she deserved.
Which was why he couldn’t tell her how deeply she’d worked her way under his skin and into his heart.
He hadn’t even realized it himself until he almost lost her.
He pushed the door open quietly, afraid she might be asleep, afraid she wouldn’t be.
Teagan was curled up on the couch beneath the throw blanket, Bear stretched loyally at her feet. A book lay open on her lap. Her eyes lifted the second he stepped inside. She seemed happy to see him, and that sparked hope in his chest.
“You’re back,” she said softly.
“Yeah,” he replied, tugging off his gloves. “Sorry I was gone so long. My mother insisted on packing a full spread.” He lifted the zipped thermal bag.
That earned him the ghost of a smile, and damn if that didn’t do things to his chest. He wanted more of that smile. Wanted to break through every wall she’d built.
“She loves you,” she murmured, adjusting the blanket. “And you don’t owe me any explanations. This is your place. You can come and go as you please.”
He crossed the room with slow, deliberate steps. Sat on the opposite end of the couch, close enough to feel the connection between them, far enough to preserve her personal space.
Even if he wasn’t ready to lay his soul bare before her and beg her to stay, he had to say something.
“Maybe so,” Noah said, his voice low. “But I like having you here.”
For a brief moment, emotion once again flashed in those beautiful, expressive eyes. Heat? Desire? Longing? She opened her mouth as if to say something, then closed it again and looked down at her hands.
“What?” he prompted.
“I don’t belong here.”
“I disagree.”
Her smile was sad. “You are a good man, Noah. But carrying the weight of others on your shoulders isn’t going to fill that hole inside you. You know that, right?”
Teagan’s words cut into his soul. She saw him. Saw him in a way no one else ever had. Maybe because she carried so much weight of her own.
“Maybe not,” he said softly. “But it helps. Especially if I can ease the burdens of those I care about.” The words slipped out before he could stop them. Honest. Too honest. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, holding her gaze.
Silence stretched between them, the air thick with things unspoken. Then her lips parted in a way that stole his common sense. For a heartbeat, he swore she leaned closer. Close enough to kiss …
Bear gave a huff and shifted, ruining the moment. Teagan lowered her eyes and pulled back, wrapping the blanket tighter around herself.
Noah cleared his throat. “Are you hungry?”
“Not really,” she said, closing her book. “Just tired.”
“No worries. This will keep. You should rest.”
“What about you?”
Noah placed the bag in the refrigerator. “I’m fine. I need to head back to the house anyway.”
“But you just got here.”
“Yeah, I know,” he said. He couldn’t tell her that if he stayed, he’d end up pulling her into his arms, getting that kiss, and begging her to stay. “I just came by to bring you dinner and check on you, make sure you’re okay.”
“Oh. Okay. Will you be back soon?” she asked hopefully.
“Probably not.” Hell, it might take hours of walking through the forest to sort himself out. Should he tell her how he felt or not? Ask her to stay or don’t? Hold on tight or let her go?
That emotion he’d seen only moments earlier faded, her expressionless mask back in place once again.
“Okay. I guess I’ll see you in the morning then.”
“Yeah. Good night, Teagan.”
“Good night, Noah.”
As he stepped back out into the cold, he couldn’t shake the image of her in the firelight. Of the way she’d leaned forward, her eyes lingering on his lips—right before he decided to be noble and do the right thing by walking away.
It was enough to keep him awake the rest of the night.