Chapter 9 #2
“What do you know about it?” Noah challenged and gave Jacob’s bare left hand a pointed glance. “I must have missed the part where you’re half of a successful couple, which gives you the right to slap a Relationship Expert label on your forehead.”
“Not me.” Jacob’s expression shifted so fast that Noah blinked. “Dad.”
The topic whiplash caught Noah crossways. “What about Dad?”
“Exhibit A on what happens when you let someone in. Give them the power to hurt you.”
Jacob’s point crashed over Noah’s head like a fifteen-foot wave at the height of a tropical storm. Noah had learned everything about how to approach life from his dad. They both jumped in wholeheartedly, and his dad had been wrecked when his wife died.
They all had been.
What Jacob was not so subtly telling him was to think about how soul crushing it could be to lose someone—for any reason.
Was that what he wanted to sign up for?
Sure, that was taking the negative approach, the one he’d literally just told himself he wasn’t going to believe, but stuff did happen in relationships. Feelings died—or people did.
As strongly as Noah felt about Sabrina, he could see the wisdom in stepping back for a minute and doing exactly as Jacob suggested. Take time to evaluate. Make sure Sabrina really was on board before letting his thoughts stray toward something more permanent.
Which sucked.
“I’m starting to regret coming by this morning,” Noah muttered and jerked his head. “So, what am I supposed to do, just never date?”
“As you pointed out, I’m not the relationship guru,” his brother countered wryly. “I don’t do relationships for a reason. You have to make your own way. All I’m saying is if it wasn’t a woman who doesn’t seem too invested in the long term, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
“It’s certainly not the conversation I planned to have,” Noah muttered, and shook his head. “But I get it. I’ll be careful.”
Would he?
Maybe. Now that his brother had planted these doubts, it was all he could think about. Sabrina had mentioned a couple of times that men didn’t stick around too long, but he’d never thought to question why that was.
But what he did know was that he wanted to fall in love. Get married. Have a family of his own. He had no idea if Sabrina would be the one, but it certainly had felt like he should be exploring the possibility. That’s what relationships were about. Jacob was missing out.
“Can we talk about the case now?” Noah asked. Okay, it was more of a grumble.
“No.” His brother crossed his arms. “It’s an active investigation. I know zero about it, especially since I got the case five minutes before you darkened my door. If you want to write an article, I can’t stop you. But I’ve got no official statement on the matter at the moment.”
Ugh. Figured this would be a waste of time. “Fine. But you have to promise me you’ll let me know if you find out anything. It would mean a lot to me.”
And now he’d laid out his second big secret.
Secret was the wrong word. Sabrina knew he wanted to get back into investigative reporting, just like she knew he was interested in her. What he hadn’t quite reconciled was how much he wanted both.
Jacob had seen it though.
“I’ll see what I can do,” his brother said with a nod. “And that brings us to the next order of business, since you’re still here instead of letting me get back to work. Dad’s dating again. He’s been seeing Susan Baylor.”
The words burrowed into Noah’s gut painfully. Dad dating? Dad dating Susan Baylor?
“What are these words coming out of your mouth?” Noah shook his head, hard. “Dad had a wife. Mom. Why in the world would he be dating anyone, least of all Susan Baylor?”
“Because he’s lonely and it’s been four years?” Jacob said it like it should be obvious.
“But… Susan Baylor?”
If he kept saying her name, there was a possibility it might eventually make sense.
But that didn’t seem to be happening.
“Yeah. Susan,” Jacob said with a grim nod.
Noah squeezed the bridge of his nose. “We’re talking about the same woman who lives next door to Dad and used to help Mom sew Halloween costumes?”
His mind flashed to memories of his mother and Susan bent over the sewing machine, laughing as they created his Han Solo costume. The image unleashed stuff he usually held very close to the vest because he didn’t like breaking down in front of people.
But it was Jacob. His brother had seen him at his worst and probably would again.
“It’s weird, I know.” Kicking back in his chair, Jacob scrubbed a hand over his face and peered at Noah.
“How long has this been going on?” Noah asked hoarsely.
“A few weeks now. I found out last Friday but haven’t had a chance to process it myself, let alone figure out how to talk about it.” Jacob’s expression softened. “You okay?”
“I don’t know.” Noah let his face fall into his palms. Four years since they’d lost Mom. It felt like yesterday and a lifetime ago. “I mean, logically, I want Dad to be happy. But Susan?”
“Yeah. Look, that’s not even the concerning part.” Jacob pulled up to his desk and lowered his voice. “Her ex-husband is making trouble again.”
Noah’s jaw tightened. Everyone knew about Susan’s ex, Ken Baylor, the former lieutenant governor whose political career had ended in scandal. “What kind of trouble?”
“Harassment mostly. Nothing we can prove yet.” Jacob’s expression darkened. “But he’s unstable. Has been ever since the divorce. I’ve got some friends at DCPD keeping an eye on things, but—”
“But you’re worried,” Noah said. “What did Mark say?”
“Can’t get ahold of him.” Now Jacob looked truly troubled. “He’s gone dark again. Won’t answer calls, hasn’t been home in days. This security job he landed—something feels off.”
Noah’s chest tightened. He’d meant to check in with his brother. Had made a mental note of it when he’d gotten Jacob’s text about it a few days ago. And then forgot. “Define off.”
“Like he won’t say who his employer is.” Jacob’s phone buzzed and he glanced at the screen. “I have to get back to work.”
That was Noah’s cue to move on to the next item on his agenda today.
A surprise for Sabrina.
But now he wondered if he was overstepping. If he should be reeling things back, not charging forward.
That wasn’t who he was, how he operated. Which didn’t mean he couldn’t try to find some balance. Nothing wrong with calling a woman, with asking her out. Giving her presents. He didn’t have to fall in love with her instantly, especially not if she wasn’t looking for anything serious.
If nothing else, that was the advice he planned to take from Jacob. He’d feel her out. Scope the lay of the land, so to speak. At the end of the day, he had to try.