14. Noah
Noah
If I weren’t falling for Bailey before, the scene in front of me would have certainly sealed the deal.
I’d never seen someone more gorgeous dancing on top of the bar, belting about summer nights with a beer in her hand.
The festival attendees had long since cleared out, and all that remained at the inn bar were close family and friends; so close that Grant deemed shots a necessity, and at the speed he was pouring them, it seemed like a newly found skill of his.
I was parked on a stool in the back, nursing a beer and watching my girl celebrate the success of the festival she’d fought like hell to pull off.
Actually, not your girl, Noah. Not. Your. Girl.
Ma left earlier, claiming a hot bath was calling her name after the storm, but Theo had stuck around, and it was nice to spend some quality time with him.
He was the youngest and shyest by far, but he was the best of us, always looking to jump in and help, always trying to live up to the family name.
Theo sat beside me, offering me a fresh beer, and I slung my arm around his shoulders, pulling him close. “It’s good to see you, man. How are you feeling about graduating next year?”
He shrugged. “Like everyone else has a roadmap for their life, and I’m still trying to put my car in drive.”
“You know you’re always welcome here. We can come up with a role for anything you want to do.”
“I know.” He nodded, looking down. “I just need some time to figure out what I want. Figure out who Theo is outside of the Whitaker name.”
“I’ll cheers to that,” I said, knocking our drinks together.
“I’ve noticed you can’t keep your eyes off a certain employee,” he added, nodding toward Bailey, who had switched from the bar top to showcasing some very impressive hip gyrations in the middle of the floor.
“It’s…complicated,” I said. “I think she wants us to be something more. I want us to be something more. Desperately. But this job means a lot to her, and she doesn’t want to risk crossing any lines.”
“I’ve never known you to be the brother who didn’t go after what he wants.”
“Well, I’ve never had this much to lose. Not having her? Torture. Not having her even in my orbit? I’m not sure I’d recover from that.”
He hummed in understanding. “Well, don’t wait too long. Your groundskeeper looks to be making a move, and he’s got better hair than you.”
Oh, fuck no.
Sure enough, Liam was cozying up to Bailey, who looked to be giving herself a well-deserved water break.
Not on my watch.
“Hold my beer,” I muttered to Theo.
I walked up behind Bailey, smirking at the inches I had over Liam. “Hi, peaches. You doing okay?”
She turned to face me, cheeks flushed, and the most beautiful smile lit across her face—as if she’d been waiting all night to hear my voice.
“Hi, Noah! This is Liam. Do you know him? Of course you do, he works for you. He’s the reason the grass is always green, and soft, and luscious…”
I nodded toward Grant to get her another glass of water.
“I’m glad Liam’s been keeping you company, but I’ll take it from here,” I said, glaring over her head at the other man.
I don’t care how green you keep the lawn. Talk to my girl again, and there won’t be a lawn for you to mow in Bexley.
“I’ll, uh, see you around, Bailey,” Liam said, giving her a two-finger salute.
“Huh. He was just about to explain fertilizer blends.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m sure he was.”
She took another sip of her water, subconsciously leaning closer to me, and I bracketed her between my arms. We were toward the end of the bar, my back to the rest of the staff, secluding us in our own private bubble.
I leaned my head down, shifting all of my focus to her.
“How are you feeling?” I asked. About today, me—I wasn’t picky about how she chose to interpret the question.
“Like I belong here,” she whispered.
“Belong at the inn? Of course you do.”
“No…belong here. In your arms.”
Oh.
She swayed slightly, reminding me she’d drunk a lot for a woman her size, and I could tell that whatever wall she had put up between us, whatever fears she harbored, had vanished at least for the moment.
I tightened my arms around her, her fingers curling into my shirt, while the rest of the room disappeared.
“Of course you do, baby. Of course you do,” I whispered out, letting my lips just barely grace the crown of her head.
Before I could get another word in about suggesting she grab another water and call it a night, she turned her head to the side, allowing me to hear every word that left her pretty lips.
“You scare me.”
My heart sank.
“You scare me because I see just how perfect we could be. How effortless. How easily you could ruin me.”
This was trust, handed to me with trembling fingers, and I knew in that moment just how careful I needed to be with her. Bailey never asked for help, never leaned too hard. Wanting someone and admitting it out loud felt like the bravest thing I’d ever seen her do.
I rubbed circles on her back, forcing myself not to respond before she finished her thoughts.
“You see me in ways I don’t even want to see myself. You make me feel like I’m someone worth being cared for, even on my off days.”
My heart raced, chest tightening, barely able to keep up with her declarations and desperate to let her know how right she was. How right we were.
“You don’t need someone to take care of you, Bailey. You’re doing just fine on your own. Doesn’t mean you don’t deserve it. Or that I don’t want to be the man who does the caretaking.”
Her fingers tightened in my shirt, her curls falling like a curtain around her face. I leaned down so my lips were pressed right against her ear.
“Let me take care of you, sweetheart. Let me show you how good we could be together.”
I brought my hands to the back of her neck, grounding us both in the moment.
“Let me make you my whole world.”
When she peered up at me, tears threatening to fall, I knew our conversation was done for the night.
“You’ve had a long day. Let’s get you to bed.” She nodded numbly, allowing me to guide her to her room. The same room where she had taken care of me, rocking my whole world.
She entered her bathroom to change, while I scoured around for water and pain medicine for the morning, setting them on her table so she’d know that I was here.
I was steady, and I wasn’t leaving. She exited the bathroom, wearing another one of those damn matching sets.
This time in a pretty light yellow that contrasted gorgeously against her skin tone. I held in a groan at the sight of her.
I opened my arms, and she launched herself into my chest, the bun on top of her head making it only slightly difficult to breathe. I wrapped my arms around her waist and squeezed her tight. When was the last time something felt this right?
“You smell so good,” she admitted softly.
I held in a laugh.
“Like all the time, and it’s not fair ’cause it makes my brain all fuzzy.”
The chuckle rolled out of me with that admission, and I gave her another squeeze before I pressed a quick kiss to her forehead.
“Into bed you go,” I said.
She curled up under the covers, bare-faced and stunning, asking me one more question before sleep overtook her.
“Ask me again tomorrow,” she mumbled.
“Ask you what, peaches?”
“Ask me on a date.”
Ask me on a date.
Her breath evened out, and I let myself stroke her hair once more before heading out.
I had a date to plan.