“But Betty makes the best lattes. We always used to go to Betty’s.”
“I know. Which is exactly why we’re not going there this morning. We wouldn’t even get a chance to sit down before everyone in town knew what we ordered.” We stopped at the corner where Wilson’s Market was, and I looked up at him. “Have you been away that long that you’ve forgotten the way news travels here?”
Noah chuckled, and the low sound was smooth and hypnotic. I wanted to hear it over and over again, softly by my ear.
“I guess I have. I’m not used to watching my every step anymore.”
I blinked, shaking myself out of my daydream. “Well, get used to it. You’re the biggest piece of gossip to hit Chamberlin since—” I cut myself off, not wanting to go down the rabbit hole of when he left, and, seeming to understand that, Noah let it go.
After checking both ways for cars, we crossed the road and walked in silence for a minute or two before he asked, “If we aren’t going to Betty’s, where are we going?”
I grinned to myself as I led him down one of the town’s narrow side streets. “If I tell you that, I’ll have to kill you.”
“Oh, I see. It’s a secret.”
“It’s not a secret. I just don’t advertise that I go there.”
Noah laughed. “You hide the fact that you sometimes go to a different coffee shop so you don’t hurt Betty’s feelings?”
Okay, when he said it like that, it sounded slightly ridiculous.
“That’s really…sweet.”
I barely resisted the urge to roll my eyes. “It’s not sweet; it’s self-preservation.”
“Huh, that’s funny.”
“What is?”
“Ryan said something similar yesterday about self-preservation.”
I nodded as we reached our destination. “It’s definitely necessary for small-town living. Otherwise, you’d go insane.”
“Then why stay?”
“Because not all of us had a father who sent us off to Italy.” The words were out of my mouth before I even thought them through, and the air around us shifted from comfortable to awkward.
What was I thinking saying that to him? It wasn’t like he’d had a choice in the matter. But really, if he’d hated it so much, why had he stayed?
Before I could focus on that, however, Noah reached for the door and pulled it open.
Dave’s Coffee House had opened five years ago, and while it was never quite as busy as Betty’s Bakery, it still turned a good profit and offered a quieter, less trafficked eat-in area. Dave was a newbie by Chamberlin’s standards and wasn’t heavily involved in the local gossip. He also left his customers to their own business, which was something I appreciated very much at this moment.
We each placed our order and then took a seat at one of the back tables, and once we were settled, Noah gestured for my books. I handed them over, and he placed them on the chair beside himself, then he sat back in his seat and let his eyes wander over me.
I flushed under his intense once-over, and when he finally brought his gaze back to mine, I shook my head.
“Be a little more obvious, why don’t you?”
He grinned unrepentantly. “Should I say I’m sorry?”
“Are you?”
“No.”
“Then I guess not. Would you like me to get up and do a twirl for you?”
“I wouldn’t say no.”
I smirked. “Uh huh. Still the same old Noah, I see. Always trying to push your luck.”
“Like you said, some things never change.”
As a waiter brought over our coffees, I took a moment to look at Noah the way he’d just done with me. Willa was right: there was something incredibly put together and sophisticated about him.
The last time I saw Noah, he’d been nothing but a boy. But now the fit of his suit and shirt showed off the powerful body I’d run into earlier, and the stubble lining his strong jaw line made me wonder how it would feel against the soft skin between my—
“Want me to stand up and do a twirl?”
My cheeks flamed at being caught, but when he chuckled, I shoved it aside and decided, why should I be embarrassed? He’d been checking me out—it was only natural for me to do the same, and this feeling of familiarity and unfamiliarity at the same time was a head trip for sure.
“I can see all that I need to from here, thank you very much.”
“Ah, well, if you want to see more, just let me know.”
I shifted slightly on my seat, that feeling of awareness from earlier returning and moving a little lower.
Knowing I needed to change the subject or risk saying something completely inappropriate, I went with the first thing that came to mind: “So, tell me about Italy. What’s it like? It must be exciting to live somewhere so glamorous.”
Noah took a sip of his coffee before he relaxed and rested his arm on the back of the chair holding my books. “It’s amazing. At first it was…hard not knowing anyone. But by the time I graduated, I’d secured a job on one of the vineyards—Sergio’s—as a ‘cellar rat.’ I worked hard and learned not only the steps of being a winemaker, but the artistry behind producing a great bottle of wine. My background helped too, I hate to admit. But Harry taught me a lot over all those summers he forced me to work. The real learning began when I got over there, and eventually I worked my way up to be Sergio’s business partner. I’ve been there ever since.”
I placed my cup down and schooled my features the best I could, trying not to show how much it hurt to hear that he’d had such a wonderful life-changing experience after he left.
It wasn’t that I hoped he’d been miserable, or that I’d wished him ill will. But after not hearing from him—not even an email—it was difficult to sit there and listen to how he’d replaced his original life with something completely new. I could only imagine how quickly he’d replaced me.
“I heard about that part. Sergio’s? It kind of became Harry’s archnemesis.”
“One of the side perks of being sent away. I made it my mission to be better than Harry, and make damn sure that he knew about it.”
“I know. It must’ve all been very exciting.” I lowered my eyes, unable to help the tears that had formed, and suddenly remembered all of the reasons why revisiting the past was such a bad idea.
I was trying to think up an excuse as to why I had to go, when Noah placed his hand over mine on the table.
“Laurel, I never wanted to leave. That was—”
“Years ago,” I interrupted, and drew my hands free. This little stroll down memory lane was bringing back all of the heartbreak I’d buried for so long.
I quickly got to my feet and smoothed my hands down the front of my dress. “I, umm, have to get back to work. We’re starting a little late today, since we’re not opening to the public. I’m sure you know—you probably spoke to Emily. But I need to get going now.”
I reached for my books, knowing I was rambling, and once I had them in front of me like a shield, I suddenly felt a whole lot better.
“I hope you have a good day. You know, better than the one you were having earlier.” Before he could get a word in, I gave a quick wave and then hurried out of the coffeehouse.