Their eyes widened and one of the women held back a giggle.
“How are you two lovely ladies this morning?”
“Good. We’re good,” they mumbled, their words slurring together.
If Libby hadn’t known better, she would have thought Noah had gone over there to flirt with them. And even though he’d clearly stood in line with her, they were falling for it hook, line, and sinker.
He placed his forearm on their small table and leaned forward. “I couldn’t help overhearing what you said about my lovely bride over there.” He tilted his head toward Libby and they at least had the grace to blush. “Now, I have to ask you two, do I look like a fool?”
One of them turned from pink to scarlet while the other shook her head and mouthed “no,” horror in her eyes.
Noah’s voice took on an air of condescension. “I can assure you that Libby has more class in her pinky finger than the two of you put together, and even if I had never been lucky enough to meet her, I wouldn’t have given either of you the time of day. I don’t care for mean, gossipy women.” He stood and grabbed the back of the chair. “Now that we’ve got that clear,” he added, his charm restored, “you ladies have a good day.”
The other hotel guests stared at Noah and several began to clap as he replaced the chair at a nearby table.
The two women hastily gathered their things and headed for the elevator.
Noah grabbed his coffee and Libby’s and headed back to their table.
She pursed her lips in disapproval. “Noah, you didn’t have to do that.”
He picked up his fork, concentrating on his food. “Of course I did. Those two imbeciles were trash-talking you. I had to set them straight.”
“You could have just let it go.”
He glanced up in surprise. “I’m your friend, Libby. I can’t stand by and let you get hurt. Why do you think I changed my mind about coming to Kansas City?”
His question caught her off guard. “I thought you came because you were supposed to be in my wedding.”
Something unreadable flickered in his eyes and he looked down at his food. “I thought you were hungry.”
“You’re hiding something from me.”
He hesitated for a long moment, then met her gaze and held it. “You wanted me at the wedding. I couldn’t let you down.”
Tears stung her eyes. “You’re the only person in this whole mess who hasn’t let me down.” She shook her head, once again reminded of her humiliation. “I’m an idiot.”
“You’re not an idiot, Lib.” His voice was soft and understanding. “You just got blinded by what you thought was love.”
Love? The wedding had never been about that. Her quest for love, sure, but she’d never loved poor Mitch. She was beginning to doubt she’d ever find true love. Maybe someone like her was incapable of it. People modeled what they grew up around, didn’t they? If so, she was doomed.
They ate in silence for a minute, but then Libby found herself thinking about Noah’s nudist story and snorted out loud.
“How’d you come up with the town name so quickly for your nudist story?” she asked. “That was clever.”
“Well, I am pretty smart.”
Something in his tone caught her attention. She knew he hated being treated like an idiot, especially by his brother. And she’d seen proof of his intelligence time and time again. He could add huge numbers in a flash and he was the only person she knew who could divide a five-digit number by a three-digit number in his head. While he didn’t like to talk about it, she got the impression he’d started at his dad’s company when he was really young. She’d always wanted to ask about it, so she wasn’t surprised when she heard herself blurt out, “When did you graduate from high school?”
He gave her an embarrassed shrug. “Right before my seventeenth birthday.”
She gasped. “You’re kidding. I always wondered how you got your degree so young. I guess it’s a good thing since your father died at the end of your senior year in college.”
“Yeah.” He grimaced at the memory, but he recovered quickly and shot her an ornery grin. “Ready for your big day?”
She cradled a cup of coffee in her cold hands. “Where are we going?” She tried—and failed—to keep the excitement out of her voice. She’d loved surprises since she was a little girl and her abuela would show up on her birthday to take her out for a day of surprises and fun. There’d been too little fun in her life when she was younger.
He pursed his lips, then said, “Walmart. You can get clothes and toiletries. I can get a phone charger. It’s only a few miles away.” She started to say something, but he spoke first, a smug look on his face. “They don’t have a Target. Yes, I checked.”
He knew she hated the superstore. “And where are we going after that?”
“It wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you.”
“Can you give me a hint?”
He laughed. “Let’s just say I would never go there if you weren’t with me.”
She wondered what could be so repulsive to him and her eyes flew open in horror as an alarming possibility occurred to her. “Oh, God. Please tell me it’s not the Precious Moments chapel in Carthage, Missouri. All those little angels with baby faces give me the creeps.”
He burst out laughing. “That would serve you right for using my toothbrush.”
“Maybe I’ll just hitchhike home.”
“Not a chance. Now that Megan and Blair know you’re under my care, they’ll never forgive me if I don’t deliver you home safely myself.”
The thought of her friends sobered her for a moment, but she would sort things out with them later. Today she was going to have fun.
“Here.” He handed her his jacket before they stepped outside. “We’ll try to find you a coat at Walmart.” Then he snickered and led the way out to his car.
She would have preferred a thrift store, but on a Sunday morning in a small Kansas town, it wasn’t likely they’d find one. So she let him drive to the superstore, which was only a couple of miles away. The selection of clothing was just as abysmal as she’d expected. She grabbed a pair of jeans and a couple of shirts, along with some panties, night clothes, and a pair of canvas tennis shoes. Noah laughed when she opted for a bulky sweater instead of a coat. He headed off to find a phone charger cord while she picked up some toiletries. A few minutes later, he found her in the deodorant aisle, holding a new toothbrush in his hand.
She laughed. “Is that for you or me?”
He shuddered. “Me.”
“You big baby.”
They checked out and she felt guilty when she saw the total, knowing most of it was for her. “I’ll pay you back.”
“Consider it payment for all the meals you’ve provided me,” he said, keeping his gaze on his wallet.
They’d eaten plenty of meals together, sure, but they’d always split the cost of restaurants and pizza delivery. She didn’t say anything, figuring she’d pay him back when she got home.
She took the bag of clothes to the restroom at the front of the store and changed. When she came out, Noah was holding the charger cord in one hand and the empty case in the other. He looked up at her, his eyes narrowed. “You didn’t use my toothbrush, did you?”