Noah pulled his dad into a hug. “It’s fine. You were right. She doesn’t deserve either of us. I’m sorry you had to feel those things all by yourself.”
“Maybe if you’d have been old enough to get wasted with me, then we could’ve knocked a few back.” Noah’s dad chuckled and pulled away. “Never understood how she could walk away from you.”
“Some people make choices we’ll never understand. I learned a long time ago how to be okay without her. You did a great job, Dad.”
“You were an easy kid to raise, Noah. I love you.”
“Love you, too.”
“You should get to the store and get something for that sunburn. For as smart as you are, you sure can be an idiot. Why didn’t you use the sunscreen I keep in the laundry room?”
“I forgot.” Noah stood. “I’ll get some aloe from the drugstore.”
“And sunscreen.”
“Yes, dad.” Noah clapped his dad on the shoulder and left the shade of the gazebo. He left his shirt off on the drive to the drugstore but managed to slip in on without too much discomfort before he went inside.
The air-conditioned building made Noah slow his pace. Summer’s heat had carried through into the fall and he found he looked forward to cloudy winter days and some late autumn rain. Hell, early autumn rain would be welcome, too.
Noah grabbed a bottle of aloe gel off the shelf and headed for the cash registers. He cursed his luck when he saw Ian lined up ready to pay for his items. It had to happen eventually, and truthfully, seeing him standing there, with his brilliant smile and broad shoulders, Noah didn’t remember why he’d been avoiding him.
“Got yourself a sunburn?” Ian asked, immediately spying Noah’s purchase.
“I was doing yard stuff for Dad.”
“And didn’t bother with sunscreen. Didn’t you learn your lesson from that time at the lake? All day in the sun, no sunscreen, no water. You were as sick as a dog.”
“I wasn’t out all day this time. And Dad made me drink a glass of water. I can take care of myself.” But he remembered the incident. He remembered how worried Ian had been when Noah got sick and how mad he’d been at Noah for being stupid enough to let it happen.
“You scared me, Noah.” Ian’s teenage face swam into Noah’s thoughts. His eyes, wide with worry and wet with emotion.
“I’m fine.”
“If I lost you… I can’t lose you. I can’t live without you, Noah.”
But time had proven Ian wrong. They’d lived without each other for a lifetime. But the memory was still fresh, like wet paint, staining his day. God, they’d been so deep in love. Even now Noah wouldn’t call it puppy love. It was so much more. More than a fleeting fancy brought on by hormones and love’s first blush. It went bone deep and molded Noah into the person he became. Everything about his time with Ian had shaped him.
“You busy?” Noah asked.
“I’ll be busy from now until the end of time.”
“Want help?”
A smile twitched at Ian’s lips. “Only if you want to help.”
“I’m up for anything.” Noah replied.
“Okay, you can help on two conditions.”
Noah paid for his purchase and they headed out onto the sidewalk, where Noah noticed he’d parked right next to Ian’s truck.
“What conditions?”
“You don’t overdo it, and you let me buy you dinner after.”
This was it, Noah realized. It was the moment where he had to decide how much he wanted to let Ian in. If he said yes to dinner, it wasn’t something he could come back from. They would be friends. There would be no avoiding phone calls and hiding out at his dad’s house. He’d be letting Ian back into his life.
“Yeah. Okay.”
Ian grinned. “Great. We’re tossing the demolition today. It’s all got to be out by the end of the day to stay on schedule. I can’t tell you what perfect timing this is.”
Noah followed Ian to the location. When he walked inside, his stomach sank. “There’s so much to do.”
Ian looked unperturbed and tossed Noah a pair of gloves. “That’s why I’m glad I ran into you.”
“Ian, this place is a wreck. We’ll never get all of this out.” Noah tucked the work gloves under his arm and pulled his cellphone out.
“What are you doing?”
“When I moved here, a few of my friends from the city followed me. I’m telling them you’re buying them beer if they come help.”
Ian snorted. “So you’re calling in the calvary.”
“Pretty much.” Noah tucked his phone in his pocket and put the gloves on, but the first thing he lifted made his shirt slide across his sunburn and he hissed. “I need to put the gel on my back. I’ll be a minute.”
To his chagrin, Ian followed him to his car and when Noah grabbed the bottle off the passenger seat, Ian took it from him. “Unless you suddenly developed a flexibility you never used to have, let me help.”
Noah peeled his shirt off and tried to not focus on the fact that Ian would touch his bare skin. It didn’t count; he told himself. He’s doing what a friend would do. “Go ahead.” Noah turned, and instantly the cold gel touched his skin, and he writhed. It felt good, though. Almost too good. He tried to focus on the feeling of the gel and not the hands applying it, but he knew those hands. They were bigger and stronger than he remembered, but they weren’t the hands of a stranger.
Chapter Thirteen
Somehow, over the past two years, Noah’s friends from the city had gravitated to his little town. It was as if there was a spell on Silver Springs that made people want to stay. Well, people over thirty. Daniel had been the first to move back when Noah bought the paper. Then, Jason found himself suddenly single. They sold the club as part of the divorce. After a bout with depression, Noah convinced Jason he needed a new start. He’d been in Silver Springs for seven months and was still finding his feet, but he seemed happy in their small town.
Jason and Daniel showed up minutes apart and came strolling into the space where Ian and Noah worked. They both zeroed in on Ian, immediately sizing him up. A surge of regret shot through Noah that he’d ever told them about his history with Ian. He didn’t want them to hate Ian, it was important to him that Jason and Daniel accept him.
They grinned as they approached. “The infamous Ian. We meet at last.” Jason’s deep voice rumbled through the space and he shook Ian’s hand.
“I’m infamous?” Ian cocked an eyebrow but didn’t seem phased that Jason had heard about him.
Daniel was more reserved, but that was his nature. He offered a polite handshake and a shy smile. “We’ve heard all about you from Noah.”
“Many times,” Jason added.
“Okay, we get it.” Noah gave them both the evil eye, willing them to stop talking. “Ian needs this place cleaned out by the end of the day.”
“What’s going on here, anyway?” Jason slid a pair of leather work gloves on.
“A bar slash bookstore. I’m helping my sister open it.”
“We could use a new watering hole. Or,” Daniel suddenly sounded far more excited. “We could have events here instead of Noah’s house. Not that I don’t love your place, but an actual establishment might be nice.”