“He stillisa helluva gardener. He’s just growing crops in Scotland now.” She scooted closer to him in the car. “Noel, I won’t lie. I’m scared. But I don’t want you to leave, not now.”She clutched him by the arm. “You said last night meant something to you.”
“It did.”
“Then stick around and find out what.”
He looked down at her. “You sure, Addy? I’m all into seeing where this goes if you are. But if anything ever happened to you…” He stroked her cheek. “I’d send them all to hell. It would be a bloodbath. No one gets to you unless they go through me first.”
Her quiet Noel, ferocious when it counted. “You don’t scare me, Noel Smith. Not unless you plan on leaving without saying goodbye.” Hell, if he planned on leaving period. But Noel was understandably skittish. She decided to keep him around, so she’d have to move slowly, so as not to spook him.
Like dealing with a small child, she’d win him over with patience and trust. And since hecertainlywasn’ta small child, she’d know exactly how to handle him. She smiled at him, and he did a double take before starting the car and getting ready to depart the ferry as they pulled into Bainbridge Island.
“We can do this, Noel. Together.”
“I’m willing to try. But Addy, like I said, I won’t—can’t—let you get hurt because of me. If it comes down to that, I’ll leave.”
“Okay, Noel.”
Bullshit. I’m not letting you go yet. Not now. Maybe not ever.
Noel still wasn’tsure how she’d talked him into staying in town. But hell, she hadn’t bolted yet, so he had hope she might give him another chance. That Addy could handle him killing a man in front of her and not run away screaming said a lot for her strength of will, her courage.
He drove them both toward his house when something Deacon had said struck him. He pulled over to the side ofthe road and dialed Deacon on speaker. “Deacon? Where’s the baby?”
Addy shot him a worried look.
“I told you,” Deacon drawled.
“You told me you had to check something out in Canada, so I assumed you’d taken care of babysitting for the kid. Did you take him with you?”
“I left Noel Jr. with Solene. She wasn’t happy about it, but I paid her triple her usual rate. The shark.”He muttered something else.
“What?”
“Not important. I’ll be home tomorrow afternoon. And buddy, you owe me big for all that babysitting I’m doing.”
“You mean watching your own kid, don’t you? Isn’t he saying your name now?”
“He shit all over my favorite pants!”
Noel couldn’t hide a grin. “Sorry, you’re breaking up.” Even Addy smiled.
“Noel, you bastard,don’t even think about—”
Noel disconnected and turned to Addy. “So the baby is with Solene. I think we’d better go get him.”
“Yeah. Especially because Solene isn’t a babysitter. She runs a daycare, but when she goes home for the night, she’s baby-less. I’m dying to know how Deacon convinced her to watch Noel Jr.”
He sighed. “That’s not his name.”
“I think it’s cute.”
“I think the kid deserves something a little more creative than Noel Jr.”
They argued about names on the short drive to Solene’s home, just like a normal couple. Noel prayed that ease between them would continue.
Solene lived in a gorgeous, semi-private home in Manitou Beach, just four and a half miles from Addy.
“Nice place,” Noel said as they left the car.
