I nod once. “Positive. Better to be safe than sorry.”
He looks at me for a moment before rising. “Okay. I’ll put these away, get you something to take. Then you should get some rest.”
There’s something oddly comforting about this man taking care of me in a way no one else has. Of course, I’ve never been in a car accident and needed this sort of help before. The closest I’ve been to this was sick with strep throat and my best friend coming around in a full hazmat suit to make sure I was okay because she had a double shift delivering babies the next morning. Not even my brother tried coming over because he couldn’t risk getting sick.
It’s not nearly the same thing, but it’s still nice being cared about by this man I haven’t seen in a long time.
“So,” I say, loud enough for him to hear me in the bathroom, “do you do anything else up here?”
Noah appears with a white bottle of Tylenol, but instead of handing it to me, he goes into the small kitchen. “I’ve been going out where I can,” he admits, getting me a bottle of water from the fridge. “I signedmyself up for volunteer work with the rangers. Keeping an eye on things during summer.”
My heart swells with happiness, which I try to keep off my face as he turns to me with the water and pills. “That’s amazing,” I say quietly. “Wow.”
Noah clears his throat as he sets both things down gently on the table before taking away the soup. “Slow progress, and it isn’t much, but I figure since I have so much more time on my hands, I should use it for good.”
I blink hard as I watch him. He’s come a long way. I used to stay late at the hospital and just sit with him for hours, long after everyone else in the burn unit went home for the night and would wait for him to saysomething. Doanything.
Those first couple of months had been torture for him. The only times he spoke, he wondered whether staying alive was even worth it anymore.
Some men who go into fires do it because theyknowthat’s where they need to be. That saving lives and putting their own on the line is exactly what they should be doing with themselves. And they know it could be the last thing they do.
Some guys retire, like the old captain who helped Noah get this cabin. Or they disappear because there’s nothing else for them.
My brother wouldn’t be able to move on. He’ll be fighting fires and saving lives until one of those things steals his own. And he’s okay with that, whenever that happens. It hurts, but that’s the type of man he is.
It’s the type of man Noah is, too.
Which is why this brings me so much relief, knowing he’s putting himself out there like this. He might never get back in the truck or climb a ladder. Hell, he probably won’t ever run into a burning building again. But he’s finding something to do with himself that doesn’t just mean staying locked up in his cabin.
Noah returns to the table, eyeing me expectantly. The flush on my cheeks kicks inagainas I duck my head, grab the painkillers, pop a couple into the palm of my hand, and clear my throat. “Any chance you might be able to open the water for me?” I ask softly.
The mountain of a man is gentle as he takes the bottle and opens it with a twist. I’ve witnessed my fair share of guys who would kick up a huge fuss over doing something so simple. But not Noah.
Never Noah.
He lowers himself into the chair and watches me as I toss the pills back and gulp down water. I make a face at the bitter way they go down, body trembling with a shudder. “I hate them.”
Once again, a soft chuckle falls from his lips. “I never would have guessed.”
Taking another sip of water to wash away the taste, I shake my head. “I guess there’s a lot we don’t know about each other.”
Grey eyes, like the calm before a storm, meet mine. “Good thing we have a couple of days to learn more.”
And that shouldnotexcite me as much as it does.
FIVE
NOAH
The next two days go by like molasses. Sleeping on the pull out couch is torture, especially knowing Sophia is in my bed, her scent clinging to my sheets, her head on my pillows.
The last two days have also been the best days of my damn life, even if I spent them checking her wrist and keeping it iced and bandaged, while also finding new ways to weather the storm with her. It’s only now that I realise I have nothing fun at the cabin, nothing to keep us entertained, nothing to keep me at her side long enough.
“How do you not have any other boardgames?” Sophia asks, crossing her arms as she takes in the built-in shelves either side of the large fireplace inthe centre of the living room. It was one of the features I’d decided to keep when renovating; there’d been something about them that made me want to keep them, even if I have no idea how to fill them. “And at this point, monopoly doesn’t count.”
I smirk, joining her in front of the fire. Despite the burns, I take comfort in the heat and crackling wood. “You’re only saying that because I’ve kicked your ass three times.”
And it’s true; each time she set up the board, she lost all her properties to me. She’s too nice, too sweet, and can’t say no, which is endearing.
