Noah’s stomach did something complicated. Tonight. That was…so soon. But Eli would be there, a buffer between whatever this strange tension was. And they needed to discuss the repairs, make actual plans instead of just cataloging disasters.
Sounds good. 6 p.m.? I know it’s late, but Eli has 4-H right after school.
Perfect. See you then.
Noah set his phone down, pressing his palms flat against his desk. This was fine. Professional. Normal. Just two adults discussing house repairs. The fact that one of those adults happened to be unfairly attractive and surprisingly good with kids was irrelevant.
The bell rang, startling him. Students began filing in for his American Literature class, slumping into their desks with the dramatic flair unique to high school seniors.
“All right,” Noah said, forcing his thoughts away from Sunday afternoon. “Who’s ready to continue our discussion on the symbolism of the valley of ashes?”
Groans filled the room, but Noah ignored them. He might be the only one in the room who was happy to diver into more literary analysis. This was what he knew—literature, analysis, guiding young minds through complex themes. Not house repairs or unexpected attractions or questioning his entire identity because of the way someone’s freaking hands looked.
But as he wrote quotes on the whiteboard, he couldn’t help thinking about Jessica’s words from earlier. About wanting something so badly you can’t see how impossible it is. About green lights and dreams and the things we tell ourselves we can’t have.
“Mr. Thompson?” A student’s voice pulled him back to the present. “You wrote the same quote twice.”
Sure enough, he’d duplicated the line about ashes and dreams. Heat crept up his neck as he erased one copy. “Right. Thank you, Tyler. Now, let’s think about what this imagery tells us about the characters’ hopes and fears…”
The discussion picked up momentum, but part of Noah’s mind remained stuck on tonight. Knowing Luke was bringing over cabinet samples made this feel way too real. Noah knew the work had to be done, and he agreed it would be nice to have the kitchen completed as a hub of the home, but it felt big.
Too big.
And what in the world had he been thinking, inviting Luke to join them for dinner? Would that send the wrong message to Eli? Noah needed to tread very carefully.
His phone buzzed again—probably Luke with more details about supplies or scheduling. Noah left it in his pocket, focusing instead on his students’ interpretations of Fitzgerald’s metaphors. He had enough symbolic green lights in his life without adding another one to the mix.
“And then theSuper Soaker pipes went whoosh!” Eli’s hands flew up, nearly knocking his tablet off the kitchen table. On the screen, Jenna’s laugh crackled through the speakers. “Mr. Luke said he’s never seen anything like it!”
“I bet he hasn’t.” Jenna’s eyes found Noah’s over their son’s head, even through the video call. Noah sat back while Eli spent some quality time with his mom. He’d been heartbroken when they’d missed their weekly call on Saturday because Jennahadn’t had cell service. When she asked if it would be okay to call after school, Noah had decided to have Eli skip 4-H this week. Seeing his son’s beaming smile, he knew he’d made the right decision. At least he was able to do something right. “Sounds like quite an adventure.”
“Yeah! And look at my disaster map!” Eli held up Luke’s notebook, now covered in crayon additions. “See the red X’s? Those’re all the emergency spots. And the green circles are where treasure might be hiding behind the walls!”
“Treasure, huh?” Jenna’s smile softened. “And this Mr. Luke, he’s going to help find it?”
“He’s gonna fix everything.” Eli’s confidence made something twist in Noah’s chest. “Livy’s aunt says he’s the best fixer person in town. Even better than Tommy’s dad’s guy!”
“Is that so?” Another knowing look from Jenna. “Eli, honey, can you go get ready for dinner? I need to talk to Dad about boring grown-up stuff.”
“But, Mom?—”
“Ten minutes,” Noah cut in. “When you’re cleaned up, you can help me with the garlic bread.” He stopped himself from reminding Eli that Luke was coming over for dinner, even though that would have had him racing to get ready.
Once Eli had thundered up the stairs—making enough noise for three children—Jenna’s expression turned serious. “Noah, can you afford all this?”
“I’m figuring it out.” He ran a hand through his hair, a habit she’d always teased him about. “Luke’s willing to spread the work out, prioritize the critical repairs.”
“Luke.” She tested the name like a new flavor. “He’s Megan and Rachel’s little brother, right?”
“Yeah.” Noah focused on gathering Eli’s scattered art supplies.
And maybe a new friend?Noah felt the first twinge of a tension headache coming on.
“He knows what he’s doing.” Jenna pursed her lips, obviously not believing the happy-go-lucky boy she’d known was now a capable professional. Noah couldn’t blame her since he’d felt the same reservations at first. “He’s not a kid anymore. He works with Keaton Anderson, who took over his dad’s company. You know Keaton’s dad wouldn’t have kept him on if he was a cut-up.”
“I’m sure he’s plentytalented.” Something in her tone made him look up. “And you’re sure this is only about the repairs? I’m not sure how I feel about him being the sole focus of Eli’s attention tonight. How much time have the two of you been spending together?”
Not Jenna too.This had to be some cruel joke, right? Twice in one day, he’d had someone allude to him being attracted to Luke. Was he that transparent, or was he blind to the truth?
