“What else would it be about?”
“Noah.” Her voice gentled the way it did when he was being particularly dense. “I know you. You have a soft spot for anyone who treats Eli well, which is great, but you have to be careful.”
She wasn’t wrong. Noah hadn’t dated much since their divorce, but the two women he did have relationships with both lasted longer than they should have because of how they were with their son. But he wasn’t looking for a relationship with Luke.
“That’s not—” He stopped, swallowed. “It’s not like that.” God, he was starting to sound like a broken record.
“Like what?”
Like the way his chest had tightened watching Luke explain simple repairs to Eli, patient and engaged. Like the flutter in his stomach every time Luke’s name appeared on his phone. Like the dreams he’d rather not examine too closely.
“He’s helping with the house,” Noah said finally. “That’s all.”
“Okay.” Jenna clearly didn’t believe him. “But if it was something else…you know that would be okay, right?”
The pencils in his hand suddenly felt very important to organize by color. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Noah.” His name again, soft and knowing. “Remember junior year? When you couldn’t stop talking about that guy in your study group?”
“Marcus was just—” He stopped. Funny how he’d known exactly who she was talking about. Maybe it was time to admit he wasn’t as straight as he’d led everyone—himself included—to believe. “That was different.”
“Was it?” Papers rustled as she shifted. “Because I remember thinking then what I’m thinking now: maybe there are parts of yourself you haven’t let yourself explore.”
“I loved you.” The words came out fiercer than he intended.
“I know you did. Just like I loved you.” Her smile turned sad. “But loving someone doesn’t mean you can’t be attracted to others. That you can’t be who you really are. And honestly, I’m not sure you ever would have allowed yourself to explore anattraction to anyone who wasn’t a woman. It would have rocked the boat with your parents, which has never been your style.”
Before Noah could respond, thundering footsteps announced Eli’s return. He burst into the kitchen. “Ready for dinner!”
“Perfect timing.” Noah forced a smile. “Say goodnight to Mom.”
“Night, Mom! Love you!”
“Love you too, baby.” Jenna blew a kiss. “Noah? Think about what I said, okay?”
The call ended, leaving Noah alone with his thoughts and an increasingly impatient six-year-old.
“Is Mr. Luke coming?”
Noah checked the time. Five minutes to shove away all the shit Jenna had crammed into his head. There was no way he’d be able to act normal if he was in the middle of an identity crisis.
“He should be here any minute now. But remember, he’s only coming to visit, not work.” The warning came out rougher than he intended. “Tonight, we’re going to talk about what part of the house to fix first, and you’re going to finish your worksheets.”
The doorbell rang before Eli even processed what Noah had said. He hopped off his chair, racing to the front door. “I’ve got it!”
“Walk, Eli.”
His thundering footsteps slowed. He grunted as he tugged on the old door. “Mr. Luke! Dad said I have to let you and him talk tonight and that we aren’t doing any work.”
“That’s right, buddy.” Luke tousled his hair. “We need to make a game plan so I can buy everything we’ll need, and then your dad and I will figure out when to start.”
“And you’ll have things I can help with? It’s no fun when adults say I can help, but then I just sit there holding stuff.” Eli pouted, his eyes narrowing as he turned to look at Noah. It was true he was guilty of what Eli said. It was hard enough to manage home repairs without the well-meaning kid getting in the way.
“Absolutely! By the time we’re done fixing the house, you’ll be the youngest expert in town,” Luke assured him. Eli beamed at the prospect. Luke looked over his head to Noah. “It smells amazing in here.”
“Thanks. It’s nothing special. I tend to meal prep in bulk, so I just have to pull something out of the freezer and let it thaw. It saves time in the long run. Jenna didn’t like wasting money eating out, and when we moved out, the habit stuck. That might be my only saving grace now that the house is falling apart around me.”
You’re rambling. Just shut up and invite him to sit down.
