That got a grin out of him. "More than you know."
"Well, I hope I get to meet her soon. I'd like to see who this girl is."
Ethan hesitated then pulled out his phone, scrolled for a second, and turned the screen toward Noah. "Here. This is us a week ago."
Noah leaned over. The photo showed Ethan and a girl sitting on a bench somewhere, trees behind them, sunlight catching them both at the same angle. She was pretty. Dark hair, wide smile, a face caught mid-laugh when the photo was taken. Ethan had his arm around her and was grinning in a way Noah hadn't seen in a while.
"Nice pic," Noah said. Then he noticed something in the photo. Both of them were wearing chains around their necks, each with a small pendant. "What's the deal with the necklaces?"
Ethan reached into his shirt and pulled his out, holding it up for Noah to see. A thin silver chain with a pendant shaped like half a comma, a colored stone set into the center. Deep red.
"I got us matching ones. His and hers birthstone necklaces. See, each half is like a comma but when you put them together they make a heart. Mine has a garnet, that's January. Fiona's has a peridot, that's August. Hers is this light green color." He tucked it back under his shirt. "There's twelve birthstones, one for each month. Each one's a different color. Amethyst for February, aquamarine for March, emerald for May. It's a whole thing."
Noah looked at his son. The pride in his voice when he talked about the necklace, the care he'd put into choosing it. The small, deliberate act of a young man who wanted to give someone something that meant more than what it cost.
"That's a nice gesture, Ethan."
Ethan shrugged, but he was still smiling when he put the phone away.
They climbed in and Noah reached for the ignition but didn't turn it. He sat there for a second, looking through the windshield at the lot, the trees, the mountains behind them still bright with afternoon sun.
"Look," he said. "I know tonight isn't going to be easy for you. The party. Mia leaving. But I want her to know we support her. I don't want her going away in September thinking that anyone in this family isn't behind her."
Ethan looked at his hands. "I get it, Dad. I'm not going to drag her down."
Noah reached over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know you won't. I've enjoyed our time together. These last two days meant a lot to me."
Ethan nodded but didn't say anything, which was its own kind of answer. Noah started the engine and they pulled out of the lot, heading south on Route 73 toward home.
Ed Baxter'sbackyard smelled like charcoal and hickory smoke and a brand of lighter fluid that Ed had been using since Noah moved in next door, despite being told at least a dozen times that it made everything taste like a gas station. Ed didn't care. Ed had opinions about grilling that he'd formed sometime around 1985 and he wasn't interested in updating them.
Noah stood near the fence with a beer and watched Mia across the yard. She was sitting on the porch steps with Ethan and Natalie, laughing at something on Natalie's phone, her hair pulled back and her face open in a way that reminded him so much of her mother it physically hurt sometimes. She was ready to go. He could see it in the way she talked about Plattsburgh, the way she'd already started referring to this house as "back home" instead of just "home." She had one foot out the door and the other was barely touching the ground.
Ed appeared beside him holding a spatula and a beer of his own. He followed Noah's gaze to the porch.
"I see things are getting serious with you and the Ashford woman," Ed said.
"Natalie."
"Right. I forget her first name. It's overshadowed by her father."
"Don't remind me," Noah said, letting his shoulders ease. "But yeah. We've been spending more time together."
"Time? She practically lives with you."
Noah caught Natalie's eye across the yard and she smiled, then turned back to Mia. He took a sip of his beer.
"Anyway," Ed said, flipping a steak on the grill. Fat sizzled and smoke curled up around his wrist. "How are things coming along with looking into nailing that son of a bitch? And what does his daughter think about it?"
"She doesn't know. I figure it's best that way. I'm still meeting with O'Connell." Noah glanced around to make sure no one was in earshot. "Let's just say that Ashford is a slippery bastard. He's in the habit of dotting his i's and crossing his t's. But I'm sure it's a matter of time." He stepped in closer to the grill. "Here, let me take over before you cremate those."
Ed surrendered the spatula but not the conversation. "Time. Right. And you've had more of that lately. How did you convince work to give you so much leave? Did you tell them Nat has a bun in the oven?"
Noah laughed. "Don't you go saying that to her. Or putting thoughts in her head."
"Well, I hope you're taking precautions. Can you imagine if she got pregnant? Your two families would align. Now that would be tricky."
It had crossed Noah's mind. More than once.
