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Taking a step back, he brushed a hand through his hair. “I’m not great at this whole connecting thing. But I’m trying.”
For some reason, seeing him so vulnerable made me want to soothe him. “I think you’re pretty good at it.” I gently brushed my hand down his face. He had a perfect five o’clock shadow.
His arms wrapped around my waist again. He didn’t ask, just took my lips in a kiss, and muscle memory kicked in.
I pulled back and giggled. “We’re like kids again.”
He gave me another peck and then grinned at me. “I think we are. Yet now we’re older and we don’t have a curfew.”
I laughed. “True.”
He took my hands in his. “So, church and then family dinner?”
“We need to go to the police station.”
“Right.Thenchurch and family dinner?”
I hedged. “How about we start with the police station?”
He gripped me tighter and sighed. I knew he was inwardly debating whether he should push me. He’d always done this when he wanted something.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I just … can’t go too fast with you.” Sure, I wanted to be with him, but I needed to take it slow. “I’m not sure how it’s all going to go. My heart was hard for so long, and I feel like a fool.”
“No, you don’t need to.” Noah searched my gaze. “What’s wrong?”
It was hard to tell him about my insecurities, but I had to. It was Noah. “If I were looking at this situation from the outside, I would think I was a huge idiot and I’d messed so many things up.”
“I don’t care what anyone else thinks.”
“I was a fool and I’ve been horrible, and your family probably hates me.”
He shook his head. “No, they don’t.”
I leaned into him, relishing his closeness. He’d always made me feel safe in his arms.
He sighed again. “Are you sure you won’t come to church and dinner?”
“What will everyone say about us being together all of a sudden?”
He held me against his chest, running his hand down my hair. “They’ll say … it’s about time.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Noah
I felt like the first man to ever fall in love. I wanted to get a bunch of balloons and set them off into the sky. I wanted to tap-dance under a full moon, even though I didn’t know how.
Yeah, I felt like a fool. Because I was in love.
We drove back to Ella’s house, where McCrae met us. He had hired an electrician to get the power back on. Carefully, we checked the house, and everything seemed fine.
“Damon said you guys could give me your official statements here if you want,” McCrae told us.
We both gave our statements. McCrae had each of us walk him through the events of last night.
Then he said, “I’m going to take off and get everything situated at the station before church and dinner.” He paused, looking between us, then down at our interlinked hands.
I hesitated, then gave Ella what she used to call my patent puppy-dog eyes. She grunted out a laugh.
