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She rolled her eyes. “Mom, Mr. Right hasn’t come around. I’m not going to be popping out babies anytime soon.” She pointed to Noah and me. “If anyone’s going to start, it’s these guys.”
I shrank into my seat. I hadn’t expected to hear such a brash comment.
Noah looked completely out of sorts. “What?”
Damon shook his head. “Kayla. That’s enough.”
“Agreed,” Dylan said with a nod. “Kayla, what are you doing?”
Kayla pinched the bridge of her nose. “Fine. I’m fine.” She turned to me and Noah. “I shouldn’t have done that. I guess I was just trying to push everyone’s attention to someone else about the whole marriage and kid business. Sorry. Maybe we should table this discussion.” She stood and walked away.
For a long moment, everyone was quiet. Then Noah turned to me. “Let’s go for a drive.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Noah
With Ella in the passenger seat, I steered the Jeep down my parents’ driveway. I felt bad that we hadn’t stayed and helped with dishes, but I needed some time alone with her. Plus, the whole family thing had turned out to be a lot. It wasn’t really surprising.
I drove up to the acreage Kayla had mentioned acquiring. A dirt road allowed us to come close to the cliff and overlook the falls. I had driven it a lot growing up. “I’m sorry about how things ended,” I said.
Ella shrugged. “I will focus on the good. I’m grateful. I didn’t know what your family would think, but they are great. I don’t know what’s going on with Kayla.”
I reached for her hand, and she took mine. I felt like a teenager, just holding hands and being so happy. “Family is family.”
She scoffed. “The last time I saw my parents was a week after I got married to my ex. They were involved in an important story overseas, and they couldn’t get back until then. So they took us out to dinner when they got into town.” She snapped her fingers. “That’s not true. I did see them for grandma’s funeral.”
I was shocked by this, although I shouldn’t have been. Her parents had always been absent, leaving her and her brother with their grandparents most of the time. Their relationship was distant at best. “Wait. How long had the wedding been planned?”
“Almost a year.” She sighed. “It was fine. I lived in California for five years. Everyone from work came, and a lot of my friends showed up for me. Plus, my ex was from the area, so we had a lot of his family and friends there. The sad truth is, I didn’t really miss having my parents.”
She was lying, but I chose not to call her out on it.
We drove in silence down to the cliffs. The sun was setting, and I paused. This road wasn’t frequently used, and I cut the engine. “Should we get out?”
She hesitated for a minute, and I knew we were thinking the same thing. A slight grin crossed her face. “Sure.”
I got out and ran around the car, but I was too late to open her door before she stepped out. I remembered what she’d said about getting out of the car on her own. It didn’t really suit me, but it was what she wanted.
I took her hand and paused for a minute, unable to believe I was here with her.
She peered up at me curiously. “What?”
On impulse, I brushed the hair out of her eyes and softly pressed my lips to hers. Before I knew it, I had her pulled against me. Her arms were wrapped around my neck, her hands tangled in my hair. It was just like it had always been, before…
I tried not to think about before.
She pulled back and laughed. “It’s the same, but different.”
“True.” I didn’t want to get sidetracked by kissing, so I took her hand and led her up the trail. “You know where we’re going?”
She let out a loud laugh and then walked beside me. “Of course I do.”
My heart raced as I thought of all the times I’d brought her here. Specifically, I remembered prom night, the first time I’d kissed her. Up until then, we’d just been friends and I’d been best friends with her brother. That night, everything had changed.
I thought about what Kayla had said about acquiring this land, and I had an idea. Maybe I could sell half of my business. That thought was a surprise to me. I’d never thought about selling out, and I didn’t think my partner had considered it either. Now more than ever, though, I wanted a life with Ella. I wanted to live here, at home, in Refuge Falls.
The need to stay here and build a life with her hit me hard. I wasn’t prepared to tell her. I doubted she was ready for it. I would just enjoy this moment.
