Page 126 of Half Baked

“There’s an article about Noah?” My stomach in knots, I picked up my phone and started searching for the Chattanooga newspaper website. “You could have led this entire conversation with that little fact.”

“There’s no fun in that,” she teased, but she put her hand on mine before I could properly freak out. “Chill, Mads. It’s good. Really good.”

I found it and sure enough, it was. It basically said the Cockamamie newspaper editorial staff was a bunch of morons who should be praising Noah instead of tearing him down. In fact, it said if the city of Cockamamie was too stupid to recognize what a jewel they had in their midst, then the city of Chattanooga should try to find a way to bring him there.

“See?” she said. “Noah already has a job in Chattanooga if he wants one.”

I lifted my brows. “Shouldn’t you be calling Lance?”

She laughed. “Not yet. But I will.”

* * *

After we ate lunch,I took Aunt Deidre upstairs to take a nap. Mallory said she needed to run an errand, but I noticed she’d freshened her makeup and touched up her hair before she left.

The temperature was in the upper fifties, so I put on a heavy sweater, and Noah and I sat out on the porch swing. He rested his arm on the back of the swing, cradling my shoulder as he pushed off the floor. The swing started to sway. Gently.

“I think Mallory’s headed for Lance’s apartment,” I said as I rested my temple on his chest.

“Really?” he asked in surprise.

“Yep. She and I had a talk about Aunt Deidre, and I’ve decided to keep her home for now. I’ll just hire another aide to help at night. That should buy us more time both in keeping her at home and keeping Cabbage Rose House.

“It’s been in my family for generations,” I added, tears stinging my eyes. “It doesn’t feel right to sell it.”

“It’s only right if you want to sell it,” he said after a moment’s pause. “You shouldn’t feel obligated to keep it if it’s too big or too much to maintain. But if you love this place, then you should do everything in your power to keep it. No matter what.”

I looked up at him and smiled. “Thank you, because I want to do everything in my power to keep it.”

“Then I’ll do everything in my power to help you. This house is special to you, and it feels like a forever house, Maddie.” He hesitated, then said, “You know, I never believed in love at first sight until I met you.”

I laughed. “Not the first time you met me, and not even the second.”

“Okay,” he conceded with a chuckle. “When I eventually came to my senses.”

We were silent for several minutes, Noah pushing against the floorboards every few seconds to maintain the gentle sway.

“This seems like a great house to raise kids in,” he said softly. “It’s too bad Aunt Deidre and Albert couldn’t fill it with children.”

“I was here a good bit of the time,” I said. “But I always wanted a brother or sister. Or even one of each.”

“So you would want two kids?” Noah asked, hesitation in his voice.

I sat up and turned to face him. “Noah…”

His eyes locked on mine. “Because I was thinking that if I have kids, I don’t want just one. I’d want at least two. And if all goes well, maybe three.”

I stared at him in disbelief. “Noah, you don’t have to tell me this. I want to be with you. I know you’re still on the fence about having children.”

“Part of the reason I didn’t want to have them is because I was convinced I’d be like my father, but lately, I’ve begun to realize I’m not like him at all. And I have to admit that the thought of having a little Maddie running around has a certain appeal.”

“What about a little Noah?” I asked, telling myself not to get too excited about this conversation, but I was getting excited anyway.

“God help us if we have one,” he said with a grin.

I smiled at him like a fool. “I love you, Noah.”

“I love you too,” he said, then lowered his lips to mine and proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he meant it.

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