Page 9 of The Forever Formula
“Oh shit. I haven’t thought about that in years,” Austen said with a chuckle as I tried my first sip of Noah’s brew.
“Oh my God.” I mumbled the words as the bubbles in the beer carried a tangy citrus flavor across my tongue.
Finally, Noah’s relaxed sweet smile stretched his cheeks. “Pretty good, huh?”
I rolled my eyes in pleasure as I took another sip. “It’s incredible.”
“The secret is in the brown sugar.”
Noah beamed proudly and then proceeded to tell me way more than I ever wanted to know about beer brewing. Not that I cared. It was just nice to see him light up about something. Whatever chilliness was there when I first arrived tonight seemed to have melted away. At least temporarily.
By the time I got to the end of my glass, and thankfully the end of the brewing lesson, I told the guys, “It’s so nice to be back.”
Austen cut in. “Don’t tell me you’re back here for good. A city girl like you? You’ll never last out here.”
My mouth formed into a tight line at his words. I don’t know why I cared what Austen thought.
Of course I could hack it back in Kodiak Canyon. I lived here eighteen years, didn’t I? And I didn’t leave because I hated it. I just wanted to see some of the world.
“And on that note, I should be going,” I said with a little more irritation in my voice than I meant to reveal. I nodded to Noah as I rose from the table. “Thanks for the beer. See you guys around.”
I marched off without looking back, but Noah quickly caught up to me.
“Wait,” he called out in that smooth, deep voice of his. “Let me walk you home.”
I scowled at him. “Don’t think I can handle it here either?”
Maybe it was the lack of sleep or everything going on in my life. Maybe it was Noah’s chilly reception when I crashed his drinking session with his brother. Whatever it was, I was on the defensive.
“Of course you can. A bear should be worried if it runs into you. I’ve seen you hit one in the eye with a slingshot, remember?” Noah crouched and slumped his shoulders a little to get eye to eye with me.
I shook my head at the memory. “I was a squirrely ten-year-old, huh?”
“I thought you were a real-life super hero.” Noah nodded for emphasis.
At those words, we began the short walk to my property.
“Well, it was pretty cool of me,” I said.
I mean, we were safe on my grandpa’s porch and could have run inside at any time. I didn’t really need to try to hit the bear, but what can I say? I was ten.
“Sorry for Austen. You know how he is,” Noah said, his shoes crunching on the gravel road.
I shook my head. “I know how he used to be,” I said, reminding him of the years that separated us all.
Noah nodded. “True. I want you to know I think he’s wrong, but I also know you were destined for bigger things. You needed to see the world beyond Kodiak Creek.”
“I did.” My voice was quiet because I was startled to hear Noah say those words after the fight we’d had before I left.
He didn’t understand at the time why I couldn’t go to nursing school at the local college and stay around here. Had he finally come to see things my way?
“Rachel, listen, we need to talk.”
Before he could say another word, I cut him off. “I left and I never looked back. I’m sorry.”
He shook his head. “That’s what I want you to know. I don’t blame you. It’s okay, all right? A lot of years have passed since then. We were different people back then.”
“You’re not mad at me for leaving?” I asked, voicing the question I never thought I’d get to.
