Page 94 of River
As we walked back to the farm, I thought about what she’d said; that trust couldn’t be built in absence. It made sense to me that being close to Noah and learning how to trust him would help push my unease into the background. Wasn’t that exactly what had happened between us last night when I’d followed my heart and made love to him?
We’d reached my car when Fleur stopped and looked at me. “When I got divorced, I was in a dark place for a long while. I probably still would be if I hadn’t reached out for help.”
“You had therapy?”
“Yes, and I did a lot of work on my mental health. If I’m not balanced, I can’t connect to the animals.”
“Huh.” We moved into the courtyard. “Right now, I’m gonna trust Noah and build shared memories with him. Maybe down the line, I can face what happened in my childhood.”
Fleur’s hand touched my arm. “Noah is a good man, and you’ll find your way, River. The only thing I will say from experience is that it’s difficult to heal in the spotlight.”
We hugged goodbye before I went to find Noah.
“You’re leaving?”
“Yes. I have an event tomorrow that I can’t miss, but I was thinking.” I bit my lip and crossed my fingers alongside my thigh. “Do you have the weekend off?”
He was wearing a gray sweater and a pair of jeans that looked good on him. Shifting his balance, he said, “I could get away for a few days, I’m sure. Why?”
“I’ll be in Dublin this weekend for a wedding, and I’d like for you to come.”
“Who’s getting married?”
“One of our family friends called Kit. She’s marrying her teenage sweetheart, Owen. They’re in their forties, but she means the world to me, and I promised to be there.”
“And you want me to come as your date?”
I rose up for my nose to touch his. “As my boyfriend.”
“I don’t like that word.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m no boy. In Norway, we have a word that roughly translates to the one I hold most dear.”
“How do you say ‘my boyfriend’?”
“Kjæreste min.”He said it slowly, and it made my insides feel molten. God, Noah was like a Viking warrior nicely wrapped.
Leaning my cheeks against his, I whispered into his ears. “This weekend, when you make love to me, whisper Norwegian in my ear.”
He squeezed my body against his. “We could go to my room right now, and I’ll happily whisper all the things I wish to do with you.”
“I need to get moving if I don’t want to miss my plane, but I’ll call you when I get home, and then I’ll see you this weekend, yeah?”
“Does that mean I’ll get to meet your entire family?”
“Yes. Even Atlas is coming home to celebrate Kit. She’s like a part of our family. Her brother is married to my sister Lumi. He’s the cop I told you about.”
“I can’t wait to meet them.”
“Maximum will be excited to hear that you’re coming.”
He smiled. “Just promise that I’m spending my nights with you.”
I laughed. “Normally, I stay at my parents’ house, but with the plans I have for us, I’ll book us into a nice hotel instead.”
After I said goodbye to Vicky, Nigel, Marvin, and Vicky’s sister, whose name I couldn’t remember, Noah walked me to my car.
After a bit more kissing, he opened the door for me.
“Drive safely.”
I blew him a kiss as I took off, and honked my horn.
Clara stood close to the road, and I waved at her when I passed her enclosure. She was lucky to have found Fleur just like I was fortunate to have found Noah.
A minute later, I passed the place where I’d pulled over and cried my eyes out yesterday.
Thank God I’d found the courage to confront Noah’s anger and risk his rejection. The reward had been worth it tenfold.
