Page 44 of Rock the Cradle of Love
“Thank you, Taylor. This is precious.” She gives him a look and a nod that tells him she understands his intent. The ladies disappear up the stairs.
“Why aren’t you in Minnesota?” Noah asks again. “At your uncle’sfuneral.”
Okay, so they’re doing this on the porch. Taylor’s fine with it. It’s happening; he’s not going to gripe over location.
“Remember what I told you about Uncle Bud?”
“Of course.” Noah’s blue gaze is steady, but his expression is wary. His hair and beard have been trimmed. He looks good.
Better than good and Taylor wants to hug him, and be hugged by him, so bad. He shrugs away the urge to pull Noah close. Noah may not want that ever again.
“As far as I know, I was the only one Bud ever told he was gay. And last night, or, rather, early this morning, after I’d listened to your last message—”
Noah presses his lips together, looking uncomfortable.
Taylor shakes his head minutely. “It’s fine. I was lying in my nephew’s bed crying, and—”
Noah’s eyes go wide now.
“—a conversation I’d had with Bud when I was seventeen came back to me, and I realized that if Bud were alive, he’d smack me upside the head and tell me to get my ass on a plane. To go get my man. So I did. Get on a plane, that is. No matter what happens between us, I knew I had to be here for you for the hearing.”
“Taylor, I—”
“I hope you’ll give me chance to explain, and I know now’s not the time, but I was your friend before I was anything, Noe. I care about you and I care about Emma. So whatever you need, even if you need me to go away, just tell me. But you have to know I’m so, so sorry about the things I said. I was stupid and wrong, and I’m sorry.”
“Okay.”
Taylor blinks. Did he just…? How can it be this easy? “Okay?”
“Um, yeah. Apology accepted?”
“Is it?”
Noah’s eyes close and he drops his chin to his chest. That broad, well-defined chest, encased in snug-fitting turquoise cotton, rises and falls several times before Noah looks up again and nods. “Yes. I guess you should come in.”
Holding up the roses again, Taylor steps into the foyer.
“Roses, really?” Noah’s brow arches. “Isn’t that a girl thing?”
“That’s why I didn’t get red roses, but I ran out of time today and I couldn’t get downtown to that old bookstore you like so much. But I didn’t want to show up empty handed, so…”
“Well, thanks.” The door whispers shut. Noah takes a tentative sniff and a soft smile appears on his face. Hope flutters in Taylor’s heart.
Taylor follows Noah to the kitchen.
He sits at the kitchen table, an old scarred thing with mismatched chairs. Noah digs out a vase and puts the flowers in it. The sound of singing floats downstairs.
“For what it’s worth, my phone died on the plane, just as I was going to text you. Once I got it charged, stupid thing after stupid thing happened to keep me from making that call. It seemed like some higher power wanted me to really think about things. I didn’t listen to your messages until last night.”
Noah leans against the counter and crosses his arms. His biceps stretch the sleeves of his polo. “You could have called. I mean yesterday or today from Minnesota. I would have understood. I mean, Idounderstand about funerals and family stuff. And your Uncle Bud. Cripes, Taylor, you didn’t have to come home.”
“But I did have to. Come home. Don’t you see? You and Emma mean everything to me. And I needed you to know that. Even if you don’t want to work things out, you need to know that.”
“Taylor…” Noah cocks his head, swallows.
“I’m so in love with you, Noah, it isn’t even funny.” It’d taken losing Noah for Taylor to realize just how much.
“What?” Surprise drops Noah’s jaw and he plops into a chair.
