Page 54 of The Way Back Home
His mother seemed surprised. “For what?”
“For staying away so long.”
“You had your reasons.”
His mind flashed back to the desert. Of looking down at the broken and bloodied bodies before him. Needless, preventable death. Blinking rapidly, he forced himself back to the present.
“No, I don’t know what they are, and that’s okay,” his mother said, shooting a glance over her shoulder. “You’ll tell me if and when you’re ready, and if not, that’s fine too. The important thing is, you’re here now.”
He blinked against the sudden moisture in his eyes and dropped his gaze to the table.
His mother finished preparations, then put a cup of steaming herbal tea in front of him and sat herself. “Your father said Teagan’s leaving tomorrow.”
His chest squeezed. “Yes.”
“Are you leaving too?”
“Actually,” he said, clearing his throat because it had become so thick, “I was thinking I might stick around for a little while, if that’s okay.”
“Of course that’s okay!” she said, her eyes wide. “You are always welcome here—you know that. Teagan is too.”
Noah shook his head, the urge to unburden his soul powerful. “It’s not like that.”
“Like what?”
“We’re not together.”
His mother made a humming sound and sipped her tea.
“What?”
“Nothing. It’s just … I’ve seen the way you look at her. And the way she looks at you.”
“How does she look at me?” he blurted out.
Her smile was knowing. “Like I looked at your father when I first met him.”
Noah allowed himself a moment to believe there could actually be something between them, then released it. He would do everything he could to help Teagan, but after that, he would let her go. “It’s complicated.”
“I’m sure it is,” she said softly, then wisely changed the subject. “How do you like working at Hopewell?”
“It’s great,” Noah said, glad he could be honest about that at least.
Mona was fantastic, and he liked working with the patients. Space to breathe, long-term rewards, seeing the joy when someone connected with an animal. It was a shame it was only a temporary gig until her regular doc returned.
She smiled. “Somehow, I knew you would. You always were drawn to animals, and hippotherapy is gaining momentum as treatment for autism, stroke, and spinal cord injuries.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Been researching hippotherapy, Mom?”
“There’s a place not far from here,” she said in explanation. “Happy Trails. They’ve been written upmany times for their success. They’ve even partnered with Sanctuary. Apparently, it’s good for PTSD too.”
That, he could confirm.
“Anyway, if you’re going to stick around, you might want to check it out, see if there’s anything you can take back to Mona.”
“Maybe I will,” he said with a small smile. He’d need something to do after Teagan was gone. “Thanks, Mom.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
