The night was eerily calm with the now familiar cool Northwest fall weather, and Noah bypassed the obvious path, the sidewalk, and skipped into the neighbor's backyard.
Not even a dog barked. His senses were set on high, and his eyes had adjusted to the evening. He could see among the trees and the shadows. He searched for anything out of place, coming up empty.
"What's bothering you?" he whispered, walking down the fence line near the back of Teagan's house until he scaled her low fence.
The house lights were off and the window shades drawn. There was nothing back here except for a soccer ball, an oversized shed, and a well-kept lawn.
This wasn't normal. He'd crossed the line from protective friend to … Who knew what to call this? But there was nothing here, and her lights were out, so clearly she wasn't worried anymore.
Still, his senses tingled, and he made a sweep. Everything was as he had seen it before. Trash cans where he expected them to be. Tree branches barely rustling with a breeze.
Noah walked the way he came, admitting defeat and feeling paranoid.
Did he miss the action and adventure more than he knew? Was he going mad from denying himself the one woman who made sense? White spots reflecting on the ground broke his attention at the corner of the house, and he dropped his gaze.
His senses fired alarms. His hand hovered on the ready as he changed course, sliding closer to the house, near a window, to inspect. Cigarette butts, several of them, piled outside a window.
Someone had been by her house for an extended period. Doing what? And when?
Just because she heard a noise didn't mean it happened tonight, but he hated coincidences. Noah scanned the backyard then searched the front.
What was he supposed to do with a pile of old smoke butts? Wake her up and scare the pants off her? He made another pass and decided to head home, not waking and scaring Teagan. There wasn't anyone here … At least that he could see.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The calm night did nothing to settle Noah as he patrolled the quiet neighborhood, listening to the steady breeze, and found zip. He needed to go home and explain to Wyatt where he had gone so late at night. But for now, Noah didn't care about his opinion. A boulder of worry still lodged in his chest, and he couldn't shake Teagan's tone of voice. There were simple answers to a pile of cigarette butts. A landscaper who ate lunch in the same place and didn't clean up his smokes. Or a … Actually, Noah had no other readily available excuses.
But he was going to have to admit to creeping in her backyard. Otherwise, he was nothing more than a creep.
Opting to take the sidewalk instead of her neighbor's backyard, Noah pulled out his cell phone.
NOAH: When you have a free sec tomorrow, let me know.
Noah shoved his phone back into his pocket, passing a man as he headed back to his dually truck. Despite the man's clean-cut clothes and windbreaker, an uneasy feeling stirred inside Noah as they passed. A dog walker would make sense. But someone out for a stroll at this hour? Unease prickled-
"Excuse me," the unknown man called, breaking Noah's thoughts.
Surprised but not caught off guard, Noah slowly pivoted, his defenses up, and strode closer. "Yeah. Can I help you?"
"Actually, I was wondering the same thing about you."
Noah's eyes narrowed. "I'm sorry?"
"I keep an eye on the neighborhood and don't recognize you."
Noah didn't know whether to chuckle in solidarity with the lone watchman or question who was roaming the streets as a vigilante huntsman. "I'm just visiting a friend. But good looking out, man."
"What friend?"
Defensive, Noah took a step closer. "And who are you?"
"Whose friend are you?" the man pushed.
The telltale prickles that the situation was not what it seemed stood up at the base of Noah's neck. "How about we start with your name?"
The guy was a block away from Teagan's house after her hearing weird noises. Noah was on high alert.
"Edward Lee."
Noah's gut said that Edward Lee was a made-up name, but he had friends at a black ops firm who could quickly run his background check. "The neighborhood watch takes themselves seriously around here, don't they?"
"Can never be too careful about who is near our most valuable possessions."
He scoffed. "What's that? Cars and boats?"
"Family, of course."
"Of course … " Noah followed up. "Who do you work with over at Eagle's Ridge PD? I have some buddies and would love to do this in my neighborhood."
"Did I get your name?" Edward asked.
"No, you didn't."
They sized one another up.
"Noah Coleman."
There was no shaking hands. No pleasant follow-up. Only suspicion both ways.
Noah thought of one quick test. "I've gotta roll." He turned to leave then eased back. "Hey, do you have any smokes? I left my cigarettes back at my friends', and I don't think anywhere in town is open."
Edward's hands shoved deep into his pockets as he rolled back on his heels. "Don't smoke. Can't help you." Then he turned and left without another word.
Noah watched the guy disappear then headed to his truck and climbed in. After a long moment reflecting on how deep a hole he was digging, Noah swiped the screen and pulled up his contacts, pausing as his thumb hovered over two hacker names. Both would be able to pull the same information, but one had more official means while the other knew where to check the shadows for secrets. He pressed Call but was sent straight to voicemail. The tone beeped for a message. "Hey, Lexi, this is Noah Coleman. I'm calling for a favor, and I know I'll owe you. But if you could let me know anything on an Edward Lee from Eagle's Ridge, Washington, I'd love to see it."
He left his contact information, hung up, and rubbed his hands on his face. He'd called Wyatt and now Lexi, and all because his gut said Teagan wasn't telling him something. Maybe Noah needed to take a look at himself and not everyone else because if he was off base, he'd really messed up.
###
It took five minutes to drive home, and he parked in the driveway before slipping through the door quietly to find Wyatt playing on his phone.
"Are you going to tell me what's going on now? Wyatt tossed the cell down. "Because I have a solid reputation I like to hold on to." He gestured between them. "Past or no past, we're not talking about transgressions that'll land us in detention like back in high school."
Noah unholstered his weapon, heading for the gun safe in his bedroom. "Give me a minute."
Wyatt narrowed his eyes, giving Noah hell. "Not like I don't have a warm bed and beautiful woman to go home to."
They were joking. He knew it, but his grin was forced, and that pang in his chest was uncomfortable. He didn't know what to call it. Jealousy, envy … that was all wrong because he was happy for Wyatt. "You're lucky to have her awake and waiting."
"Even if she's not." Wyatt settled against the couch, back to playing the game on his phone again. "I'm a lucky bastard."
Noah's chest lifted with silent but heartfelt appreciation of his old friend's sentiments as he went to stow his gun. With a quick finger combo and a thumb scan, the safe popped open, and he'd safely disarmed and returned to the living room. Wyatt tossed the phone again then checked his watch. "You have two minutes and counting to explain why you didn't find what you went looking for, but you're still concerned."
"Not bad, big shot."
There was a reason Wyatt was trusted in his field. The man's eyes missed nothing, even as he kicked back.
Noah shook his head, joined Wyatt on the couch, then looked at his friend, wanting to share without coming off as though he was cracking up after leaving the military and looking for problems to fix. As best he could, he gave a sixty-second rundown including Teagan's phone call, the neighborhood canvass, the pile of cigarettes, and the neighborhood watchman with his hands in his pockets.
Wyatt shook his head. "If he weren't off exploring the wild blue yonder, I'd say I never trusted the ex-husband."
"Did you know him?" Noah glanced at him from the corner of his eyes, not expecting to hear that.
"Nope. Just heard whispers of him. I've made it my business to know a little bit about everyone."
Noah snorted. That was Wyatt, the lone protector, always quiet and observing. But Noah frowned, uncertain why Teagan's ex would spy on her. "I didn't think the ex was hung up on Teagan when they split."
"It doesn't have to work that way."
"Meaning what?" Noah asked.
"Spencer doesn't have to care to see her as his," Wyatt explained. "And this town? Why come back when everyone knows it's not for his family."
"She doesn't think they know."
"Why does a guy like that ever marry a woman like her in a town like Eagle's Ridge?" Wyatt lifted a shoulder. "It stands out."