As soon as he had a plan, Noah relaxed, and by the time he parked and jumped from his dually, he was in a better place. He wandered up to the watersports business in what appeared to be a large old house. The front door had a sign that read "Come On In."
He pulled the door handle open and let himself inside. "Hello?" Noah stepped in. "Zane? Adam?"
"Hey, man, what are you doing here?" Adam came from the right, off the edge of a desk he'd perched on, and tossed his clipboard down.
Noah marveled at how a space that had likely been a sitting room in this large house seemed perfect as a reception area. "Stopping in to see how the place looks."
Adam proudly gestured to the renovated room, and Noah nodded his approval as he listened to the quiet bluegrass playing in the background.
A To Z was comforting and homey. Actually, it reminded him of his parents' house with its beloved wood detailing and always-brewing coffee. Familiar thoughts from his past tugged at his heartstrings until he couldn't help being reminded of Lainey.
Noah remembered how he and Lainey would go to No Man's Land after the Founders' Day celebrations and order HALO pancakes drowned in whipped cream and a syrup that they called rocket fuel. Hell, it was hard to believe so many years had gone by and that they'd lost touch then reconnected.
When Adam and Zane had come to Noah's house on his first day back in Eagle's Ridge, they didn't reference the last time he was in town-for Lainey's funeral. Nor had they relived the painful conversation where Noah broke the news about Lainey over beers at Baldie's.
Why those memories rushed at him now, Noah had no idea, especially when his visit to A To Z was about escaping Lainey. Except, he wasn't trying to escape. He simply needed a conversation that wasn't built around life's worries and downsides.
Noah backed out of the reception area and let out a low whistle. "This place is impressive."
"Appreciate that." Adam walked in step with Noah.
"I meant to tell you that it's really something how you've opened this for tours and rentals." Noah admired the work the brothers had done.
"There's also the boat house and an apartment."
"Sounds big." The place seemed as though it would continue to unfold if he turned corner after corner. "Do you live there?"
Adam shook his head. "No. Jane and I are building a place."
He lifted his chin upon hearing of the major step in Adam and Jane's relationship, but he still couldn't believe that someone wouldn't wake up to the possibilities of this place. "I won't say too bad, but man, someone should live here."
"We had camps here all summer."
"Yeah?" Noah smiled at the vision of kids and laughter filling the house and the surrounding forest and water. He could send Bella to camps when she was old enough. What kind of camps would she like? He'd loved sports camps. Did they have other types? Like gifted program or reading camps? And how life had changed that those thoughts even popped into his head now. He rubbed his chin as that sank in.
"It's an adventure camp for at-risk youth," Adam added.
Noah nodded. "Solid."
"But I know you didn't stop by just to check out the place. What can I do you for?" Adam thumbed over his shoulder. "We got a rad new surfskis that just came in. Fiberglass and carbon mix. Closed deck, thirty-seven pounds. No one's even seen it if you want first dibs."
Noah laughed. "What the heck is a surfski?"
"They don't train you SEALs in the latest state-of-the-art equipment?" Adam walked on back, and Noah followed him to a room where equipment was stacked and stored. "This beauty"-he waved his hand over a slender canoe-"is a surfski."
Noah admired the narrow kayak but still side-eyed his friend. "Yeah, I don't know about that word."
Adam walked along the side and let his fingers trace the shock cord deck rigging. "Don't knock the power of the surfskis. It's like a kayak but lighter. Very narrow, and rounded, so maybe your big, clumsy ass should stick to a kayak. We don't need to have you tipping out on the river."
"Yeah, right." Noah scoffed as if he wouldn't hit the water, but this thing was nothing more than an overgrown drinking straw. Balancing would take a hot second. He moved toward the hull and angled down to get a good look at the cockpit and seat.
"It's like balancing on a log. Only the best survive. Maybe you should stick to something like whitewater rafting." Adam held his arms out as if balancing on a tight rope. "More room to spread out."
"Sounds like a challenge." Noah straightened and let his hand drift along the edge, resting on the carrying grip. "Sign me up for the all-powerful surfski."
They laughed, and it felt good to bullshit and joke with Adam. All they needed was for Zane and Gambler to walk in, and he could practically see the future of his life in Eagle's Ridge rekindling without the catalyst of a major event. No one had died. No huge life changes were imminent. Just two old friends catching up as though it hadn't been too long. But his stopping by wasn't entirely without purpose, and now that he was here, he could talk to Adam about Nuts and Bolts.
"But not today, though." Noah paced the length of the room and turned.
"Fair enough."
"You have a few minutes to talk?" Though if he asked about Teagan, he'd be overstepping. Again.
"Of course." Adam crossed his arms and leaned against a metal pole.
"Teagan."
Adam's brows arched. "Unexpected turn in the conversation."
"Tell me about it." Noah ran a hand over his face. "Look, you've known her for a while?"
"Since she moved to Eagle's Ridge. I'm not sure when. But she's always been involved in the community. A bit outdoorsy."
"Did you know her ex?"
"Yeah, sure. Spencer comes in town every now and then, stocks up on equipment sometimes." Adam rolled his eyes. "The guy's a"-he made air quotes-"treasure hunter, whatever that means."
"Is he … " Noah waved his wrist, at a loss for words. "Athletic?"
"Um … " Adam pursed his lips. "I'm not sure what you're getting at, buddy."
Yeah, where was anyone supposed to take that? He needed to be clear. "Do you think he smokes?"
"Oh. Cigarettes?" Adam's forehead bunched. "I have no clue."
Noah rubbed his chin, unsure why he was asking Adam instead of talking to Teagan-except for that whole stepping-across-the-line problem. Talking to Adam like this probably wasn't going to help. "Never mind. I was just making generalizations. They won't help me, anyway."
Adam looked no less confused than when Noah had first turned the conversation to the topic of Teagan. "Won't help you with Teagan? Are you two … ?"
"Yes. No. Not like that. We have an agreement that … " Noah had no idea how to explain what he could barely understand himself at that moment. How they had agreed to mutual disinterest, for the sake of the kids. "We have an agreement."
"I see."
Noah was glad Adam did, because Noah was getting more confused by the minute. "If her ex-husband was bothering her, I'd have a problem. That's all."
"Huh." Adam wandered the small room then turned back to Noah. "I wish I had something to add, but I can't say I've heard a word that'd be helpful. The guy is in and out of town-with BS tales of adventure-and only here long enough to wash clothes, restock accessories, and keep his licenses up to date."
All were good reasons for a water-dwelling guy to keep an old home base handy. "Makes sense."
"I wish I could help. Anything else?" Adam asked. "Or I can show you our new trail maps if you want to take anyone you're not interested in out for a hike."
Color hit Noah's cheeks. It was one thing to talk about Teagan in a protective manner. It was another to discuss date planning, especially since he didn't know how much to hang with her. "How about Nuts and Bolts? I'm open for business, and nobody knows."
"Oh, come on." Adam's forehead furrowed. "You've been back for less than a month. It took a long time to pull together the youth camp."
"I have to pay bills and figure out how to generate income from a business that's been shuttered."
"People will hear that Nuts and Bolts is open. By the time Halloween comes around, they'll see it in the parade."
Halloween felt a lifetime away. Noah rubbed his temple. "You're right."
Adam paced quietly around the backroom. "How about I help spread the word?"
"That'd be huge."
"Great. If they can drive it, I'll tell them to head your way."
Noah's shoulders relaxed, and he hadn't realized how tense they'd been. The burden of carrying for someone other than himself was weighing heavy on him. Not that he didn't think he could do it, but he wanted to do more than just rely on what his family could provide. He wanted to be successful in his own right. "Let them know I can fix anything. ATVs, four wheelers." He dropped his gaze pointedly. "Surfski trailers, I can service those too."