Noah (7 Brides for 7 Soldiers Book 6)(21)

"Consider it done."

"Sweet." This was a business deal. Maybe not a big one, but it'd been a  small step of marketing his place. It was what he'd read about and  needed to do more of, and the thought made cool prickles of sweat dampen  the back of his polo shirt's collar. It was a small victory, but he'd  take it. Should he do more? Hell, Noah had no idea what to do. His heart  rate picked up from nerves-adrenaline, maybe, but not from discomfort.  Never in a hundred missions that would scare the hair off a man's chest  had he thought twice about what he'd just considered a win, and now he  was filled with doubt.

"If you want, I could tack on an A To Z discount," Noah offered. "Just have them mention you sent them my way."

Man, he hated sales. It was the dirty word he hadn't known existed. But  if nothing else, the military had trained him to persevere.

"Seriously." Adam gave a confused double take. "You don't have to offer a discount. Consider it done."

Noah blinked, recalibrating his next move. He thought of the business  expert planning guides he'd pored over. They'd told him to always expect  a phase two when discussing business, marketing, and sales, even in  casual conversations. Take the customer's objection and play to their  needs. But Adam hadn't objected, and nothing Noah had researched said an  immediate acceptance of his business offer was a remote possibility,  even from family and friends. "Okay, then."

"We covered business, life, and love today," Adam cracked as he led them  toward the reception area. "Was that it? Or did we miss any other major  life moments?"

"I'll pay you back for the help with Nuts and Bolts. Somehow." Noah's  loosened shoulders tensed again. "Make it worth your while."         

     



 

Adam stopped and leaned against the wall that separated the reception  area from the main entry. "You've been in DC too long, buddy. Take a  day. Hit the trails, ride the rapids, get some fresh air. Do something."

Noah grumbled, never having considered himself a Washington insider. "Meaning?"

"I don't want anything in return. Zane won't, either."

"Thanks, but-"

"It's a good deal to offer our customers someone we trust who's close  by, but that's not why we'd do it." His eyes narrowed. "We're going to  help you out. Everybody in Eagle's Ridge will."

Noah let that churn then recalled the fire chief's refusal to take a  free service call for his team. They felt bad for him? Why? Because  Lainey had died? Or because he'd left his SEAL team? It couldn't have  been because he had Bella now, because how could that be a bad thing. "I  don't want pity work, either."

Adam scoffed. "I know that wasn't directed at me."

Noah shoved his shoulders up, tossing his hands in the air, clueless.

"Maybe you forgot where you came from."

"Like hell."

"But there's a reason this town was rooted in service and integrity. There's a reason people come home. You came home."

"I couldn't tell Lainey and Bella no."

"No kidding, Noah. Your integrity-and not pity-will be the reason  customers stop by when they find out you're open. I know you'll do an  excellent job, and they want to support local businesses."

"You're like a freaking commercial," he grumbled to keep from choking up.

But he was right. Eagle's Ridge was more than HALO pancakes and  Founders' Day memories. Their childhood had been peppered with facts  about the town, like how Sentinel Bridge had four soldiers guard it,  connecting the good and bad sides of town under the protective eye of  warriors, or how No Man's Land was more than just the perfect meeting  space for families and friends because it was considered neutral ground.

Every tale had a backstory that made it larger than life but always left  a lesson. At least that was what his mother had told him-to ignore the  gossip, focus on the takeaways, and remember that their town was founded  on loyalty, the values that their great-grandfathers had instilled when  they climbed to the top of a rock to scout out land parcels and spotted  a Bald Eagle.

Noah let the community's history and Adam's words settle over him. "I hadn't thought about it like that."

The front door opened as Gambler nosed in, followed by Zane. "Hey, Noah."

He dropped to his knees to give Gambler a scrub on his head. "What's up, guys?"

"How goes parental duty?" Zane watched Gambler lick Noah then come back to his side.

"Not too bad." He shoved his hands into his pockets, nodding toward  Zane's twin. "Adam just put life into perspective, so  …  room for  improvement."

Zane slapped him on the back. "Showing off the surfski?"

They cracked up, exciting Gambler, who jumped up and ran around Zane before he plopped down again.

"Don't underestimate that thing," Zane continued. "But it's a rush."

"Looks it." Noah grinned. "Like I said to Adam, I'm a boss. So … " He shrugged. "It'll be a snap."

"Sure." Gambler stood up and nuzzled his head into Zane's hand. "While  you're so busy crushing it, why don't you tell me where you're living. I  heard you burned Lainey's house down to the foundation."

"Hildie tell you that?" Noah shook his head.

"Not much changes." Zane ruffled Gambler's head. "Except this guy didn't  like Hildie's sweater, so I couldn't stick around for the part where  you had to be rescued. Carried out, was it?"

They laughed at the exaggeration, and Noah finally added, "It keeps  getting legs. Next thing you know, someone's going to ask me if Eagle's  Ridge still exists."

Adam snorted. "All because you tried to cook Bailey's casserole."





CHAPTER SIXTEEN



Teagan glanced up from the papers strewn across her desk. The office  secretary, Alexis, hovered by the doorjamb as though she had far more in  mind than teacher-lounge gossip or carpool chitchat. With a small  checkmark on her to-do list and a sticky note where she was leaving off  in her pile of work, Teagan eased back in her chair.

"So … " Alexis slinked around the open door and leaned back, her arms  crossed to make her long, brilliantly colored sweater cocoon around her.         

     



 

"Hey, what's going on?" Teagan twirled a pen between her fingers.

Alexis fanned herself. "So … "

The pen froze mid-bobble. "Yes?"

"There is a very thick, very rugged man sitting in the waiting room and making a few teachers thirsty."

Teagan blushed but offered nothing more than an "Oh" at what had to be Noah's unexpected visit.

"He's asked to see you."

This was going to make Hildie's afternoon gossip report if Teagan didn't stop blushing. "Did he mention who his child-"

"He said nothing about a student and referenced a personal matter."  Alexis wriggled her eyebrows. "You're not even asking who he is. I'm  going to need the details."

Well played, Alexis. "We'll talk later, and I'll be out in a minute."  Teagan reached for her purse in the bottom drawer. It didn't take long  to throw on a fresh application of pale lipstick, run a brush through  her hair, and tuck the bag away before she stood to nervously smooth her  shirt and her skirt over her hips.

Freshening her face was silly. The butterflies somersaulting in her  stomach were equally as ridiculous. Still, with every step forward, her  anticipation grew. By the time she was ready to head around the corner  to the waiting area, the easy walk made her feel breathless.

Noah sat on a bench in the main office, where Teagan had met thousands  of parents before. A thousand fathers before. This was the first time  her steps slowed when the man looked up.

Noah stood, and his greeting was warm yet reserved. His tense shoulders  remained stiff as his jawline. "Sorry to drop in on you. I called, but  you didn't answer."

Teagan flipped her hand nervously. "Sorry, I only check my phone on  breaks and lunch. Is everything okay?" Alexis would have notified her if  a parent had requested an emergency meeting.

"Can we … ?" He glanced about the open area where anyone could walk through.

"Sure. Come back to my office, and we'll chat." She retraced her steps  with Noah following, and the excited bundle of nerves she felt on the  way out had been replaced with unease. Had she been wrong to reach out  to him, hoping that it was Noah in her backyard?

She could see why that might feel like a needy attempt for attention.  Embarrassed warmth hit her cheeks at the thought that he might suspect a  professional woman in her thirties of playing silly games. "This is my  office."

He followed her in and took a seat as she rounded the desk. A grim cast  came over his handsome features, and she knew this conversation would be  uncomfortable. He had come from work to make sure she understood where  their boundaries were. It was definitely one of her more humiliating  moments.