to work and now hanging out with my little nephew while my mom runs errands for Nina and Chris.
I bit my lip. He had his nephew this afternoon, which was sweet but not very conducive to a heart-to-heart talk.
Me: Aww. Uncle Noah. What are you guys up to?
Noah: We’re at the park. Want to meet us?
Me: I’d love to. I just got dressed for a run, so that’s perfect. I’ll meet you there in 20.
After zipping over to the inn, where I found my dad hiding from my mother in his office, I made sure it was okay to borrow his car, grabbed his key, and headed for the park. When I arrived, I saw Noah, his nephew, and Renzo right away. As I walked toward them, I put my hand over my mouth and giggled.
Noah was sitting at the top of the slide, looking huge and uncomfortable, with a grinning tow-headed toddler on his lap. “Ready?” he said. “One, two, three.” On three, he pushed off and slid down to the bottom, where Renzo waited with his tail wagging. Fucking adorable.
“Hi, guys,” I called.
Noah got to his feet, setting his nephew on his forearm. The little boy promptly put his head on Noah’s shoulder as I approached. My heart was a puddle.
“Hey,” he said, giving me a quick kiss on the lips.
My stomach fluttered. Even in a cap, faded gray henley and jeans, he was sexy. “You’re a little big for that slide, officer,” I teased.
“Tell me about it. But he loves it. Don’t you, buddy?” Noah poked his nephew in the belly a few times, making him laugh.
I smiled. “What’s his name?”
“Ethan.”
“Hi, Ethan.”
Noah bounced him up and down on his arm. “Say hi.”
Ethan smiled shyly and stuck his fingers in his mouth.
“No.” Noah swatted them out. “Your hands are dirty. Come on, you want to go on the swing?”
Ethan looked toward the swings and pointed.
“Yep, right over there. One more time, and then it’s nap time for you.” He started walking toward the swings, Renzo at his heels. “You said you wanted to talk to me about something. What’s up?”
I followed him, nerve endings twitching beneath my skin. I hadn’t exactly planned out what I would say. How should I even start? “Yes. Um, I wanted to get your thoughts on something.”
He set Ethan in the toddler swing and moved behind him, setting the swing in motion. “Can you be more specific, Sawyer?”
I laughed nervously, wringing my hands together at my waist. “Yeah, sorry. So I was thinking about . . . I’ve been thinking that I’m really glad I came home for the entire week.”
“Me too,” he said, pushing his nephew higher and giving me a sexy sideways grin. The swing chains moaned.
More nervous laughter from me. “Right. There’s that, and then I’ve also just really enjoyed being around my family and spending time in my hometown. I feel happy here. Happier than I’ve been in a long time.”
“That’s . . . good.”
But the way he said it, with the tiniest hesitation, put me slightly on edge. Had I imagined it?
“And I haven’t really talked about this much, but I have to move out of my apartment in DC. I shared it with Brooks, and the rent is too pricey for me to pay on my own. And I don’t really want a roommate.”
More hesitation. “DC is a big city. You’ll find something.”
“Well, I was kind of thinking, since I have to move out of there and I’ve had such a great time at home, maybe I’d move back here permanently.”
Noah didn’t say anything. He just kept pushing his nephew. He wasn’t smiling, either. What did that mean?
“What about your job?” he finally asked.
My job? My job?
“Um, I guess I’d find a new one. Here.”
“Not many job openings for political strategists around here.”
I stared at him, the butterflies in my stomach turning to stone. “I could also see about keeping my job but working remotely.”
Silence. The groan of the swing chains seemed even louder.
“I was thinking I could help you with your campaign for sheriff too,” I said.
“I haven’t decided to run.”
“If you do.” I swallowed, and the taste in my mouth was bitter. “Noah, what’s the problem? Do you not want me to move here?”
“You can move anywhere you want.” His jaw had taken on that hard, stubborn angle.
“Can you look at me, please?” At this point, I was struggling not to cry.
He turned his head toward me, but his face was shadowed by the ball