sweaty, and his heart rate tripled. He was eighteen again and in love with his best friend. The years had faded away, along with the pain of her desertion and her callous indifference toward those who cared about her. All he saw was her hazel eyes that always sparkled, her kissable mouth and the way she stirred his protective instincts when she was close. The pink sweater with the wide collar added a rosy tinge to her cheeks and made her look very touchable. Her dark hair was cut in a way that made it float around her face, and when a strand had landed on her cheek, he’d had to stop himself from brushing it aside.
Then she’d hugged him, and he’d slammed into a wall of searing emotions, unable to move. She’d been soft and warm against him. He hadn’t been prepared for that kind of response. He’d fought against the tender emotions, which had only brought out his long buried resentment. He’d spoken harshly, aware of the hurt he’d caused her from the look in her eyes, but unable to stop the stinging words.
Beth had severed their friendship with one quick cut and never looked back. That’s when Noah realized that as far as she was concerned, nothing and no one was as important to her as her life in the dance world.
Until today, he had believed he’d recovered from his broken heart and her disregard for their friendship. But like a punctured water line, all his emotions were spewing forth. In the meantime he’d have to shut off the emotional flood and keep his distance from Bethany until she left again. Easier said than done. He was always keenly attuned to her nearness, and he’d never been able to keep her from flitting through his brain like a butterfly, touching down lightly here and there, bringing memories to life again.
He glanced around the back room of his new office. He still had a lot to do to get his engineering business up and running. In the meantime he was working full-time for the city of Dover as a building inspector. Not his first choice of jobs, but it paid the bills. Thankfully, he’d be spending most of his time conducting on-site work, and there’d be no need to interact with Beth. Besides, she’d be gone soon enough, back to the only thing that ever mattered to her. Dancing. Then life would go on as usual. And he could forget Beth. Again.
Tossing his trash in the bin in the small kitchen area, Noah locked up and headed out. He had four inspections to do this afternoon. He fought the urge to glance into the real estate office to see if Beth was there, scolding himself for his weakness. He would not look. Stepping onto the sidewalk, he went straight to his car and climbed in, shutting down all thoughts of his old friend, fully aware of the uncomfortable truth he’d denied for years.
Bethany Montgomery had taken root in his heart, and there was no yanking her out.
* * *
Beth rubbed her eyes, trying to focus on the listings on the computer screen. After a restless night she’d wanted nothing more than to sleep in, hide under the covers and try to forget her life was in shambles. Her sister’s apartment was perfect for isolating herself. Tori had a good eye for decorating, and she’d designed the space in soft muted tones of green and blue that wrapped around you like a warm hug. The balcony, which overlooked the courthouse square across the street, was shielded from curious eyes by large pots of evergreen vines that even in the dead of winter provided privacy.
But today her new job required her to be in the office bright and early. Her mother had a long list of showings, which meant Beth would be working alone most of the day. Not a pleasant prospect because it allowed her too much time to think.
She’d fretted over Noah’s icy reception all night, but still found only one logical explanation. He hadn’t forgiven her for not staying in touch. Noah didn’t have a mean bone in his body, but he’d behaved like a man with a giant chip on his shoulder. A man who had been deeply hurt. But not by her. He’d never loved her. The realization still had the power to bring a sharp prick to her heart. She planned on talking to him again once he calmed down. If he did. She had enough to worry about as it was.
Shutting down thoughts of her old friend, she concentrated on sorting through the new additions on the Multiple Listing Service and the few phone messages left by locals who were putting their homes on the market. Thankfully the day passed quickly. It was early afternoon when the office door swooshed open. She looked up, expecting house hunters. Instead, a young girl walked in and slowly made her way toward the reception desk, her gaze scanning the walls as she went.
She was a cute child with golden brown hair in a page-boy style that framed her oval face and brought out her big blue eyes. Beth guessed her to be about the same age as her niece, Abby. She leaned her forearms on the desk. “Are you looking to buy a home, or are you more interested in renting?”
The little girl giggled. “I’m not looking for a house. I’m only nine. I’m here to look at the pictures.” She pointed to the wall of family portraits and photographs her mother proudly displayed.
“I see. Shouldn’t you be in school?”
“Dentist appointment.” The girl stepped to the desk and extended her hand. “I’m Chloe. I come in here a lot to look at the pictures when Miss Francie is here. Oh.” Her eyes grew wide, and her mouth fell open. “You’re her. I mean you’re you, I mean—” She swallowed and pointed to the ballet portrait. “That’s you, isn’t it?”
Beth smiled and nodded. “Yes, it is.”
Chloe’s eyes grew soft and dreamy, and she clasped her hands together over her heart. “You’re beautiful. Like a white butterfly floating in the air.”
Her throat contracted. Never had she received such a sweet and sincere compliment. “Thank you, Chloe. That means a lot to me.”
“I want to be a ballerina. I want to drift like a feather and wear beautiful costumes.” She spread her arms and twirled around the office.
Beth couldn’t help but smile. The child was adorable. “Well, you can if you work hard. It takes a lot of training and dedication. Do you take dance lessons now?”
Chloe stopped. Her arms dropped to her sides, and her expression sagged nearly to the floor. “No. I can’t.”
She spoke the words with such drama that Beth had to swallow the chuckle that rose in her throat. “Why not?”
Chloe plopped her elbows on the desk, resting her chin in her hands. “Because my dad thinks it’s a waste of time, and he doesn’t want me to get caught up in silly dreams.”
Beth frowned and pressed her lips together. What kind of parent would tell a child such a ridiculous thing? “Dancing isn’t silly or a waste of time. It is a beautiful way to express emotion. It builds muscle and teaches discipline.”
“Daddy thinks it’s better if I play sports. He says they build character and teach a whole bunch of life lessons and stuff.”
Typical male. She could hear her brothers making the same argument. “What does your mother say?”
“Oh, she’s not here. She and Daddy got divorced a long time ago. She lives in Hollywood and has her own TV show. It’s called Brunch with Yvonne St. James.” Chloe’s eyes brightened, and she came around to stand beside Beth. “She’s going to send me a plane ticket so I can spend Thanksgiving with her, and she’s going to put me on her show, and I’ll get to meet lots of famous people. I hope I can meet Dustin Baker. I love his music, and he’s so dreamy.”
Beth had no idea who that was, but obviously he made Chloe’s little heart beat faster. “Are you going alone to see your mom?”
“Yes, ma’am. I can’t
