style="font-size:15px;"> “She was a snob!” Nicholas interjected. “Her folks had money. Big money, and she wouldn’t look in our direction if I remember correctly.”
“You were a freshman. No one looked in your direction,” Noah wisecracked.
Nathaniel laughed. “Didn’t you have a crush on her? One of those hiding in the bushes, stalkerlike crushes?”
Noah rolled his eyes. “It wasn’t that bad.”
“Oh, yes, it was. She was popular and pretty and you had absolutely no game.”
“He still doesn’t,” Nicholas said with a deep laugh.
Noah reached for the platter of cornbread, not bothering to respond.
“So, why are you asking about Catherine Moore?” Nicholas questioned, filling his own plate with string beans.
Noah shrugged. “No reason. I just ran into her today at my interview. She owns the company.”
“That’s right!” Nathaniel exclaimed. “How’d that go?”
“They offered me the job with a nice six-figure salary.”
“Congratulations!” both brothers chimed in unison.
“Still not sure I’m going to take it, though.”
“Why not?” Nicholas questioned.
Noah paused. The day after high school graduation he’d enlisted in the US Army. There had been no money saved for him for college and he was determined to get a degree. Back then he saw the military as a means to an end. He’d given Uncle Sam twelve years then had earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. Joining the Salt Lake City police department had been a natural progression and since then he’d risen nicely through the ranks. He was now the lead detective in the criminal investigations unit and despite the gravity of some of his cases, he liked what he did. He wasn’t sure he was ready to let it go.
He didn’t bother to answer his brother’s question, deciding to change the subject instead. “So, when are you two going to tell me why you’re here and not in Los Angeles?”
Nicholas sighed. “It’s really nothing.”
“No, it’s something,” Nathaniel said. He turned his gaze toward Noah. “Nicholas took a bad hit in the game the other week and he bruised his back again. He also damaged his knee.”
“The one he fractured before?”
Nathaniel nodded. “At this point he needs to think about his future. As his orthopedic specialist it’s my recommendation that he retire.”
Nicholas pounded a fist against the table. “I’m not retiring and I would appreciate it if you two didn’t talk about me like I wasn’t in the room.”
“If you continue to play football, you risk doing some major damage that you’re not going to be able to come back from. Another hit like last week and you may never walk again. That’s your reality and I don’t think you understand that,” Nathaniel snapped.
Nicholas shrugged.
Nathaniel threw up his hands in frustration. “You need to talk to him,” he said, turning his attention back to their older brother. “I can’t get through to him.”
Noah took a bite of his chicken and said nothing as his two younger siblings continued to squabble back and forth. He was almost finished with his meal when he finally offered a comment, quoting their late mother.
He shifted his gaze to look Nicholas in his eyes. “Live the ride,” Noah said. “It’s your life, and I can’t tell you how to live it, but I can tell you to live it to the fullest. You only get to do this once. But with that said, you do need to consider your doctor’s warning. Know the risks and heaven forbid if something happens, be willing to accept the consequences.”
He turned to look at Nathaniel, who was shaking his head in disagreement. “Hey, you’ve told him everything he needs to know to make his decision. There’s nothing else you can do except support him in whatever that is.”
Nathaniel blew a heavy breath of air past his full lips. He shook his head.
Nicholas nodded then turned his attention to the television. A few minutes later he nodded his head at his brother. “So, you still want them season passes?”
Nathaniel met the look Nicholas was giving him. He hesitated only briefly before answering. “Hell, yeah!”
Noah smiled as a blanket of silence dropped over the trio. Across the big-screen television, New England was using Oakland to wipe the football field.
* * *
Hours later, Noah lay awake, his body sprawled atop his king-size mattress. Both his brothers had retired to guest rooms in his spacious home.
He was grateful for the bond they all shared. His family meant everything to him. Things had been slightly off when their baby sister, Natalie, had gone off to Europe, distancing herself from them, but all was well again. Natalie was back to being the prickly pain in his side that he adored.
He blew a heavy sigh, rolling onto his side as thoughts of Catherine Moore flashed through his mind. She was a beautiful woman, curvaceous with an incredible caramel-toned complexion. She also had a sharp wit and astute business acumen. He imagined some men were intimidated by her polished persona but there was no denying that her vivacious personality commanded attention the moment she entered a room. Noah had often imagined himself partnered with a woman like that. Building his career with the police department had put any inkling of a romantic relationship on the back burner. But Noah had always wanted his future to include a wife and children.
He suddenly wondered if a woman like Catherine ever thought about children. He reasoned that building a corporate empire had probably stalled any thoughts she might have had about a family. Something he remembered about her reminded him she might not be the kind of woman who wanted nannies and babysitters raising her children.
It had been one of those senior year parties, and everyone had gathered at Lindsey Gardens for a wiener roast and bonfire. One of the players from the basketball team had been stuck with his two younger siblings tagging along, and Catherine had stepped in to lend a helping hand. He’d eyed her most of that night, enamored with her gentle handling of the little boy and girl. It suddenly surprised him that he remembered that moment and he couldn’t help but wonder why. Sleep came upon him suddenly as he fell into a deep slumber. His rest was sweet as thoughts of Catherine continued to trip through his dreams.
* * *
It was well after midnight, and Catherine was determined to be finished with the contract and financial documents that had held her attention since the day had started. She was preparing for a meeting with her executive team, planning to announce her intentions to take her company public. It was a decision that had been years in the making. Since the acquisition of her first luxury aircraft, Catherine debated whether or not to remain a private entity. With the shift in political climate and the state of the economy, she had known the day might come when the expansion of her business might mean offering the public stock in her company. Currently, the business was doing exceptionally well, Fly High an industry leader on top of their game. Her decision
