Circle on Home (Lost in a Boom Town Book 5) (8 page)

Still, he was going to see her again, as soon as he could.

Even if he had to go to her mother’s house to do it.
 

*****

He stopped by the following day after his clinic day. He worked in the clinic on Tuesdays and Thursdays, did appointments and surgeries those days, and always felt hemmed in on
 

Her mother opened the door, wearing an apron and looking harried. That expression changed to shock to see him on her front porch.
 

“Noah. What can I do for you?”

It might have been his imagination, but it seemed that she closed the door a little more, to block his view of the house.

“Sorry to interrupt your cooking, Mrs. Bonner. I’m looking for Miranda.”

“So I’ve heard.” She shifted her weight, further blocking the door.
 

“It’s a professional matter, dealing with my dad.”

“Uh-huh.” She made no move to call for Miranda.

“Is she here?”

“Surely there’s someone else you can talk to about this?”

“Maybe, but Miranda is already familiar with the details, and I’d like to ask her. Is she here?” He was fairly certain she was, because her car was out front. Of course, she might have walked somewhere, but he didn’t think so, not the way her mother was acting.

“I’ll get her.” Mrs. Bonner closed the door in his face, and for a minute, he wondered if she had just done it to get rid of him, that she had no intention of fetching Miranda.

But then the door opened again and Miranda stood there, also in an apron that didn't suit her at all, frills and flowers and lace. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and she wore jeans and a button-down shirt beneath the apron. A dusting of flour rode on her cheek, and she looked like the teenager he’d fallen in love with.

“Hey, when do you think you’ll be starting your practice in town?” he asked, lest she think he was here for romantic reasons.

She blinked. “Not until the new year probably. Why?”

“Well, ah, this might be awkward, but I think I have a wrongful termination suit for you. My dad was working at the grocery store and he was fired because the customers felt uncomfortable around him.”

She frowned. “I guess I can see that, but I would need to know more. Are you sure that’s the reason they fired him?”

Noah took a step back. He should have thought of that, that his father could be lying. Why would he take what his father said at face value, anyway? He should have talked to the grocery store before coming here and taking Miranda away from her holiday preparation, and pissing off her mother.

“I didn't double-check,” he admitted. “I was just so pissed on his behalf. It was hard enough for him to find even a minimum wage job that would meet the requirements of his parole. And then for him to lose it for such a stupid reason…” But if that wasn't the reason? If he’d been rude to a customer, or reckless, or any number of reasons.
 

“He was probably on probationary status. Most employers have a ninety day probationary period, and it’s easier for them to fire someone during that time.”

“Ah, hell.” He dragged a hand through his hair and nodded. “They probably don't have any shortage of applicants to fill his place, either.”

“I’m sorry to not have better news for you, Noah.”

“Yeah, well, he has to be employed as a condition of his parole, and he’s having trouble getting work, and so wants to come work for me.”

“Oh, Noah.”

Her voice said it all. She knew of the tension that ran between the two of them most of the time. And that was before his mother had been killed.

“Nothing’s changed?”

He shook his head. Man, he wanted to pour it all out to her, tell her everything, but not on the front porch of her mother’s house. Besides, he’d never been that guy. He dealt with it.
 

“We didn't see him much the past fourteen years. It’s an adjustment having him back at the house.”

“I can only imagine.”

He took another step back, toward the edge of the porch. “I’ll let you get back to your baking, or whatever. I’m sorry to have bothered you. But honestly, I wouldn't have thought of those things, so thank you.”

“Any time.”

“And if you need help moving into your office, or whatever you’re going to do…”

“Thank you, Noah,” she said when he trailed off.

“Okay. Ah. I’ll see you around.” His brain cast about for another reason to see her again, before the first of the year, but he couldn't think of a damned thing. “Happy Thanksgiving.”

“Happy Thanksgiving, Noah,” she said, and watched him as he turned and hurried back to his truck.

*****

Miranda closed her trunk with a satisfying thud. Her feet were throbbing, her eyes were gritty, and if she never saw another person she’d be satisfied, but she and her mother and Allison had gotten some great deals at the outlet’s Black Friday sales. They had decided that, instead of opening presents Christmas morning, if they saw something they wanted for themselves, they’d buy it and say it was a gift from each other. Miranda was a little sad there would be nothing under the tree Christmas morning, but she loved her new sheets and towels, and the furniture that would be shipped to her new address.
 

She wished she hadn't insisted on driving, because she could sleep, and now she’d still have to deal with the streaming traffic of
 
shoppers coming and going.
 

“See, that was fun,” her mother said as she dropped into the passenger seat.
 

It had been. They’d laughed and joked, and she felt closer to her family than she had in years.
 

“You might be too tired to move tomorrow,” her mother went on, her voice lifting in hope, as Miranda joined the queue of cars lining up to exit the shopping center.

“Good thing I don't have too much to move.”

“What about the other girls? Do they have furniture?”

“I think so. We haven't really discussed it. I know they both had apartments, so I presume that they have furniture. If not, we can work it out, order a couch online or something.”

“Why didn't you get any of your things shipped down from New York?” Allison asked.

“I didn't ask for them.”

“Why not? You bought some of them, right?”

“Yes, but nothing I can’t replace, and it’s cheaper to buy it again instead of having Damian ship it.” And having to deal with Damian to tell him what she wanted. “I brought most of my clothes.” The things she could wear in Evansville, anyway.
 

“But they’re your things.”

“They’re only things,” Miranda corrected quietly. “I’m starting fresh.” So much of what she left behind wouldn't fit in here, anyway.

“We can help you move.”

“Mom, really, I don't have that much. It will take me two trips up the stairs, max. Maybe an hour or two to get everything put away.”

But when her mother stiffened, she added, “I’ll have you both for dinner after everyone is settled in, how is that?”

That seemed to appease them both, and Miranda waved another car into the line ahead of her. She was in no hurry to get home.

Chapter Five

On Saturday, as she said, moving her belongings didn't take very long. Both Riley and Jolie had started moving their belongings in the day before, so the kitchen was mostly set up—with two coffee makers, Miranda was happy to see. Not many dishes, but as long as there were coffee cups, they could survive. A small kitchen table sat near the back window.
 
Miranda wondered briefly if she’d have time to enjoy the big porch and the shaded back yard. And who was going to take yard duty? Miranda was certainly willing to hire someone for that.

Two mismatched couches sat at an angle in the living room, one a sage green and one a bright floral. Miranda didn't know her roommates well enough yet to know who had brought which. No TV, but Miranda had thought she’d buy a small set for her bedroom anyway.
 

The dining room was empty, as was the den. As she started up the stairs, a knock sounded at the door and she opened to the most beautiful man she had ever seen. Tall and broad-shouldered, with dark wavy hair over blue eyes, high cheekbones and a cleft in his chin, he offered her a flash of a smile.

Please let him be our new neighbor,
Miranda wished fervently.

Then he looked past her and his face brightened. She turned to see Riley coming down the stairs. Riley looked up and stalled.
 

“Jackson. What are you doing here?” Her tone was not at all the welcome this man deserved.

“I thought I’d come by to see if you needed help moving in.”

Riley broke his gaze and continued down the stairs. “We moved all the big stuff yesterday.”

“I wasn't in town yesterday.”

Riley hadn't invited Jackson in, so Miranda did, with a motion of her hand. She stood waiting for an introduction, but instead got to witness a palpable pull between the two of them.
 

Riley shook it off first and took a step back. “Miranda, this is my friend Jackson.”

Friend. Right. Miranda held out her hand. “Miranda Bonner, new roommate.”

“Allison’s sister?” Jackson asked.

Miranda saw Riley bristle a bit at that, and wondered what the story was. Well, she could imagine the story. Hot guy. Her sister. “Yes.”

He didn't say any more, and she didn't know what to say, so she opened the door again. “I’m just going to see if I left anything in the car. Nice to meet you, Jackson.”

When she walked out, she saw his truck on the street, a big shiny thing with his name lettered on the side, not one of those magnet boards. A contractor, apparently.
 

She didn't have anything in her car, but she made a show of checking, anyway, to give the two of them privacy.
 

When she walked back in, empty-handed, the two were nowhere to be seen. Miranda thought about going up to her room, but the internet wasn't on yet, so she wouldn't be able to shop online. She didn't want to buy anything on her phone. She’d take her laptop and head over to the bakery, the only place in town that had WiFi. She supposed she could drive to the big box store an hour away, but why drive, when she could have the television delivered?
 

She parked in front of the bakery, thinking she’d just have maybe some coffee, and was getting her laptop out of the car when she saw Noah walk out of the antique store down the block. She looked from him to the sign over his head and blinked.
 

He saw her and color rushed to his cheeks. “My tia is there with Selena. I just drove because I had some stuff to do in town. You get moved in all right?”

“Sure. Just need to get a TV.”

“There’s a place in Pearsall that has good prices.”

She held up her laptop. “So do the online stores, and they deliver. I just need to borrow the WiFi here.”

“How are you going to know which one has the best picture?” he asked.

“I’ll read the reviews.”

He scowled. “How is that going to help? And how do you know if the reviews are accurate? We can just drive into Pearsall, look at what they have, and hell, if you don't like the price, at least you’ll know what you’re getting when you order online.”

“We?”

He lifted a shoulder. “Sure. I mean, if you find one you like, you want to get it in the truck, not your little car.”

“Are we good enough friends to drive to Pearsall together?”

“We could be.”

He called Ben to pick up Selena and his aunt, then signaled to his truck. She hesitated, and took a deep breath before walking to the passenger side of the truck. The last time she’d been in that truck, she’d been ready to ditch her clothes and her dignity just to be in his arms one more time. She set her computer case between them, as if that would slow down temptation.

“So I was going to come talk to you once you got settled in,” he said as he pulled onto the main road leading out of town. “I checked with the grocery store, and they told me the same thing Dad did, that the customers were unhappy with him being there, and wanted him gone. They said they tried to move him to where he wouldn't deal with customers but they still got backlash, so they let him go, like you said, during his probation period. His position is already filled, so they can’t hire him back. I guess it’s good that they sounded sorry about it. They said he was a good worker.”