He followed the movement by habit before wrenching his gaze away from her mouth. “Talking about what?”
She lifted her chin a notch, eyes focused on Delia. “Puzzles. And the local Puzzlers Club.”
That obviously wasn’t the full story. Had they been back here discussinghim? Delia had a way about her—mothering everyone in her path. Offering jobs, wisdom, hugs…whatever was needed, especially to the youth in the area. But you never outgrew Delia. She was one of the most respected women in Magnolia Bay, and the thought of Elisa spewing unfair details about him all these years he’d been gone lit a match in his chest.
Noah fought back his temper. He didn’t want to fight with Elisa, but he also couldn’t sit there pretending like they were polite strangers anymore. If they were going to be running into each other around town at all after this, they needed to set some ground rules. “Elisa, listen, we need to?—”
“Look!”
Delia’s eyes fluttered open and locked on Noah. “It’s about time you showed up, boy.”
* * *
Elisa didn’t need Noah Hebert. Fool me once and all that, and she’d been fooled twice already.
But bless it, the man was hard to resist.
Elisa shoved her hair back from her damp forehead as she hovered, wanting to help the uniformed firemen but knowing she was completely in the way. Noah had tugged on her arm a moment ago, trying to edge her away from the bustling crew taking Delia’s blood pressure, examining the lump on the back of her head, and bandaging her arm. But she’d shrugged him off, partly out of desire to stay right where she was…and mostly because the touch of his fingers had her lighting up like a firefly.
Now Noah waited near the door, arms crossed as he kept an eagle-eye on Delia as the men finished their efficient routine. Noah, protective? He’d bailed on everyone years ago and hadn’t looked back. He was a little late.
Even if he had been quite the hero for Delia today. The way he’d taken charge of the scene, helped Elisa breathe again, and acted cordially—as if their family’s joint history wasn’t more tattered than her great-grandma’s quilt currently draped over the foot of her bed. As if the older firemen hadn’t cast curious looks between her and Noah standing in the kitchen. Together. Montagues and Capulets.
Elisa tugged her phone free of her pocket, straining to hear the low voices of the men moving Delia onto a stretcher. She should text Mr. Bowman. The kind lawyer who always ordered bear claws had asked her to stop by his law office that afternoon, but she might need to stay at the café now. Everything that was so sure a half an hour ago felt so up in the air.
Then a muffled female voice joined the din. “Elisa?”
Oh thank heavens. Delia was awake again. After she’d looked up at Noah and spoken those few cryptic words, she’d drifted right back out.
“I’m here!” Elisa shoved her phone back in her pocket and shot forward as the firemen secured the older woman onto the gurney. “She’s talking. That’s good, right?”
They ignored her question, but as she met Noah’s gaze across the room, she watched a wave of what seemed to be relief wash over his face. So itwasa good sign, even if the paramedics couldn’t admit it. For the first time in what felt like an hour, Elisa took a full breath.
“Elisa? Is that you?” Delia’s head was secured into a position where she could only look at the ceiling.
“It’s me!” She knelt next to the lowered gurney and took Delia’s clammy hand, trying to lean into the older woman’s limited view while staying out of the way of the fireman working the straps. Then she looked up. “Wait. Where is she going?”
“Magnolia Memorial.” Captain Sanders impatiently adjusted the brim of his cap and then gestured for two of the men to hoist the stretcher. “Come on. Let’s get her loaded.”
The hospital. Elisa’s throat tightened. “Why?”
“You know I can’t tell you that, Ms. Bergeron. Protocol.” Captain shrugged. “You’re not next of kin.”
Elisa reluctantly stood and moved away from the stretcher as Noah cleared his throat. “Elisa is close enough to family, and everyone in the room knows it.”
Elisa stilled. Noah Hebert, defending her? Somewhere really far south had just frozen over. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that—and on second thought, it was probably best shedidn’tfeel a single thing about it.
And she sure didn’t need him coming to her rescue twice in one day.
Ignoring Noah, she rested her free hand on the captain’s arm, working up a soft smile. “Darlin’, Ms. Bergeron was my mama. You call me Elisa.”
“Of course. Elisa.” Captain dipped his head, shifting his weight beside the now raised stretcher. His arm warmed beneath her hand.
She looked at him from beneath her lashes. “Now, Evan…of course I respect you as captain and all…but you know you used to pull my hair in fourth grade. I think we’re beyondprotocol, don’t you?” She cocked an eyebrow and widened her smile.
Heat flushed the man’s tanned cheeks, and he coughed. But the sudden banging of the kitchen doors sounded before he could answer. Elisa whipped her head to see who had left.
Noah.
