Big break in photography was a relative term. The wedding and family photography paid the bills, but the artistic projects fed her soul. His reminder only made her more anxious.
“Change of subject?” he asked.
She nodded, wondering why she was surprised he could read her. He seemed to understand her better than anyone else ever had. Maybe it was because they were so alike—just another reminder that they were totally unsuitable for each other. How could two completely irresponsible people, who consciously avoided the hard topics, make a relationship work? The thought only made her sadder.
“Does Tortoise still sleep with that stuffed rabbit?”
“Yes,” she chuckled. “I couldn’t find it last week and he moped around for two days until I pulled it out from under the sofa.” She paused. “He misses you. We haven’t been to the dog park since you were last around.”
“Really? Are you taking him for walks in your neighborhood?” He glanced over at her, looking worried. “Your neighborhood’s sketchy, Lib. It’s not safe.”
“Tortoise will protect me. In fact, he did a few weeks ago.”
“What?” He sat up straighter. “What happened?”
“It was nothing bad. We were outside around midnight and some drunk homeless guy wandered up. Tortoise freaked out and scared him away.” She was playing it off now, but the guy had wigged her out at the time. He’d started calling her names as he zigzagged toward her. Tortoise had released a low growl and bared his teeth, sending the tottering man off.
“Why are you going outside at midnight?” He sounded angry.
“Calm down, Noah. I had to take Tortoise outside to pee.”
A scowl covered his face. “You need to move.”
“My lease isn’t up for another six months.”
“Move anyway.”
She sighed. “You know I can’t afford it.” She paused. “And I’m not doing the roommate thing again.” Her last one had stolen her credit card. Libby was still cleaning up that mess.
“Then come to Seattle and move in with me.”
She gasped. “What?” Was Noah interested in something more with her? Not just sex, but something serious. Moving in was so many levels above a hookup.
He looked surprised by his own statement, but he must have decided to go for it because he shrugged and said, “Why not? Seattle has a better artistic atmosphere than Kansas City.”
Her mind whirled with excitement and her heart beat furiously, catching her by surprise. Did she want more with him? “But my business . . . my clients . . .”
“You’ll find new ones.”
She sat there speechless for a few moments, her barely used practical side vying for attention. Knowing Noah, if he were interested in a romantic entanglement with her, he would already have put on the moves. Last night they’d shared a bed and he’d acted like a eunuch. Still, something unfamiliar glowed in her chest—a spark of hope—and she decided to dig deeper.
“Noah, how’s this gonna work? Am I supposed to hide in my room when you bring a girl home? Not to mention the fact that you have a one-bedroom apartment.”
He scowled. “I don’t like the idea of you being in that condo alone, Libby. Especially since Mitch isn’t around now.”
So he hadn’t contradicted her. She gave herself half a second to get over it before moving on to her next shocker. While she knew he cared about her, he’d never been this protective before. What was going on with him?
“If it’s money, I can help,” he said. “I don’t have much, but I can help you get out of your lease so you can move.”
“Noah, I can’t let you do that.”
“At least think about it, okay?” he asked quietly.
“Okay,” she agreed, if no other reason than because he sounded so worried.
They rode in silence for several minutes before she asked, “Where are we going?”
A big grin spread across his face. “Crazy.”
Chapter Nine
The hour and a half drive to Wilson, Kansas, was awkward for the first thirty minutes and it was entirely his own fault. He had no idea why he’d burst out with his suggestion that she move to Seattle, but there was no reeling it back in now. Even more alarming, he’d meant every word. He wanted her to move to Seattle with him. He wanted to try a real relationship.
What the hell did he do with that?
Libby was right¸ of course. There was no way she could move into his one-bedroom apartment with him as a friend. Would she be willing to try it if he moved to a bigger place? Maybe living together would help convince her they had what it took for a long-term relationship. He just needed to show her how compatible they were. Besides, now wasn’t the time for her to think about a new relationship. She was still devastated over her non-wedding to Mitch. She might not have gone through with it, but she was the one who’d proposed in the first place. Her heart had to be hurting. But if he was patient, if he showed her that he didn’t want to date other women, surely she’d be willing to give them a try.
What was he thinking? He’d quit his job less than forty-eight hours ago. He might be inexperienced with relationships, but he did know he needed to be gainfully employed to prove to her that he was a grown-up. Why had he gone off and quit?
Part of it was that he felt he could never be taken seriously at the firm after all the goofing off he’d done over the years. Up until a few months ago, the job had never been more than an obligation to him, and his own father had made it clear to him how poorly he would fulfill the family legacy. But the crazy thing was, he’d recently learned he liked responsibility and took pride in a job well done. The problem was that he needed to convince other people of that . . . and now he’d left the company on a whim and he had no idea what to do with his life.