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“Like the zoo,” he agreed. He grew quiet and she left him to his thoughts but the silence became prolonged.
“What are you thinking about?” she asked.
He lifted the other shoulder. “Just that these are the things their mother is missing out on. Taking them to the zoo. Going ice skating in Central Park closer to the holidays. And if she’s missing out, so are the girls.”
Fallon sighed. “I can’t say I know what it’s like to be a mom.” Though she hoped to one day. “But I imagine she’s torn between a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to follow her dreams, and the twins. I’ve never met her but Dakota and Dylan are very well-adjusted kids. That’s due to your joint parenting. Everyone will be fine,” she assured him.
“Anyone ever tell you you’re pretty wise for someone so young?”
“My brothers call me a wise-ass, does that count?”
He chuckled and they settled back into their own thoughts, leaving Fallon to realize he’d confided in her about his fears for the girls. Oh, he’d mentioned it before, but she’d heard the deeper worry behind the words and was grateful she could be here to soothe his concerns, something Ezra had never let her do.
He’d pat her on the head and minimize her own worries but he never confided in her about his deepest feelings. Noah’s ability to tap into his emotions and be vulnerable made him more of a stand-up guy than anyone she’d known in the past. Definitely more than her ex. Noah Powers was his own man and she appreciated everything about him.
They must have dozed back to sleep because she woke again, this time to the ringing of her cell phone in the other room.
“I’ll grab it.” Noah levered his big body up and strode out of room, unabashedly nude.
She took the time to admire the view.
“Like what you see?” he asked with a smirk on his handsome face. Even with bedhead and a scruff of beard on his face, he was the best-looking man she’d ever seen.
“I take the Fifth. Your ego is big enough.”
He tossed the phone onto the bed and she picked it up and glanced at the screen. She didn’t recognize the number but the message left made her freeze.
“What’s wrong?”
“It was the police. The gallery was vandalized,” she said, already scrambling out of bed, her mind on the valuable, irreplaceable artwork inside.
“Jump in the shower, I’ll be right there. Then I’ll take you over.”
Shivering and numb, she did as Noah suggested, taking a quick shower, then ceding the bathroom to him. All the while she was grateful that however bad this was, she wouldn’t have to face it alone.
***
Noah drove themto the gallery and parked in a spot across the street. Yellow police tape prevented them from entering. Fallon approached the officer on duty and explained she worked there.
He let them walk inside.
“Oh my God!” Fallon placed a hand over her open mouth, horror dripping from her words as she took in the scene.
Noah wrapped an arm around her waist and led her to one of the barstools set up in the corner. She sat down, her breathing heavy, as she obviously tried to come to terms with the destruction.
“Oliver!” she exclaimed, and jumped out of her seat.
Noah turned and caught sight of Clara’s son walking toward them.
“Fallon. How did you know to be here?” he asked, folding his arms across his chest.
“I’m on the emergency list. Where’s Clara?”
“Right here,” her boss said, as she slowly made her way from the back room.
Even from a distance, Noah could see the dark circles under her eyes and the wan appearance of her skin. Even Noah realized the older woman had gone downhill fast.
“Clara, come sit.” Fallon rushed over and with the aid of her walker, helped Clara to sit. “Why didn’t you send Oliver? You need to be in bed!”