Page 6 of Noah (Pecan Pines #4)

Chapter 6

Noah

Before the talk even finished, I quickly darted out of the room. I slipped into the crowd already gathering outside the pack house, keeping my stride steady and my focus fixed ahead.

If I played my cards right, I could make it to the other side without being stopped.

But luck, as usual, wasn’t on my side.

“Noah, wait up!”

That voice.

I tightened my grip on the binder in my hand and kept walking. Maybe if I pretended not to hear?—

“Noah!” Jackson called again.

I forced myself to slow down, my shoulders stiff as he caught up. “What’s up?” I asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

“Where are you headed?” Jackson asked, his long strides easily matching mine as he fell into step beside me.

I scrambled for an answer, something that would sound plausible without inviting more questions.

“I, um, need to help Ethan prep for the roundtable later.” It wasn’t entirely untrue—Ethan had mentioned needing help, and I’d said I’d help if I had time.

Jackson nodded. He didn’t seem convinced, but he didn’t press either. “I see,” he said.

I hoped he could take the hint and leave, but he kept walking beside me.

The silence between us stretched, but Jackson didn’t seem bothered. Then he spoke again, his tone light and familiar.

“That talk earlier reminded me of something. Do you remember when we tried to sneak onto the training field at Silvercrest after dark? Back when the summit was held there?”

I kept my gaze forward, the memory pushing at the edges of my mind. I bit the inside of my cheek. “Not really.”

He let out a low chuckle. “You’re lying.”

I didn’t respond, but the corner of his mouth twitched in that way it always did when he knew he was right. It used to drive me crazy.

“We thought we wouldn’t get caught,” he continued, undeterred. “But Hudson spotted us before we even made it halfway across the field. What did he call us again?”

Despite myself, my lips twitched. I pressed them together and forced my expression to stay neutral.

Jackson laughed softly, clearly enjoying himself. “You have to remember. He yelled so loud, my dad came outside to see what was going on.”

I shrugged, keeping my tone as indifferent as I could. “Maybe.”

Jackson bumped my shoulder lightly. “Come on, wasn’t it your idea to hide in the storage shed?”

I shot him a glare. “No.”

“Pretty sure it was,” he said, grinning.

“It wasn’t.”

“Then where did we hide?” He tilted his head as if trying to recall. “Oh, wait—was it under that old truck near the edge of the field?”

I stopped walking and turned to face him, narrowing my eyes. “We didn’t hide anywhere because you tripped over a rake and gave us away before we even had the chance.”

Jackson blinked at me for a moment before he burst out laughing, throwing his head back.

The sound caught me off guard. I hadn’t heard that carefree laugh of his in years.

“Oh, right!” he said between breaths. “I completely forgot about that.”

“You’re the reason Hudson heard us in the first place,” I muttered, though the corner of my mouth betrayed me with the smallest hint of a smile.

Jackson clutched his sides, his laughter tapering into an easy chuckle. “Okay, fine. I’ll take the blame for that one. Man, Hudson chewed us out so bad.”

The memory hit me then—the two of us standing there, muddy and sheepish, as Hudson lectured us.

It was ridiculous, looking back. And for a moment, I couldn’t help it. I laughed.

It was brief, just a small burst, but enough to remind me how easy it was to fall into old rhythms with Jackson. Too easy.

I cleared my throat, trying to pull myself back together. “I should go. Ethan’s probably waiting for me.”

Jackson’s smile dimmed slightly, but he nodded. “Right. Sure.”

I turned and walked away, not daring to look back, though I could feel his gaze following me.

As I rounded the corner and put some distance between us, I let out a slow breath, gripping the binder tighter.

I had to keep my distance. Jackson was too good at getting under my skin, and if I wasn’t careful, I’d lose control of everything I’d been working so hard to hold together.

I nudged Ethan’s shoulder, holding out the clipboard like it was some kind of peace offering. “Hey, swap shifts with me today.”

Ethan glanced at the clipboard, raising an eyebrow as he scanned the list. His finger slid down the page until it stopped at my name. “You’re scheduled to assist with… uh, monitoring the meeting room? That’s, like, the easiest job here. Why on earth would you want to switch?”

I hesitated, scratching the back of my neck. “Uh…”

How was I supposed to explain it? That Miles had practically tailor-made my schedule to keep me tethered to the Silvercrest pack—aka Jackson—for the entire summit? It wasn’t like I’d asked for this.

At first, I thought I could handle it—oversee logistics, answer a few questions. Stay professional. Easy enough, right? Wrong.

Apparently, “professional” didn’t include practically living in their shadow 24/7, running errands like I was their personal assistant.

The memory hit like a lightning bolt, and I winced. It started with a call from their room—some need for an updated schedule.

I’d knocked, the door swung open, and there he was. Jackson. Fresh from a run. Half-naked. Sweaty.

Just standing there like he wasn’t breaking a hundred unspoken rules.

Of course, my brain decided to short-circuit at the worst possible moment. My face went hot, and I had to fight not to look at him.

The look on his face when I’d barked at him to just text me next time—or better yet, go down to the pack house himself if he wanted something—was priceless.

And I’d ruined it by slapping the schedule against his stupidly solid chest and bolting out of there before my brain had a chance to catch up.

And now? Every time I saw something as simple as condensation on a water bottle, I thought about that one bead of sweat trailing down his neck. And how much I wanted to?—

“Noah?” Ethan’s voice snapped me back to reality.

I blurted, “It’s important!” a little too loudly, my voice echoing down the corridor.

Ethan blinked, startled. “Uh, okay?”

Realizing I’d overreacted, I forced a laugh, though it came out awkward. “What I mean is… I’m just sick of being stuck indoors all day. You know how it is. Help me out?”

Ethan crossed his arms, giving me a skeptical look. “You’re acting weird.”

“Am not,” I muttered, already regretting everything.

Ethan groaned, snatching the clipboard from my hands. “Fine. But you owe me.”

“Deal,” I said, exhaling in relief. One crisis averted.

Although Ethan didn’t look convinced. And honestly, he had every right to be.

If he knew the real reason, he’d probably join Miles in shoving me near Jackson at every opportunity.

I couldn’t keep this up. A whole summit of avoiding Jackson, of acting like a total weirdo around him? It wasn’t sustainable.

Griffin was already onto me. I kept zeroing in on him like a guard dog every time Jackson so much as looked in my direction.

If I wasn’t calling Griffin over, I was magically appearing at his side the second Jackson took a step toward me.

Using Griffin as an excuse to avoid talking to Jackson had worked so far, but I knew it wasn’t foolproof. Griffin wasn’t always around, and I couldn’t rely on him forever.

And when Griffin wasn’t around, or any other person I could catch to have a conversation with, I was a mess.

Every interaction I had with Jackson was short, clipped, and just shy of being outright cold. I could see the confusion in his face every time I shut him down.

The worst part? There were moments—fleeting, terrifying moments—when I forgot why I was even keeping my distance.

Like earlier, when he’d been walking beside me, joking about that stupid stunt we pulled at Silvercrest all those years ago.

For a second, it felt like nothing had changed. Like we were just Noah and Jackson again.

Those moments were the scariest because they reminded me of everything I’d tried so hard to bury.

The sound of his laugh. The way he looked at me, like he knew me better than anyone else ever could. And the way I’d catch myself wanting to let my guard down, just for him.

But I couldn’t. Not when the success of the summit was on the line.

Ethan studied me for a moment, then sighed, his shoulders dropping in defeat.

“Well… other than my shifts at the pack clinic, I guess I can switch with you on anything else.” He held up his clipboard, showing me his schedule for the day.

Grateful, I nodded and quickly scanned the paper. My eyes landed on one of the tasks: Assist with food prep for lunch. I grimaced.

Not that I hated kitchen duty or anything, but the idea of chopping onions or scrubbing pans wasn’t exactly a break from my usual routine.

I already spent enough time doing that kind of stuff at Griffin’s bar. Still, seeing Colton’s name listed next to the task softened the blow.

It could’ve been worse. At least Colton was easy to work with, even if he had a streak of bossiness.

But the real win wasn’t the task itself. It was the breather it would give me.

A moment to catch my breath. No dodging loaded stares or pretending my heart wasn’t hammering every time Jackson walked into a room.

I needed this—just a little space to let the tension unwind before it ate me alive.

Ethan must’ve noticed my hesitation because he nudged my arm. “What’s wrong? You don’t like working with Colton or something?”

I shook my head quickly and forced a smile. “No, it’s fine. Thanks, Ethan.”

He gave me a skeptical look but didn’t press. “Just don’t say I never do anything for you.”