Page 32 of The Love Bus

HOLY GUACAMOLE

B y the time I made it outside early the next morning, the bus was already waiting in front of the hotel, idling beneath the still-pale morning sky like a sleepy giant that had just finished its first cup of coffee.

Because, personal lives aside, Tay had a schedule to keep. And Tay’s schedule was sacred.

I climbed aboard, feeling like I’d done this a thousand times before instead of just… Was this really only day three? It felt like so much longer. Maybe because every single second of our days was filled to the brim. And yesterday…had been unexpected.

And…fun.

Really fun.

Until Noah had disappeared when he’d taken his phone call, leaving me feeling like an idiot for assuming he liked hanging out with me as much as I’d enjoyed hanging out with him.

Oh my God, I felt like I was in high school again.

Now, as I stepped onto the bus, I was second-guessing everything I’d told him yesterday. Had I talked too much? Overshared? Had he spent the entire gondola ride down thinking of ways to get away from me?

And as if my spiraling thoughts weren’t enough, there was also my call with Ashley. And Leo’s confusing voicemail.

To top it all off, as I made my way down the aisle, I spotted Babs once again seated next to Mrs. Grady, her crochet hook gliding through yarn with the focus of a woman entirely immune to relocation. Dressed in her usual purple-and-mint tracksuit, she looked like a queen claiming her throne.

When her gaze landed on me, she winked. “Morning, sweetheart.”

Then, right back to Mrs. Grady: “You’re gonna have to frog it, Christine.”

“Frog it?” Mrs. Grady frowned.

“You know, rip it, rip it, rip it. Don’t worry, I’ll help you get going again.”

I hovered awkwardly, not quite sure what to do, until I felt someone sidle up behind me.

“Window or aisle, Faraday?”

His voice was easy. Light. And when I turned, already bracing myself for a reserved version of him, he stretched his arms overhead, lifting the hem of his shirt just enough to flash a stripe of bare skin.

Sweet cinnamon rolls. This man.

Taut abs, a pair of jeans that sat low on his hips, creating maximum distraction, and a few curling hairs I would absolutely not allow myself to imagine touching.

Eyes up, I reminded myself.

But then I caught his expression. Warm. Open. And completely unguarded.

Just like that, the noise in my head quieted.

Of course, he still wanted to talk to me.

“Window?” I shrugged. “Unless you want?—”

He was already shaking his head.

And then, his gaze dipped.

A quick flicker, trailing over my sundress—the one that was snug around the bodice but flared out at the waist. The one I knew showed off my figure more than my usual flowy skirts and blouses.

His eyes lingered, lazily…

And when they lifted back to mine… Yup. There it was. The same thing I was feeling.

A nervous laugh bubbled up before I could stop it, because, oh, no, I felt that.

“Good morning, travelers!” Tay’s voice rang out over the speaker system. “Hope everyone got a good night’s rest because we’ve got a full day ahead.”

While I settled into my seat, pretending I wasn’t buzzing from that look , a few scattered murmurs and yawns filled the air.

Tay continued, “This morning, we’ll be heading west into Utah—specifically, Moab.”

“Everything okay at home?” I asked Noah softly.

“At home?”

“Your phone call yesterday,” I added. “You seemed…worried.”

He rubbed his neck, wincing a little. “Yeah, no. Just work stuff.”

I nodded. Work stuff? I didn’t have to worry about work. Jolted into the reality I had waiting for me at home, I stared down at my phone.

“What about you? Everything good back home?” He’d lowered his voice, and when I glanced up, I couldn’t quite read the question in his eyes. But he knew about the show.

He knew about Leo.

“Pretty much, yeah.”

If Noah was just a friend, I could tell him about the voicemail, right?

Or would that be too much?

Before I could make up my mind what to say next, a low buzzing came from Noah’s backpack. He reached down, pulled out his phone, and answered without looking at me.

“Hey. What’s up?”

I couldn’t hear the voice on the other end, but Noah’s eyebrows knit together as he listened.

“She’s probably just mad I haven’t been home,” he said after a beat. “Pippa gets around. It won’t be the first time she’s disappeared… Yeah? I left some chicken in the fridge. There’s gravy in the freezer. Just defrost that in the microwave.”

I didn’t even pretend not to be listening.

He slid me a quick, sheepish glance. “No. I haven’t decided yet. I told him I’d schedule a meeting when I get back… Yeah. Okay. Thanks, man.”

And with that, he ended the call and tucked the phone back into his bag.

“Sorry about that.”

“No problem,” I said, but my brain was spinning.

“I’ve known Simon since med school. He’s holding the fort down while I’m gone.”

I nodded. Totally not imagining some woman named Pippa waiting for Noah to come home.

“My cat,” he added, as if on cue. “Pippa.”

I blinked. Pippa was…a cat!

The relief that whooshed through me was embarrassingly potent.

“Of course. Obviously.”

“Did you think…” Noah shot me a glance—one that said he’d absolutely clocked my mistake. His mouth twitched, and then he laughed, an actual, full-body, crinkly-eyed laugh.

Just like that, the last bit of stiffness dropped from his shoulders, and he picked up the conversation like I hadn’t been weird at all.

“Yeah. Simon went over to feed her this morning, and she wasn’t there.”

“She just…comes and goes?” I asked, curious despite myself.

“Yup. There’s this widow down the street—Missus Clark. Pippa’s convinced she lives there too. Shows up, looks tragic until she gets fed, then waltzes back like nothing happened.”

“Sounds pretty clever.”

“It’s infuriating,” he muttered, but his voice was tinged with unmistakable fondness. “I bought her this ridiculously expensive heated cat bed. She ignored it for a month. Slept in the box it came in.”

Sweet baby carrots . Nothing could keep me from grinning at this. “She sounds like a con artist.”

“Oh, she is. Tiny, furry manipulator. She’s got the whole block wrapped around her paw.” He looked at me then, warm and relaxed. “I’m just the guy who pays the mortgage.”

That was when it hit me—this version of Noah. Talking about his cat. Not brooding, not biting. Just…a guy. A little amused, a little exasperated.

Totally, completely adorable.

This crush had just gotten even more inconvenient.

“We’ll be on the road for about three hours this morning.

” Tay’s voice cut off our conversation. She was standing at the front of the bus like a general rallying her troops for battle.

“Before we explore the park, we’ll stop for lunch in Moab, where you’ll have your pick of some of the best restaurants on the entire tour.

But don’t get too comfortable. At 1300 hours, we’re heading to Arches National park where we’ll make four different stops.

I highly encourage all of you to take the short hikes at these pull-offs. Trust me, the views are worth it.”

She paused, sweeping a look over her audience like a teacher about to drop a pop quiz. “That said, we’re in the desert for the next few days. And in the desert, there’s only one rule more important than showing up at the bus on time.”

A dramatic pause. Tay lived for these.

“On the count of three, I want everyone to tell me what you absolutely must be mindful of. One, two, three?—”

Halfhearted murmurs rippled through the bus.

“Water…”

“Staying Hydrated.”

“Drinking…”

Tay’s unimpressed silence was louder than words. She crossed her arms, tilting her head in sheer disappointment. “That was pathetic.”

Beside Mrs. Grady, Babs cleared her throat. “Water, darling. The nectar of life!” she proclaimed, lifting her bottle as if she were making a toast.

Tay ignored her and tried again. “One more time, with feeling. One, two, three?—”

This time, the group rallied, albeit with a few exaggerated eye rolls.

“WATER!”

Tay nodded, satisfied. “Much better. I’ve only had two travelers die on me, and I’d really like to keep that number where it is.”

A shocked and heavy silence fell.

Then, from the front of the bus, Ed leaned into the aisle. “Three strikes and you’re out, huh?”

Without missing a beat, Tay shot back, “You got it, Ed. And honestly, I would rather not have to arrange transportation for another corpse. So much paperwork….” She clapped her hands. “So, let’s avoid that altogether, shall we? Hydrate or die-drate.”

I glanced down at my probably insufficient bottle of water and made a mental note to grab another one at lunch.

“After our Moab adventure, we’ll be heading back into Colorado, where we’ll be spending two nights in Grand Junction.”

A few people clapped. Someone in the back muttered something about “finally, a two-night stay,” like we’d been trekking through uncharted wilderness rather than riding in a climate-controlled tour bus.

I leaned slightly toward Noah, dropping my voice. “So…just the cat, then?”

“And two goldfish,” he said with a straight face.

I blinked. “Do they have names?”

“Plink and Jumbo.”

I grinned. “Nice.”

He sighed, long-suffering. “I think Jumbo’s overweight.”

I nearly choked on what was left of my water. “What?”

“He hogs all the food for himself, and then poor Plink hardly gets any. I can’t put Jumbo on a diet, because then Plink would shrivel up into nothing.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Wait, I thought fish just stopped eating when they were full.”

“That’s what I thought too,” he said, shaking his head. “Turns out Jumbo has no off switch.”

“Maybe you should separate them. Two tanks.”

“I’ve thought about it. I just don’t want them to be lonely.”

Just when I thought this guy couldn’t be more irresistible.

As a friend, of course.

“A dilemma,” I said, nodding gravely. “Have you considered increasing his exercise?”

Noah gave me a long look. “I haven’t actually.”

“You could blow a little whistle. Make Jumbo do underwater sprints.”