with, council meetings to attend, new staff to train, but he still made time for whatever someone else needed. Some days it meant leaving the house before seven and not returning until ten. Other days it meant skipping meals and breaks. Driving all over town to attend to whatever had cropped up this time.
Usually, he enjoyed doing it. Giving something back to the town and the people. They hadn’t had to accept him, but they had. Opened their arms and their hearts and allowed him to come of age in a place that was safe and loving. Noah had only left them once in his life and even then only long enough to get his business degree.
There had never been any question in his mind about leaving permanently. And upon his return, he’d thrown himself into town life. Eight years later, he still didn’t regret it. Well, maybe he wouldn’t mind a weekend or two to himself. An afternoon to sit by the lake with his fishing pole and no one else. An evening where he turned off his cell phone and wasn’t interrupted. But that wasn’t his life.
Noah poured a cup of coffee and seated himself in front of his computer to do some work before the movers showed up. Sabrina had left him a message that she’d be by around ten to prepare for the movers and until then Noah had plenty of things to keep him busy and not think about what it might mean to have the attractive reporter living across the hall from him.
He started by examining the sales numbers for his two car dealerships, sent an email to the talent booked for this year’s Northern Lights festival and then reviewed the council minutes that were to be posted online on Monday.
He’d just emailed his assistant to approve the minutes when he heard the crunch of wheels turning into the driveway. A moment later, a knock sounded at the door and he rose to answer.
Noah didn’t expect his pulse to hammer when he opened the door. Although he’d seen her multiple times now—five, if he included this one—his attraction to Sabrina still caught him off guard. He wasn’t used to having feelings that snuck up on him or hit him over the head or did anything but stay in the neat little box he’d designed for them.
Bad enough that he wasn’t sure if he could trust Sabrina to interview him. But when he added this spark of attraction, things became tricky. She’d dated his younger brother and though that had been over for years and Kyle was long since happily married, it still created an awkwardness. She’d been with his brother. She had a broken friendship with his sister-in-law. Two of the people closest in the world to him.
“Hi.” She pushed a cup of coffee into his hands.
“Good morning.” Probably best that he just stick to being her neighbor. Help her move her furniture and boxes in and then excuse himself and get back to his own life.
“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this.” Sabrina’s eyes were bright and her hair, tugged back into a high ponytail, swirled around her shoulders as she spoke. Summer had arrived suddenly, going from jeans to cut-offs weather practically overnight, and the thin tank top she wore beneath a pink hoodie and a tiny pair of shorts left little to his imagination. His fingers bit into the sides of the coffee. “It all happened sort of fast. Anyway, I’m grateful.”
“No problem.” Noah took a sip from the steaming takeaway cup. Espresso. Double shot. His favorite. The fact that she remembered and had gone to the trouble to pick it up this morning when she was likely juggling a number of other things touched him. Some residents didn’t even remember that he liked coffee, offering tea or another beverage when he was at their homes cleaning gutters, shoveling snow or mowing the lawn.
She turned and headed across the entry to unlock the door to her place. Noah found himself watching the wiggle of her hips as she went. It wasn’t as though he planned to, but the shorts were vibrant red and demanded attention. Who was he to deny them their right? He sipped his coffee and enjoyed the moment.
Soon enough he’d be back to himself, mayor, employer, helper, but for a moment he was simply a guy enjoying a woman walking in front of him.
Sabrina pushed the door open and glanced back at him. “Come on in. Enjoy the dated decor.”
Noah pushed himself away from the door frame, closing the door behind him and followed her inside. She wasn’t lying about the apartment’s styling, but he’d already known that. The former tenants, an elderly couple, had often requested his help for small jobs: changing light bulbs, unclogging drains, dusting the corners of the ceiling. So he was well-versed in the pastel shades that they’d seemed to enjoy.
Sabrina stood with her hands on her hips. “Hideous, isn’t it. I’ll have to do something about it and quick. This stuff will give me nightmares.” She picked at the edge of a piece of wallpaper that had come loose. “How long do you think it will take me to get this off?”
“I have no idea.”
“Hours, probably.” She sighed. “Guess you wouldn’t want to help with this, too, would you?”
Noah pressed his lips together just in case his tongue got the idea to agree against his better judgment.
When she looked over her shoulder at him, she laughed. “I was only kidding. You’re already doing more than enough.”
The breath caught in his chest loosened. Sabrina hadn’t gotten upset or given him a look that said he’d disappointed her. His shoulders relaxed. Soon they were chatting about furniture placement and which items would go in which rooms. He was practically enjoying himself. “When is the truck arriving?”
She pulled her phone out of her pocket and glanced at the front door. “Any minute. Actually, I’ve got some boxes I brought over from my parents’ place in the car. Maybe we should grab those now. Get them out of the way.”
Noah followed her outside to the SUV parked beside the detached garage. She popped the back, exposing a stack of labeled and taped boxes. When she reached forward, her shorts pulled tight. He allowed himself to enjoy the view.
The rumble of a large engine drew his attention from the pretty sight. A box truck pulled into the driveway, followed by a gray sedan that he knew to be her parents’ because he’d sold it to them.
“Fantastic.” She shut the door, leaving the boxes inside and grinned up at him. “Sure you don’t want to back out? You’ve still got time.”
But suddenly, the idea of spending the day working alongside Sabrina sounded much more appealing than hanging out at the lake alone. Even with his fishing pole. “I’m happy to be here.” And he was.
Even four hours later, once she’d directed him to put the couch in four different places and the sweat was running down his back, Noah was still enjoying himself.
“Are you sure?” he asked. “You said it was perfect by the window.”
“I was wrong.” She shrugged. “Plus, I like seeing your muscles in action.” She winked.
A low heat swirled through him. Noah was pretty sure she was flirting with him. Had been for a while now. Ever since the movers had finished up and she’d sent her parents on their way about an hour ago. He moved the couch to her chosen location. “Good?”
Sabrina came around from behind the kitchen counter where she’d been unpacking utensils and cocked her head. “Yes. I think that’s the spot.”
“You realize that was the first spot.”
“I didn’t know that was the right spot until I saw the couch in other places.” She smiled up at him. “So thank you for hauling it around.” She went back to the kitchen, which opened onto the main room. “So tell me, Mr. Mayor. If you weren’t allowing me to appreciate the fine labor of your muscles, what would you be doing today?”
Noah lifted the hem of his shirt to wipe his brow. The day had warmed up, the sun now beating through her open windows. He could hear the hum of a nearby mower, the scent of freshly cut grass tickling his nose. What would he be doing? Working on the computer, babysitting his niece or nephews, heading into the office, answering requests from residents. “I’m not sure.”
“Really?”