Noah's Journey (Sawyer Brothers #3) Read Online Free PDF Page A

I barely knew her was a mystery to me. I am not a hateful person, but she pissed me off with just one flick of her hair.
    “Jackson met Austin last night,” Bailey said as she continued to look through the patterns I had stretched out all over my room. “He said that he looks a lot like Noah.”
    I nodded as I remembered thinking the same thing the first night I saw Austin and his big blue eyes. “From what little I saw of him, I’d have to agree. He’s adorable.”
    “He stayed at his mom’s last night.”
    I looked up from the sewing machine in front of me and waited for her to explain.
    “Maybe I shouldn’t be the one to tell you,” Bailey said, trying to backtrack, but there was no way I was letting her off that easily.
    “Well, you already started, so maybe you need to keep going.” I didn’t take my eyes from hers.
    “Okay, damn, stop with the evil eye.” She rolled her eyes as she sat on the end of the bed. “Tammy told us this morning that Stacey really laid it on thick last night. Apparently, when Noah showed up to drop Austin off, she broke down.”
    “Broke down?” I asked.
    “Cried, hysterically. She got Austin all upset. Her parents took him inside and got him ready for bed so Noah and Stacey could talk.” Bailey shrugged. My stomach knotted as her words confirmed my fears of Stacey playing Noah. “Noah was a mess after that crazy scene. He showed up at Tammy’s place, and she called Jackson and Ryan to come over. They all sat up for hours talking. I don’t even know what time it was when Jackson finally made it back home.”
    I couldn’t keep looking at Bailey, not when she was giving me that pitying look. So I turned back toward the sewing machine and began pushing the silk material through the feeder, focusing completely on each stitch and the sound of the needle as it punctured the cloth as if I was moving in slow motion. A large lump of insecurity settled in my throat, making me feel like the room was closing in around me.
    “Lena,” Bailey whispered, but I kept my back to her. I couldn’t face her right now. In fact, I couldn’t face anyone. I just wanted to be alone.
    When her hand came to rest on my shoulder, I jumped in surprise. “She may be trying to wiggle her way back in, but I’ve seen the way he looks at you. Don’t doubt it, just give him time to figure this all out. I can’t even attempt to imagine what’s going on in his mind. I’m sure he’s terrified that if he says or does the wrong thing around Stacey that she’ll take Austin from him. That can’t be an easy feeling to deal with.”
    I knew she was right. I just had to trust that what he said was true. That he had feelings for me, and Stacey being here couldn’t change that.
     
    ***
     
    “Mr. West, that’s really kind of you, but I just don’t feel right about not paying rent,” I said as I stood in the doorway of the small commercial space. It was the perfect size for a boutique. There was a small office in the back along with storage space and a work area. Out front I would have room to display my clothing and even stock it with ordered-in items as well, from purses to shoes, and of course my favorite line of lingerie.
    It was also the perfect location. I would be close to Amber’s bakery and my apartment, yet I would have the room to begin my own journey. For the first time in days, I felt excited. But Mr. West was refusing to accept any money for the space, and that was making me hesitate.
    “Alena, sweetheart, this building has sat empty for almost two years. After Mary died, I left it just as it was with all her craft items everywhere. I didn’t have the heart to clear it out. She loved this little place. She called it her haven. She would spend hours here just creating trinkets and decorations for every season. She never truly did it for the money, she just loved the joy in the eyes of those she created things for. If she broke even each month, she was overjoyed.” I watched in silence