Until Then

27. Noah

TWENTY-SEVEN

Noah

The glow of my phone stirs me awake. How long have I been asleep?

The shades of my room are drawn, but through the crack, pale sunlight is trying to break through. With a groan, I stretch out an arm and slap around on my nightstand until I have my phone. I blink through the assault of the screen light, but snap up.

I have over forty text messages.

This is why I should toss my phone in the ocean. Until I realize it’s not Rob or my PR team scrambling with damage control. Those messages are there, to be sure, but most are from a massive group text that consists of Carter, Perfectly Broken, and some of the Vegas Kings retirees.

I use the heel of one hand to rub the sleep from my eyes and skim through some of the messages.

Dax: I think he should get married in May, like me and Blake.

Bridger: As long as it’s in our backyard.

Tate: Yours! I intentionally designed my yard so you idiots would only want to spend time at my house. My house, Noah. Ellie and I will make it epic.

Rees: He’s not even awake, Hawkins.

Tate: He will be eventually, and I’m staking claim on the backyard wedding.

Bridger: I already did, T

Tate: Then I quit the band.

Parker: Rage quit after all these years. I respect that Tator-tot. Bridge needs to be humbled.

Bridger: Hey, Knight, do you want to see your nephews or . . .

Parker: Gare loves me more than you, and Declan is obsessed with Ever, so . . .

Bridger: Touché.

Dax: I don’t care where it’s done, as long as it’s done.

Carter: We won’t let him mess it up.

Carter: I bonded with her all morning over our daddy issues.

Rees: Keep watch on the story, guys. We have enough PR between us, we can handle it, right?

Dax: Did we forget my wife’s education is literally in public relations? Yeah, Blake’s on the case.

I chuckle. Something set them off, and I have no idea what it is. The most I caught from the conversation is they like Hayley. It’s all I want to know.

I open a few from Rob, Kim, and my other PR team. One is from Blake Sage, Dax’s wife, and a good friend. She congratulates me first on being every woman’s dream, informing me the truth behind the hit is being spread.

To know Hayley’s being brought into it doesn’t ease the nerves. I planned to do what my PR guy suggested—apologize, express it was surprise and stress at being grabbed by Shane Holston. A reaction.

Blake wants me to lean into Hayley’s truth from her story.

Hayley’s truth? What?

There’s a voicemail and text from one of the lawyers from my management company. I listen to his assurances since Holston touched me first and with Hayley’s corroboration, he believes this will settle outside of the press.

Her corroboration?

Finally, I reach Vienna’s text.

Vienna: She’s solid, No. I’m so happy for you.

Below the words is a screen recording of a social media live video.

I swallow, sit up, and hit play.

“When do I know it’s live?” Hayley keeps her voice in a low whisper.

Behind her is my freaking balcony view. Her hair is free, the breeze keeps blowing the strands around her freckled cheeks. She’s wearing the simple sundress she wore when we came back to my place.

She’s perfect.

“I think it’s on? Wait, I don’t know. Hang on.” Off camera, Rees shuffles the phone in his hands. For a few seconds, the camera pans to him, a horrible angle, practically up his nose. He curses, then hurries to flip it around. “It’s live. It’s live.”

Hayley smooths the skirt of her dress—her nervous habit—and waves at the camera. “Um, hi. I’m not good at these things, and don’t really have a script. I’m doing this on Rees’s page because we didn’t ask Noah. He’d say no because he’s protective, but so are we. So, anyway.”

She pauses and looks down at her hands, as though she’s gathering the words to say.

“I’m Hayley Foster.” Her eyes lift again. “You might recognize me from the few videos Noah has been posting from my ranch. Little glimpses of my therapy sessions. That’s all I am, an occupational therapist, who happens to be dating a TV star. But what happened yesterday between Noah and Shane Holston is my fault. At least, I was the fire that caused Noah to react.”

“Hayley.” I rake my fingers through my hair. “What did you do?”

Whatever I’m going to see already happened. There’s nothing I can do but grit my teeth and brace for my beautiful, bold Wildfire to finish.

Another pause. I know Hayley well enough to recognize when she’s summoning the courage to go on. “Shane Holston is my father. I use that word loosely. He donated half my DNA, let’s say that. He’s made it clear to me since I was one that the truth of his connection to me is his greatest shame. He has fought tirelessly to keep it private, and I’ve gone along with it for twenty-seven years. Not anymore.

“It was because of me Noah was brought into a meeting with Holston Films. It was because of me Noah had no idea Shane was my father. I never told him, and that’s on me. I’d learned to play my part of being the dirty, little secret kid well. But Shane is arrogant and truly thought Noah was with me all to get roles with his company.”

“Idiot.” Rees’s soft insult is barely caught by the camera.

Hayley grins and presses a finger to her lips. “You said you’d be quiet.”

“Sorry. Keep going.”

“Anyway.” Hayley gives my brother a bemused look, then faces the camera again. “Noah was blindsided by this man—my father—extorting Noah with threats to his career. He was told he would never be able to work with Holston Films if he continued seeing me.” A flush of red creeps up her neck as her temper flares. “That’s how much Shane Holston doesn’t want my existence known.”

“Wildfire” I whisper to the dark. Pain is in her eyes, her voice. I want to hit Shane all over again.

Hayley clears her throat and barrels on. “Noah tried to end the meeting. What you saw was a good man trying to excuse himself from a toxic conversation. Shane followed him, grabbed him to get him to stop, said, frankly, disgusting things about me, and Noah reacted.”

She closes her eyes for a breath. “Noah will be the first to say he doesn’t condone violence, but he’s also human. He has . . . he has the best heart I’ve ever had the privilege of loving. What he did was in defense of me, and I . . . well, I just wanted people to know the other side. Cameras and rumor tabloids don’t tell the whole story.”

The camera shifts a bit as Rees moves.

Hayley’s shoulders rise and she opens her hands. “Well, that’s about all I wanted to say. I’m not being paid to do this, Noah has no idea.”

“Pretty sure he’s going to be pissed at us pretty soon,” Rees mutters.

“Probably.” Hayley nods. “I wanted to speak out because a good friend told me earlier, sometimes bullies like Shane Holston never learn until they’re brought out into the sunlight. I won’t let a man who will never be able to deserve the title of dad bully a man who is worth everything to me.” She looks like she’s about to wave goodbye until she stops. “Oh, and if anyone wants proof he’s my dad, I have pictures. A birth certificate?—”

“You’re not sharing your birth certificate,” Rees interjects.

“Right. Probably a bad idea.”

I laugh softly and press a palm to my chest. She’s so not accustomed to this life, yet there she is, stepping into view of millions, my own battle champion.

“Pictures then. He was there for about a year of my life, and his mom—my cute grandma—even more.” She glares at the phone. “As for you, Shane. Grandma Mim would be ashamed of you. I know I am. You’ve lived up to every disappointment I could ever imagine. That is your legacy to us, and it always will be.”

“Good?” Rees asks in a whisper.

Hayley nods. “Yeah, I’m good. Thanks for listening, everyone. Again, Noah will want me to say don’t punch people.” She lowers her voice. “But as for me, I’m saying ladies, get you a man who’s willing to stand up to anyone for merely speaking poorly of you. Ten out of ten, highly recommend.”

The screen recording stops. I fall back on my bed.

The woman is infuriating.

She’s perfect.

She’s mine.

A smile splits over my mouth.

When I step out of my room, showered and dressed, I find my brother and future wife lost to a rousing game of chess at my kitchen table.

Hayley nearly falls out of her chair when I sneak up behind her and kiss her cheek.

“You’re awake.” She beams up at me.

“Yeah. Woke up to my phone blowing up.” I shoot a glare at my brother. “What were you thinking, Regina?”

“I’m thinking your girlfriend had a really good idea.” He rolls a pawn between his fingers. “She didn’t want to let you take the fall without the full story, and I happened to agree.”

“Please don’t be angry at Rees,” Hayley says. “I didn’t let it go.”

“She asked me once.”

Now, Hayley glares at him, before squaring to me. “It doesn’t matter. I needed to confront Shane. Honestly, I should’ve a long time ago. He’s done interfering in my life, and I’m certainly not going to let him mess with yours. Consider the video my version of a punch to the nose.”

“I checked with Blake first,” Rees said. “You know. I wanted to make sure we didn’t hurt your case if the slimeball comes at you legally. We were assured if it’s on my account, with you nowhere to be seen, you really can’t control what people say on their public platforms.”

“But your clients.” I look to Hayley. “I don’t want this to put your business, your ranch, at risk.”

“Noah.” She gives me a befuddled look. “Don’t you know, you’re more important than a ranch?”

I need to kiss this woman and soon.

“Look,” Rees says. “It’s going to help to have the other side of the story. Already, people are tagging Holston Films, calling for Shane to back off. Some are asking for boycotts already. He’ll want the firestorm to die down.”

Hayley crosses her arms over her chest. “If I know my dad—and as much as I don’t know him, I do—he’s going to want this problem to go away, and fast.”

I lift her palm to my lips, kissing her there. “I love you, you know that?”

She kisses my cheek. “Yes. I feel the same, Pretty Boy. More than you know.”