Until Then

Chapter One

Noah

Award shows were long, packed, and too hot. I’m honored, truly, to still be an actor people want to see on the screen. After Wicked Darlings ended five years ago, followed by a long break from film work, I didn’t think I’d be relevant.

The speed at which the new darling of Hollywood takes hold, left me convinced I’d be lost in a sea of auditions, rejections, and, honestly, I was fine with it.

There’s much, much, more in my life that deserves my attention than any job. But the role for part of a World Ward II spy group opened, and my historical documentary heart latched onto the idea of a soft return to the silver screen.

It was an amazing project with filming abroad for three months. Traveling with my family and Wildfire? I’ll take twenty more.

I hadn’t anticipated the role as the grifter of the crew would land me here, award in hand, and waiting in a busy lobby for Hayley to emerge from the ladies room. Frankly, I don’t know how she’s going to get anything done with her dress and the countless others with heavy lace and satin.

Briar literally had to offer a tutorial on how the gown worked before we came tonight. I glance at my watch. We’re definitely among the early crowd to slip away before afterparties even begin.

Another thing, I’m totally fine with doing.

While I wait, I scroll through recent pictures we took at the beach. Rees and Vienna drove out for a full two weeks during the winter break. Perfectly Broken begins a new worldwide tour in March. I’ll soak up all the time with my Jude man as I can. He’s even coming to stay with us for a few weeks, all to give the kid a break from the road and hotels and planes.

And, I’m not sure he likes to be away from his comfort zone too much, aka Ever Knight. Parker and the guys promised to bring their families to the ranch for a getaway while Jude’s here. Those two kids are practically inseparable. It’s friendship—deep friendship. Ever looks out for Jude, she’s protective of him, and Jude does the same for her. Always making certain she’s all right, signing secret things only she notices.

I’m waiting to hear he’s got a crush on his best friend someday. Hayley insists they behave platonically, but the kid is turning eleven soon. He’s going to start noticing girls soon enough, and his bestie happens to be one.

Not saying it’ll mean anything, but I’m just saying he’s going to notice.

I move aside when an entourage powers through the doors leading toward the ballrooms and party venues.

“Noah.”

I tear my gaze from the photo of Jude spinning a little toddler around on the beach, smiles for days on both their faces.

It’s a bit disappointing to look away from perfection to meet the stern gaze of Shane Holston. We knew he was here. We watched him accept two awards for his direction on the film that won best picture.

During his speeches, I took Hayley’s hand, squeezed, and she leaned her head onto my shoulder, whispering all the ways we’d celebrate my win once we got home. The woman is devious and beautiful, and she only made my desire to hurry home greater.

She absolutely did it to distract me from growling at the stage. My wife’s evil plan worked until this moment.

“Shane.” Awards are handed out for photo-ops, but we actually get them later. I nod at the certificates his assistant holds. “You had a good night.”

He clears his throat. “As did you.”

“Yeah. It was good.”

From over the crowds of people, I catch sight of Hayley’s fiery hair. She’s still the woman who’ll apologize to everyone she accidentally bumps, so her room crossings take five times as long. But she’s a sight that will always draw a smile, speed the pulse, heat my blood.

I’m more in love with the woman now than the day with the blueberry scone.

I’ve learned most of her quirks, she knows most of mine. She gives me her fears and troubles, and gallantly holds the torch when darker thoughts creep in to my own head.

Hayley Hayden makes her laugh every time I say her full name. She insists her name is hardly creative now, but finds it ironic how many ‘hays’ are in it since she has hay fever and deals with hay on the daily.

She’s mine, and I’ll be forever grateful I walked into that café eight years ago.

“You’re not attending the parties?” Shane asks when I signal to the valet we want our car.

“No.” I keep my attention to Hayley, unwilling to let her father sour the night. Shane hasn’t bothered us much since I hit him in the face, but we occasionally find ourselves in the same venues.

Hayley doesn’t notice him at first and blows out a breath like she’s relieved. “I survived. Briar’s tips helped but this dress is the trickiest and—” She catches Shane’s gaze over my shoulder. “Oh. Hello.”

It still turns my stomach a bit how a daughter and father can be so distant, so . . . cold. I understand more now, and what’s happening, right here, is my worst nightmare. It’s something I will never allow happen.

Shane nods at my wife, clearly uncertain what to say for a breath. Finally, he clears his throat. “I’d be happy to buy you both a drink if you stay. A congratulations.”

“We need to get home,” Hayley says and laces her fingers through mine. She glances up at me. “Mom says she’s waiting for her story.”

I bite down on the inside of my cheek at Shane’s confusion. Makes this entire interaction worth it, leaving him thinking Val is somehow at home waiting for us to tell a tale. No doubt, my wildfire did it on purpose.

“It’s way past her bedtime.” I look at my watch again. “That girl is more stubborn than you.”

Hayley snickers and starts to lead the way out. But, call it a touch of pettiness, I face Shane. “We’re needed at home. She asks me to read to her every night, and I can’t disappoint her.”

Shane arches one brow, clearly unsettled. “Valerie?”

One corner of my mouth curves. “No. My daughter.”

“He deserved it,” I say, voice low, as we step onto the porch. Over the years, we’ve added on to Hayley’s farm house. More bedrooms since we recently announced number two will be here soon, a playroom, an office, two guest rooms, and an upstairs loft that spans the entire house we use for game rooms and TV.

Hayley gives me a pinched look. “Admit it, you did it to rub it in his face.”

“A little.” I open our front door. “Worth it though. The look on his face. Mmm. Perfect.”

Hayley snickers, but lets out a long sigh when she kicks off her heels in the front entryway. “I’ve been waiting for this moment since I put those creatures on my feet.”

I press a kiss to the side of her neck as I stride past.

“Oh you’re back.” Val grins and closes her book. “How’d it go.”

“Noah picked another fight with Shane.” Hayley squeezes my arm when she passes me to go get a glass of water from our kitchen.

Val’s face shadows.

“I did not.” I roll my eyes. “I simply gave him the reason we weren’t staying. It’s not my fault if he has decades of guilt at being an absentee father. I can’t help it if it irks him I was invited to the same party, yet have the best father daughter relationship known to man.”

Hayley groans dramatically. “Tell us you have an ego, Pretty Boy.”

Val chuckles. “Speaking of that father-daughter situation. She’s waiting for her dad.”

I give my mother-in-law a quick hug and slip into the third room down the hallway where I’m accosted with a plethora of pink and white and stuffed horses.

“Sophie-bug.” I kneel in front of the big-girl-bed we moved our girl into last week.

Sophie gives me a toothy smile and wraps her little arms around my neck, running her palm against the slight stubble there—her nightly ritual. “I wanna read, daddy. ‘Tay?”

“Okay, bug. Let’s read.” Two and a half, pint-sized, and this girl owns my heart as much as her mom.

I settle onto the floor and open her favorite board book about a baby dragon who’s afraid of the dark. Sophie props her chin on my shoulder, looking at the pictures while she tells me to do the voices for the daddy dragon, the mommy, the grandpa, and grandma—but she does the baby.

She has curly auburn hair, a love for princesses and cowboy boots. She loves her cousin ‘ude, and could spend all day singing and dancing in the kitchen with her grandma and great-grandma.

After becoming a father—specifically to a daughter—admittedly my heart hardened a bit more to Hayley’s dad.

Shane is more of an idiot because I truly know what he missed by abandoning Hayley. He missed this—nights where a little girl looks up with the sweetest smiles and pure love, all because she knows you’re the one who’ll keep her safe and love her unconditionally.

Like Val always says—his loss.

Hayley leans against the doorframe, yoga pants in place, by the time I tuck Sophie in and kiss her forehead.

“You’re everything to her, Noah,” she whispers. “I hope you know what a good dad you are.”

I press a hand on her belly, then cup one of her cheeks.

I kiss my wildfire slowly, deeply. There’s no rush, not here, not in our home. It’s my sanctuary and my peace. This woman gave me more sunlight in my life than I could ever begin to imagine.

I press my brow to hers when I pull back. “She’ll always have me, just like her mother. I love, Wildfire.”

“Same, Pretty Boy.” Hayley kisses the corner of my mouth. “Always.”