Page 14 of You Fall First

He jiggles the handle, like managing the doorknob all by himself is a challenge. I roll my eyes. “Sheesh.”

The door slowly creaks open, and I’m about to accuse my brother of being more dramatic than Sayla’s theater students, except it’s not my brother and Sayla who appear in the entryway.

It’s Noah and Dutton.

I leap up from the couch like someone lit a firecracker under the couch cushions. “Hey, hi. Hello! This is a surprise.”

Noah’s big hand palms Dutton’s shoulder, gently guiding him across the foyer. Dutton’s still wearing his Woody costume, but Noah's in jeans and a T-shirt. His hair looks slightly damp, like he’s fresh from the shower, and I finally notice his man bun has been replaced by the glossiest, almost-shoulder-length locks I’ve ever seen on a human.

“Dex invited us for dinner,” he says, breaking the awkward silence.

“Dinner happens,” I choke.

Dinner happens?

What does that even mean?

Heat crawls up my throat, and I smooth my hands down the same dusty sundress I wore to the farm. I wish I’d put on something clean, or at least washed my face.

“Dex didn’t tell me you’d be here,” Noah says. When he smiles, a swarm of butterflies stirs in my stomach.

“Well, I live in this house too. So, welcome to our humble abode.” I dip into a little curtsy and immediately regret it.

Kendal clears her throat. “Your humble abode?”

I bounce my gaze between her and Noah. “Have you two met?”

“We have,” Noah says. “At Bridger’s party.”

“Right.” I smack my forehead. “Kendal was there. I was there. You were there. We were all there.”

Kendal squints at him. “Your hair was different then, no?”

“Oh, yeah.” He pushes a thick swoop off his forehead. “I let the residents where I work bid on giving me a haircut at our Fourth of July party. I’m the PT and OT director at Havenwood.”

“The memory care facility?” Kendal huffs a laugh. “Brave of you to trust them.”

“Well, the lady who won was very excited,” he says. “And I figured, worst-case scenario, hair grows back.”

He breaks into another warm smile, his dark eyes crinkling like they did at the petting zoo.

And that’s when I realize Noah Stadler is friendly with everyone. Me. My sister. The ladies at Havenwood. Too bad the stupid butterflies in my stomach thought his smile was special to me.

“This is my nephew, Dutton,” he tells Kendal. “Dutton, this is Miss Kendal.” He prompts Dutton with a nudge. “Say hello.”

“Howdy,” Dutton says, in a little cowboy drawl.

“It’s nice to meet you, young man,” she says. “And it’s nice to see you again, Noah.”

“Likewise.” His eyes swing over to me. “And you, too. Twice in one day, huh?”

“Apparently.” I press my lips together, reminding myself Noah sees me no differently than any of Dex’s siblings.

Of course he’s going to be nice to us.

“Twice?” Kendal blinks.

“Jo and I ran into each other at Harvest Farms,” he says.