The next morning, I showed at Nova’s at nine sharp and knocked. As I waited, I noticed a banged-up single-cab truck parked alongside the house. Must be the nurse, I thought as the front door opened.

Nova stood there, a mug of coffee in her hand, and a look of sheer desperation in her eyes. “Hey,” she said, backing up to let me in.

“Everything all right?” I asked, hearing Noni’s voice sharp and wasp-like coming from the living room. “Ah, bad day, huh?”

Nova’s head dipped, but not before I saw her eyes tear up.

I took her cup from her hands, ushered her to the bathroom, and said, “Get ready, we’re going to breakfast.”

She huffed. “Eli, I can’t leave right now.”

I took a sip from the mug in my hand, watching her over the rim before I asked, “Nova, do you think your being here will make her snap out of it?”

She crossed her arms as her backside met the countertop, but then she sagged. “No, I know it won’t help. It usually takes her all day. Sometimes, she doesn’t come back around for days at a time, but I can’t leave, Eli. I’m sorry if that doesn’t make any sense to you, but it makes sense to me.”

I nodded. Nova would stick with Noni no matter what. Through good and bad, because it was what people did for the ones they loved. “Okay, I’ll just bring breakfast to you.”

“Eli, it’s really not a good time,” she said, scrubbing her hands down her face.

“I know, but we’ll make the best of it,” I said, handing her back the cup and then kissing her on the forehead.

There were a few close places to get breakfast from, but I passed by them without a glance. Mr. Lewis would know what Noni liked.

“And you’re going to take breakfast back to them?” Mr. Lewis asked, eyeing me with something like suspicion.

“That’s the plan. Do you think you can help me? Noni is having a bad morning, and Nova won’t leave even though the nurse is there,” I explained again, watching Mr. Lewis rub his finger across his lips in thought.

He dropped his hand, snapped his fingers, and said, “I have an idea.” With no explanation, he rushed to front of the cafe and flipped the open sign over to closed.

“Martin, put your dishes in the sink and lock up when you’re done,” he told the only patron in the cafe before making a beeline for the back.

Less than five minutes later, Mr. Lewis and most of his kitchen was in the truck, and we were on our way to Noni’s.

When I showed back up at Nova’s and she saw who was with me, I worried she might flip out on us both. She didn’t, though; she moved out of the way and let us in.

“Noni, how are you doing this fine morning?” Mr. Lewis asked, setting the collection of food he’d thrown together on the counter.

“Stanley? What in the name of… you can’t be here. Why, I’m not dressed for company!” Noni shrieked.

“You look beautiful as ever,” he said.

Nova, who’d waited beside me, let out a long breath and then looked at me. “Maybe it won’t be so bad after all.”

The nurse who’d come to visit rattled off a few things to Noni, and then told her she’d see her in a few days before making her way over to Nova. “Good luck today. If you need anything at all, just call me.”

“I will. Thanks, Sarah,” Nova said as I opened the door and moved out of the way so Sarah could leave. She brushed past me, stopping long enough to say, “Breakfast was a good idea. Stanley coming was an even better one.” And then she was out the door and down the stairs.

“Well, they do say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” I said, putting my hand against Nova’s lower back and guiding her to the kitchen. “Now, how about some coffee?”

“I think I’ve had enough to float a cargo ship,” Nova answered, holding her hand against her stomach as she made a face.

“I meant for me since I haven’t had enough to even float one of those cheap inflatable beach balls yet,” I said, hoping to see her smile.

Her lips quivered. “That’s a shame. Follow me, and we’ll get you caffeinated right away.”

The coffee cup warmed my hands as I sat watching Mr. Lewis work his magic in the kitchen. The scent of bacon hung in the air heavy enough that my mouth watered and my stomach growled.

“Now, see here, Nova, the trick to getting these biscuits just right is…”

“What did you say your name was again, young man?” Noni asked as she pulled out the kitchen chair beside mine and then lowered herself into it.

I gave her my full attention. “Eli Benton, ma’am.”

She blushed slightly. “A young man with manners. That’s refreshing.”

“And you, ma’am? Is your name really Noni, or is that what Nova calls you and it stuck?” I asked.

“I’ve gone so long being called Noni that it seems odd saying Rose, which is my real name. No one calls me that anymore. I guess it’s a good thing I like Noni a lot better,” she answered, eyes glimmering with humor.

“Rose is a beautiful name,” I said. “Nicknames tend to stick, though. It’s like whatever someone comes up with is what your name should have been all along. Maybe that’s why the Native Americans waited to name their children until after they got a little older.”

Noni nodded along with me. “Like the name chooses them. Don’t get me started on some of the names parents call their kids these days. Do you know what my dimwitted daughter was going to call Nova? October Blue McCarty. Who… I ask, names their child after the month of October? Now, don’t get me wrong, June is acceptable, but that’s the only month that is, in my opinion.”

“October Blue?”

“My mother isn’t very creative. I guess she felt that if she named me after the month I was born, she wouldn’t forget when my birthday was,” Nova explained.

Noni huffed, muttering, “October. Ninny.”

“Biscuits are going in the oven,” Mr. Lewis said, dusting the flour from his hands into the sink. “How would you like your eggs this morning, Noni?”

Noni stared at him. Confusion marred her brow, and something like panic seeped into her eyes. It was clear the question had her searching her memory and coming up short on how she usually liked her eggs.

Nova blanched as she twisted the hem of her shirt between her fingers.

“You know what I haven’t had in a long time? Plain ‘ole fried eggs with a runny center to dip my bacon into,” I said, hoping like hell it didn’t throw Noni completely down the rabbit hole.

“Ha! See, Nova. I’m not the only one who does that,” Noni said, poking her finger at her granddaughter.

Mr. Lewis popped open the massive egg carton and picked up a spatula. “Good choice. How about you, Noni? You want me to fry you up the best damn egg in Nome?”

“Language, Stanley. And don’t break the yoke,” Noni answered, giving him the gimlet eye.

“Is it possible to go into a breakfast coma? Because I think I might just be headed into one,” I said, rubbing my overly stuffed stomach. I hadn’t had homemade biscuits in forever. It didn’t help that Mr. Lewis’s could rival my momma’s. And I was a sucker for hers.

“You might have been okay, until you took it upon yourself to finish off the eggs,” Nova answered, giving me a sideways look as she filled the sink with hot water. “I’ll wash. You dry.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I said, taking the dish towel from her and draping it over my shoulder.

Mr. Lewis and Noni had settled into the living room. Their voices hummed in casual conversation as Nova squirted a stream of soap into the water.

We finished the dishes in companionable silence, but that didn’t stop my mind from racing a million miles an hour. There was no way Nova would accept Cole’s offer, even if the thought of it intrigued her. With Noni’s memory failing. I had no idea how to even bring it up to her so I could report back with an answer directly from her.

If something were to happen to Noni… I cut that thought clean off. It was heartless and selfish to even think about. Noni was a good woman. Cole Enterprise could either wait until Nova was ready, or they could find someone else. And with that thought, I wondered if Nome, Alaska didn’t seem such a remote outpost to be working at.

“Would you mind giving me a lift back to the cafe?” Mr. Lewis asked me when he saw that the kitchen was back in order.

“Not at all. Give me a second to start the truck. While it’s warming up, I’ll take your stuff out while you say your goodbyes,” I told him.

After I palmed my keys, I was out the door and then back in less than a minute. The air outside was crisp without a jacket on, but I didn’t want to put it on and take it off for the two quick trips I made to my truck.

“Thank you for breakfast, Stanley,” Noni said with a wave from her recliner.

“Eli?” Nova pulled me back a step, allowing Mr. Lewis to pass by me and out of earshot before she spoke again.

“Are you going home, or coming back here?” she asked.

I looked back at Noni, watching as her eyes lowered and her head nodded. “She needs to rest. It’s been a long morning for her,” I said before turning back to Nova. There were dark circles under her eyes as well. “Both of you need to rest.”

Nova sighed, but nodded.

“Is there anything special Noni likes to do?” I asked, wondering why I felt the need to ask such a personal question.

Nova thought about it for a second before she answered. “Bingo. She used to go to bingo, but stopped when I left for Haiti. One of her friends used to come by and try to get her to go, but Noni always refused, saying she didn’t want to leave in case I called.”

She winced at her own words.

“Maybe she’d like to go with you? I can pick you up and take you so y’all don’t have to walk,” I said, moving to the door.

“Wait, before you go.” Nova darted off and was back quickly with a strip of paper in her hand. “My number, I didn’t give it to you the other day and…”

“Thanks. I’ll text you so you have mine. See ya soon, Nova,” I said, brushing my fingers along her cheek. I left before I pulled her against me and kissed her like I really wanted to do.

“Have a seat, young man, and I’ll bring you a cup of coffee,” Mr. Lewis said, pointing at the nearest booth.

“Thank you, sir, but I don’t think I have room for anything else,” I answered, making my way to the door of the cafe after carrying Mr. Lewis’s kitchen supplies in and depositing them on the closest counter.

“Okay, then I’ll be blunt. Please sit down. I’d like a word before you leave.”

I pulled my jacket off and sat, wondering if he was going to threaten me, or try to scare me off. Whatever it was, it wouldn’t work. Not when I’d dealt with bigger, scarier guys than him. Oliver, for example.

“And I’ll be honest,” I answered as he moved to sit opposite of me.

“That’s a start.”

His questions, for the most part, were basic. Who was I? Where had I come from? Why Nome? How did I meet Nova? On and on they went until he finally got to the heart of the matter.

“You said you came here for Nova. What I want to know is why? She’s a beautiful young lady, no mistake, but a man doesn’t travel the miles you did for a pretty face.”

I leaned my elbows on the table, linked my fingers, and looked him straight in the eye. “I work for a company that is buying a piece of land here in Alaska. I was sent to look at property and to offer Nova a job. My boss knows Nova’s background and is impressed by it. He’d love to add her to the team, so he sent me since we know one another.”

“What sort of job?” he asked, eyeing me skeptically.

“It would be in the medical field. This particular company is a cutting-edge facility that handpicks their employees based off life experiences, brains, and the ability to do their job at 110%. Nova fits all of those qualifications,” I explained, omitting more than a few details, but highlighting everything I could say.

“And what sort of position in the medical field would they be offering Nova?” He wasn’t quite demanding that I answer him, but he was being rather firm about it.

“That is between the company and Nova,” I answered, giving him my best you can try to get it out of me, but I’m not caving look. “Besides, how can I tell you about it when I haven’t had the chance to talk to Nova? Doesn’t seem fair that this is about her, yet she hasn’t even been told.”

Mr. Lewis backed off a bit. “That might be so, but have you stopped to think about what you’re offering her? Do you think it’s fair to tell her about this supposed wonderful job? Dangle it in front of her like a carrot, when she’s taken on the responsibility of her grandmother? Seems more than a little unfair to be putting that on her shoulders, with everything that girl has been through—what she’ll keep going through with Noni.”

I nodded. “Believe me, sir, I’ve thought of nothing else since I got here. Why do you think I haven’t said something to her before now?”

He sighed. “Well, at least you have some respect for the situation. But what about the company you work for? Can the same be said of them?”

“I believe so, sir. Time will tell though, won’t it? The decision is Nova’s and Nova’s alone. I won’t push her, and I won’t guilt her. Believe it or not, Nova is my friend before anything else,” I answered, pushing out of the booth and sliding my jacket on.

“Thanks for helping this morning. I think you being there made all the difference,” I said, taking my leave.

He turned my words back on me. “Believe it or not, Noni is my friend before anything else, too. Best not forget that.”

“No, sir, that I won’t. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around. Thanks again.”

I waited to smile until I’d pulled away from the café. Mr. Lewis, who’d made a point to watch me out the window, could no longer see me when I grinned. I’d been warned. He wasn’t going to let anyone hurt either of them. And that made me respect and like him all that much more.

After witnessing, first hand, the bond Nova had with her grandmother, I knew there was no way she’d even think about herself. Her primary focus was a woman whose memory was fuddled most days, and non-existent on others.

Figuring out how to tell Flint weighed heavily on my mind on the short drive back to the house.