by Ann, Natalie
“What?” Paige asked.
“Long story, we’ll get to that another day. But when he came back my Aunt Jolene and his siblings hired Aimee as the bar manager. One thing led to another and they started dating. Aimee has the most adorable little girl and I swear Brody fell in love with Sidney before Aimee.”
“That’s sweet. So who was next?” Paige asked.
“Aiden. He needed a new line cook and anyone who knows Aiden knows how much he hates to interview. He had a bunch lined up but my aunt had eaten Nic’s food before. Her grandmother owned an Italian deli and market so Nic had been cooking by her grandmother’s knee since she was a teen. Aiden interviewed and hired her. The rest is history there.”
“I’m sure it wasn’t as easy as that,” Paige said.
“No, but we’ll keep it short and sweet for now. Next was Mason. My aunt got the brainy idea that what Mason needed was a woman to do tours in the brewery and she started to pester him. He didn’t have time for it and told her to hire someone.”
“That was like putting it right in her hands,” Paige said, laughing.
“It was. But at this point no one suspected my aunt of anything. She hired Jessica who was a senior in college getting her biology degree.”
“Oh, so they had something in common,” Sebastian said.
“They did. And well, along came baby. Well, twins. But by then they were well and truly in love. So the kids came before the wedding there.”
“Cade has to be next,” Paige said. “Because you said Ella is the baby.”
“Cade and Alex. Alex’s parents owned Marshall Printing and Aunt Jolene and Uncle Gavin used to use them back in the day. She convinced Cade to give them a try again after Alex took over. Cade does all the marketing for the business and he’s a lawyer.”
“That’s rad,” Sebastian said. “Is he all slick like a lawyer?”
Noah had no choice but to laugh at that. “He is. But you know how I said Wyatt is the prankster of the family?”
“Yeah,” Sebastian said.
“Cade is ten times worse. He runs his mouth before he thinks and puts his foot in it more than he should.”
“So what happened with Ella?” Paige asked. “I can’t believe no one caught on by now.”
“Oh, Ella caught on with Mason. She started to suspect it. By the time Cade’s turn came up, she’d confronted her mother and told her other brothers what their mother had done.”
“Were they mad?” Paige asked.
“No. I think they were shocked, but no one was mad.”
“What about their wives?” Sebastian asked.
“They all thought it was funny too. So on to Ella. She said there was no way she was getting set up by her mother. The funny thing is, my Uncle Gavin hired Travis McKinley to do the security years prior to Brody and Aimee.”
“He set Ella up all along?” she asked. “Or was that just a coincidence?”
“His intention had been for them to get together. He’d just never thought it’d take so many years. Anyway, there is the whole story.”
“I doubt that is the whole story,” Paige said.
“Of course not. With every relationship, there are ups and downs. But all that starts well, ends well.”
* * *
Paige enjoyed listening to the history of Noah’s cousins and how they met. What she didn’t like was how he made the comment of how things start and end well.
She and Noah didn’t start well. Not when they met because Sebastian was getting suspended from school. Even their next few times they communicated, it was because of Sebastian’s behavior.
And then it was Sebastian setting them up. Or trying to do it. How could things end well when they started at the top of a rollercoaster? Were they bound to make the uphill climb and maybe crash at the end?
She pushed it from her mind because if she focused on it, it might just make her cry and she’d done enough crying in the past several years.
They pulled in front of Marshall Printing. It looked like the front was closed but there were cars in the parking lot when they pulled in the back. “Are they open?” she asked.
“The manufacturing part is. The office and front are closed. Cade and Alex are in the back. They told us to just go in.”
She and Sebastian followed him to a bay door in the back and walked in. They weren’t very far in when a man came out in jeans and a fitted T-shirt. It had to be Cade Fierce. Those Fierce genes were strong. She’d seen it with Noah’s brothers and other cousins, but Cade was very close in resemblance too.
He was probably an inch or so shorter than Noah, but still over six-foot. He wasn’t slick like Sebastian guessed, but he was pretty. He didn’t have a hair out of place, and his T-shirt probably cost more than her entire outfit.
“Noah,” Cade said, coming forward. “Good to see you. You must be Paige and Sebastian.” He held his hand out to both of them. “Come on up to Alex’s office. Can we get you anything to drink after the drive?”
“We’re good,” Noah said when she and Sebastian shook their heads. “I might take them over to the brewery after and then go to dinner at the restaurant. You’ll join us, right?”
“We’d love to. Then you can follow us back to our place.” Once they were up the stairs and into an office, Cade’s wife, Alex, stood up. She was just stunning. Dark hair and light eyes. She had a killer body and even Sebastian stared a little longer than was polite.
Paige had thought Payton was beautiful, but Sebastian hadn’t met her. She was a different kind of beauty being blonde and almost innocent at the heart of it. Alex was in old fitted jeans and a T-shirt. Her hair was pulled back, not a lot of makeup on and she was just radiant. Dani was gorgeous in a laid back no bullshit kind of way that just made you want to be friends with her. Kara might be the one that Paige felt the most connection to.
She was very pretty, but she was more subdued. Her clothes and hair weren’t flashy, but she had a wholesome classy look to her too.
If the rest of the Fierce women looked like Alex—which she shouldn’t be surprised by since the men were all smoking themselves—then Paige had to wonder where she fit in.
She never thought she was ugly, but she wasn’t what anyone would call a looker. She’d just consider herself average. Nothing about her stood out by any means, nor was she a troll. Just another thing that made her question what Noah saw in her.
“I’m Alex. You must be Paige and Sebastian.” She moved forward and gave Noah a hug. “It’s good to see you again. I’m sorry we didn’t get to talk much at our wedding. Cade wouldn’t leave my side.”
Noah started to laugh and looked at Paige. “We thought Cade was shitfaced, but he hadn’t had anything to drink. He just wouldn’t let go of his new wife’s hand.”
“The best day of my life,” Cade said. “I’m still thanking my mother.”
Alex rolled her eyes. “Do you know the story?”
“Noah told us on the ride down,” she said.
“Good. Then we don’t have to bore you with it. Come on, Sebastian. Noah sent me the logo that you guys came up with. I printed a bunch of samples and you can let me know what you think.”
Alex wasn’t kidding when she pulled out pens, pencils, cozies, water bottles, palm cards, and sunglasses all with the logo and Words Matter on it.
“These are the jam,” Sebastian said. “I had no idea you could do all of this.”
“This is only a fraction of the things I can do, but Noah gave me an idea of what to stick to so I didn’t go nuts.”
“It’s all great.” Sebastian was picking everything up and looking at it. “Can I take pictures and send them to some people in the group?”
It was statements like that that warmed Paige’s heart. Her nephew had friends and people he talked to now. People he texted and communicated with that didn’t have anything to do with video games.
“Absolutely. But you can take them all back with you too. Those are just samples. While you’re doing that, I’ll show Noa
h some of the fliers I printed up and he can look them over to make sure they meet all the requirements to be handed out and posted.”
Paige and Noah moved to another table and looked at everything that had been done. “This is wonderful,” she said to Alex.
“Great job,” Noah said. “Once Sebastian talks to the group, we’ll figure out the order and what we can fit in the budget.”
“Please,” Alex said, lowering her voice. “I’m donating it all. You’re family, so don’t argue.”
“It’s good business,” Cade said. “Maybe the school district will contract for more.”
Noah shook his head and laughed. “I’ll make sure they are aware it was donated. Many will most likely contact you. Thank you again.”
They finished up and drove to the brewery where Paige felt slightly overwhelmed by the size of the place.
Noah had made comments before about how women always put down what he did for a living and she thought it was stupid. He had a great job and was successful, but many felt he should have done more with his family business.
That business didn’t seem to have anything on what the five did in Charlotte. She’d had no clue. And it was just another thing to make her feel inadequate.
“Hey, Noah,” Mason said, coming forward. It was easy to pick him out. They all looked too much alike. Mason was Cade’s height so she was guessing the five were shorter than the cousins in Durham.
“Thanks for fitting us in,” Noah said.
“Anytime.”
Paige and Sebastian introduced themselves and then were shown around the massive building with Sebastian asking more questions than she thought was possible. She had no idea he was so interested in all of this.
“Noah is going to have to bring you around sometime when we are doing some more brewing and you can spend the day with me,” Mason said.
“Really? That’d be lit.”
Kids and their slang. She had a hard time keeping up half the time.
She looked over at Noah to see his grin and hand on Sebastian’s shoulder. “You know there is a lot about beer in history. And I don’t mean getting lit.”
“Yeah, yeah. I get it,” Sebastian said. “You and history. But I know, in some countries it was called mead and they drank it because the water wasn’t clean enough.”
Mason smiled. “That’s right. You like science and history?”
“I don’t mind science. I don’t like history but if I say that, Noah grabs his heart like he’s going to biff it.”
Mason burst out laughing. “He has your number.”
“It seems everyone has it lately,” Noah said, leaving Paige to wonder what that could mean.
32
Far Behind
Noah liked how much fun Sebastian seemed to be having with his family. Even Paige looked to be enjoying herself.
What more could he ask than that? It might have been his mother’s idea to come here and see Alex about printing things up, but he was glad for it.
Not only did it give them the time away, but it was the first time he would stay with Paige having Sebastian around.
Even though Sebastian knew that Paige and he were sleeping together, he’d been careful about doing it when the kid was around. They only spent the night together when Sebastian was at his grandfather’s house and he’d been going there a few times a month now on the weekends to earn some money. Money he was using on food and snacks when he was with his friends hanging out.
Which also gave him and Paige time alone while Sebastian was hanging out being a normal teen.
By five they pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant, walked around front to the pub, and told the hostess that they were meeting Cade and Alex in the back.
“They are setting up the table, but if you want to go to the bar, Alex and Cade are there.”
“Thanks,” he said and escorted them to the bar where Cade and Alex were sitting and having a drink. “Brody,” he said, reaching over the bar and shaking his cousin’s hand. The five were two years younger, but at this point in their lives they all seemed the same age. “Congrats on your son.”
He was surprised to realize how far behind he felt today though. Not only were his brother and his cousins Bryce and Sam engaged, but his five younger cousins were all married and several had kids.
“Thanks. Evan is doing good. Sidney is thrilled to have what she thinks is a doll to play with. Too bad Evan doesn’t sleep like a doll would for the night.”
Noah laughed. “How’s Aimee feeling?”
“She’s doing great. Bounced right back. She says it’s easier than when she had Sidney since she was on her own. What can I get you guys to drink? I’m Brody, by the way. You must be Paige and Sebastian.”
“I’ll take whatever beer you give me,” Noah said.
“I’ll have a Pepsi,” Sebastian said.
“I’ll have whatever beer Noah has,” Paige said.
“You never drink beer,” he said.
“Not usually, but I’m here so wouldn’t it be against the rules if I didn’t?”
Brody winked at her. He looked more like Cade than Mason did, but he was huge. A little taller and just bulkier than any of the Fierce men. He was built like a bouncer.
“Fair warning,” Brody said. “My parents are joining you for dinner.”
“I figured,” he said. “At least I’m not single, so no worries of Aunt Jolene trying to set me up.”
Cade laughed. “She’s batting a thousand, but it looks to me you did all right on your own.”
He slipped his arm around Paige and pulled her close, then heard his name called and turned to see his aunt come hurrying over. She always did move fast. “Aunt Jolene,” he said leaning down to give her a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
“Noah, look at you and this pretty lady you’ve got. Carolyn has told me all about Paige and Sebastian. There was no way I wasn’t going to meet them when you were here.”
He shouldn’t have been surprised his mother was talking about him or that his aunt wanted to meet up while he was here.
“I’m glad you could make it,” he said.
“Come on back. Aiden wants to see you before he gets back to the kitchen. He’s talking with Gavin right now.”
The six of them went back to the table that was set up in the far corner. Aiden walked forward and introduced himself to Paige and Sebastian.
“I heard you just had a baby too,” Paige said.
“I did. A son named Anthony. He’s sleeping a lot better than Evan is. I told Brody it’s because Nic is slipping pasta in his bottle to fill him up.”
Noah started to laugh when his aunt slapped her son’s arm. “She is not. He’s just a good baby. Evan is like Brody and just can’t sit still.”
“I’m just thankful Anthony is nothing like Cade and throwing up all the time,” Aiden said.
“Brody is happy about that too. The same as Mason was with the twins,” Aunt Jolene said winking at Cade.
“You guys are never going to let me forget it, are you?”
Paige looked confused, but Alex said, “Cade has the weakest stomach of anyone I know. He can get himself sick driving.”
“Not true,” he argued. “At least not anymore.”
“That’s how we punished Cade. When he was really bad, I’d take him during the car and lecture him,” his aunt said.
“Seriously?” Sebastian said. “That’s kind of nasty.”
“See?” Paige said. “All I do is take your phone and video games away.”
“You’ve got it easy,” Cade said. “I would have accepted that any day if I was given the choice. The last time I got in trouble I had to go fishing on Dad’s boat for the lecture.”
“Fishing would be cool though,” Sebastian said.
“Not if he threw up every time he stepped foot on it,” his Uncle Gavin said. “That wasn’t fun for any of us.”
“I’m the neat freak,” Aiden said. “I had to clean up after Cade for my punishment.”
“Do you hear this Sebastian? Do you see how easy you have it?” she said.
“You don’t even know what easy is,” Ella said, walking forward with her husband, Travis. He’d seen the extra two seats and figured they’d be joining to. “I’m Ella and this is my husband, Travis. It’s so nice to meet you.”
“Wow, I didn’t expect so many people,” Paige said.
“Imagine what it’s like when we are all together in one room,” Ella said.
“I don’t think I can,” she said.
“It has to be awesome,” Sebastian said.
What a turnaround this kid had made in just a few months’ time.
* * *
“That was the best dinner I’ve ever had,” Sebastian said in the car ride back to Cade’s. “Paige, you’ll never be able to cook like that.”
“No, I won’t. I won’t even try. Make sure you thank Noah for bringing us here to spend this time with his family. It’s been one long day and you got to see a lot of things for a kid that should ultimately be grounded.”
He wrinkled his nose at her. “Thanks, Noah,” Sebastian said. “This is the best day I’ve had in a long time.”
Paige was glad that Noah did this. She felt bad she didn’t have the family to give to Sebastian like this, but then she wondered if she’d ever known a family like this existed.
They’d sat at the table laughing and talking and busting on everyone. She thought she might be intimidated by all the big men. And if she thought Brody was big, he had nothing on Travis who was taller than Noah on top of being so muscle bound. But he was just as friendly as the rest of them.
He’d even talked to Sebastian about bullying and gave him some pointers on how to handle and diffuse situations.
“I’m glad,” Noah said. “For me it’s just a visit with my family. It’s something I could easily give to you.”
Which made her wonder if Sebastian was getting too attached to not just Noah but the whole family. Hadn’t she read in his journals that this was all he wanted? Why hadn’t she thought of that before she started to let him meet everyone?
