by Ann, Natalie
But how could she have stopped it, when she felt her own heart being drawn to Noah, and now his family, like two magnets being snapped together? The force was just too powerful for her to stop it.
“Wow, this house is huge,” Sebastian said when they pulled into Cade’s driveway.
“It’s the first time I’ve been here,” Noah said. “Cade and Alex had it built. Ella and Travis moved into a new house too. Brody probably has the best house in the family though.”
“Why?” Paige asked, trying to pop her eyes back in her head over this house.
“It’s on Lake Norman. It’s a huge house that opens right up to the lake.”
“That would be so neat to live on the water,” Sebastian said.
In another life she wanted to add but didn’t. She didn’t come from this kind of wealth and could never give these things to Sebastian.
“Something to strive for then,” she told her nephew.
They got out of Noah’s car and went through the garage that was open from following Cade and Alex over.
“Nice location,” Noah said.
“Thanks. Alex was mad that I wanted so many bedrooms, but I told her I wanted them filled with kids.”
“Keep dreaming, bud,” Alex said. “Two is my limit.”
“What if you end up with five at once like my mother?” Cade asked, reaching for Alex’s hand.
“Then I’m going to strangle you because it’d be your fault.”
They went into the house, Paige feeling somewhat overwhelmed but trying to hide it.
“So there are four bedrooms upstairs,” Cade said. “I’ll show you where you’re staying, Sebastian.”
Sebastian looked at Paige. “You aren’t going to pretend to stay in a separate room from Noah, are you?”
Cade smirked and Noah laughed. So much for hiding anything. “Would it bother you if we shared a room?” Paige asked.
“Why? You stay with Noah every time I go to Grandpa’s. It’s not a secret. What’s the big deal? I’ve been waiting to see how long it’d be before we could just stay at Noah’s house.”
Cade laughed. “Okay, well, you guys are going to have that conversation. Sebastian, first door on the right. Noah, there are two rooms on the left that both have queen sized beds in them. The first has a bathroom attached. Take your pick.”
The three of them went upstairs to finish their discussion with their bags. “Sebastian. You shouldn’t put Noah on the spot like that. This is a sticky situation.”
“Why is it?” Sebastian asked. “Everyone knows you guys are dating. It’s not a secret.”
She looked at Noah and he grinned and shook his head at her. “He’s right.”
“Then why haven’t you asked?” she asked.
“Because I’ve been waiting for you to suggest it. You’re his aunt; this is your call. I haven’t wanted to put you on the spot.”
She should have figured that. Noah had been nothing but considerate from the first meeting.
“Well then, I guess we are sharing a room,” she said.
“Then next weekend can we stay at Noah’s?” Sebastian asked.
“Sebastian! We don’t invite ourselves to people’s houses.”
“I’m not just anyone,” Noah said. “And if your aunt doesn’t care, then neither do I.”
“I guess I’m losing this battle,” she said.
“I didn’t know it was one, but it’s two against one, so I think we’ve got you,” Noah said.
“I think you do,” she said back, knowing that Noah had her in more ways than one.
* * *
“Hang on, Jolene,” Carolyn said. “Let me put you on speaker so Garrett can hear. Is Gavin in the room with you?”
“He is,” Jolene said.
“So tell me what you think of Paige and Sebastian?” Carolyn asked.
“She’s a sweetheart. Everyone loved her. Ella actually asked if you had a hand in them meeting, but I pointed out that Sebastian joked that he set them up. I’ve got to have a talk with that girl! Thankfully she said it after they’d left.”
“Isn’t that great?” Carolyn said. “I did all the work and no one can pin it on me.”
Garrett laughed. “She was whining about it the other day. She said no one is going to believe she had a hand in this.”
“Don’t worry about it,” her brother-in-law, Gavin, said. “Just be happy you’re doing well. At this rate you’ll have four matched up and babies on the way.”
“Tell me about it,” Garrett said. “It does seem to be going well. Carolyn even planted a seed with Wyatt, but we’ll see how that goes.”
“What’s going on there?” Jolene asked. “You can’t keep me out of the loop.”
“A coworker’s stepdaughter had a bad breakup. She moved here to start a new job. She’s an OR nurse. I asked Wyatt if he came across Adriana to talk to her since she didn’t know anyone. You know Wyatt, he talks to everyone.”
“That’s a pretty name,” Jolene said. “Spanish?”
“Adriana Lopez. She’s a fiery one. Stunning from the pictures I’ve seen of her. And she doesn’t trust men right now. That was the bad breakup. You know as well as I do Wyatt will be attracted and she most likely will want to turn him away but will be nice because of the connection between her stepmother and me.”
“Oh, that’s sneaky,” Gavin said.
“I thought so too. She starts her new job next week, so I’ll sit back and see how it goes before I bring her name up again.”
“Start slow, but keep it up,” Jolene said. “You guys seem to have the hang of it. And good work with Paige. She’s a gem and Sebastian is a character. Noah couldn’t keep his eyes off of both of them at the table.”
“That’s good to know. Sebastian has had such a hard life. Even Paige,” Carolyn said.
“You told me. Sebastian seemed a little in awe of everything together but kept saying how much fun he was having. It was good to see.”
“Thanks for calling,” Carolyn said. “I’ll catch you up with any news if we’ve got it.” Carolyn disconnected the call and looked at her husband. “I did well. Tell me I did.”
“So far,” he said. “It’s early yet, but I’ll give you this one for now.”
“And I’ll take it.”
33
My Feelings
“There’s a delivery for you in the front when you’ve got a minute.”
Paige looked up at one of the dentists that just walked in to examine her patient after she’d gotten done cleaning—more like scraping—the plaque off the twenty-something that might not have been to a dentist in ten years.
“Really?” she asked. She’d never gotten anything delivered to her at work.
“Yep. Nice and big,” Dr. Frank said. “It makes me think I better up my game with my wife.”
Paige rolled her eyes. She wanted to rush up and see what it was but knew she couldn’t do that. She had a job to do. “There is some decay between one and two and fifteen and sixteen. And decent-sized cavities on seventeen, nineteen, thirty and thirty-one.”
Dr. Frank looked down at the young man. “I see it’s been a long time since you’ve been to the dentist. It shows.”
“Yeah,” Ronnie Smith said. “I don’t like coming here.”
Dr. Frank laughed. “It’s not an uncommon opinion. Bad oral hygiene can lead to other health issues though. If you don’t take care of your teeth, you could be looking at some big bills in the future, or slurping your meals out of a straw.”
“I’m beginning to suspect that. My teeth have been killing me. That’s why I came here. They hurt like hell right now.”
“That’s because I had to get down into your gum line to get rid of some of the plaque.”
Paige did everything she could not to tap her foot in impatience while Dr. Frank finished the exam, told Ronnie to make at least one if not two appointments to get those cavities filled, and left the room. “I’ll walk you up,” she said, handing Ronnie his jacket that had been hang
ing on a hook behind the door.
When Paige got up front, the receptionist said, “You lucky girl. Why didn’t you tell us you were seeing someone?”
Because she hadn’t wanted to let her private life be known in an office where gossip spread like the plaque on Ronnie’s teeth. She’d been working here for eight years and loved her job. They knew about her family situation and they were very flexible and tolerant of it all, but that didn’t mean she talked about anything much.
“It’s early yet,” she said. “Less than three months.”
“What’s his name?” Hilary asked.
“Noah,” she said, reaching for the large pot. What the heck could he have gotten her?
“Open it,” Hilary said.
She set it down on the counter and pulled off the paper to see a plant. At least she had a better chance of keeping this alive. “Holy cow,” she said. “I don’t know what it is, but it’s beautiful.”
“It’s a cluster of different succulents or often referred to as a dish garden. How pretty. Some of them flower too. My mother had a lot of plants and I’ve seen them before.”
“Are they hard to care for?” she asked, pulling the card off.
“Easiest plant out there,” Hilary said.
“That’s good,” Paige said, opening the envelope and reading Noah’s note. I know you like the fake variety, but these are pretty hard to kill. Kind of like my feelings for you.
Oh dear, that came out of left field and had her body tingling in more than one place.
She held the card to her chest and knew her grin was a mile wide. “It has to be good by the look on your face,” Hilary said. “Let me see.”
“No way,” she said. She wasn’t sharing this with anyone!
She knew she had another patient to grab, but she needed to call Noah first. “Can you just tell my next patient I’ll only be a minute? I’m going to put this in my car and then call Noah fast to thank him.”
“I’ve got your back, girl.”
Once the plant was in the passenger seat—and after she’d been stopped by a few more women to ooh and ahh—she sat in the driver’s seat and pulled out her phone.
“Happy Valentine’s Day,” Noah’s deep voice said. “Did you get my plant?”
“I did. I know you’re busy just like me, but I wanted to call and thank you. It’s so sweet. All the girls in the front office were gaga over it. I’ve never seen plants like that before.”
He laughed. “You should be able to handle the care of them. If not I’ll check on them and make sure they are watered, which isn’t often.”
Even sweeter. “I’ve never seen any plants in your house.”
“You didn’t notice them in my office?” he asked.
She hadn’t. The few times she’d been called to the school she wasn’t paying attention to anything other than trying not to sweat and figure out how much trouble Sebastian was in.
“No.”
“I seem to spend more time here than awake at home, so I’d rather have them here.”
“What time do you want me at your house tonight?” she asked. He was also cooking dinner for her and Sebastian.
“Just come after work if you want. Do you care if Sebastian stays after school and I bring him home with me? He can do his homework while he waits, but I won’t stay long since I need to get home and cook.”
“That saves me from driving home. I’ll still be in my scrubs though,” she said wrinkling her nose. She’d like to change but figured it’d be fine for one night.
“You left a change of clothes here from when you stayed for that week. You can change when you get here,” he said.
She’d completely forgotten about that. “Then I should be there close to five and I can take a quick shower and change. Do you want me to let Sebastian know to go to your office after school?”
“I probably won’t see him if you want to send him a text.”
She got out of her car. “I’ll do that right now, but I’ve got to get to my next patient. I’ll see you later.”
“See you,” he said.
* * *
Noah put his cell phone back on his desk. Paige sounded happy with his gift, but she didn’t mention a word about the card, making him wonder if he overstepped himself or put his cards on the table too soon.
Guess he’d find out later tonight when he had a chance to talk to her alone.
A little before five he was in the kitchen finishing up with his meatloaf. Not the most romantic of dinners, but Sebastian had told him Paige loved meatloaf and the last time she tried to cook one it was like cutting a brick and then chewing sandpaper. They couldn’t even wash it down with water.
He’d thought that was a little extreme, but he decided to get a recipe from his mother and try to make it anyway. That with mashed potatoes, a jar of gravy because there was no way he was trying to make that, and cooked baby carrots.
“It sure smells good in here,” Paige said when she walked in the front door. “What are you making?”
“Meatloaf,” Sebastian said, grinning at her. “And it already looks better than yours.”
“Wiseass,” she said back. “And did you tell Noah I loved meatloaf?”
“I did,” he said.
She put her hand on his shoulder. “You can be sweet when you want.”
Noah was in the kitchen with his sleeves rolled up while he stirred something in a pan. She walked over and gave him a kiss on the lips and put her arms around his waist. “I can’t believe you are making my favorite. Bonus points for you for even asking Sebastian.”
“What makes you think I asked? Maybe he told me so I’d make it.”
She poked a finger in his stomach. “He’s fourteen. He wouldn’t have thought to tell you unless you asked.”
Which had been the case. “I’ve got chocolate-covered strawberries for dessert too.”
“You pulled out all the stops tonight. Too bad we aren’t going to be alone.”
He kissed her forehead. They’d spent the night twice now since they’d returned from Charlotte, but he hadn’t felt comfortable having sex with Sebastian at the other end of the house.
“We’ll figure something out,” he said.
“Here’s your gift,” Sebastian said, handing her over a box of chocolates. Not a box from a regular store but from a chocolate store in town. “I picked them all out myself.”
“How did you get there?” she asked. She knew he had his own money now and he was thrilled with it.
“Noah brought me today. He left school early too.”
“Very thoughtful of you,” she said to Noah. “I hope Sebastian thanked you.”
“He did.”
“Where did you put my clothes?” she asked. “I’m going to take a quick shower if there is time.”
“Plenty of time. The potatoes are almost done. I’ll show you where I put your clothes.”
The two of them went to his room, he pulled her into his arms and slanted his mouth across hers, his tongue seeking and tasting. How he wished she didn’t have to leave tonight. He’d love to suggest they stay but Sebastian didn’t have a change of clothes here either and it was probably pushing it on a school night.
“Now I really wish we were alone,” she said. “And your card. I feel foolish saying my heart went pitter-patter, but it did. You know how much I care for you, right? About you? Everything you’ve done for Sebastian and me.”
He didn’t want her to feel that way for those reasons though. He wanted her to feel that way because she wanted to, not because she felt indebted in an odd sort of way. “I know you do. Is that the only reason though? Because of Sebastian?”
“No,” she said. “I didn’t mean it that way. You mean so much to me. More than I’ve felt for another man before. It’s kind of scary on one hand and a bit freeing on the other.”
“Freeing?”
“It’s nice to know I’ve got someone else I can talk to about things. I guess I don’t feel like I’ve got to keep it all to m
yself or have secrets. The secrets get tiring.”
“I’m sure it does,” he said. “I’m here for you. I’m here for Sebastian.” He trailed his fingers down her cheek, just needing to touch her more.
“I’m nervous to say this, but I’m going to. I guess it’s that freeing feeling. I think I’m falling in love with you.”
“Don’t be nervous. I do more than think it,” he said, wanting her to know he was feeling that way.
Her eyes looked a little misty. “I’m so scared.”
“Don’t be. I’m right here.” He hugged and kissed her forehead again. “Shower and let me get dinner done before I ruin something.”
When he walked into the kitchen, Sebastian was pouring the potatoes into a strainer. “They were bubbling and your mom showed me how to check if they were done.”
“Then they must be because she showed me the same way. Thanks.”
By the time Paige came in, the table was set and dinner was placed there. “I got you one more gift,” Sebastian said.
“What’s that?” Paige asked.
“Well, it’s really one for Noah too.”
He looked at the kid. “I’m not sure I want to know.”
“I’m going to stay at Grandpa’s this weekend. He said he’ll pick me up from school on Friday and bring me back on Sunday.”
Noah laughed. “That’s a pretty good gift.”
Paige just shook her head while she grinned and filled her plate.
34
Perfect Answer
“How are things going with Words Matter?” Paige asked Noah when they were at dinner. She wasn’t used to going to fancy dinners with men, but Noah asked if she didn’t mind dressing up a bit and going out. Since Sebastian was with her father for the weekend, he figured it gave them time to just enjoy the weekend together.
“They’re going well. I’ve ordered a bunch of things from Alex. We should get them in a week or so.”
“Did she really donate it all?” she asked. Paige couldn’t imagine the cost of everything from what Sebastian had told her. She’d never been exposed to a family quite like the Fierces. She even worried that Sebastian might be getting too attached to them since he talked about one of the family nonstop lately.
