"No, not yet." Noah shook his head. "That last part is all you."
Dotty fanned him off. "On paper you are the perfect mate for any woman unless of course she is not into men, and even then...Raine Childs is either smoking something or plain crazy."
"I am going with plain crazy," Noah muttered. "She is pushing me away for a reason."
"She doesn't know you if she thinks you are going to give up, especially since you like her so much."
"Yes," Noah straightened up and looked at Dotty. "You should do psychology."
"Or write a book," Dotty said, "put you on the cover. I would have females lining up to buy it."
Noah laughed. "I am going to take my shimmering self to the shower."
****
Raine was at the cashier section when he walked in the bookstore at eleven. She had long line infront of her to deal with. She looked up when she saw him and widened her eyes. He waved and headed to his favorite section of the cafe. The place was buzzing. He spotted a couple of people he knew, his sisters' friends, the ladies who lunched there. They were huddled around a table drinking coffee and laughing.
"Hey Noah," Keira called to him, "want to be my Valentines this year?"
Noah smiled. "No Keira. You are already taken."
"Nothing wrong with having two." She winked at him lewdly and her friends laughed and clutched each other as if she had said the funniest thing.
Noah sat at the farthest table from where they were sitting. He opened his laptop, watching as Raine did her customer service bit and then, the cashier came back to her station and Raine moved away to the office after giving him a covert glance.
He got up and headed for her office. He knocked but didn't get an answer so he pushed the door and went in. Raine was sitting in the chair and holding unto the desk as if he were an axe murderer about to relieve her of her head.
"Hi," he said, most of his confidence fleeing with the air of fear that she had about her.
"Hi," she swallowed. "Noah, I am..."
"Sorry for telling me off last night and you will be coming to Treasure Beach with me this weekend."
Raine opened her mouth. "You still want me to come with you?"
"Yep." Noah leaned on the door.
"Why?" Raine asked her voice was breathless.
"Because I like you," Noah said. "I want you to be my friend."
"You or Dean Long?" Raine asked grimly.
"Dean Long is no longer around." Noah moved away from the door and came around to her side of the desk. He leaned down and stared into her eyes, they were nose to nose.
"This is all me, Noah Scarlett."
Raine smiled. "Well, okay then. I'll be your date to your sister's wedding."
"And you won't push me away again," Noah said lowering his mouth to hers.
Raine pulled him closer. She didn't have to answer verbally.
Chapter Sixteen
Lisa and Nate's all white rehearsal dinner at Reuben's house was romantic and full of laughter. The love in the air was palpable. Reuben's lawn was decorated with white canopies, with settees and chairs scattered around. Round lanterns lent splashes of color throughout the property.
The venue was gorgeous. Raine couldn't believe that the house had been a fixer upper, which was single handedly refurbished by Reuben, Noah's oldest and seriously handsome brother.
She changed her mind ever so often about who Noah was like the moment she met a new family member.
After a while it became overwhelming. Her first introduction to Oliver Scarlett and his wife Ashaki when they arrived for the weekend had her bemused.
Oliver was a doctor who married a real life Barbie doll and was obviously in love with his wife. They couldn't keep their hands off each other.
Then she met Noah's Uncle Lloyd and his Aunt Daisy. They were so warm it was impossible not to instantly like them.
After a visit with them she had fantasies that she was Noah's wife and they lived in Treasure Beach and she was surrounded by his caring family. They made a good impression on her.
She loved the Treasure Beach area. She especially liked where Lisa and Nate were staying. Oliver and Ashaki had taken both her and Noah to do the family rounds when they visited on Friday.
They visited Nate at a place called Villa Cruzar.
"We lived here once," Oliver said smiling, "when I just got back from the Congo."
"Good memories." Ashaki grinned at him. "You should keep it, Nate."
"I will," Nate said after ushering them inside. "This place will be our honeymoon love nest for the next couple of weeks. Besides, Lisa's aunt and cousin live next door. She likes the convenience of visiting them when we are here and whenever she feels like it."
Nate and Oliver were obviously good friends, they joked around for a bit after Nate offered them refreshments.
She declined. She had quite a bit to eat at Lloyd and Daisy's house. She opted to walk around the house instead, looking at one section of the wall that was filled with pictures. It was gorgeous and colorful.
She stopped at one with a boat, with the word Pops on the side. She looked at it for a while.
"Lisa took that photo," Nate said from where he was perched on the settee. "She is becoming a force to be reckoned with in the photography world. My girl is a natural at this."
Raine turned around and looked at him. "She is good."
"Yep." Nate sighed. "I had to drag her from New York, to come and get married here or else she would be working right now. They love her over there."
Raine grinned. "I like that."
She moved on to a picture of Ashaki in what looked like a rustic setting. She looked younger, not as sophisticated as she did now.
Beside that was a group photo of Ashaki and Oliver and what looked like a bunch of good-looking people.
"That was our second wedding," Ashaki said walking over to stand beside Raine. "Right here, on the beach."
"You guys got married twice?" Raine asked, looking from her to Oliver.
"Yes." Ashaki nodded. "The second marriage was nicer than the first one."
Raine wondered what the story was there. She looked at Noah significantly; he would have to tell her.
He raised his eyebrows at her and smiled.
She turned toward the wall again and looked at another family photo. I did not include Noah or Oliver, but the bride and the groom were impossibly good-looking.
"Who are they?"
Nate answered, "That's Slater's wedding. Amoy his wife to be at the time, asked me to be the official photographer. I had no idea that Lisa was his sister and neither did she."
"You guys have such interesting lives," Raine murmured.
"Don't we all?" Nate laughed.
They walked next door to where Lisa was staying after more pleasantries.
Her aunt was an elegant, beautiful woman named Francine. Standing beside her and Ashaki, Raine instantly felt like she was of average height. It was a good feeling.
Francine's son, Ricardo Mills, greeted them graciously.
He was especially pleased to meet Noah.
"Noah Ess." He shook his head. "Lisa has me reading your books. I need to have a talk with you about your crazy plots. Surely you don't expect that all opposites attract. I mean you have quite the gamut of polar opposite people finding love in your books. That's a bit far fetched, don't you think?"
Oliver was the first one to chuckle. "It's not as impossible as you might think. We have quite a few of those kind of things going on in our family."
"I like his plots," Francine interjected. "What I want to know is, are you single?"
"He's taken." Raine found herself boldly declaring.
Francine laughed. "Just asking for the benefit of some female fans."
Raine didn't quite believe her; she was eying Noah too intensely for that to be true.
They chit chatted until Lisa came down the stairs and exuberantly hugged her brothers and plopped herself in Nate's lap.
"I am marrying th
e love of my life on Sunday," she declared rubbing her nose against Nate's. "We've come a long way, baby."
"Yes," Nate squeezed her to him. "And we'll doubtlessly be going a long way more."
The whole weekend was great from start to finish. Noah's family were fantastic people. At the wedding she found herself staring in admiration at more than one of Noah's brothers and cousins a shade longer than was necessary.
Noah caught her once and shook his head at her. "Gawking at my family, Raine?"
"I can't help it, they are so good looking," Raine whispered. "That one over there with the pregnant wife what's his name again."
Noah swung around and then laughed. "That's Kane, aka Slater Scarlett."
"His wife is gorgeous in real life," Raine said. "She even looks good pregnant."
"Yes, she does." Noah smiled. "I hear that she really wanted a baby and she considered him as a sperm donor before they fell in love."
"I would consider him too." Raine glanced at Noah and then grinned. "Just kidding."
"I doubt it." Noah smirked. "I am going to ask my cousin Troy to pray for you. He's the one over there that officiated the service."
"He is church eye-candy," Raine said lewdly. "I was thinking what a tall drink of caramel richness he was."
Noah shook his head. "I am going to get a complex. Maybe I should only take you to get togethers of my other side of the family. There we have mostly women."
Raine laughed. She was really happy that she came with Noah. He was relaxed and laid back. She couldn't believe that Noah said that he was just getting to know his Scarlett family. There was no awkwardness or dead moments with them. She had more issues with her own family that she had known all her life. The rapport with his family was enviable.
Maybe that was the secret, get to know family when you are grown and had no obligations to them, because they helped you when you were younger and there were no compunction to keep their secrets because you were afraid for their welfare.
She sighed, determined not to let thoughts of her family ruin the good time she was having.
The reception was taking place on the grounds of Villa Ingles, a hotel she had seen pictures of online and had drooled over. There were so many spots of interest.
Lisa and Nate had a picture-taking schedule. Noah held it up when they entered the venue.
"I am in the first one. I'll come and find you when I am done." He kissed her on the cheek. "Did I tell you, you look great today?"
Raine looked down on her simple light pink dress and smiled.
"Yes you did. And so do you. Very good."
Noah was handsome ordinarily, but was killer handsome in a tux.
She looked around. Most guests were milling around the canopies which were decorated in the wedding colors yellow and orange.
Raine entered one that was still empty and was almost immediately served a drink that was in the wedding colors by a waiter. She sat down in one of the plush settees and surveyed the sea through half slit eyes.
She really liked it here. A gentle breeze wafted off the sea and she inhaled and closed her eyes.
"Raine is it?"
She opened her eyes and looked into the smiling face of Terri Scarlett Lee Chang. They had been introduced Saturday night but Terri seemed to be in high demand by her busy family they had barely spoken except for the pleasantries.
"Yes." Raine nodded. "Shouldn't you be in the picture now?"
"Nah." Terri laid down beside her and kicked off her shoes. "Good grief, these chairs feel good. I am way down at session six on the list. I am just a cousin, which is a good thing because I am feeling beat. First trimester and all of that."
Raine looked at her still flat belly, "Congratulations!"
Terri nodded. "Thank you. Haven't told everybody yet. Still early days."
Raine smiled. "A next generation of Scarletts. Oops, you are not a Scarlett anymore."
Terri chuckled. "True, but my cousin Slater who is married to my husband's sister Amoy is, and she is having twins. So it's all good."
Raine nodded. "It will take me some time to work out all the family relationships."
Terri nodded. "You better do so that when you and Noah tie the knot you know who is who for family reunions."
Terri laughed, "I see the way Noah looks at you, so I know it will be soon. Please, do it before I am big like a house. I am vain and will not be as elegant and glowing as Amoy my sister-in-law is in the pictures. She makes pregnancy look good and she is carrying twins!"
Raine smiled but her heart skipped a beat, all this talk about babies and weddings and family, had her yearning for them, a yearning she didn't know she even had.
She wasn't even sure if she and Noah had a happily ever after. How could they when she was keeping secrets from him and he had Dean's left-over feelings for her sister?
****
Raine breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that her apartment was blessedly dark when Noah dropped her home and walked her to her door. Cassie was not the early to bed, early to rise kind of girl. And eleven o'clock was a bit too early in the night for her to be sleeping but she wasn't sure.
She was nervous that Noah would meet Cassie right now and all of this newfound closeness would blow up in her face.
"Had a good time?" he watched as she fumbled for her keys, praying like crazy that Cassandra was fast asleep or out.
"Yes," Raine looked at him with a smile. "I love your family."
Noah nodded. "They are pretty awesome."
He stepped closer to her and kissed her on the lips hard. "I've never been into your apartment."
Raine closed her eyes briefly. Please don't say you want to come in now.
She turned the handle of the door and Noah stepped back. "See you tomorrow?"
"Yes." She nodded. "Sure. I start internship at Sand Prints."
"Mmm." Noah touched her on her cheek. "In two weeks the Chamber of Commerce ball will be at Sand Prints. I promised my mom that I would go. Want to come?"
Raine hesitated. "Your mom? Can I think about it?"
"Sure." Noah nodded. "Sleep well."
He watched as she closed the door and she leaned on it. Turning on the hall light automatically.
Cassie was in the chair sleeping.
Raine flipped the switch off again, and breathed a sigh of relief. She headed for her room.
"I want to meet your boyfriend," Cassie said sleepily.
Raine jumped. Cassie had startled her.
"Never."
"Ah come on," Cassie got up on one elbow and squinted at Raine in the half dark. "I mean, he can't be as easy as Dean can he? You don't have to be scared of me, Rainy. I mean, if you are secure about this guy enough to put away your virginal prudishness and spend the weekend with him, I can't steal him like I did fickle Dean."
Raine paused at the door. "We didn't sleep in same room and Dean was not fickle."
"Yes he was," Cassie flung one leg over the top of the settee. "Anybody with any sense can see that you are the better sister. I am brash and flirty and too over the top.
"I think I like the way you take things slow and not flit in and out of relationships like mom and me...that's what I am going to do."
Cassie looked over the settee at Raine.
"Take it slowly, you know, be more like you. Garrick is into me and I like him. I went with him for ice cream tonight after his golf tournament. He's a good guy. Not my type, I am pretty sure I'll be bored with him in a while but he has money. This time I am going to play this right. I should try the marriage thing like Brad. Maybe have a couple of payday babies…tie me to him forever. "
Raine froze on spot. "Cassie, you can do something else with your life. If you want to be like me, go back to school, go get yourself a job."
"Baby steps, big sister," Cassie said sleepily, "I said I wanted to be like you and turn myself into wife material, not be converted into a work horse, struggling to make ends meet, living in a dump, driving that old car—good night."
Cassie snorted in reply.
****
It took Raine two whole weeks of internship at Sand Prints to realize that internship at the hotel did not mean real marketing work. She showed up at the marketing and sales office of the hotel everyday at twelve.
The staff were very helpful and friendly. She fetched and carried for them, photocopied a couple of documents and generally sat around and did nothing but count down to the time to when she could leave.
She had taken to texting Noah at around two o'clock when he normally takes a break from his writing. She had just sent him a text, counting down till four. She sent a sad face with that.
Noah called her instead of sending back his usual witty text.
"Want to go out this evening?"
"Yes. Sure." Raine slumped down in her office chair. "I would go to Treasure Beach."
"Serious?" Noah sounded as if he were contemplating it.
"No, not really," Raine sighed. "I am just bored."
"And you want no special treatment." Noah reminded her.
After she had complained to him the first time, he had offered to call Garrick and let him know she was there. She decided that she wouldn't have him do that. For one, Garrick and Cassie were getting hot and heavy.
Cassie was playing coy with him and he was biting the bait. She wanted to stay as far away from that as possible. And two, she didn't want it to be known that she was dating anyone close to the Levy family. Technically Noah was one of the bosses.
She already had an uphill battle trying to keep Cassie at bay. She did not want it to be known publicly. So far they were doing the secretive thing pretty well.
"Want to watch a movie?" Raine asked. "A rom-com or something."
Noah chuckled. "Sure. Meet you at the theatre."
Raine smiled. "Yes sir."
"Are you coming with me to the Chamber of Commerce dinner tomorrow evening?" Noah asked.
Scarlett Heart (The Scarletts Page 13
