25. Dinner with the Family
Dinner with the Family
Noah drove through the hills surrounding his family's hometown, wishing he'd rescheduled with his mum.
Claire's flight back to Houston was tomorrow, and this was the last time they'd have together until he returned to the states after Christmas.
He wished they were cooking at his place tonight, where he'd have her to himself instead of having to share her with his folks.
He turned onto the road leading to the village where they lived.
Two stone walls enclosed the narrow road, making it nearly impossible for two cars to pass each other.
Ahead, a small herd of cattle approached.
Noah slowed the car to a stop and waved in acknowledgment to the farmer walking behind them, casually flicking a stick at any stragglers.
"What is happening?" Claire asked, sitting upright in the seat and peering out the front window.
"Looks like he's moving his cows to a different field."
The herd split and meandered around the vehicle. The stone walls on either side made it a tight squeeze, and his car rocked as the animals gently bumped its sides as they passed.
Claire laughed in delight. "This. Is. Amazing!
How old are these walls? You know, you always read about how they built everything for riding horseback or to accommodate wagons, but being here, in this moment?
It really brings it home." She giggled as a curious bovine peered in the window at her before moving on.
"I think you'll need to wash your car after this. "
The farmer raised a hand in thanks and Noah smiled when Claire exuberantly waved back. He put the car in gear and continued up the hill, shaking his head at her ability to find joy in everything. How long had it been since he'd felt that way?
As he turned into the driveway of his parents' property, the smile slid from his face. What the…?
"Shit."
Claire looked at him, a frown of concern forming on her face. "What's wrong?"
Noah put the car into neutral, pulled the brake, and turned in his seat to face Claire. "I am so sorry. It looks like it's more than just my parents. I think my whole damn family is here." He dropped his face into his hands and shook his head. Why? Why would they do this to him?
"Noah, it's okay. It will be fine. Remember when I invited you to Thanksgiving with Brinnie and the crew? Think of this as you paying me back for that craziness. Yeah?"
He lifted his head and peered through his fingers at her to see a genuine smile adorning her face. She laid a hand on his upper arm. "Really. It's okay. Let's go have some fun."
He straightened up and exhaled harshly. "I don't think you understand what you're in for. This is definitely above and beyond the call of duty."
"Well, if it turns out to be terrible, then you owe me an expensive steak dinner when we're back in Houston. Or an Astros game or something else big. How's that sound?"
"It sounds like I'm going to be broke when I get back to Houston. Seriously, we can ditch if you want to. I mean, I want to."
She laughed at his grumbling. "C'mon. Let's go meet your family."
The butterflies in Claire's stomach were fully awake and flapping up a storm.
She'd reassured Noah everything would be fine, but someone needed to tell her nerves to calm down.
She quietly ran through a few breathing exercises as Noah parked his car at the end of a row full of mini SUVs, sedans, and one beat-up, ancient pickup truck.
Just how many family members did he have?
"Ready?" Noah asked.
No. "Yep. Let's do this."
He exited his side of the car and came around to assist her. The front door of the house banged open and an explosion of children poured out. Claire counted them as they barreled down the walkway, shouting Noah's name, the littlest one toddling precariously along and listing a bit to the left.
"Uncle Noah! Uncle Noah!"
Noah threw her an apologetic look, then grabbed up the nearest child and swung him into the air. The other children jumped up and down, cheering to be next.
Claire felt a tug on her skirt and looked down to find the littlest one gripping the fabric with one hand and reaching up with the other. What a cute little boy. On impulse, she reached down and lifted him up. He gave her a big, toothy grin and instantly charmed her.
More people piled out of the house. The men were obviously related and carried the same "tall, dark, and handsome" vibe that Noah wore easily.
Except for the eldest, whom Claire assumed was Noah's father.
Did it bother him that his boys all towered over him?
Or was it a source of pride? The older woman had Noah's same gorgeous eyes and clearly carried the tall gene. She topped her husband by a few inches.
"Come in, come in. Children, let your uncle get into the house and get warm before you clamber all over him. Goodness' sake!"
The kids all backed away and left Claire with the little one and Noah holding a pint-sized girl in his arms. Claire scanned the youthful brigade. Yep, only one girl. All the rest were boys. Oh, boy. She'd bet money the little angel had everyone wrapped around her fingers. She smiled at the thought.
"You must be Claire. Noah told us you'd had quite a week. Here, let me take Colin from you." Noah's mother held out her hands and the giggling baby lurched forward into them.
They were quickly shuffled inside to a spacious living room heavily decorated for the upcoming Christmas holidays.
Mrs. Raines made the introductions while she and Noah divested themselves of their coats.
Noah's brothers, Tristan, Connor, and Rowan, were all present.
The middle brother (Rowan) was single, but the other two were married and their wives were present as well.
Surprisingly, the youngest (Tristan) had the most children.
And his wife, Eva, was pregnant with their fourth.
The little girl and the baby belonged to them.
The kids' ages ran from nine years to just under two years old.
Mrs. Raines ended with introducing Noah's father—Oliver—and herself, whom she insisted Claire call Delilah.
Noah smirked and asked, "Did you get all that? Think you'll remember it?"
His next oldest brother (Connor, she reminded herself) added, "Because there will be a test, you know."
As the adults sat down, the children peppered Noah with questions about his travels and asking if he brought them any gifts. Claire found herself half-listening to the adult conversation around her, while paying attention to his interactions with the kids. He seemed so at ease with them.
"Of course, I brought back gifts, but since your miscreant parents didn't tell me you'd be here, I did not bring them with me."
A chorus of disappointed responses followed.
"Claire?"
Her attention snapped back to those around her. "I'm sorry?"
Delilah smiled. "I asked if you'd like to help me in the kitchen. Noah tells us you're a fine cook."
"Oh, really?" Claire glanced across the room. The oldest boy was showing Noah a scratch on his leg, while the men were focused on the soccer—no, football—game playing on the television. She wondered what else Noah had told his mother.
"Sure," she said, standing to follow Delilah and the other women to the kitchen.
Claire sat back and watched Noah's family.
The meal had been delicious, and she had acquired several new recipes for her collection.
When Claire asked about the beef Wellington recipe earlier, Delilah had grabbed an index card and written it up from memory.
She was definitely making this for her dad.
It would be perfect for Christmas. The sharing had continued when she'd told the Raines women about her cooking group back home and they'd all written up a few favorite recipes for her to take home to Brinnie and the gang.
Claire had promised to send back a few Texas favorites when she got the chance.
The atmosphere in the Raines household was everything Claire imagined a large family to be.
The adults sat around Delilah's extended dining room table while the kids sat at the smaller breakfast table.
Eating at the kids' table was something she'd only read about, since her dad was an only child and her entire extended family all fit at her grandmother's large kitchen table.
The conversation was jovial and peppered with laughter. Noah's brothers had asked about growing up in Texas, living in California, and eventually, about being stuck in Scotland with their older brother. She and Noah had kept it light and made the unexpected detour sound like a grand adventure.
They sat beside each other and occasionally their elbows touched, which warmed her heart even more.
When the topic of her mother came up, Noah squeezed her knee under the table and deftly changed the subject once Claire had given her usual brief explanation of growing up without one.
The gesture touched her more than she expected.
"You're looking mighty satisfied, Red." Noah's sultry voice in her ear startled her reverie. Her face warmed as she met his gaze.
"Your mom's a splendid cook. Everything was delicious."
"High praise from another great cook." His gaze caught and held hers.
His mother picked up on the conversation and asked, "Claire's cooked for you, Noah?"
The room went quiet and Claire pulled her gaze from Noah. Pay attention! "Yes, I've brought dishes to work when we've had late meetings."
"Is Claire the coworker you mentioned who fed you on the American Thanksgiving holiday?" Noah's dad asked. Claire smiled. That's twice now that someone had mentioned Noah talking about her. Perhaps he wasn't as indifferent as he liked to pretend. She grinned at him.
Noah's cheeks reddened, and he looked at Claire before answering. "Er, yes. Her apartment complex has a cooking group who held a feast. What did they call it?" Noah raised his eyebrows, silently asking for help.
"Friendsgiving." She smiled. "It's for folks who can't travel or have no family close."
"Ah, how lovely," Delilah said. "What a wonderful idea."
And just like that, everyone started talking about the upcoming Christmas holiday and what friends they could invite over to share it with.
After a while, Noah's dad collected his wife's plate and led the brigade to clear the table.
When Claire tried to join in, Oliver chastised her and told her to stay put.
In the Raines's household, those who cooked didn't have to clean.
They spent the rest of the evening cheering at the football game on TV while separate conversations took place around the living room and kitchen area. The fans were divided, with half the adults rooting for the red team and the other half yelling for the yellow team.
"C'mon, ye blind bugger! That was clearly tripping," Tristan yelled.
"What are you on about? Just because your man can't walk straight, no need to cry foul," Noah responded.
Claire noted that while the entire family ribbed each other incessantly, the oldest and youngest brother seemed to have an affinity for pushing against each other.
She smiled at the easy affection between them.
"Well, he wouldn't have tripped if thirty-two hadn't pushed him," Simone, Connor's wife, added. Claire laughed at the thin woman's dry delivery. Simone had surprised Claire by being the most vocal of the entire bunch. She was definitely a superfan.
Throughout the evening, Claire wondered if this was what life would have been like had her mother been around.
She imagined a world where she had siblings and they teased each other like Noah's brothers.
She was unprepared for the longing that reared up as she observed the Raines family.
Eventually, Noah rose and told everyone he needed to get Claire back to her hotel since she had to catch a flight in the morning.
His family stood and showered her with hugs and kisses goodbye.
Noah's mom handed her a plastic snack bag filled with cookies for eating on the plane tomorrow and even crusty Oliver gave her a goodnight kiss on the cheek as he hugged her goodbye.
Claire's eyes filled with tears at the warm welcome she'd received from this family.
On the way to her hotel they recounted the visit, with Noah adding further insight to the funny stories told over dinner.
The entire evening had been magical. After watching Noah interact with his family and the attention he paid to his nephews and niece, Claire had gotten a further glimpse into the layers that made up the man.
Spotting her hotel in the distance, she considered her situation.
Tonight was her last night here, and the universe had thwarted every attempt to spend time together this week.
She rubbed her palms on her skirt and plucked at her top.
She didn't know what demons Noah fought or why he wavered between a warm, concerned friend and a cold, strictly business coworker.
But it was time to take the bull by the horns and make a move.
When Noah parked the car in the hotel lot, Claire released her seat belt. She cleared her throat and faced him. It was now or never. She raised her eyes to meet his, looking up through her lashes. Courage poured through her when she saw him swallow.
"Do you want to come up?" she asked.