27. Holiday Break #2
As they were leaving, a pretty little stand with detailed carvings caught Noah's eye and he wandered over to inspect it.
The description card labeled it a 1960s-era folding pie stand, and he immediately thought of Claire.
He hadn't seen anything like this in the video tour she'd given of her apartment, but thought it might come in handy with all the baking she did.
He pulled out his phone and snapped a few photos.
"What'd you find?" Tristan shoved his hands in his pockets and squinted at the card. "A pie rack? For Mum?"
"For Claire. Her kitchen is serviceable, but not large, and this folding design would let her store the rack away when not in use.
" He was already cataloging the materials he'd need and which machines he'd use at Tristan's workshop to do the carving work.
"This piece is beautiful, but I don't think she's into all the intricate detail. Her stuff is more modern and sleeker."
"So, not just a coworker then."
It took a moment for Tristan's statement to penetrate the mental math working in his head, trying to plan the piece. Noah glanced up sharply and met his gaze.
"Yeah, I didn't think so." Tristan pointed out the swivel piece at the bottom, allowing the shelves to fold flat and offered suggestions to modernize the design. After a few more photos, they moved on. Noah gave it five minutes—ten at the most—before his brother would start in on Claire.
"Claire, huh?" Noah clicked his seat belt into place and checked his watch. Seven minutes. "Pretty hair. Tiny. And charmingly sweet. And how about that Texas drawl?"
Noah ran his hands along his chin, letting the stubble from not shaving distract him from Tristan's query.
Perhaps he'd grow a beard like Rowan's. Oh, who was he kidding?
The rare times he'd let it grow, he'd hated it.
For whatever reason, he preferred to be clean-shaven—or stubbly at the most. Memories of Claire touching his face slammed into him, and he sighed.
Of course, it would be Tristan who made him face the truth.
You'd think he and Connor would be tight given their closeness in age, but it had always been the charming, precocious baby brother who'd been able to see straight into Noah's heart.
The one who now sat patiently waiting for a response. He sighed again.
Tristan wasn't going to let this go, so he might as well spill. He took a deep breath and opened the dam. "I can't stop thinking about her. Everything I see reminds me of her. And before you ask, yes, the chemistry is off the charts."
Tristan burst out laughing. "Oh, big brother, you didn't need to tell me that. You could practically see the air sizzle around the two of you at dinner that night. But since we're on the subject, how is the sex?"
Noah shifted in his seat and tugged on his gloves. "Don't know. We haven't gone there."
Tristan half-turned in the driver's seat and stared at Noah, his eyes so like his own drilling into him. "She's special."
"Yeah." Noah blew out a harsh breath. "Are we getting wood or not?" He pointed at the gearshift, indicating Tristan should get on with it.
After a few more seconds of his unrelenting stare, Tristan put the truck in gear and headed to the highway.
"What's your concern? Why the hesitation?" Noah groaned. Sometimes he swore Tristan had inherited his mother's fabled witchy powers. For being the baby of the group, he often came across as a wise old man who knew far more than he should.
"You know what happened with Julie. What a disaster it was." Noah twisted the knob for heat. Why was it so damn cold in this truck?
"Julie?" The surprise in Tristan's voice caught Noah off guard. "What's the correlation between Claire and Julie?"
"I work with Claire. That didn't work out so well for me last time." Noah wanted to look anywhere but Tristan's face, to hide from this discussion, but something drove him to watch and gauge his brother's reactions.
Tristan frowned. "Things didn't work out because Julie was a prime bitch. Nothing to do with being workmates. Do you think Claire would treat you the same way?"
No, he didn't. Claire didn't have a bitchy bone in her body.
She was the most open, giving person he knew.
Even when she was angry, she was still kind in her delivery.
Like that time when Vicki interrupted her during a meeting and Claire patiently waited for her to finish, then continued with her report.
He sighed again. "My number one rule for the last twelve years has been no dallying with anyone from work. Claire has me wanting to chuck that rule right out the door. Hell, I've already demolished it." He glanced at his brother. "We've been chatting every night."
Tristan's face turned triumphant. "I knew it! Eva and I have a running bet on when everyone else will realize she's the one."
"What?" Noah gaped at his little brother. He replayed the words in his head and slammed his jaw shut, while gulping down unease. Noah tugged at his collar and wondered how it had gotten hot so quickly. He fiddled with the temperature knob again.
"Oh, Eva and I knew it that night. But everyone else seemed puzzled by your relationship with her.
They expected to meet your girlfriend. After all, you were bringing a woman around to meet your family, which never happens.
But then you guys actually acted like colleagues.
Nice plan for throwing everyone off, by the way.
The wife and I, however, saw right through it. " He paused.
Noah guessed Tristan was mentally reviewing the dinner and waited with dread for whatever revelation he might throw out next. "The lack of physical touching confused us, but knowing you haven't slept together… it makes more sense. Why haven't you slept together?"
"Because I'm stupid?" Noah quipped. He rubbed his face, wishing his brother would leave it alone.
"Well, yeah, but answer the question." They laughed at the burn. Just like when they were schoolboys.
"We've come close," he admitted. "But the whole coworker thing has me spinning inside my head."
As they pulled into the car park for the wood supply place, Tristan asked, "When do you see her again?"
"Ten days." His lips curved up into a soft smile.
Tristan's grin lit up the truck cab. "Man, you are smitten." He held out a fist. "Game on, big brother."
As Noah contemplated everything they'd discussed, everything he'd been feeling, his smile slowly spread.
Julie was his past. And Tristan was right.
She'd treated him terribly. Claire could be his future.
If he'd just give them a chance. His shoulders relaxed unexpectedly, freed from a burden he hadn't known he was carrying.
"Game on, little brother." He bumped his fist against Tristan's.