38. AllNothing #2
"Mitch told you? You were my first stop afterward, but I missed you when I swung by your office," he said, caution permeating his body. He'd hurried to catch Jackie privately before word got out, but her office had been empty.
She shook her head. "Not Mitch. Frank called me. He said it was brilliant." She walked past them and everyone followed. "I agree. And you'll be positioned nicely to help with three upcoming production projects we're involved in."
Noah dropped Claire's hand to hold the door for Jackie as they entered the building. The rest of the team peeled off until only Jackie, Simon, Noah, and Claire walked together. Noah's hand brushed Claire's, happy she'd stayed by his side.
Once they were in the elevator, Jackie continued, her voice softening. "You could have told me, Noah."
He hesitated, thinking his words through. "I'm not sure I could have. I was afraid it would influence your opinion of me and you were potentially my next boss if things didn't work out."
She considered it. "Fair enough."
"You're not mad?" he asked.
"Not anymore," she said with a self-deprecating smile he recognized. Noah relaxed a notch, happy he hadn't burned a bridge with a longtime ally and friend.
Simon spoke up. "It's not the first time someone has manifested a job they wanted."
Noah watched as Jackie smirked at Simon. He shrugged at Claire's perplexed look. Damned if he knew what they were talking about.
"Alex Tanner," Simon answered the unspoken question.
"You know, I asked her about it once. Alex always gets her way.
Always. So I asked what her secret was. She told me that the higher ups had a hard time saying no when what she asked for made sense for the company.
" Simon looked pointedly at Noah. "Seems like you've got the same instincts. "
Claire set the hot dish on the stove and lifted the cover.
Savory smells teased her nose and filled the kitchen.
Brinnie had dropped off her version of homemade beef stew with instructions for both her and Noah to rate and review the recipe and a promise to share if they liked it.
She stirred the dish, mentally reviewing the bread options she had in her pantry.
Noah's laughter drifted in from her bedroom.
He'd been on the phone for the last half hour with his family, getting and giving updates on his move to the States.
In the two weeks since his promotion, there'd been a flurry of calls back and forth, sharing news and making arrangements.
They'd been both sad to see him move away and excited for the new opportunity.
His voice became more distinct as he walked into the kitchen.
She pulled down bowls as he wrapped up his call.
"Yes, I'll do that. Love you too, Mum. Later, Pops."
Arms wrapped around her waist and warm lips nuzzled her neck. "What smells so good?"
She turned in his arms and pulled his face down for a kiss. "Brinnie dropped off supper. We're to report back. How's your family?"
"Involved." He grimaced, then stuck his tongue out to show he wasn't overly upset.
"And by involved, you mean…?" She reached over and pulled spoons out of the silverware drawer, watching as Noah lifted the pot's lid and sniffed the stew.
"My sister-in-law—you remember Simone, Connor's wife?—has taken on selling my house. She was all excited to set up open houses and show it off, but it seems one of my cousins is in the market for a new place and it's the perfect location for him. She's both miffed and excited at the same time."
"Wow. That seems fast. How do you feel about selling it after all the work you put into it?
" Claire watched his face. The past two weeks had been a whirlwind of making plans, drawing up checklists, and figuring out the next steps.
And that was in his personal life alone.
At work, he'd been just as busy handing off his former duties, figuring out his new job, and working with HR on his legal status.
Claire never knew so many rules existed around work visas until watching Noah deal with it.
He shrugged. "I'll miss it, but I'm looking forward to figuring out where my next place will be." Since the company intended to pay for his housing while he got settled, finding a new place to live wasn't the most pressing issue. Especially since he'd been spending so much time at her place.
"I have to admit, I like the convenience you have living this close to the office, but I'm used to having space to work.
Power drills and miter saws don't go over well in high-rise apartments.
I think I want to find a house or condo with a garage I can convert into a workshop.
" He opened the glasses cupboard and looked over his shoulder at her. "Iced tea or milk tonight?"
Claire knew apartment life wasn't for Noah. A place he couldn't make his own would stifle him and his creativity. And she was looking forward to seeing his woodworking projects come to life.
"Milk, please. Is your mom still upset you're moving away?" Delilah had been beside herself at the thought of her oldest son living an ocean away until Noah pointed out that they'd rarely been on the same continent for the last year and a half and their relationship hadn't suffered for it.
"She's better. Especially once I told her I'd probably see her more going forward than I have this past year, since I'll be visiting the plants regularly.
And I suggested she and Pops could visit us here in Houston on occasion.
" He laughed. "It's like it never occurred to the woman that she, too, could travel.
Funny, since they did it all the time when my dad was in the military. "
Claire warmed at his unconscious wording, lumping them together as a unit. "Maybe she got her fill of it and once she stuck, she stayed put."
They sat at the bar to eat.
"This is delicious," Noah said, spooning another bite into his mouth.
"Brinnie said there's a slow cooker recipe as well. We could put it on in the morning and it would be ready when we got home from work." She took a drink of her milk, then paused when she caught Noah's look. "What?"
"The idea of coming home to you every night makes me feel—" He stopped and blinked.
She turned on her stool to face him. "Makes you feel what?" The thought of spending the rest of their lives together made her all warm and mushy inside, but she wanted to hear Noah's take.
"I don't have the words to describe it. I'm afraid any attempt will ruin my tough-guy reputation." He flashed a self-deprecating grin before his face went serious and he spread his hand on his chest. "But I feel it right here. And it's… good."
"Soft and gooey?" she offered.
Noah's smile lit up his face. "Yes, Claire, just like those little pies you make when you're stressed out.
I get soft and gooey inside when I think of you.
" He pulled her closer and kissed her gently.
Against her lips, he murmured, "Do not tell my brothers I used the word soft or gooey. Tristan would razz me unmercifully."
She tugged at his shirt, dinner forgotten. "So, you're saying you don't want to be soft? You want to be hard ? Let's go see what we can do about that."
"Hell, yes," he said, before swinging her up in his arms and heading for the bedroom.