Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty-One
Nellie
Dinner with the Wood family was a lot like having dinner with the Alcotts. Everyone seemed to talk over each other, and laughter was abundant. Mrs. Wood—Gloria—was an exceptional cook.
Noah’s entire family was warm, inviting, and happy. There was a familial comfort between them all, and I could tell that they genuinely enjoyed each other’s company. Even Damien was smiling, something I’d rarely seen him do unless around Charlotte.
After everyone had finished their meal, they remained around the table for coffee and dessert. Someone—either Noah or Charlotte—must have told Gloria I preferred tea to coffee, because she brought me out a cup of herbal tea.
“You let me know if you want more hot water,” she told me when she set the teacup down in front of me.
The twins, Aria and Ronan, ate their slices of cake quickly and asking to be excused so they could go play, but the adults remained around the table.
“So, Nellie, how are you liking working at the resort?” Mr. Wood—Will—asked, sending me a considering look.
I’d taken a sip of my tea and had to swallow before answering. “I’m really enjoying it. There’s always something interesting happening.”
“That’s resort management for you.” Will chuckled, shaking his head. “Never a dull moment! The stories I could tell you. Wait until the summer! You’ll be meeting some interesting regulars.”
“Ooh, like the Burns!” Easton said gleefully. “They really know how to keep things entertaining.”
“Summers are my favourite time of year at the resort,” Gloria said, her smile wistful. “Fall is beautiful, and winter can be fun, but summers have a special place in my heart.” Gloria smiled at Will, her eyes aglow with love.
I exchanged a look with Noah, my thoughts on how my due date was mid-summer. Noah put his hand on my knee and gave it a gentle squeeze, as if he knew where my mind had gone.
He tilted his head in the direction of his family as if asking if I still wanted to tell them. I nodded, worrying my bottom lip. Dinner had gone so well, and I was afraid to shift the jovial mood, but I hadn’t changed my mind. I wanted to tell them.
I had grown tired of hiding it from everyone. I wanted to be able to walk around town without worrying someone would discover my secret, and that it’d get back to Noah’s family before we had a chance to tell them.
“Speaking of the summer, we actually have some news to share,” Noah said, still looking at me. I gave him a small smile, and Noah’s hand found mine.
“Oh? What news is that?” Gloria asked, drawing Noah’s attention away. He glanced around the table at his family members, all of them waiting expectantly for him to speak.
Damien surprised me by giving me a small, reassuring smile and subtle nod.
“Nellie and I are going to have a baby,” Noah finally said.
For a moment, nobody said anything. The silence seemed to stretch on and on, my heart pounding in frantic beats with each millisecond that passed.
I envisioned Noah’s parents flying off the handle, demanding that I leave their home immediately. I imagined them accusing me of trapping their son and defiling their good name. I could scarcely breathe, even with Noah reassuringly squeezing my hand.
Gloria blinked as if coming out of a stupor.
“Really?” she asked, her hand going to her mouth and her eyes welling with tears when Noah nodded in response.
“That’s amazing news! Congratulations!” she added, practically flying out of her seat to rush around the table and wrap her arms around both Noah and me.
Charlotte and Will congratulated us too, and to my utter surprise nobody looked angry or upset at the news. Easton appeared shocked at first, but that shock faded away at the sight of his mother’s notable excitement, and he was grinning.
“Well, damn. Congratulations!” Easton said, lifting his coffee mug in a cheers. “That will certainly keep attention off me for the foreseeable future. Thank you!”
Noah rolled his eyes and shook his head, but he was still smiling.
“When’s the due date?” Gloria asked as went back to her seat and picked up a napkin to wipe the tears from her eyes.
“July nineteenth,” I replied.
Gloria’s lips parted with surprise, as if she’d done the math and concluded that it didn’t exactly add up to when Noah and I started dating. But she didn’t say anything, and I had a feeling she wouldn’t have, if Noah’s younger brother hadn’t pointed out the obvious first.
“Wait a minute. So, this baby-making night happened back in October, after the Witches’ Ball?” Easton blurted, his eyes wide with scandalized surprise.
“Easton!” Gloria scolded, shooting her youngest son a chastising look.
“What! I’m just saying.” Easton raised his hands in surrender, a cocky smirk on his face. “Did you guys have the shots?”
“There were a lot of shots had that night,” I muttered, my face heating with embarrassment.
Easton let out a cackle. “The Hartley triplets did it again!”
“Did what again?” I frowned.
“They always have a hand in planning the Witches’ Ball. Yeah, the Hastingses put it on. But the Hartley triplets are behind the drink menu. They’ve been known to make certain cocktails and shots with the love elixir,” Easton explained, his eyes bright with amusement.
I’m glad somebody was entertained.
“How do you know that?” Noah asked, his brows furrowing.
“Aliza Hastings told me a few years ago. After I almost did a few shots with Leah Michaels.” Easton shivered, as if the memory gave him the heebie-jeebies. “Leah went on to do shots with Beckett Brown, and nine months later…” he gestured, rocking an invisible baby.
“Uh…” I glanced at Noah for help. “There isn’t any merit in the whole love elixir folklore, right?”
Noah’s parents, brothers, and Charlotte all exchanged looks with one another, as if they were nonverbally conversing about how to break it to me.
“I mean, it’s not like it’s been scientifically proven or anything,” Charlotte tried.
“I’m sure it’s just a coincidence.” Gloria smiled.
“Or fate,” Will added helpfully, giving me a comforting smile. “Either way, we’re going to be grandparents again! That’s exciting news, right, Glo?”
“Sure is!” Gloria’s smile brightened.
Was nobody else concerned that a trio of elderly ladies was supposedly spiking the drinks of unsuspecting townsfolk with a love potion?
I’d laughed when Sage had been so worried about unwittingly drinking the love elixir with Nix by way of the chocolate stout Nix had purchased for their first-ever date, but now I saw her point.
“That feels very dub-con-y,” I said, glancing at Noah with alarm.
“Dub-con-y?” Easton raised a brow, confused.
“It means dubious consent, and it refers to a situation where consent is unclear or dubious.” I explained, shaking my head. “The Hartley triplets tricking unsuspecting couples into taking the love elixir would fall under the dub-con category.”
“I really don’t think the Hartley triplets are in the habit of forcing people to unwittingly take the love elixir,” Gloria explained with a patient smile. “Anything in the café that contains the love elixir is labeled with a little heart.”
“Yeah, but they’ve expanded to include the love elixir in other items around town,” Damien pointed out. “The Choco Temptation chocolate stout from the brewery for example—which we include in our Couples Retreat baskets.”
“The Choco Temptation is labeled appropriately,” Charlotte countered. “It’s why you and Noah refuse to drink it.”
“What about that new wine that came out from the winery? Amour Au Chocolat?” Damien argued. “I don’t recall seeing a label on it.”
“It’s small, but it is there,” Charlotte insisted.
“See!” Easton exclaimed, pursing his lips.
“Maybe Eliza only said that because she was jealous and wanted to keep you from going home with Leah?” Charlotte ventured.
“I mean, maybe.” Easton shrugged. He seemed delighted that he’d caused such mayhem.
I, however, was still reeling.
We stayed for another half hour while Noah, Damien, and Easton cleaned the kitchen.
Will was in the living room with Aria and Ronan, watching The Mighty Ducks while Charlotte, Gloria, and I sat at the table and talked more about the pregnancy and other, safer topics.
I could tell they both felt a little guilty for all the love elixir talk.
Once the kitchen was cleaned, Damien and Charlotte got the girls ready to head home, and Easton skipped out shortly after, claiming he had a hot date. Noah and I were the last to leave, and as he was getting my coat, Gloria put her arms around me in a hug.
“Thanks for dinner, Gloria. It was delicious,” I told her, hugging her back. I thought I’d feel more awkward about it, but Gloria was the kind of person who was just good at hugs. I could see where Noah got it from.
“Thank you,” she said sincerely, her voice ladened with emotion. She pulled back and smiled at me. “I was beginning to worry my son would never let love in.”
“We’ve only started dating recently,” I murmured, feeling my face heat with embarrassment.
Gloria smiled kindly. “I can tell that this is the real deal between you two. Pregnancy is going to fast track everything, because you only have so much time before the baby arrives.”
“Don’t scare her, Ma.” Noah frowned, overhearing the last bit.
“Oh! I hope I didn’t,” Gloria fretted.
“It’s okay. I mean, this whole pregnancy thing is scary in itself,” I joked, shrugging my shoulders.
“Everyone feels that way, even when they’re super prepared for the idea of it. Pregnancy, and parenting in general, can be scary. You’re responsible for a whole other being, but you’ll be okay,” Gloria assured me. “You’ve got us!”
Her words were a calm balm to my anxieties, something I’d wished my own mother would have said to me, instead of chastising me for not being married.
Noah