Chapter 6
Chapter Six
CALEB
I feel his presence as soon as Noah comes back to join us.
I watch him as he stares at Jessica, my gaze drifting to her and taking in her alluring aura as she talks to Lily and Avery.
Her smile is wide. She lights up a room without even realising it.
Her honey-blonde hair is in soft waves, her eyes a vibrant blue under the restaurant’s lighting.
After careful consideration, she opted for ambient lighting, which I think was a good choice; that way it can cater throughout the day.
There’s both private dining and private function rooms downstairs for larger parties or more intimate dining.
The main restaurant upstairs is accessible, which also caters to families, which is something Jessica was adamant about, inclusivity.
It’s subjective, and not everyone has the same opinion regarding allowing children after certain hours, which is why she opted for the downstairs dining area and private rooms—this way, it caters to everyone.
My attention returns to Noah as he watches her, his expression pensive. His hazel eyes appear darker against his sun-kissed skin and light brown hair.
I don’t know what it is, but something is troubling him, yet I don’t want to push, least of all today.
I’ll leave it for now. I’d like to think that whatever is bothering him, he’ll talk to us when he’s ready.
Maybe he’s overwhelmed. A lot has happened in the past couple of years.
Our relationship with Jessica, us all moving home, adopting Aspen.
It’s happened so fast but yet feels like no time at all.
It’s a terrifying thought being in love and being loved in return, giving over my heart and soul for Noah and Jessica to take care of in the hopes they won’t obliterate it, and yet I wouldn’t have it any other way, not now—not ever.
There is no limit to where they are concerned, and there is nothing I wouldn’t do for either of them.
Mason joins me, muttering something under his breath and drawing my attention away from Noah.
“Pardon, what was that?” I ask him.
His attention is firmly fixed on Avery, who is flirting with Aaron.
I elbow him in the ribs when he doesn’t acknowledge my comment.
“What the fuck?” he asks, turning to me.
I raise an eyebrow and keep my voice down when I reply, “What the fuck, exactly? Why do you look like you’re about ready to kill my accountant?”
He scoffs at that. “A fucking bean counter, of course.”
I shake my head. “Says the man with a photographic memory who can do math in the blink of an eye.”
Mason is one of the smartest bastards I know.
He just shrugs.
“Come on, you clearly have a hard-on for her,” I say, bringing the rim of my glass to my lips to hide my grin.
He gives Aaron a look of utter contempt, gritting his jaw and finally turning his back on Avery. I also note how he hasn’t even tried to deny it.
“Seriously though, man, is that going to be a problem?” I ask, all jokes aside. “Because I won’t have anything upsetting Jessica.”
Mason leans on his elbow, his biceps flexing as he tilts his head towards me.
“It’s cool. I’d never do anything to upset my sister. I put up with you, don’t I?”
I smirk at that. “And because you love me, and you know it,” I retort.
This time, his lips curl into a smile. “Yeah, I do, but like I said before, if you ever hurt her, I won’t hesitate to make sure you become very well acquainted with the dentist.”
I raise a brow. “I can take you.”
Mason throws his head back with a laugh, causing a few others to look our way, including Avery, but she quickly dismisses him and returns to her conversation with Aaron.
Truth is, he would very well hand me my arse. Yeah, I work out, and I know how to fight, but I swear Mason is built like a brick shit house.
“If you say so.”
He nods. “You just name the time and place,” he replies as he reaches for a glass of orange juice.
“Are you two quite done posturing?” Jessica says, coming up beside me.
“It’s just playful banter,” I reply, wrapping my arm around her waist, pulling her in for a quick kiss.
“It won’t be if you don’t get your tongue out of her mouth,” Mason says, not too quietly.
Jessica’s cheeks heat when I pull away. She might be blushing profusely, but that doesn’t stop her from glaring at her brother.
“Mason, I had to watch you snogging girls on our sofa growing up. At least Caleb is one of the loves of my life, unlike all your many conquests.”
“Why am I not surprised?” Avery says as she joins me on my other side and signals for the bartender, who smiles brightly and comes straight over.
Mason scowls in Avery’s direction.
I clear my throat, drawing his attention back to me and raise my eyebrows.
He grinds his jaw, and I see the moment he concedes, his arm wrapping around Jessica’s shoulders and pulling her into his side.
“I’m proud of you, Jess. I wish Nan was here to see it, too.”
She brings her hand to her neck and plays with her rose pendant necklace.
“Thank you,” she says, any of her ire quickly diminishing.
He pulls her into a bear hug, and I reluctantly let go of her waist.
I look to Avery, who is watching them. Her expression is much less hostile now, too, thank fuck for that. Hopefully, they can keep it that way, at least until the opening is over.
“Time for the toast?” Noah asks, coming up behind me, his hand going to my lower back.
“Absolutely, perfect timing,” I reply. “Aspen okay?” I ask, my hand moving to his hip.
He nods and smiles, but there’s still something bothering him. I can tell, even though he tries to mask it well. I want to ask him again if he’s really alright, but instead, I ask, “Do you want to go first, or should I?”
“You can go first, I’m pretty sure whatever you say, I’ll be right there along with you.”
He reaches for a fork, tapping his glass to gain everyone’s attention.
It doesn’t take long for the conversations to die down and for everyone to have a drink in their hands.
I asked the servers to make sure the trays were full to save the embarrassment of having an empty glass to toast with.
I love that Jessica also catered to non-alcoholic beverages with mocktails and fresh juice.
“Jessica,” I say, holding out my hand towards her and gently pulling her closer. Noah moves to her other side, so she’s between us.
I kiss her temple before looking over at the sea of friends, smiling their attention on us.
“I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for being here for the opening for Obsidian Rose.” I glance around the room.
“It goes without saying how proud both Noah and I are of how much Jessica has done in such a short amount of time. Her potential is limitless, and her talent speaks for itself. Just look around you. This was all her.”
I gaze down at her rosy cheeks and wide smile. I know being the centre of attention isn’t easy for her, but she deserves this. This is her time to shine.
“Congratulations, sweet girl, this is only the beginning, and I, for one, can’t wait to see you thrive.”
Shouts of ‘cheers’ and ‘here, here’ echo around the restaurant, staff included.
The fact that everyone here is as invested in making it a success as much as Jessica is a testament to the woman she is.
I reach for her chin and place a soft, tender kiss on her mouth before pulling back.
Her hot breath tickles my lips, her lips lifting into the most serene smile before my eyes seek out Noah.
“Noah,” I say, with a nod for him to continue.
He takes Jessica’s free hand in his, bending to kiss her knuckles before his attention returns to the people around us.
“Everything Caleb said and more. Proud is an understatement. Jessica has worked tirelessly to make her dream a reality. She’s the strongest, most resilient person I have the honour to know. And the best part, above all else, is we get to love her.”
He stares down at her now, his gaze full of reverence, and I get it because the feeling is completely mutual.
“Congratulations, sweet girl,” he says, holding up his glass.
Everyone else raises their glasses.
Jessica thanks everyone and keeps it short and sweet, but it in no way diminishes how grateful she is to everyone for their love and support.