“Why for better or worse?”
“He’s a tough old bird—so tough that not even the family dare to call him anything but Reverend. He’s not the most understanding or compassionate or forgiving person in the world.”
Was there a message in that? Was he saying that he was more understanding, compassionate and forgiving than his grandfather? And what exactly did he think he had to be understanding or compassionate or forgiving of? Marti thought, feeling a tweak of her temper.
It wouldn’t do her any good to get angry, though, she told herself. So she didn’t pursue that either, and instead, as if she hadn’t seen his arrival for herself, she said, “Did you only bring your grandfather tonight?”
“Who else was I supposed to bring?” Noah asked.
Marti shrugged. “Your wife…”
That made him smile and she knew he understood exactly what she was doing. But all she could think about was that it was a thousand-watt smile with perfect, straight, white teeth. A smile that put creases down his cheeks. A smile she remembered now that she’d seen it again, that transformed his face from handsome to striking. A smile that got to her more than any other smile she’d ever seen, including Jack’s.
“Now you’re asking me if I’m married?” he said.
His smile broadened, making her grin sheepishly in response.
“I don’t recall you asking me, either,” she accused in return.
“Are you?”
“No. Are you?”
“No,” he said.
At least there was that. Marti felt a miniscule sense of relief.
“What about a girlfriend or a significant other?” she asked.
“Nope. You?”
Marti shook her head and took one slice of bread from the plate, breaking off a pinch to eat and wondering if the next question she wanted to ask would open a door she wasn’t ready to have opened.
But she honestly did want to know who could be affected by her pregnancy if she told Noah he was the father, so she said, “How about kids? Do you have any of those around?”
He’d been looking down at the plate when she said that and while he didn’t raise his head, he did glance up at her from beneath his slightly full eyebrows. “No, no kids either,” he said with some gravity. And maybe the tiniest bit of a question in it, too.
Or was she only imagining that?
She couldn’t tell. And there he was talking again so she let it go.
“I do have a brother and two sisters, if you’re interested in my family tree. And three cousins—they’re sitting together over by the fireplace,” he said, pointing toward the far side of the living room where a group of people had convened at one of the rented tables. “That’s all of them except my sister Kate. She’s out of town and couldn’t come. And my parents and my aunt and uncle live in Billings now.”
He leaned slightly toward her to continue in a more confidential tone, “I also have a grandmother we’ve all just met—Celeste. She’s pretty notorious. She caused a huge scandal by ditching the Reverend to run off with a bank robber. See the heavyset lady sticking close to Neily’s sister Mara? That’s my grandmother and this is the first time she and the Reverend have been at the same social event in years. So if all hell breaks loose between them sometime tonight, you’ve been forewarned.”
Marti had to smile again at that, remembering that he could be very amusing, too.
“Wow, the whole family,” she said. “Skeletons in the closet and everything—nothing like putting it all out there.”
“I’m an open book,” he assured her, eating a forkful of green salad. “Ask me anything.”
Marti broke off another bite of the bread because that was the only thing she’d eaten that wasn’t threatening to upset her stomach. Food and nerves just didn’t mesh. And while talking to Noah like this again was reminding her why she’d been attracted to him in the first place that night in Denver, she was still on edge and undecided about what she was going to do about him, and that was making her queasy.
“Are you close to your family?” she asked, taking him up on his offer to tell her anything.
“Most of them are right over there—how much closer do you want us to be?” he joked.
“I know people who seem to be close to their families but aren’t. Just because you live near them—”
“No, I don’t just live near them. I like them, too. I’d run into a burning building for any one of them and they’d do the same for me.” He said that as if he truly meant it. Then he looked at her very intently, pinning her with those eyes of his as he added, “Family is important to me. Really, really important.”
Uh-oh…
Marti could see in his expression and hear in his voice where he was going with that. And she just didn’t know if she was ready for it. If she could be honest with him. If she should be. She didn’t have any more idea of where things might go from here than she had when they’d sat down, or if she should let him in, or what kind of havoc might be wreaked if she did.
It’s my baby, she suddenly wanted to make perfectly clear to him. Mine…
But before Noah seemed able to find the words to ask outright, his grandfather appeared from the living room pounding his cane on the hardwood floor to gain their attention.
“Noah!” the Reverend said, his voice booming despite his frail, spindly appearance.
Noah’s gaze remained on Marti for another moment before he turned to his grandfather. “Reverend,” he answered, sounding none too happy to be interrupted.
The old man didn’t seem to care. “I’m tired. Take me home,” he demanded.
“Could you give me a minute?”
“No! I want to go now!”
Noah sighed, obviously knowing the Reverend would have his way or else. “Okay.”
Marti watched as Noah grabbed his grandfather’s topcoat from the hall and helped him pull it on, her gaze fixed on Noah’s strong hands, recalling how they’d cupped her shoulders and let her feel their power in the most enticing way…
But thoughts like that had no place at the moment. She told herself that she should just be glad the old reverend had bought her a little more time to think through what she was going to do instead of being distracted by her attraction to Noah.
Embracing her reprieve, she stood to join the two men at the door to see them out.
“Thank you for the lovely ceremony, Reverend,” she said politely to the elderly man, despite his rude attitude.
In response
