Page 56 of Flirting With Forever
Sloane turned her head just in time see Hershey’s goofy smile and floppy ears as he bolted for her from across the grass.
Sloane laughed as Hadley’s overly friendly dog arrived with a rush of energy and whip-wagging tail as he propped his paws atop Sloane’s knees, breathing his doggy breath in happy-to-see-you pants.
Sloane cooed and petted and fussed over the dog while making sure to snag his leash and hold it until Hadley and the others she was with crossed the grass to join them.
“Who’s this?” Noah asked tightly.
“My new family—and no one you need to know.”
“Hey! Sorry about the sneak attack,” Hadley said, smiling as she made it the last bit of distance to them. “Hershey sensed you and yanked away before I could stop him. You are officially one of his favorite people.”
Sloane inhaled and realized Hadley and Hershey’s companions included Sophia and Dawson Blackwell, whom she’d met while prepping the homes and businesses for the hurricane, as well as a few others.
“I believe we’ve met. Noah Harrington, right?” a man asked. He stood beside a beautiful blond woman pushing a baby in a stroller, and behind them was a man who gave off the vibe of… bodyguard?
Noah stood and extended his hand. “That’s right, Mr. Drake. It’s a pleasure to see you again.”
“Likewise. Though I’m surprised to see you here of all places,” the man said, his gaze sliding over to Sloane with blatant curiosity.
Sloane gently shoved Hershey aside and got to her feet, uncomfortable and on edge, as Hadley introduced Everett Drake and his wife and the rest of those gathered.
Things slowly clicked in Sloane’s brain. During one of their many talks, Gage had said his little sister worked as a nanny for the billionaire Drake, and his wife, Isabel, who was one of Sophia’s sisters. Sophia was married to Dawson Blackwell, and Brooks Blackwell was married to Allie, the third sister.
“A family matter,” Noah said with a smile.
“Family?” Drake asked, though with the single word they now had everyone’s rapt attention.
“You and Sloane?” Dawson’s eyebrows lifted in surprise.
“Yes, my baby sister and I needed to talk and patch up an old argument that’s gone on for far too long. I’ve come to Carolina Cove to make amends and escort her home.”
Old Sloane would have stayed quiet because they were in public and one didn’t argue in public or share family grievances.
The old Sloane was stupid. “But like I told Noah, I’m not ready to return to Chicago. We were just saying goodbye so he can get back to work,” she told them, just in case she disappeared without warning.
Tension filled Noah at the public renouncement, the force of his anger seeming to still the ocean breeze and keep it from blowing.
“I haven’t convinced her yet,” Noah added, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and giving her a side hug like a loving older brother would, “but I will. Chicago is home and always will be.”
Sloane felt someone staring at her, and when she shifted her gaze through the crowd around them, she found Dawson watching her closely. Much too closely. She couldn’t hold his gaze and quickly glanced away.
“Brothers think they rule the world,” Sloane said, rolling her eyes playfully to try to diffuse the desire to slug Noah in the ribs.
“Well, we should let you two talk while we walk off all the food we ate today,” Hadley said. “Sloane, it was so good to see you. And we hope your brother doesn’t steal you away from us, though I suppose we’ll have to understand if that’s the case.”
“We missed you at lunch today, Sloane,” Dawson added. “But I’m pretty sure Gage took home plenty of leftovers for you to have for dinner.”
“That’s great news,” she said, managing a smile. “I’m starving now that my headache has let up. I’ll walk with you to the parking lot and head that way now.”
“Sloane.”
She pulled away from Noah’s hold but not before she felt his grip tighten on her shoulder. That was going to leave a few finger bruises, though to be honest, she bruised easily.
Once out from under his arm, she turned to give him one last look. “Go home, Noah. You have my answer.”
“Not yet,” he countered. “If you insist on staying here, I certainly can’t leave without meeting this Gage person.” Noah flashed a winning smile toward the group. “I need to make sure he’s treating my sister right. You know what I mean? I’ll follow you back, and maybe you’ll share some of those leftovers so we can celebrate Thanksgiving together. It’s only right after I came all this way to see you, isn’t it, sis?”
Chapter Seventeen
