Page 55 of The Christmas Fix
“Noah,” Henry, glass of red wine in hand, greeted him warmly when he pried open the inner door. “Come join the festivities.”
He was relieved of the pizzas and handed a beer in the span of three seconds before Drake dragged him into the fray.
“Hey, man. Good to see you.”
“Thanks for the invite.” It was a chaotic circus inside the trailer. There were twenty people crammed into the kitchen/dining/living space. All laughing and talking at the same time. It felt like he’d just walked in on someone’s raucous family dinner.
He flashed back to his mother’s quiet, stifling Thanksgiving meals. As much as it crushed him to be without Sara on the holiday, he’d been the one to suggest that Mellody take Sara to her family’s meal. At least Sara wouldn’t have the same childhood shadows that he had.
“Guys, do you all know Noah?” Drake yelled above the general volume.
“Hi, Noah!”
“Hi… everyone.” He raised his beer.
“Noah’s turn to give a toast to Cat!” A girl with cotton candy pink highlights—dear lord, please don’t ever let Sara meet this woman—clapped her hands together.
He spotted her then. Crammed in between production and construction crews at the dining table, laughing. She’d washed off the camera makeup and, barefaced, looked so pretty he wondered why she ever bothered covering it all up. She was wearing a long-sleeve Kings Construction t-shirt that had seen at least a million washings. Her hair, still holding the curl from shooting was pulled into a high ponytail.
The joy he’d seen exploding out of her this afternoon was still there crackling visibly under the surface. It had been something to behold. Noah wasn’t used to over emotional reactions to anything… unless they originated from a twelve-year-old who thought he was being “soooo unfaaaaair.”
It drew him in. That brightness. He was pulled toward it like it was a magnetic force. She was so unlike anyone else he’d ever known. Anything he was used to. Even though he knew she’d undoubtedly rake him over the coals, he just wanted to see that brightness again.
Cat stared at him, more amused than angry for the moment. “I would love to hear a toast from Noah,” she purred.
Danger! Danger!His inner fight or flight instincts warned him. But Noah was feeling a little reckless tonight.
He cleared his throat. “To Catalina King, a memorable woman.”
“To Cat!” the misfit crowd echoed.
Cat’s lips, pink and glossed curved up. “That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me, Yates.”
“Don’t let it go to your head,” he cautioned and was rewarded with an eye roll.
“Where’s Sara tonight?” she asked, sliding closer to the bearded guy with the nose ring as someone levered Noah into a seat at the end of the table.
Was she asking to show off the fact that she could recall his daughter’s name? Or did she actually care? “She’s at her mother’s, hopefully studying for her biology quiz.”
“Hmm,” was Cat’s only response.
The volume picked back up, and Noah felt himself drawn into a few conversations at the same time. What were the Patriots’ Super Bowl chances? Nil, since he was a hardcore Jets fan. Where did the pizza come from because it was awesome? A little place called Pranav’s Pizza run by an Indian man and his Italian wife. The curry chicken pie was to die for. Was he putting his money on Cat for the most epic Christmas Festival in the history of Merry?
“Noah’s reserving judgment on that one,” Cat answered for him with an arch of her eyebrow.
“If she delivers what she says she can,” Noah ventured, “it would be a festival for the history books.”
“And I will proudly rub your face in it.”
“Awh, look at you two getting along so nicely,” Henry said over the rim of his wineglass. “Paige would be so proud.”
There was a thump at the RV door and a disjointed chorus of “Come in.” The man who wedged his way inside was broad and tall and vaguely annoyed. He wore his dark hair cut short, and was sporting a Kings Construction hoodie that stretched across his chest. His frown transformed into a crooked grin when Cat whistled from where she was holding court.
“Gannon King is in the house!” Cat crowed.
Noah made a mental note to keep his mind clear of all things Cat-naked related while in the presence of Gannon. He’d never had a brother, but he imagined there was some sort of telepathy that would alert them to impure thoughts about their sisters.
“Yeah, yeah,” Gannon grumbled. “I’m the life of the party.” He snagged a beer out of Drake’s fridge.
