I was so happy to see her, but my body didn’t appreciate her iron tight grip. “Noelle,” I moaned in pain.
Ian was quick to rescue me. “Noelle, her whole right side is bruised.”
She backed off. “I’m so sorry.”
I leaned on Ian. “It’s okay. What are you doing here?” I couldn’t believe she was actually here.
She playfully pushed Ian’s shoulder. “My dear big brother here was so worried about you he asked me to come for the week to take care of you while he’s at the office.”
I gazed up at him. His cheeks had pinkened. I think he was embarrassed, but I didn’t know why. I stood on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “You are so thoughtful. Thank you,” I got choked up.
He smoothed my brow. “I know you can take care of yourself, but I thought you might like the company and someone who could drive you around when I’m not available.”
Noelle was Noelle. “Whatever, Ian. He was a wreck when I talked to him. I’ve never heard him so worried.”
Ian wrapped his arm around me. “I think we should let Kelli sit down.” He led me in, out of the warm spring day. It was a shame I couldn’t be out enjoying it. Not to say I didn’t enjoy being in Ian’s arms. I stopped him before we made it to the couch and kissed his lips. “You know you aren’t playing fair.”
“I’m playing for keeps.”
Dang. That sent a thrill down my body.
“Aww, look how cute you two still are,” Noelle interrupted.
I kept staring at her. I couldn’t believe she was here. I hadn’t seen her in almost thirteen years, and there she was, looking different, but I still recognized the mischievous glint she always had in her eyes. She had let her pixie cut grow out, and it wasn’t dyed crazy colors anymore. Instead, it was her natural dark hair that was similar in color to Ian’s. She looked more settled. I assumed motherhood had added that layer. It was weird that she was married and had a baby before me. She was the one who had always said she was above such nonsense, but I guess meeting Sean had changed all that. I was happy for her.
Ian and I settled on the couch together and Noelle sat on the floor in front of us. She’d always preferred the floor.
“You look great, Noelle.”
She waved my compliment away. “You’re the one to talk. Look at you. Even banged up from an accident you look like a million bucks.”
“I don’t feel that way.”
“How are you?” She patted my knee.
I glanced at Ian. “Your brother has done a great job of nursing me back to health.”
“You don’t know how happy it makes me to see you two together.”
I was beginning to feel the same way.
We spent the most pleasant day together talking and catching up like old friends do. We even reminisced about the past, and I found it didn’t hurt as much as it used to. The Thanksgiving we all spent together many years ago was brought up, and we all decided it was one of the best. I watched Ian carefully during our conversations, he looked hopeful. He also never let go of me unless he was making dinner, or we were eating. He was either holding my hand or he had his arm around me. I found myself very comfortable with him.
The day and evening passed too quickly. I was sad to see them leave late that night, but I knew Noelle needed to get settled, and Ian was returning to work the next day. Before they left, Ian took me up in his arms after asking his sister to wait outside for him. He kissed me gently on my lips before leaving a trail of kisses on the way to my ear. “I don’t want you to think about work this week, just relax and get well,” he whispered.
“But I have so much work to catch up on.”
“Boss’s orders.”
“Are you bossing me around?” I teased.
He pressed his lips hard against mine, enough for me to taste the red wine we’d had with dinner. If his sister wasn’t waiting for him, I would have drank him in deeply.
“Believe me,” he groaned against my lips, “you are in charge of me. Good night.”
Whoa. I watched him walk out. He left me feeling all sorts of weird, but this time I recognized it—it was the way he had always made me feel. It wasn’t really weird, it was wonderful. I think it had just been so long since I had felt that way it seemed foreign to me.
I lay in bed that night thinking about what kind of man flies his sister in to keep me company all week when my own sister wasn’t available. Not to mention all the cooking and cleaning he had done. I guess he was the same kind of man who helped me not only pass calculus, but pass it with flying colors; or the same man who always took time out of his busy school and work schedule to see me every day, even if it was only to kiss me and tell me he was crazy about me. And he was the same man who was doing everything he could to make sure my baby took off. So, what was thirteen years apart?
