He’s out at the goat barn now, making the rounds, tending to the animals like he does every night, but I’m guessing he’ll linger a little longer tonight, if only to avoid the crowd.
As far as I can tell, there are four generations of Petersons at the party, from the oldest who has to be in her nineties, all the way down to the youngest who is just shy of three months old.
They are a gregarious group, boisterous and happy and clearly thrilled to be together.
After welcoming them all and giving them a quick rundown of how their evening will go—cocktails and appetizers, then dinner and dessert whenever they’re ready—I sneak into thekitchen to fix myself a small plate from the tray of extras the catering staff set out for Noah and me.
Noah surprises me, stepping up behind me and slipping his hands around my waist. “Hi,” he whispers, voice close to my ear. “You look beautiful.”
I lean into him, loving the feel of his warm chest at my back. “Do I?” I’ve changed clothes since he last saw me, putting on a red wrap dress that Evie made me buy the last time we went shopping together because, according to her, it complements my wavy brown hair and makes my boobs look amazing.
“You do,” Noah says. “You smell good too.”
I turn in his arms so I can face him. “I’m surprised to see you back inside. I thought you might camp out with the goats tonight.”
“I was tempted,” he says, “but I was also hungry.” He reaches over my shoulder and plucks a stuffed mushroom off the tray, then pops it into his mouth. His eyes close as he chews and he lets out a little moan that makes my blood heat.
New favorite activity: watching Noah Hawthorne enjoy his food.
“If you ever have the chance, you should really come back when the restaurant’s open,” he says as he reaches for another mushroom. “It’s the best food I’ve ever eaten, and I’m not just saying that because Lennox is family.”
“Lennox is the chef?”
Noah nods.
“An award-winning chef and a famous movie star in the same family feels very glamorous.”
“Honestly, they’re all ridiculously talented,” Noah says. “Which would be annoying if they weren’t also ridiculously likable.”
“What about your brothers?” I help myself to a cracker topped with baked brie and sour cherry jam. “I feel like we talkedabout your childhood, but I don’t think you’ve mentioned what they’re doing now.”
Behind us, the kitchen is bustling with activity, with caterers coming in and out, refreshing appetizer trays or working on dinner prep. But in this corner, over by the espresso machine, Noah and I are mostly out of the way.
I wouldn’t say we have enough privacy for any real conversation, but for something this casual, I’m happy to ignore the fact that we aren’t as alone as we were last night.
“My brothers,” Noah says, like the subject brings him some level of amusement. “They’re great guys. Smart and talented. But sometimes I feel like we’re living on different planets.”
“In what way?”
“Let’s see. Mason has an MBA, and he’s always made tons of money, even though I don’t think he’s ever liked any of the jobs he’s had. Then there’s Spencer. He went to law school but never took the bar, deciding instead to open a consulting firm. He’s very strategic and he’s great with people, so he’s all about maximizing performance and creating good company culture. But he started his company with zero experience. He just decided he was going to do it, and then he did.”
“Sounds brave?” I say.
“Nowit seems brave because it worked,” Noah says. “But when he first started, it just seemed reckless. But all three of them are like that. They justdo stuff.”
“I know people like that,” I say. “I get what you’re saying. What about the third one?”
Noah lets out a little chuckle. “That’s Will. He went to one semester of college, then dropped out and moved to Europe where he hitchhiked across France, working odd jobs and learning everything he possibly could about wine. He came home six months ago and convinced Mason and Spencer to buy a winery with him.”
“Oh wow. That feels big.”
Noah scans the tray behind me. “Your face is saying you just took a bite of something really good.”
“Amazing,” I say, pointing to the brie-topped crackers. “Right there. Try one of those.”
Noah picks one up, then grabs another and hands it to me. “I guess it could be big?” he says, going back to the conversation about his brothers. “I’m not sure I really understand everything they’re doing. There’s an old hotel and a restaurant on the property, but that whole part of it is totally rundown. Hasn’t been operable in years, so they’ve got their work cut out for them. They convinced Flint to go in on it with them. That’s how they could afford to buy it in the first place.”
It’s interesting hearing Noah talk about his brothers. His expression is very stern, and though his tone isn’tquitejudgmental, he definitely has anolder brothervibe that I haven’t heard before.
