Noah caught Claire's double take and shrugged at her. The actor had always seemed down to earth to him, and Alex certainly treated him as if he were an ordinary guy and not some mega superstar with at least one Oscar under his belt. Noah wasn't a big movie buff and certainly never followed celebrities, but once everyone at Caprock discovered one of their own was dating the Scottish actor, they'd quickly claimed Finley McAlister as part of the family.
"You two have a minute? I've been traveling and haven't caught up to Simon about the Norway situation. Can you update me?" She indicated the open seats at the conference table and they all sat.
Noah gave her a summary of the problem and Claire answered questions on the coding specifics. Then Alex asked about their harrowing experience during the storm. She and Claire shared a laugh over having trouble understanding the Scottish accent.
"Leesburgh? Babe, do you know where that is?" Alex asked McAlister.
"Can't say I do." He raised an eyebrow at Noah.
Noah cleared his throat. "It's about twenty miles north of Inverness, between the old Air Force base and Invergordon."
"I see. Well, I've been to Inverness, but not the surrounding countryside. Perhaps we'll go sight-seeing during this jaunt and give it a visit." McAlister winked at Alex and Noah watched in shock as her face turned pink. Alex Tanner was no girlie-girl. He'd seen her ream out a foul-mouthed salesman when he got out of line with one of the office ladies. He never in a million years thought he'd see her blush at a man's comment.
Alex cleared her throat and focused on Claire. "I heard you grew up in West Texas. Where about?" The two women chatted for a few minutes about growing up in the Texas oil patch. Apparently, they were raised within forty miles of each other, but Alex was a few years ahead of her in school, so their paths never crossed.
Alex's laptop pinged, interrupting the small talk. "Looks like I've got more cats to herd. Thanks for the update. I won't keep you any longer." She sighed. "Fin and I had planned to treat my various project team members to dinner tonight…"
Noah's stomach dropped, anticipating having to cancel another set of plans with Claire, but Alex continued.
"But we figured all the media attention would cause too many issues." Alex exhaled harshly. "I keep thinking they'll settle down and leave us alone."
McAlister put down his tablet and walked over. He put his arm around Alex and pulled her close, kissing her on the forehead. "We'll get there, mo leannan. We'll get there."
Noah took that as their cue to leave and nudged Claire with an elbow. They both stood and moved to the door.
"Thanks for checking in, Alex. See you later." He hustled Claire out to the hallway.
"Holy smokes, did you see that? It was like watching a movie. I've never met a movie star before. He was smokin' hot. I can't believe I just met a real live celebrity. Should I have gotten his autograph? I loved his last movie. Have you seen it?" Noah guided Claire back to her desk as she chattered on about the now famous couple. "They were super cute together. I wonder how they wound up together?"
"I believe they had some issues at the beginning of their relationship, but—according to office gossip—they've overcome most of them. Anyway, I better hit the floor. You want to do lunch together? Cafeteria again?"
He watched Claire pull her laptop from her backpack. "Yep, lunch sounds great. I hear there's a special today." She grinned up at him and he smiled back. In his mind, he took a snapshot of her smile and tucked it away.
Chapter 25
Dinner with the Family
Noah drove through the hills surrounding his family's hometown, wishing he'd rescheduled with his mum. Claire's flight back to Houston was tomorrow, and this was the last time they'd have together until he returned to the states after Christmas. He wished they were cooking at his place tonight, where he'd have her to himself instead of having to share her with his folks.
He turned onto the road leading to the village where they lived. Two stone walls enclosed the narrow road, making it nearly impossible for two cars to pass each other. Ahead, a small herd of cattle approached. Noah slowed the car to a stop and waved in acknowledgment to the farmer walking behind them, casually flicking a stick at any stragglers.
"What is happening?" Claire asked, sitting upright in the seat and peering out the front window.
"Looks like he's moving his cows to a different field."
The herd split and meandered around the vehicle. The stone walls on either side made it a tight squeeze, and his car rocked as the animals gently bumped its sides as they passed.
Claire laughed in delight. "This. Is. Amazing! How old are these walls? You know, you always read about how they built everything for riding horseback or to accommodate wagons, but being here, in this moment? It really brings it home." She giggled as a curious bovine peered in the window at her before moving on. "I think you'll need to wash your car after this."
The farmer raised a hand in thanks and Noah smiled when Claire exuberantly waved back. He put the car in gear and continued up the hill, shaking his head at her ability to find joy in everything. How long had it been since he'd felt that way?
As he turned into the driveway of his parents' property, the smile slid from his face. What the…?
"Shit."
Claire looked at him, a frown of concern forming on her face. "What's wrong?"
Noah put the car into neutral, pulled the brake, and turned in his seat to face Claire. "I am so sorry. It looks like it's more than just my parents. I think my whole damn family is here." He dropped his face into his hands and shook his head. Why? Why would they do this to him?
