Page 43 of Finding Home

But Clayton had other thoughts, pulling her back into his arms he thoroughly kissed her.

Her brain was still reeling as he said, “Ok, now we can go.”

They were five minutes late. Elle jogged inside while Clayton waited in the parked truck to come in a few minutes after. This was all too new to expose to the flurry of questions, raised eyebrows, and searching glances of her family. In the end, keeping their status quiet gave them time to figure it out.

“Interesting, you’re both late,”Tobey observed, elbowing his husband.

Damn his cop spidey sense.

“Yeah.” Jerome quirked an accusing brow. “Come to think of it, you both disappeared early from the wedding.”

“I was sick,” Elle blurted.

“Oh, Lady Elle, no.” The sweet natured Jerome was easily distracted from sussing what was happening between Clayton and Elle.

“How are you feeling?” Tobey narrowed his eyes, less convinced.

“Much better. I just overindulged on that mac and cheese. Clayton ran into me when I said I wasn’t feeling well and offered to drive me back, since I had ridden with your mom,” she explained, then bit her tongue to keep from spewing unnecessary details.

“Mmhmm.” Tobey’s tone said he wasn’t convinced.

“Oh man, thanks for taking care of my cousin-in-law.” An appreciative Jerome slapped Clayton’s back.

“Anytime,” Clayton said with a mischievous glance her way.

Heat flushed her cheeks with the knowledge of where his mind had gone about how he took care of her.

The brunch was less formal than the wedding. Baskets of fresh pastries, pitchers of mimosas, fruit, meat, and cheese platters, tea pots, and coffee carafes sat at each table. Elle sat with Meghan and her wife Karla.

Between stolen glances with Clayton seated across the room, Elle learned that Jerome and Meghan had been in the same class at Cornell, a few years behind Clayton. After meeting Clayton during a clinical rotation where he worked in Ithaca, they’d developed a friendship. When Clayton invited them to become his partners and expand the clinic, they’d both jumped right in.

After brunch, and a good hour of chatting and schmoozing, Clayton appeared next to Elle, enveloping her senses in a citrus-scented haze. Heat invaded her cheeks and led to Jerome asking if she was okay.

“Too much tea,” she insisted and patted her flushed cheeks.

Jerome tilted his head to one side. “I didn’t know tea could do that.”

“It doesn’t,” Tobey mumbled, his narrowed gaze locked on Elle.

“You drink coffee. I drink tea. Therefore, I am the expert.” She flicked his nose.

Pete strolled over, a small, reusable Buffalo Bills grocery bag in his hand. “We should all get going. They need to get ready to reopen to the public in an hour.”

“Thanks, Dad Number Two?—”

Pete smiled at the term of endearment from his new son-in-law.

“—We still need to pack before tonight’s flight.”

“You haven’t packed?” Elle pasted her hands over her heart.

“Easy, Elle, do you need your smelling salts?” Pete teased.

Her heart squeezed with the sound of her preferred name. Leave it to Janet to make sure that in a little under twenty-four hours the entire family knew to call her Elle.

“I’m sure someone here will catch her if she faints,” Tobey snarked, his blue eyes dropped on Clayton.

“I think any of us would catch her if she fell.” Pete nudged his son.

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