Page 88 of The King Contract
After dinner, we clean up while Noah’s parents and Emma move to the living area. Gabby does a great job of giving out instructions and entertaining everybody with her dancing skills. Anything to avoid cleaning up, as Noah tells me. I enjoy it immensely.
Once the kitchen is cleaned, we each have a glass of port as the parlour games start, including charades and categories. Jared, Noah and Gabby argue every other round, but based onthe bored reactions of everybody else, I presume this behaviour is normal.
I find myself grinning as I watch the three of them, almost as if I can see what they were like as children, bickering and poking fun and laughing with each other. Willow marches up to them in between her rounds of show-and-tell and cuddles with Dan. Emma watches on with a smile, rubbing her belly as her husband reverts to his ten-year-old self.
This house is beautifully loud. It’s homely and warm and my heart clenches at how safe I feel, sitting on this cushioned couch with people I’ve only known for a few hours, but could swear I’ve known my whole life.
As the yawns start to make the rounds, and Willow has passed out in Noah’s arms, people start making moves to go to bed. Winston has made himself comfortable at Rick’s feet, where I sense he’ll be staying for the foreseeable future.
“I’m not so sure he’s going to follow me to bed,” I muse, watching Winston’s eyes close.
Rick nudges Winston’s side with his feet. “That was my plan all along. Joan, he’s sleeping in our room.”
Joan rolls her eyes but smiles. “Thank you for such a special day. I’m so glad I could have all my babies home. Millie, I have something for you.” I stand as she hurries out of the room and returns with a small gift bag.
“Merry Christmas,” she whispers, pulling me in for a hug. “It’s a small thing. We’re so glad you could spend today with us.”
I smile and hug her back, hanging on a little longer than I normally would for a hug with a stranger. When I peek inside the bag, I see my favourite body spray, a packet of sour candy and a pair of socks with Winston’s face on them. I bark out a laugh. “How did you know?”
Joan looks knowingly behind me, where Noah is leaning against the doorframe. “Just a hunch,” she whispers my response from earlier.
“Good night, gang!” Rick calls out. Joan kisses me on the cheek and then hugs her son.
“She’s wonderful,” Joan hums in Noah’s ear.
I duck my head, unsure whether she meant for me to hear or if her second glass of port has caught up with her.
Noah winks at his mother before holding a hand out to me. “Come on, Maelstrom.” I thank Joan again before reaching for Noah’s hand and letting him lead me to the pool house. Now we’re headed back to our own lodgings for the night, my heart is hammering. He said we’d ‘finish this later’, and now we’re finally here, the anticipation is unbearable.
Once we’re locked inside the pool house, I flick on the bedside lamps. I can feel Noah’s gaze on me as I cross to my bags and pull out a small, wrapped package.
“Merry Christmas.” I hold out the present.
“Maelstrom! You shouldn’t have.” He crosses the room and graciously takes the parcel, his hand skimming my fingers.
“It’s not much,” I say feebly as he unwraps it. For a split second, I wish I could snatch it back, because . . . well, what do you buy a champion surfer who can buy whatever he wants?
He retrieves the small black box from the paper, his eyebrows bunching as he clicks it open. His eyes spring open in surprise and his gaze darts to me, a grin forming. “Maelstrom.”
“Like I said, it’s not much.”
He fishes out a circular band of woven brown leather, clasped together by a gold plate. The plate hasKingengraved on it.
“The guy at the shop said it helps surfers remember their passion for the water, even when they’re away from it,” I explain, watching as he adjusts it and slides it over his wrist.
Noah stares at it for a few beats and starts laughing.
Yep. He’slaughing.
“I said it wasn’t much,” I continue, shrivelling.
Noah stops laughing and reaches out for me. “No, no. That’s not why I’m laughing. Iloveit. I’ll show you why I’m laughing.”
He heads for his overnight back on the other side of the room and comes back with a wrapped gift and hands it to me. “Open it.”
I cautiously take the box and unwrap it, revealing a white box inside. When I open it, I gasp. “No way.”
Noah practically bursts out of his skin, and he reaches into the box. “Great minds, baby.” He fishes out my new bracelet. Mine is black leather, woven in with neon pink strands. The clasp readsMaelstrom.
