Page 52 of Colton's Second Chance
“I’m so glad you came with Eli, dear! Can I take your coat and purse? We’re just throwing them all in the back bedroom, if you need it before the party breaks up.” Will took the wine and cheese from Eli and flagged down a man of approximately his same age. “Ryan, grab that bag from Noelle and take it to the kitchen, will you, bro?”
Noelle could see the resemblance between the older men even before Will addressed the man asbro.
Eli shook the man’s hand, saying, “How you doing, Uncle Ryan? Good to see you.”
Noelle and Ryan exchanged smiles and simple greetings as she handed him the bread. As she shed her coat and handed it over, Eli asked his father, “Is Lakin here yet? I want Noelle to be sure to meet her.”
Will twisted his mouth as he thought. “She is. I believe she was in the kitchen with Dove the last time I saw her. They were putting all the food on plates for folks to snack on.”
“Thanks.” Eli placed a hand at the small of Noelle’s back and ushered her past a trio of men who seemed deep in discussion about a recent hockey game.
“Why do you want me to meet Lakin especially?” she asked.
“I want you to meet everyone, but I think we should start with Lakin. Just…trust me.”
Before Noelle could say more, he guided her into a busy kitchen where savory aromas filled the air. Several women, including Eli’s mother, bustled about and chatted joyfully.
“Eli!” Sasha cried with a wide smile. “My hands are a mess, or I’d hug you!” She held her hands up to demonstrate the dark sticky-lookingsomethingshe was kneading with her hands.
“Happy birthday, Mom,” Eli said as he made his way to his mother to kiss her cheek.
Noelle stayed close behind him and added her birthday greetings.
A young dark-haired woman—Inuit, Noelle guessed from her skin tone and beautiful bone structure—tried to squeeze past Eli, saying, “Tuck your butt in, Eli. I need to get by you.”
Instead, he turned to block her path more fully and waved a hand from Noelle to the now-frowning woman. “Let meintroduce you first. Lakin, this is Noelle Harris. Noelle, my sister Lakin.”
Noelle blinked once, her only outward show of surprise. She kept a smile fixed on her face as she nodded to Lakin and offered a hand to shake while in her chest a wild fluttering started.Thiswas Eli’s sister?
The questions began to roll through her brain like scrolling credits at the end of a movie. She had to intentionally quiet the noise in her head and focus on what Lakin was saying or else embarrass herself with her inattention.
“—so much about you. Please make yourself at home.”
“I’ve heard about you, as well,” Noelle returned. That was true, although Eli had never mentioned he had an Inuit sister. A previous marriage for Will or Sasha? Adoption?
Just then Lakin waved her arm, signaling across the room to a light-skinned Black man. The target of Lakin’s attention strode in through the back door with Parker, who announced, “The bonfire is ready! BYOM…bring your own marshmallows!”
“Troy, come here,” Lakin called. “I want you to meet Eli’s date.”
Noelle was still processing the moniker ofEli’s date, when Lakin tucked her arm through the Black man’s and lifted a starry-eyed gaze to him. “Noelle, this is my fiancé, Troy Amos. Troy, do you remember Eli talking about his college girlfriend, Noelle?” With her hand, Lakin gestured to Noelle.
Troy’s face lit. “I think I do, in fact. Wow, hi! Are you two back together?” He waved his index fingers between Eli and Noelle, his expression hopeful.
While Noelle fumbled, her mind spinning, Eli answered, “That’s still to be determined.”
Working to keep her smile in place while her mind and her gut spun, Noelle said, “I take it that means you’ve known Eli and the family for a long time.”
“Since I was ten and Troy was eleven.” Lakin leaned into Troy, and he hugged her close to his side. “Eli was already in college, but he talked about you so much when he came home for the holidays and summer, I felt like I’d met you. Everyone heard about Noelle!”
An odd buzzing filled Noelle’s head.Everyone heard about her…But what had he told them?
“Lakin, honey, will you let everyone in the living room know we are ready to serve plates, buffet-style?” Sasha asked.
Lakin touched Noelle’s arm as she headed off to do her mother’s bidding. “It was great to meet you. I hope we’ll get a chance to talk more later.”
“I, uh…yes. I’d like that.”
Noelle had questions for Lakin. Or Eli. No, it had to be Lakin. She had to have a firsthand account of what life had been like growing up in this white family, how the Coltons had reacted to her Black boyfriend. Only Lakin could give her the sort of personal insight she needed to weigh the true inclusiveness and acceptance of the Colton family.
