The Perfect Present Read online

  After brushing her teeth, she stood under the spray from the shower, thinking about the man with whom she would have to pretend involvement. Noah was someone she could possibly fall for, because he had a commanding manner she found extremely attractive. Her mother claimed Sierra was being unreasonable when she said she had no problem remaining single for the rest of her life if she never met the man with whom she could envision sharing her future. Evelyn complained that she was much too picky and no man could possibly meet her standards. That was when Sierra deliberately changed the topic of conversation to something other than marriage and children.

  After her last relationship ended badly, Sierra had sworn off men. She’d declined her brothers’ offers to introduce her to their friends and/or coworkers, and any man who demonstrated even a remote interest in her, she quickly deflected with what she had perfected as her screw face. And pretending that she and Noah were in a relationship was certain to thwart the Nelsons’ matchmaking schemes.

  Chapter 3

  Sierra reentered the bedroom to find Noah dressed in a pair of relaxed jeans, a black cotton, waffle-weave, long-sleeved T-shirt, and running shoes. He held out his hands at his sides. “Is this casual enough?”

  Smiling, she nodded. “You’ll definitely pass inspection.” She didn’t want to tell him that he appeared larger, more imposing, in civilian clothes. The fatigues had concealed a rock-hard physique of a man in his prime and in peak condition.

  He smiled. “I’m ready to face the inquisition.”

  She returned his smile with a warm one of her own. “I don’t think it’ll be too intense now that we’ve gotten our story together.” Sierra flicked off the light and waited for Noah to precede her before she closed the bedroom door. “We’ll take the back staircase,” she said.

  Noah reached for her hand. “This house is huge.”

  She nodded. “It didn’t seem that big when we were growing up. After everyone moved out, Daddy wanted to downsize and buy a smaller house. But then his parents sold their home, and he convinced them to move into the in-law suite.”

  “How many rooms are in this house?”

  “There are six bedrooms and seven bathrooms upstairs, and one in the in-law suite with another bathroom on the first floor. The basement is fully finished and there are two more bedrooms and two bathrooms down there. Whenever the entire family gets together, my nephews sleep in one bedroom and my nieces in the other. Daddy had the contractor put in a kitchen and a wet bar. That’s where everyone hangs out until it’s time for Christmas Eve dinner, which is always held in the dining room.”

  “How often does everyone get together?” Noah asked.

  “It varies. During the summer months, my nieces and nephews like to hang out here because they’re spoiled by their grand- and great-grandparents. They call this place Camp Nelson because it has become an unofficial summer camp for them. They swim in the inground pool, and my grandfather, who is a retired caterer, prepares healthy meals for them because their mothers don’t want them to eat fast food. My grandmother, who was an elementary school principal, also gets into the act when she sets aside time for storytelling. She selects a book, reads the story, and then they discuss it. And whenever it rains they usually spend time in the basement watching age-appropriate movies or playing board games. It turns out to be a win-win for everyone. My parents and grandparents get to see the kids during the week and the kids’ parents save money because they don’t have to pay for a day- or sleepaway camp.”

  Noah gave Sierra’s fingers a gentle squeeze. It appeared as if he’d been invited to spend several days with the perfect family. Again, he wondered if she knew how blessed she was to have not only her parents but also her grandparents, while he had his mother, sisters, several nephews, and a number of cousins he didn’t get to see often enough. Only his mother and sisters were privy to his role in the military, because as a Navy SEAL, he and the members of all SEAL teams were America’s secret warriors. And because he never knew when he would be called up for another covert mission, he found it impossible to form a lasting relationship with a woman when he would disappear for weeks on end and not know if he would ever return to the States in the same condition in which he had left.

  Sierra had asked if he was a lifer, and now at thirty-seven he could say he was. The question was how long he would remain a SEAL. There were parts of his body that silently told him that he was approaching forty and that there would come a time when he wouldn’t be able to physically push his body beyond limits better suited for those in their twenties. He loved the military, the members of his team, and would willingly forfeit his life to save any of them.

  He and Sierra stepped off the stairs and entered a kitchen that was a chef’s dream. Noah noted cooktops, grills, double microwaves, wall ovens, twin dishwashers, a wine cooler refrigerator, and a side-by-side refrigerator/freezer with through-the-door ice and water. “You guys must do some serious cooking in here,” he said, glancing around at the top-of-the-line appliances.

  Sierra smiled up at him. “If you’re still here Christmas morning, you’ll get the opportunity to demonstrate whether you have any cooking skills. I must warn you that the Nelson men are very competitive when it comes to throwing down in the kitchen.”

  Noah grunted under his breath. “I can reassure you that I’ve been known to burn a few pots in my time.” He wanted to tell Sierra that breakfast was his specialty and he had perfected chicken and waffles and omelets for taste and elegant presentation.

  “We’ll see,” she said. “I told you before that my grandfather was a caterer and he taught all of us to cook.”

  He smothered a chuckle. “I’m not scared, nor do I cut and run.”

  “Oh, you bad?” Sierra drawled teasingly.

  “Hell yeah! Bad to the bone.” Noah laughed and Sierra’s tinkling laughter joined his. They were still laughing and holding hands when they walked through the kitchen and into the enclosed back porch, where Nelsons, ranging in age from octogenarians to toddlers, were seated at a table with seating for sixteen. Pale vertical blinds spanning the width of the house were open, giving everyone an up-close-and-personal view of the falling snow. Covered chafing dishes sat warming atop buffet servers at opposite ends of the expansive space.

  Philip stood up. “I was getting ready to send out a search party for you two.”

  The words were barely off his tongue when Sierra found herself surrounded and besieged with hugs and kisses from the members of her family. Even David Nelson scrambled off his mother’s lap and screamed for his aunt to pick him up.

  Sierra met Noah’s eyes when she peered over her nephew’s head as she kissed his forehead. “How’s Auntie Cee Cee’s big boy?”

  The young child tightened his hold around her neck. “Good.”

  She cradled the boy on her hip. “Noah, I’d like to introduce you to my family.” Extending her free hand, she took his and pulled him over to an elderly couple. “I’d like you to meet the matriarch and patriarch of the family. Grandpa and Nana, I’d like you to meet my boyfriend, Noah Crawford.”

  Noah shook hands with Sierra’s grandfather, and then leaned over to press a kiss to her grandmother’s cheek. “I’m honored to meet you both.” He suspected both were in their eighties, but appeared at least a decade younger. They had only a few wrinkles around their eyes, and it was obvious they monitored their weight because they were still quite slender.

  Sandra Nelson gave him a shy smile. “I’m so glad my grandbaby girl finally met someone who makes her happy.”

  He nodded his head. “That’s because she makes me happy.” The revelation had rolled off his tongue so quickly and smoothly that Noah realized he had spoken the truth. Sierra was the first woman with whom he felt so natural and relaxed. He’d only met her earlier that morning, yet he felt as if he had known her for days, or perhaps even weeks. And at that moment it did not matter if they were actors in a role better suited for a made-for-television movie plot, because he planned to enjoy every
minute of it until the curtain came down.

  Sierra steered him over to a woman Noah knew was her mother. If her brothers were clones of their father, then she was a clone of her mother. The older woman’s salt-and-pepper curly hair was stylishly coiffed for her age and face shape. He took her hand and dropped a kiss on her fingers. There was an audible gasp from several women.

  “I know you’re Sierra’s mother and I want to thank you for raising an incredible young woman.”

  Evelyn lowered her eyes. “Thank you, Noah.”

  He shook his head. “No, thank you, Mrs. Nelson.”

  “It’s Evelyn, but everyone calls me Evie.”

  Noah kissed her fingers again. “Then Evie it is.” He ignored Sierra when she surreptitiously elbowed him in the ribs. She probably thought he was coming on too strong, but he had to make it good or someone would no doubt see through their ruse.

  She flashed a smile. “If you’re through flirting with my mother, I’d like to introduce you to my brothers and their wives.”

  “What about us?” chorused two young girls who were obviously twins.

  “I didn’t forget you, Emily and Abigail,” Sierra said. “I’ll introduce you two to Noah after he meets the grown folks. Darling,” she drawled effortlessly, “this is my brother Daniel, and his wife, Naomi. Noah Crawford.”

  Daniel stood, pumped Noah’s hand, and then gave him a rough embrace. “Welcome to the family. Mark told me you’re military.”

  Noah nodded. “I’m active navy.”

  “Good for you. I’m also active army.” He patted Noah’s shoulder. “We’ll talk later and compare notes.”

  Sierra adjusted the boy on her hip as another Nelson brother rose to his feet. “Noah, this is Luke, and the very pregnant lady next to him is Delia. She’s the mother of this little munchkin clinging to me and in another month will make him a big brother.”

  Noah exchanged a rough embrace with Luke. “Congratulations on your impending arrival.”

  Smiling, Luke nodded. “Thanks, man.”

  Sierra moved along the table. “You’ve already met Mark, and the woman sitting next to him is Pilar, and as she likes to refer to herself, his better half.”

  Pilar blushed, the added color darkening her light-brown complexion. “Well, I am,” she said with a wide grin.

  “You are shameless, but I love you anyway,” Mark countered, as he planted a noisy kiss on his wife’s forehead. The gesture garnered a chorus of expressions of disgust from the younger Nelsons, who were clearly embarrassed by the open display of affection.

  Noah couldn’t stop laughing as several of the boys made faces. He wanted to tell them it wouldn’t take that long before they became interested in girls and that kissing wasn’t as abhorrent as they would like to believe. He still could remember his grandfather’s advice that girls were to be respected, and if they didn’t want him to do something with them, then he had to heed their warning. Even though he didn’t have a father to talk to about what it meant to be a man, fortunately his grandfather had lived long enough to become his role model. And because he had wanted to get into a military academy, Noah was careful not to do anything that would negatively impact that possibility. It had taken his politically savvy mother, and the fact that he was a child of a deceased veteran and a federal law enforcement officer, to convince several members of Congress to approve his application to attend the US Naval Academy.

  One by one Sierra introduced him to her nieces and nephews, Noah carefully watching their reaction to his being with their aunt. One of the boys reached out to squeeze his bicep, and quickly jerked his hand away.

  “Do you lift weights?” he asked.

  “Yes,” Noah replied. He had made it a practice to work out in order to maintain peak conditioning.

  “What do you do in the navy?” Delia questioned.

  “I’m assigned to intelligence,” Noah said without missing a beat.

  “Like NCIS?” Pilar asked.

  “Not quite.”

  Evelyn stood up. “Enough questions. Now that everyone’s here we can begin to eat.”

  Sierra set her nephew on his feet. “Grandpa and Nana, don’t get up. I’ll bring you your plates.”

  Noah pressed his mouth to Sierra’s ear. “Did I pass?”

  She nodded. “You were spectacular. In case you haven’t noticed, my sisters-in-law are quite taken with your gallantry. What’s up with you kissing hands?” she whispered.

  “What’s the expression? If you can’t dazzle them with intelligence, then you baffle them with BS.”

  Sierra made a sucking sound with her tongue and teeth. “If you graduated from the naval academy, then you’re definitely not lacking in intelligence. I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry enough to devour a whole hog and half a cow.”

  Noah wanted to agree with her. He’d only had a cup of coffee and bran muffin before boarding the plane, and the snack box lunch was just that—a snack. Standing six-two in his bare feet and weighing two hundred fifteen pounds, he needed more than a sandwich, cookies, and an apple to keep him alert.

  Evelyn removed the lids to the chafing dishes and mouthwatering aromas wafted in the air. There were trays filled with bite-size barbecue ribs, chicken wings, sweet-and-sour meatballs, potato skins with bacon and chives, steak fries dusted with parmesan and minced garlic. There were bowls of potato and macaroni salads, a tossed vinaigrette salad, along with baskets filled with differing types of breads. A large glass bowl was filled with fresh strawberries, red, green, and black grapes, and blue- and blackberries, along with a dish of fresh cream in a pan filled with ice cubes.

  Philip stood at the table on the opposite end of the porch, filling plastic cups with punch for the younger children and wine, beer, soft drinks, or bottled water for the adults. Once everyone was seated, he bowed his head and blessed the table.

  There was minimal conversation as everyone concentrated on eating what they’d put on their plates. Delia handed Luke her plate for him to serve her some fruit. It was the cue for a couple of the preteen boys to jump up and refill their plates.

  Sierra pressed her shoulder to Noah’s. “They’re not even teenagers and already their mothers are complaining about how they’re eating them out of house and home.”

  Noah gave her a sidelong glance. “How old are they now?”

  “Isaiah is ten and Caleb is twelve.”

  “Is it a coincidence that all of the men in your family have biblical names?”

  “No, it isn’t. Grandpa is Stephen, my dad is Philip, and if my mother had had another boy he would’ve been Matthew or John.”

  “Why not the girls?”

  She lifted her shoulders. “I don’t know. My mother told me she wanted to name me Samara, but then changed her mind and decided on Sierra.”

  “I like the name.”

  “Who decided to name you Noah?”

  “Both my parents decided to name me after my grandfather.”

  “Is he the one who owned the hog farm?”

  “Yes. He became an integral part of my life after my father passed away. He was both father and granddad, and he taught me what it meant to be an honorable man. He died last year and I still can’t accept that he’s gone.”

  Sierra rested a hand on his. “You have every right to miss him, Noah. I know I’m blessed to still have my parents and grandparents, but there’s going to come a time when I come home and one or both won’t be here. What I try to do is not dwell on the inevitable but try and enjoy every moment I can share with them.”

  Noah stared at his plate. It was apparent Sierra did acknowledge that she was blessed to celebrate the holidays with four generations of Nelsons. He did not want to believe he was becoming maudlin when he should be appreciative of the woman who had welcomed him into her family, when the alternative was ordering room service in a hotel, or attempting to sleep on a cot or the floor of an airport terminal.

  “Sorry for being a Debbie Downer.”

  Resting her arm over h
is shoulders, Sierra leaned in and kissed his ear. “Losing someone close to us is never easy. And stop beating up on yourself because you’re human.”

  He turned his head and their noses were only inches apart. Noah stared at her mouth and wanted to know how it would be to kiss her. However, that wasn’t possible because they were sitting in a room with more than a dozen people, and even if they were in a place where they wouldn’t be seen, he still would not cross the line to assuage his curiosity.

  “You’re right. There are times when I forget that.” Once he had completed the training to become a SEAL, he had believed himself invincible, that he was physically and mentally up to accept any challenge presented to him. He’d become part of an elite brotherhood of twenty-five hundred big and buff spies and commandos who had earned the right to wear the trident pin with pride.

  “Who cooked? Because this food is incredible,” he said, deftly changing the topic.

  “My parents. Daddy made the meat dishes and my mother the sides and salads.”

  Noah picked up his glass of beer, raised it in the direction of Philip, and then Evelyn. “My compliments to the chefs.”

  “The food is good, Grandpa and Grandma,” chimed in Emily, one of the eight-year-old twins.

  Philip nodded. “Thank you.”

  “Grandpa, can we go and watch videos now?” Isaiah asked, at the same time he wiped his mouth.

  “I don’t think so, Isaiah. It’s getting late and you guys have to get up early tomorrow morning to decorate the tree.”

  “Your grandfather is right,” Naomi said in agreement. “You kids should get ready to go to bed. I’m going to come down later and check to see if you brushed your teeth and are in your pajamas. And if I find anyone playing with their electronic devices, then everyone’s grounded. Does everyone understand the words coming out of my mouth?”