"Nick, you did tell them I was coming with you, didn't you?" Sara had a
very worried, nervous expression on her face.
Nick glanced over at her as they waited in line at the ticket counter at
McCarren International Airport and chuckled. He took her hand and gave it
a squeeze, raising an eyebrow before answering her. "Yes, they know you're
coming. In fact they are very excited that you're coming."
Sara's eyebrows shot up. "Why?" She looked slightly panic stricken.
They stepped forward in line and Nick put his arm around her waist and hugged her. "Because I talk about you so much. They can't wait to meet you." He kissed the top of her head.
They stepped up to the counter and checked in their bags and got their boarding passes. As they walked toward the security screeners, Sara swallowed hard and started biting her lower lip.
Nick noticed, but decided he'd wait until they were through security before he asked her. It didn't really take long to get through since they had checked all their bags. As they walked toward the gate, Nick took Sara's hand. His voice was soft. "Sar, is something else bothering you?"
A faint smile tugged at her mouth and she looked slightly embarrassed. "Uh, I feel really stupid for asking, I mean it's not like we're, uh, I mean."
Nick started to laugh softly as they sat down in a pair of chairs near the boarding gate. "Sara, if you're worried about the sleeping arrangements, don't be. We don't have to sleep together if you don't want to, and if you're worried about what my family will think if we do, don't worry about that either."
Sara started to laugh. "How did you know that that's what I was thinking?"
He looked in her eyes for a minute and smiled. "Because I know you." He leaned in and softly kissed her.
As they broke the kiss, Sara grinned. "I love you, Nick Stokes."
He grinned back at her. "I love you too, Sara Sidle."
On The Flight:
"What do your parents do again?" Sara queried him. Nick hadn't gone into a lot of detail when he had talked about his family. Sara had gotten the impression that there was a lot he hadn't told her.
He looked over at her, his expression was somewhat nervous. "My mom is a public defender. She's been doing that as long as I can remember."
Sara raised an eyebrow at him. "What does your dad do, Nick?" She could tell he was trying to be evasive.
"He worked as a district attorney for the state for years, until he was appointed to the bench." He looked nervous as he continued. "A few years ago, he was appointed to the state supreme court."
Sara couldn't help dropping her jaw slightly. "Uh, your dad is a justice?"
Nick nodded sheepishly. "Yeah."
Sara looked at him incredulously. "Nick, how come none of us knew that?"
Nick felt like he was in the hot seat as he met Sara's gaze. "Uh, I just didn't want to make a big deal out of it. I mean, that's part of the reason I moved to Vegas in the first place. I wanted to be something other than just the youngest member of the Stokes clan."
Sara started to chuckle. "You're priceless, you know that don't you?" She reached over and caressed his cheek with her palm as she leaned in to kiss him. She felt Nick smile against her lips. As she pulled away, she raised an eyebrow. "So what else should I know? What do your siblings do?"
Dallas Ft. Worth International Airport Baggage Claim:
Nick wrapped his arms around Sara's back as they waited for their luggage.
She rested her head on his chest and let out a deep sigh.
He glanced down at her. "Hey, what's up?"
"I'm just nervous about meeting your family." Sara replied.
Nick chuckled. "Sara, you have nothing to be nervous about. They're going to love you." He squeezed her a little tighter.
Sara pulled out of the embrace and looked up at him. "Nick, you're not the one meeting them. I'm an only child. It's just a little overwhelming."
Nick took her hand and gave it a squeeze. "You really have nothing to worry about."
"Nicky!" A voice called out over the din of the airport baggage claim.
Nick looked up over the crowd and a wide grin spread out over his face as he waved. "Maddie!"
Sara's stomach started to churn nervously as Nick's sister Madeline approached.
Nick pulled his sister into a bear hug and planted a kiss on her cheek before releasing her.
Maddie turned toward Sara and smiled. "You must be Sara that we've all heard so much about." She had the same distinctive drawl as Nick.
"Guilty as charged." Sara smiled nervously as she shook Maddie's hand.
"Uh, let me introduce you ladies. Sara, this is my sister Madeline." Nick began with a twinkle in his eye.
Maddie interrupted, elbowing Nick in the ribs. "Maddie." She was grinning as she glanced over at her brother.
Nick grinned back before turning his attention to Sara once again. "Alright, this is my older sister Maddie. Don't believe a word of what she tells you about me." He winked at Sara.
Maddie looked at Sara conspiratorially. "We'll have to have a little girl talk later and I'll tell you some of Nicky's more embarrassing moments."
Sara laughed in spite of herself.
Nick turned toward his sister. "Maddie, this is Sara Sidle, the most beautiful amazing woman I've ever met." Nick grinned at Sara.
Sara felt her cheeks get a little warm as she began to blush. She tried to restrain an embarrassed grin as it spread across her face.
Maddie laughed. "Oh, Sara, I have to tell you, he's got it bad for you."
Nick just continued grinning at Sara. "Yes, I do."
"C'mon you two, let's get those bags, Peter's waiting in the car." Maddie grinned.
Stoke's Ranch:
Nick had held Sara's hand the entire way to his parent's ranch as they sat in the backseat of his sister's SUV. He could tell she was nervous even though he knew that Maddie had liked Sara immediately. Maddie and her husband Peter had peppered the couple with friendly inquisitive questions as they drove.
As they pulled up in front of the house, Sara tried to restrain her surprise at the size of the house.
Nick squeezed her hand as they stepped out of the vehicle.
Peter helped Nick unload the bags and carry them into the house.
Maddie grinned at Nick and Sara. "Mom and Dad won't be home for a little while and Peter and I need to go pick up Josh and Jenny from school, so we'll leave you two alone. I think everyone else will be by a little before dinner time."
Sara glanced at the clock in the foyer of the large house and let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. If the Stokes had dinner when most people did, that meant that she and Nick had a few hours to get settled before she had to meet anyone else.
Maddie came over and gave Sara a hug. "It was really good to meet you, I can't wait to get to know you better."
Sara smiled at Nick over Maddie's shoulder.
Peter shook Nick's hand and winked at Sara as he prepared to follow Maddie out the front door. "If this guy gives you any trouble, let us know, we'll whip him into shape."
Sara chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind." She grinned over at Nick who looked somewhat embarrassed.
After Maddie and Peter left Sara glanced at their luggage.
Nick put his arms around Sara's shoulders and pulled her into a hug. "So, Ms. Sidle, will we be needing one room or two?"
Sara laughed as she rested her head against Nick's chest. "I think one will be fine, Mr. Stokes."
Sara's eyebrows shot up. "Why?" She looked slightly panic stricken.
They stepped forward in line and Nick put his arm around her waist and hugged her. "Because I talk about you so much. They can't wait to meet you." He kissed the top of her head.
They stepped up to the counter and checked in their bags and got their boarding passes. As they walked toward the security screeners, Sara swallowed hard and started biting her lower lip.
Nick noticed, but decided he'd wait until they were through security before he asked her. It didn't really take long to get through since they had checked all their bags. As they walked toward the gate, Nick took Sara's hand. His voice was soft. "Sar, is something else bothering you?"
A faint smile tugged at her mouth and she looked slightly embarrassed. "Uh, I feel really stupid for asking, I mean it's not like we're, uh, I mean."
Nick started to laugh softly as they sat down in a pair of chairs near the boarding gate. "Sara, if you're worried about the sleeping arrangements, don't be. We don't have to sleep together if you don't want to, and if you're worried about what my family will think if we do, don't worry about that either."
Sara started to laugh. "How did you know that that's what I was thinking?"
He looked in her eyes for a minute and smiled. "Because I know you." He leaned in and softly kissed her.
As they broke the kiss, Sara grinned. "I love you, Nick Stokes."
He grinned back at her. "I love you too, Sara Sidle."
On The Flight:
"What do your parents do again?" Sara queried him. Nick hadn't gone into a lot of detail when he had talked about his family. Sara had gotten the impression that there was a lot he hadn't told her.
He looked over at her, his expression was somewhat nervous. "My mom is a public defender. She's been doing that as long as I can remember."
Sara raised an eyebrow at him. "What does your dad do, Nick?" She could tell he was trying to be evasive.
"He worked as a district attorney for the state for years, until he was appointed to the bench." He looked nervous as he continued. "A few years ago, he was appointed to the state supreme court."
Sara couldn't help dropping her jaw slightly. "Uh, your dad is a justice?"
Nick nodded sheepishly. "Yeah."
Sara looked at him incredulously. "Nick, how come none of us knew that?"
Nick felt like he was in the hot seat as he met Sara's gaze. "Uh, I just didn't want to make a big deal out of it. I mean, that's part of the reason I moved to Vegas in the first place. I wanted to be something other than just the youngest member of the Stokes clan."
Sara started to chuckle. "You're priceless, you know that don't you?" She reached over and caressed his cheek with her palm as she leaned in to kiss him. She felt Nick smile against her lips. As she pulled away, she raised an eyebrow. "So what else should I know? What do your siblings do?"
Dallas Ft. Worth International Airport Baggage Claim:
Nick wrapped his arms around Sara's back as they waited for their luggage.
She rested her head on his chest and let out a deep sigh.
He glanced down at her. "Hey, what's up?"
"I'm just nervous about meeting your family." Sara replied.
Nick chuckled. "Sara, you have nothing to be nervous about. They're going to love you." He squeezed her a little tighter.
Sara pulled out of the embrace and looked up at him. "Nick, you're not the one meeting them. I'm an only child. It's just a little overwhelming."
Nick took her hand and gave it a squeeze. "You really have nothing to worry about."
"Nicky!" A voice called out over the din of the airport baggage claim.
Nick looked up over the crowd and a wide grin spread out over his face as he waved. "Maddie!"
Sara's stomach started to churn nervously as Nick's sister Madeline approached.
Nick pulled his sister into a bear hug and planted a kiss on her cheek before releasing her.
Maddie turned toward Sara and smiled. "You must be Sara that we've all heard so much about." She had the same distinctive drawl as Nick.
"Guilty as charged." Sara smiled nervously as she shook Maddie's hand.
"Uh, let me introduce you ladies. Sara, this is my sister Madeline." Nick began with a twinkle in his eye.
Maddie interrupted, elbowing Nick in the ribs. "Maddie." She was grinning as she glanced over at her brother.
Nick grinned back before turning his attention to Sara once again. "Alright, this is my older sister Maddie. Don't believe a word of what she tells you about me." He winked at Sara.
Maddie looked at Sara conspiratorially. "We'll have to have a little girl talk later and I'll tell you some of Nicky's more embarrassing moments."
Sara laughed in spite of herself.
Nick turned toward his sister. "Maddie, this is Sara Sidle, the most beautiful amazing woman I've ever met." Nick grinned at Sara.
Sara felt her cheeks get a little warm as she began to blush. She tried to restrain an embarrassed grin as it spread across her face.
Maddie laughed. "Oh, Sara, I have to tell you, he's got it bad for you."
Nick just continued grinning at Sara. "Yes, I do."
"C'mon you two, let's get those bags, Peter's waiting in the car." Maddie grinned.
Stoke's Ranch:
Nick had held Sara's hand the entire way to his parent's ranch as they sat in the backseat of his sister's SUV. He could tell she was nervous even though he knew that Maddie had liked Sara immediately. Maddie and her husband Peter had peppered the couple with friendly inquisitive questions as they drove.
As they pulled up in front of the house, Sara tried to restrain her surprise at the size of the house.
Nick squeezed her hand as they stepped out of the vehicle.
Peter helped Nick unload the bags and carry them into the house.
Maddie grinned at Nick and Sara. "Mom and Dad won't be home for a little while and Peter and I need to go pick up Josh and Jenny from school, so we'll leave you two alone. I think everyone else will be by a little before dinner time."
Sara glanced at the clock in the foyer of the large house and let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. If the Stokes had dinner when most people did, that meant that she and Nick had a few hours to get settled before she had to meet anyone else.
Maddie came over and gave Sara a hug. "It was really good to meet you, I can't wait to get to know you better."
Sara smiled at Nick over Maddie's shoulder.
Peter shook Nick's hand and winked at Sara as he prepared to follow Maddie out the front door. "If this guy gives you any trouble, let us know, we'll whip him into shape."
Sara chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind." She grinned over at Nick who looked somewhat embarrassed.
After Maddie and Peter left Sara glanced at their luggage.
Nick put his arms around Sara's shoulders and pulled her into a hug. "So, Ms. Sidle, will we be needing one room or two?"
Sara laughed as she rested her head against Nick's chest. "I think one will be fine, Mr. Stokes."