A/N: I cannot tell you how happy it makes me to open up my e-mail inbox and see all the alerts from reviews. It's great. You all are as in love with this story as I am. I love writing it just to hear what you are going to say. Moving on…


Headliner

Chapter 6

Little did Nick know, Lexi was also having her doubts about the trip. She was clutching the backpack on her lap so tight, she had white knuckles. Nick pressed down on the brake as they neared a red light and looked over at her. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing. I've just never flown on a plane before and I'm not quite sure how it's going to be."

"You've never been on a plane?"

"No. When we moved to California, mom said we drove. When we moved to Vegas we drove. I haven't been out of the state since then."

"You haven't been out of the state in six years?"

"I don't know if you've noticed, but my mom never takes work off."

"Good point," said Nick.

She eased up a little on the bag. He took her by the hand twelve minutes later when they reached the airport. "You're going to be fine," he assured her.

She gripped his hand tight as the plane ascended into the sky. He gritted his teeth. She's got strength, he thought. Well, between me and Sara, why wouldn't she? He laughed and she glanced at him. "What's so funny?"

"Sorry, I was just thinking. We're through the worst of it, would you mind letting go of my hand now?"

"Oh, I'm sorry." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I'm going to be fine. I'm going to be fine," she whispered. Nick grinned again. He had known her less than a month and was already head over heels in love with his daughter. "Dad?" she asked.

His eyes widened momentarily. She'd never called him that before. It felt good. It felt right. "Yeah, Sweetie?"

"I'm nervous."

"Why? My family is going to love you."

"How do you know that? What if they hate me? What if they hate my mother? I couldn't stand that."

He gaped at her. He'd never considered the fact that his parents might not approve of the way Sara dealt with the situation. This must be what Sara was so worried about, he thought and silently kicked himself. "Lexi, I promise you that they will be perfectly nice and respectful. And if they're not," he added, "we'll be out of there in a second. I've got your back." He made a mental note to call his parents as soon as he was alone for a moment and lay down the rules. There was no way he was going to betray Sara's trust and let her daughter get hurt. Their daughter, he reminded himself.

Nick placed a call to his father once Lexi excused herself about halfway through the flight. He'd told them before that he was flying in with his daughter. He'd explained the whole story, but never thought to warn them about not badmouthing anyone involved. Lexi returned right after he hung up. She couldn't help but notice he looked a little flustered. It must just be the plane, she thought.


They grabbed their luggage and headed towards a group of people. Recognition lit up Nick's face. It was his family. The two stopped just a few feet in front of them.

Although they said nothing, she knew. She knew they were judging her. She saw it in their eyes. So this is the daughter Nick never knew. This is the girl that woman kept from us. I wonder how much she looks like her mother. How many bad seeds has she planted in her head? The questions were endless. She did her best to remain strong with her father at her side. She had called him Dad on the plane. At first he was shocked, but she saw just how much he loved to be called that. She'd have to make a point to do it more often.

Nick felt the questions as well. How did he just sleep with a woman and never look back? How many other kids does he have? He gave a quick nod to his family and they all began to walk out of the airport, whispering busily to one another. Nick lowered his voice so only Lexi could hear. "Lex, the first couple of hours are going to be the toughest, but we'll get through it." He squeezed her hand tightly. She gave him a faint grin.

The front of the airport was lined with cars. He did his best to refrain from laughing when Lexi noticed that at least half of them belonged to his family. He placed their suitcases in the trunk of his father's Durango. He opened the door and she slid across the back seat. He sat by her. As Nick's dad began to pull away, his mother turned around.

"Has Nick told you all about his family?" she said. Nick moved very quickly to stare out the window. She chuckled. "I thought not, so I had this made for you." She placed a leather-bound book on Lexi's lap. "That'll help you get acquainted with everyone before dinner tonight."

Lexi smiled and lifted the cover of the book. The front page held a photo of a man and a woman who Lexi recognized as Nick's parents. Nick took the opportunity to read her the descriptions. "Robert Stokes is a judge for the state of Texas. He married Jillian Martin 50 years ago. They have seven children. Jillian works as a District Attorney."

"Are you really a judge, sir?"

"As sure as the day I was born. And don't call me 'sir;' I'm your grandfather."

Nick flipped the page. "Leslie Hutchins is a doctor with a private practice. She's married to Keith Hutchins. The couple has four children. Dillon is twenty, Kaitlyn and Linley are sixteen, and Lacey is fourteen. Keith is an Austin police officer."

"So she's your sister?"

"The oldest one."

"Is Dillon married?"

Jillian laughed. "That boy can't seem to pick just one woman."

Nick and Lexi continued to rifle through the pages. She was trying very hard to soak in every last piece of information. She frowned when they reached Nick's page. "Nick Stokes is a crime scene investigator with the Las Vegas Crime Lab. He isn't married, but has one daughter. Alexis is sixteen," she read under her breath. No mention of Sara. Nick saw the disappointment in her eyes. Strike one, he thought.

The Durango pulled down a long dirt road at the head of an extending line of cars. Lexi voiced her concerns. "They're all coming here right now?" Nick patted her leg.

"You're going to be fine," he assured her, "I'm right here."

When the cars pulled to a stop, all hell seemed to break loose. Kids bounded from cars, shouting and throwing things. Dogs yapped and adults hollered at one another. Lexi was trying to soak everything in. A few feet away a whistle blew and the mayhem ceased. Judge Stokes simply pointed his index finger at the large white house and the group marched off.

Nick dropped is bags a few feet from the stairs. "It feels good to be home."

"I should sure hope so," said a woman.

Nick whirled around and grinned. The woman threw her arms around Nick. "My gosh, it's good to see you, Jamie." Lexi stepped back, but smacked her suitcase on the wall. The two turned at the noise. Nick took Lexi by the shoulder. "Jamie, this is my daughter Lexi. Lexi, this is Jamie."

They shook hands as Lexi began to speak. "Jamie Patterson is a painter. She married Don Patterson who is an architect. They have three kids. Luke is thirteen, Emma is twelve, and Peter is ten."

Jamie laughed. "You memorized that whole book, didn't you? There's no need to recite it to everyone. We'll all introduce ourselves at some point or another." She laughed again, but caught herself and reached around to the closet. "I almost forgot! This is from me, Don, and the kids."

Lexi held up a shirt. The front read 'Stokes Family Football.' The back was brightened by the number one and the word Stokes across the top. She threw Jamie a false smile, but luckily the woman had moved on. Lexi made a motion to continue, but was stopped by a hand on her back. It was a man; presumably one of Nick's many relatives.

It was going to be a long two weeks.


A/N2: Well, there you have it. Don't fret; there's more to come. You can count on it. Let me know what you thought.