November Falls

Chapter 14

In true November Falls style, Sunday dawned cold, wet and with the looming promise of snowfall. Marty had spent the night with his taskforce, saying it was easier for him to continue to liaise with the NFPD bomb disposal squad in their efforts to track down the explosives. Evelyn found herself enjoying the peace, a playlist of Enrique Iglesias songs filling her house as she tackled some housework.

It was comforting, actually, that so little had changed since she was younger. Marty still made a mess, helpfully hiding it out of sight so it was always worse than she had been planning on. Of course, she'd get him back - planning on helpfully telling her Dad all about it when they got together for Thanksgiving.

At three o'clock, with mutinous skies overhead, Evelyn began the slow drive to East November Falls and the modest family home where Nick had grown up. It was a quiet neighborhood, not particularly affluent, but homey and comfortable in a way that Evelyn almost envied Nick's childhood here.

Evelyn couldn't help her smile as she caught sight of her welcoming committee. He was relatively tall (maybe an inch shorter than Nick), with messy black hair and deep brown eyes a shade lighter than Nick's. He cut a striking figure, clad in jeans and a loose white buttondown, his wild hair tamed by styling gel.

"Hey, Evie," Alex Varela called, sweeping her into a warm embrace. "It's good to have you here again."

"Happy to be back, Alex," Evelyn smiled. "How's everyone?"

"Same as always," Alex shrugged, favouring her with a grin as toothy as Nick's. "Gabi's out, getting something Ma forgot to pick up. Ma's in the kitchen, grilling Nicky about timin' and a bunch of other stuff Nicky's probably tuning out." Alex walked her in, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes as he took her coat. "Baby bro's trapped."

"We'd best mount a rescue then," Evelyn offered cheerfully. "You distract your mother, I'll rescue my partner."

Alex let out a chuckle that was pure Nick, his shoulders shaking as he shook his head. "There's no wonder you and Nicky are together. You're as nuts as he is."

"I resent that implication, Alejandro," Evelyn sniffed, feigning irritation. "I'm not nuts, neither is Nick."

An older version of Alex chuckled, emerging from the living room with a bright smile. "Well, I'm glad someone here is on Nicky's side," Luis Varela said, regarding her with a warm smile. "It's been much too long since you've been here, Evelyn."

"I'm sorry," Evelyn apologised, her lips turning down. "I hated to stop coming, but Dad insisted on bimonthly family dinners and I didn't want to be an imposition."

"Never an imposition, my dear," Luis chided, reminding her so much of his son. "Maria's in the kitchen. Nicky's helping her, God only knows what the occasion could be."

Ducking her head, Evelyn prayed Luis couldn't see her blush. If he did, he was gentleman enough not to say so, waving her gently towards the kitchen.

Maria was perched on a chair at the kitchen table, her dark eyes (the exact shade of Nick's) watching the vision at the kitchen counter. Nick was humming along to his preferred cooking music, intently whipping up a marinade of some kind.

But it wasn't any Nick Evelyn had seen in a while. Sexy suit wearing Nick, she saw most days, and while she adored him, this Nick was something a little special.

His long legs were encased in a pair of dark blue jeans, a black buttondown with the sleeves rolled up past his elbows complementing him perfectly. The silky material pulled across his shoulders as he worked, apparently oblivious to the audience he now had.