“Grace, don’t worry about it,” I plead quietly. “It’s fine. Really.”
“It’s my place of business and this is how I run it,” she answers me firmly. “Like I said, the Bitch Brigade has got your back.” Turning to Gail, she says, “Not your kind of B. Your patronage is no longer welcome here.”
Gail’s nostrils flare and her eyes throw daggers. “You’ll regret this,” she spits. “By next year this town will beverydifferent. You’ll bebeggingme to come back.” She turns on her heel, slamming the door on her way out.
“The hell did she mean,by next year?” Cheyenne mutters, hugging me as Grace plants herself at the window.
I relax a bit in her embrace and shrug like I don’t know what she’s talking about.
Despite Grace’s awesome support, my stomach is in knots.
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree… Pretty Woman vibes… You’ll regret this.
After Grace assures me Gail is gone, I leave, feeling like shit.
Ashamed. Unworthy.
“How was it?” Noah sneaks in on me in that adorable way of his, wrapping his flannel-clad arms around me and giving me the squeeze I need. I’m outside on the patio, adding logs to the firepit so we can eat al fresco while the dogs run around. My breath stupidly stutters. I shouldn’t let this affect me, but I can’t help it. “You okay, babe?” he asks, feeling my emotion.
“The spa was awesome.” I let my head fall on his solid chest, already feeling rooted. Supported. Tilting my head up to him, I add, “Thank you for taking care of everything. That was very sweet of you.”
“Thank you for taking care of me, sweet Willow. I don’t say thank you enough to you.”
“You don’t have to—”
“Oh enough with the niceties,” he growls, clasping me tighter against him. “What’s wrong?”
I let out a huff. How does he know? “Honestly, nothing’s wrong anymore. Don’t mean to be all lovey-dovey gooey, but it’s true.” I turn to face him and wrap my arms around his neck. I do feel much lighter. Stronger. I kiss him softly, then take his glasses off and massage the bridge of his nose. “How was your afternoon?” I ask.
“Nuh-huh. You’re not getting off so easy.” He boops me, then trails a kiss down my neck.
I tilt my head back, breathing in the crisp fall air. Maple and elm leaves fall softly to the ground. Chipmunks and squirrels rustle loudly around, burying acorns in places they’ll forget. “I’ll tell you what happened, but first—this is what I love about fall. It’s the season of letting go. Of forgetting certain things. Of letting other things die so they can be reborn differently.”
“O-kay?”
I take a cleansing breath and tell him what happened with Gail, feeling him tense against me. By the time I’m done, he’s vibrating with anger. “Season of letting go, babe,” I remind him.
“I don’t know if I want to letthatgo.”
“And yet you have to. The only real problem we have, is why is Gail here?”
“We can get to that later.” His gaze is stubborn, looking at something beyond me.
A raven croaks, giving me the nudge I need. “There’s something you should know,” I tell him, and this brings his gaze back on me. Funny how I was ashamed, but now I’m almost eager to tell Noah. He’ll understand me better once I’m over with it.
“What?”
“It’s true. My motherwasa sex worker.”
He barely flinches and wraps me tighter against him.
“I should have told you. I just didn’t think it was—”important. I’m about to slip this under the carpet, as always.
Am I going to keep lying?
“I was ashamed to tell you.”
He kisses my forehead. “It’s your life, Willow. You shouldn’t be ashamed of it.” And god I love him even more for not saying how sorry he is and how awful it must have been. I don’t need his pity. Only his acceptance.
