I gave him a small smile. “I just hope if we find her she won’t hate it here.”
Jess cocked an eyebrow. “Why do you think she might?”
I looked down at my coffee. “Because it’s a dusty little town in the middle of nowhere, and Brie is… well, if I’m being totally honest, she’s a little bit spoiled. I love her with my whole heart, but my dad always gave in to her. She likes nice designer clothes, shoes, cars, and things like that. She likes getting her way. And she loves big cities. She wanted to marry a wealthy man and live in the lap of luxury. Now she’ll probably end up in a cabin, eating barbecue and dodging gossip from all the women in the pack who think she’s a snob.”
He grinned. “If she’s your sister, she’ll adapt. She might even like the quiet. Lord knows you needed it.”
I thought about that for a while, picking at the edge of the scone, letting the jam bleed onto my fingers. “Do you think we’ll ever be normal?” I asked, half to myself. “Like, actually normal, not just pretending for a weekend?”
He leaned in, serious for once. “No one’s normal, Harper. That’s a lie people tell so they can sell more magazines. What we are is what we are. But we’re good. And I’m not letting anything hurt you, not ever again. That’s my only job now. Besides, nobody was wealthier than Juliet, our Luna. She came from a top Wall Street family. Talk about the lap of luxury. And for fuck’s sake, Menace’s mate was a goddamn princess! Hell, he’s the fucking king of the Midwest, and Savannah is now the Queen! So if your sister is into all that shit, she cannot get any more hoity-toity than our friends.”
I nodded, letting the truth of it settle.
The bell over the door chimed, and I glanced up, expecting a random customer. Instead, Big Papa filled the entry, ducking his head to clear the frame. He wore a black long-sleeve Henley with his Iron Valor cut and faded jeans, his hair slicked back and hisbeard combed neat. He spotted us, raised a hand, and made his way over.
Jess’s whole body changed. He got a weird, pinched look in his eyes and stood straight-backed and formal.
“Morning, Papa,” he said.
“Morning, Arsenal. Miss Harper.” Papa gave me a smile that could have healed the world, then turned back to Jess. “You got a minute?”
“Of course.” Jess looked at me, eyes softer now. “Be right back.”
They walked to the far end of the bakery, heads bent together in low conversation. Even though I couldn’t hear them, I saw the way Jess’s shoulders squared, the way his jaw set hard. He looked like a soldier reporting for duty. I wondered if he’d ever be able to stop.
Aspen slid into the chair across from me, her hands cupped around a mug of tea.
“Apparently Jess had something unkind to say to Papa at the bonfire,” she said. “Big Papa loves these guys and won’t let anything come between them. He’s the best man I know. He treats some of the guys more like sons sometimes even though he’s nowhere near old enough to be their dad.”
I nodded. “I get it. Jess was never really close to his dad. And I know he’d never want anything to come between him and his brothers.”
Aspen smiled, soft. “It’s hard for wolves like him. He’s always protecting other wolves; sometimes he forgets.”
I blinked, surprised by how much I needed to hear that. “He’s so stubborn.”
“Well, you sure must be strong to have endured everything you have and still kept your mind strong. I admire you. You’re good for him. I know he’s not perfect. I had to prove myself to him. But he had my back when it counted.”
We sat in silence for a while, watching Oscar march between the tables, stopping every few steps to fuss at a crumb or reorganize a stack of napkins.
“He really loves you,” Aspen said. “I knew it from the second I saw the way he looked when we pulled you from that awful place.”
I blushed, unable to help it. “I love him, too. I just hope I don’t bring any shame to him.”
“You won’t,” she said. “Because you haven’t done anything to be ashamed of Harper. Don’t forget that. Don’t let anyone talk you into believing things about yourself that just are not true.”
At the end of the counter, Papa and Jess clasped hands, then embraced. Papa pulled back, slapped Jess on the shoulder, and said something that made him laugh for the first time all morning.
When they walked back to the table, I saw the difference in Jess. He looked lighter, easier. He dropped into the chair beside me and pulled me close, his arm around my waist.
Papa stood over us, hands on his hips. “You two look good together. And your mate mark is a nice look.”
“Thank you,” I said, trying not to squirm.
He nodded and then turned to Jess. “You take care of her.”
“Always,” Jess said, voice steady as stone.
Papa grinned, then bent down and kissed Aspen on the head. “You coming to the pack run tonight?”
