She sat, and only just resisted lowering her head between her knees to breathe. Jay was here, it was a disaster!
Buster then braced a hand on the back of her chair and the other on the table, caging her in, and bent to look into her eyes.
“You were what? Fifteen? You’d had the best part of a bottle of wine, and I came across you stumbling home. I tried to help, you told me I was an asshole, then pushed me and I went over the bank. I ended up with ten stitches in my head, a hell of a headache, and my wrist in a cast. Move on, Hope, I have.”
She felt the heat of shame wash over her. She’d stolen that bottle from her mother, because Millicent had refused to let her go to a party with the other kids. She’d then hidden in the trails and drunk it.
“I never really apologized, Buster.”
“Sure you did. That letter your mother made you write covered it.”
“But you missed the finals for your college football team. I cost you a scholarship.” Hope had wanted to say these words for years; instead she’d avoided Buster.
His smile was small, but a smile nonetheless.
“I wouldn’t have gotten a scholarship, Hope. I wasn’t that good.”
“They all said—”
“They have no idea what they’re talking about.”
Hope swallowed to ease the tightness in her throat. She shouldn’t have come back to Howling, that was obvious now. There were just too many memories tugging and pulling at her, stirring up emotion inside that she’d managed to avoid for years. She’d come home after wandering aimlessly for weeks because it had seemed like a good idea when she was sitting on the side of the road with nowhere else to go, and no money to get there…. Turned out she was wrong. Coming here was abadidea.
“So we’re good?”
“What?” Hope looked up at Buster, who in turn sighed patiently.
“Focus, Hope. You were one of the smart ones in school, remember?”
“I really wasn’t,” she felt duty bound to say. “But my mom made me do homework and complete assignments on time, or I’d have to do extra chores.” Great, she was rambling now.
“That’ll do it,” Buster said in his gruff voice. “But where I was going with that focus comment, was that I don’t want this between us anymore. So no more running the opposite way when you see me, okay?”
She nodded.
“I need the words, Hope. Because I’m not entirely sure you didn’t stay away from Howling as long as you did because of me.
“W-we’re good,” she managed. Because if he was handing out an olive branch, she really should take it. “Really.” She looked out the window, but saw no sign of the Wildlife team. What would she do if they came in here?
“Right.” He patted the top of her head. “Now, coffee and muffin on the house.”
“Oh no, you don’t have to do that,” she said, as her tummy rumbled… loudly.
He laughed and walked away. Hope got up and went to the window. She couldn’t see any sign of the vans now. The relief made her light-headed.
“Hi, I’m Willow.” A pretty woman with long auburn hair and amazing eyes approached. “Buster told me to talk to you, and stop you from running out of the cafe.”
The thing about most of the Howlers was that avoidance was not in their vocabulary. If something needed to be said, then it was, and by the most direct route.
“He said you had a hang-up about that incident with his arm. You really shouldn’t, because he doesn’t.”
“It’s hard to let go of something you’ve nurtured for many years.”
“Oh, I know. I have a few of those inside me as well.”
The cafe door opened again, and in walked Cubby Hawker and Katie McBride. Hope had heard from Ryan that they were an item. They certainly looked good together. Tall, athletic, they had that healthy vibe you got off indecently fit people. Behind them came Newman. She really didn’t want to go another round with him right now, but couldn’t leave without him realizing it.
“If you met Newman in a business setting, you’d never think him the same guy,” Willow said.
