“Come on. It’s time.”
“Yeah,” Ezra said. “Okay. I’ll let it go.”
Trevor gave a quiet, satisfied growl, pounded Ezra’s back in turn, and then they stepped apart. Definitely the longest brother-hug on record since the day Ezra might have saved his brother’s life.
Sixteen
Willowwasupearlyfor a morning shift at the café, which proved exhausting in the aftermath of last night’s emotional storm. When she clocked out at two, her only thought was for the Sterlings’ guestroom, where she would hole up and recharge and maybe even go to bed at, like, six.
Ann stood at the kitchen counter kneading bread when Willow walked in. Her eyes lit. “Oh, you’re back. How was work?”
“Pretty good,” Willow said.
“I didn’t know what time you’d be home, but Kelsey’s just dying to meet you. Would you be up for that? I could tell her to arrive as the bread’s coming out of the oven. It’s so good with a little butter and cinnamon sugar.”
Willow opened her mouth to answer, but before she could, Ann was wiping the flour and dough from her hands and reaching for her phone.
“I can tell from your face. Never mind, I’ll let her know you’ll meet her tomorrow.”
Ann smiled, but guilt speared Willow nonetheless. She must seem ungrateful. Standoffish. Difficult. She forced herself to say, “No, it’s fine. Kelsey can come.”
Ann’s thumbs never paused in their tapping of her phone screen. “Willow, I’ve been bonded to an introvert for a few decades now, and I’ve also raised one. I know y’all have to conserve and recharge and whatever.” She set the phone down. “There. Text sent.”
“Kelsey won’t mind?”
Ann chuckled. “Well, she’s eager as all get out. But mind? No. She’ll understand.”
Explaining what their understanding meant to her was beyond Willow even when she wasn’t too tired. So she settled for a simple “Thanks” and, a few minutes later, retreated to her room.
Sitting on the bed, she tried for the sixth time today to get a message to her sister. Saffron had blocked her on every platform. She set aside her phone on the nightstand, curled up on her side, and surrendered to her tears.
She must have fallen asleep, because outside her window the sun had shifted its position closer to the rugged line of the mountains. Her phone buzzed with an incoming text, probably the thing that had awakened her. She jolted upright and snatched up the phone. Saffron. She needed it to be Saffron.
Ezra:Hey, Wil. Just checking on you from afar (next door). I won’t come over unless you want me to. Figured with the cookout tomorrow and everything else going on, you probably need a day of space.
Willow stared at her phone as a slow realization seeped into her bones. She had not texted her wolf all day. She had not checked on him, and he was the one who’d been punched and insulted last night.
Then again, he hadn’t lost his entire immediate family and the roof over his head.
It wasn’t a competition. She sat a moment with her phone in her palm, berating the thoughts in her head for being unfair. But…no. She had to think this through. She had to sit here with these thoughts and allow herself to acknowledge what she’d done last night.
If Saffron never spoke to her again…
If Dad and Mom never did either…
If her plans for school were forced to shift along with her financial situation, if she had to dedicate her tiny savings account and weekly checks to rent and utilities…
Was Saffron right after all? Was no guy worth this, no matter how good, no matter how Willow loved him?
She gave a quiet gasp. It was true. She loved Ezra.
Loved his deep green eyes. His physical presence and strength. His eye for a beautiful scene and his clever hands that could recreate it. His serious, structured mind. His desire to protect her from everything, even toothless threats like Keith. His kind willingness to invite her into his community despite how private he could be. His deadpan texts and his enjoyment of new information. His way of seeing the world, and his way of seeing her.
She loved him. But maybe love wasn’t enough.
“I want it to be,” she whispered. “I want it to be enough.”
Maybe she should try to write out a pro/con list. Cons of love—loss of family, loss of home, loss of general life plan. Pros of love—Ezra.
