Wouldn’t be home…? Claire glanced up at the night sky through her windshield as she began the ten-minute drive home. Of course. The moon was full tonight. For their scheduled phone dates, which could last a few hours, Ember usually handed baby Kolson off to Aaron and hopped in her car to drive a mile down the road, privacy from being overheard by wolves. At the full moon, she didn’t need to—not while the entire pack roamed their paddock enclosure, four-legged and furry.
“So guess what,” Ember said, “I’m up to five different quiches now. In this new one I put sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and parmesan, and I added a little pesto. It’s so delicious. I told Aaron, next time we host Saturday cookout, my entire menu’s going to be quiche. Oh, and a salad. Wouldn’t the wolves love that? ‘Sorry, guys, no carnivorous options today.’”
“Do it. April Fool’s Day is coming up, and it’s a Saturday this year.”
“Oh my gosh, you’re right!” Ember’s laughter filled the car. “Now I have to do this.”
“Fill me in after.”
“Definitely.”
“So how many different quiches are you going to try? Do you have a list?” A few years ago, determined to improve her cookie game, Ember had made at least ten varieties of cookies before she moved on to something new.
“No official list, but I’m not bored yet. I still have to try asparagus; it’s a classic. But don’t let me monopolize the whole call rambling about recipes. What’s new with you? Anything I should already know?”
Claire made the first turn into her neighborhood. Her condo was set all the way at the back, which she loved. Rather than facing another row of condos, her windows farthest from the street faced a line of trees and a fence with a park on the other side. She neared home and tried to figure out how to explain everything Ember should already know. There was…kind of a lot.
“Claire?”
“I’m dating someone.”
“Wha-at? Since when?”
“Since three weeks ago. Well, three weeks ago yesterday.”
“And you let me go on about pesto quiche?!”
“Just trying to be polite.” Claire laughed as Ember sputtered. She missed this woman so much when they both got too busy. “It’s a pretty long story for only three weeks. And some of it’s kind of…heavy. Too much for text.”
Ember was silent for only a moment, now on a mission for every last detail. “Okay, start at the very beginning. Name? Who is the man who thinks he’s worthy of you, so I can get off the phone in an hour and conduct my own background check?”
This would be good practice for talking to the rest of her friends. Or maybe not, since Ember was the only one she could tell the whole truth. “It’s Tai, Ember.”
Her friend went as silent as humans ever did, faint breathing still audible over the line. Claire pulled into her carport, parked, and sat in the monochrome of night when her headlights turned off.
At last Ember said, “You’re dating Tai Kristiansen.”
“Yeah.”
“It’s about freaking time.”
…What?
“Wow. Finally. Finally, finally, you and Tai—”
“Ember,whatare you talking about? You know what happened. You let me vent the whole thing, every last detail.”
“It always felt off to me.”
“That’s not what you said three years ago. And if you thought I was misreading something, you would’ve challenged me on it back then.” Ember took assertiveness to boss levels, had since they were in grade school.
“It wasn’t that I doubted you, Claire. I was super mad at him. He went back on his word, and then not explaining why? It was rude. It wasn’t fair.”
Claire tilted her head back to gaze at the full moon through her windshield. “Okay, then…I don’t get it.”
“Well, it just seemed weird the way he shut down. If he was really a liar, he would’ve lied to you. Given you a story, something to get himself off the hook, you know? And instead he was just like, ‘I’m out.’ So I figured he had a legit reason he was too stubborn to tell you about, but eventually he’d come to his senses, and y’all would figure yourselves out. Of course, I didn’t expect you to take three years.”
Unbelievable. Claire got out of the car, shoving her phone into the pocket of her black jeans and throwing her purse strap over her shoulder. She might have shut the door with more force than necessary.
