“Because we’re not optimized!”
“Well, then, maybe we should do that and see if we can bring our stuff out of storage. Then we’ll know if we can do something like that long term.” Bill leaned over and kissed Thomas’ cheek.
Thomas smiled. “Good plan.”
They both looked at Cindy. “Thanks for your help.”
She laughed. “I don’t think I did much, but you’re very welcome.”
They wandered off and Cindy turned around within the circle of Jonas’ arms.
“Hey, handsome.”
“Hey, beautiful. You about ready to go home?”
“I still need a piece of cake. I was too full of dinner to eat it right away.”
“It’s damn good cake, you don’t want to miss out. Want me to get you a piece?”
“Let’s get some to go and head home.”
When they were in the car, she gave him a rundown of her conversation with Tasha. “You know how I like to think about life in layers?”
“Like with your blog.”
“Exactly. I’m constantly going back to older posts and trying to see how I can take whatever the post was about—be it baking a great cake, organizing your house, diving into finances, whatever—and go to the next level on that one thing. Sometimes there’s nothing else to add, but a lot of times I find that we can go down another layer. Get deeper into it.”
“I get it. I’m enjoying going deeper with you.”
She slanted him a look and he laughed.
“No. Well, yes, I very much enjoy pushing deep into you, but that’s not what I mean. I feel like every other day, I see more of you, and I’m constantly amazed at how beautiful you are, down to your soul.”
The fact that he got it, got her, was still something she marveled over. “I’m enjoying peeling your layers, too.”
“But that wasn’t your point, I think you were going to tell me something else.”
She blinked. “Oh, yeah, right. Olivia. I was going to say that I think living with that bad pack, she had to give herself an outer shell. A hard layer to protect herself behind. I mean, I don’t really know all the details, but it had to have been very unhealthy. And she had a child to raise, on her own.”
“Myra didn’t give you all the details?”
“No, not really any more than was made public.”
“I asked Olivia about Tasha’s father. He was a soldier, killed in Iraq years ago. He was from Mesa, and they moved there when they mated.”
Cindy shook her head, sadness seeping through her enough that Jonas reached out and took her hand. “I assumed she was from Mesa. I wonder why didn’t she turn to her home pack, contact her family or her old alpha about what was happening with the rogue pack. I mean, I still don’t get why none of the Mesa pack contacted National, but you’d think she had people she trusted from her home pack, right?” She slapped her hand on her knee. “No. I can’t second guess her decisions when I don’t have the facts. I just have to believe that she thought the only way to protect herself and her child was to stay silent.” She drew in a deep breath. “But now they’re here, and my point is that I have to remember not to judge her by that hard exterior layer. I need to look deeper. I was really glad when she jumped at the chance to interview for the job Brenda found. And tonight it seemed like she was more open to getting to know people, not so on the defensive.”
“I think, when we met her at first, she was convinced she wouldn’t be allowed to join and preparing herself for that disappointment.” He let go of her hand as he pulled the car into their driveway.
“I think you’re right. Anyway, I’m glad things are on the right track now, I’m really happy that our little pack is coming together and supporting each other.”
They went into the house and she went straight to the refrigerator to get milk for their cake. “Do you want your piece now?”
“Yes, please. Are you worried about Brenda coming this weekend?”
She poured them both glasses and met him at the table. “Nope. Either she’ll have changed, and I won’t mind her joining, or she won’t have, and she won’t be invited to join.”
“What if she has a good outer layer and a rotten core?”
