Page 3 of Yes Now Yes Forever

Twisting on the stool to face him, I reached out a hand, which he took instantly and pulled me to my feet. “Thank you for pushing me to let you do this. I didn’t realize how much something so small would help.”

Tanner combed his fingers through my hair, letting it slide out of his grasp. “I know what it’s like to fight a battle no one else can help you win.”

The rawness I could hear in his words had me reaching out and taking his hand. It was clear Tanner had been through something, but I wasn’t going to pry. Instead, I offered him a sweet smile and squeezed his hand. “Come on, let’s go down for breakfast.”

I started to head for the door, but Tanner tugged me back against his chest and hugged me tightly. He buried his head in the crook of my neck and breathed in my scent before speaking, “Starlight, I need you to know that all of us are here for you in whatever way you need us. Let us lighten the load you’re carrying in whatever small way we can.”

Memories of my Papa Jack and how he used to sneak up behind my mother and snatch her up in a hug just like this filled my mind. Mom would let out a squeal of laughter as Papa showered her face with kisses, then winked at me as I giggled at their antics. It had been a long time since I could remember the happy time before those men came to our door and blew up our lives.

“Hey,” Tanner murmured as he shifted me in his arms so we were face to face. He used his thumb to wipe away tears I didn’t know were rolling down my cheeks. “If you want to share what’s going on in that beautiful mind of yours, I’m here to listen. Or I can just hold you until it passes.”

I shook my head, brushed away my tears, and sniffled. “It’s nothing. Being hugged like this made me remember how my Papa Jack used to do that to my mother all the time. She could be in the worst mood but the moment she was scooped up and showered with kisses, she’d laugh and magically wasn’t mad anymore.”

“Sounds to me like they really loved each other,” Tanner said and pressed a kiss to my forehead. “I hope one day someone will say the same thing about us.”

My heart nearly skipped a beat at his words, and hope flooded my chest. Could it be possible for me to have a love like my parents? Was there enough left of my patchwork heart to hold the amount of love these men deserved? Before I could fall deeper into that spiral, my stomach let out the loudest growl I’d ever heard it make.

“I think your stomach is telling me I’m being a bad Alpha for forgetting how hungry you are,” Tanner grumbled, then proceeded to scoop me up in his arms and march down the hall to the elevator.

When we finally reached the house’s main level, I was hit by a wave of freshly baked cinnamon rolls. My mouth watered at the sight of the sugary goodness sitting on the kitchen counter. Pascal was the only one in sight, but his back was to us, pulling something out of the oven. He turned with another tray of piping hot rolls and placed them on the counter. Tanner set me down, and I headed straight for the pastries.

“These smell amazing,” I said once I’d caught Pascal’s attention.

I never knew how endearing it would be to see a man blush until I met Pascal. His cheeks flushed as he dropped his gaze from mine and adjusted his glasses. “It’s my grandmother’s recipe. She and I used to make them for special occasions. However, I haven’t made them in a long time, so I can’t guarantee they’ll taste as good as they should.”

“Passie, don’t you know anything will taste amazing with enough icing on it?” Fawn interjected as he hopped up onto the counter, swiped a finger in the bowl holding the icing, and popped it into his mouth. “Mmm, so good.” He moaned with his eyes closed.

“Pup,” Zachary said in a warning tone as he came out of the dining room and right up to Fawn.

I watched as Zachary took hold of Fawn’s calves and dragged him off the counter and into his arms. Fawn wrapped his arms and legs around our Alpha, perfectly content to stay right where he was.

“Now, my pup wouldn’t be breaking a rule right in front of me, would he? Because he’d know that means I’ll have to punish him,” Zachary scolded.

Fawn grinned mischievously and rubbed his nose playfully against Zachary’s. “No, papa bear, I would never be anything but your good little pup.”

Zachary grunted and stole a quick kiss before depositing Fawn on one of the stools near the counter.

“Lyra,” Eli called, pulling my attention to see him with his phone to his ear. “Yes, she’s right here, give me one moment.”

Eli smiled reassuringly as he gestured for me to come toward him, then slid his arm around my waist, guiding me down a short hall to an office I’d all but forgotten about—a plush leather loveseat near a window which made it a perfect spot for reading. Eli tugged me down beside him and offered up his phone.

“Dr. Mann called to check in on you,” Eli explained. “I haven’t told her much, just that you were out of the hospital and back home. Are you up to chatting with her? I can always tell her to call back tomorrow.”

I shook my head and took the phone from him. “It’s fine. I’m sure the doctors at the hospital reached out to her and probably Dr. Barnett.”

“If you’re sure,” Eli pressed, his stunning blue eyes searching my face for any sign I was uncomfortable.

“Positive,” I assured, taking the phone from his hand. My finger shook slightly as I went to unmute the call. This had me pausing to meet Eli’s gaze again. “Will you stay here with me while I talk to her?”

Everything about my overprotective Alpha relaxed as he placed his hand on my neck and used his thumb to stroke my cheek. “Petal, whatever you need is yours. All you have to do is ask.”

“Thank you,” I whispered, allowing myself to lean against him and rest my head on his shoulder. “Okay, I’m ready.”

It would appear that Eli wasn’t satisfied with the situation as he pulled me onto his lap and wrapped his arms around my waist. I shivered as I felt his lips brush against my neck in a whisper of a kiss. The warm, earthy scent of teakwood and spiced bourbon enveloped me, taking over all my senses. It made me want to give up control and allow myself to be taken care of, which is exactly what Eli craved.

“Dr. Mann, I apologize for putting you on hold. I needed to ensure Lyra was up to speaking with you today,” Eli said, snapping me out of my scent-induced haze.

“Not a problem, I respect your efforts to do what’s best for your Omega,” Dr. Mann replied. “I won’t take too much of your time. I had two reasons for calling. First, Lyra, I wanted you to know that I am more than willing to do a session or two with you at home if you feel that will be helpful. I don’t want you to pull away from help if getting into a vehicle so soon is too much.”