Willow Creek, page 3
Utterly charmed by Luke’s family, Ezri couldn’t say no. “I’d love to see it, if you’re serious.”
After saying goodbye to Logan and Amelia, she and Sadie made the short trek easily. Sadie kept up a running dialogue the whole time, casually describing the neighborhood. “Mom and Dad’s property runs along the creek here across the road, up into the cove, back behind the house a ways, and all the way down to Colin’s place, which is the modern atrocity you passed on the way in. All told, they have over thirty acres, and Colin has twelve.”
The only modern house Ezri remembered passing on the road was a stunning mid-century brick home. “You aren’t a fan of mid-century modern?” she asked.
Sadie wrinkled her nose. “I prefer something more traditional, like the farmhouse. The modern stuff is okay, I suppose… mostly I tease Colin about it being a monstrosity because it gets his back up. But it isn’t what I’d choose. Here we are—my humble studio. Want the grand tour?”
“Absolutely.”
By the time they started upstairs to the apartment itself, Ezri was halfway ready to take up cosplay so she could order something from Luke’s sister. She was blown away by the costumes Sadie designed and sold online. “Where’d you learn to sew like that?” Having done her fair share of sewing and mending growing up, Ezri knew talent when she saw it, and Sadie had it in spades.
“My best friend, Jemma? Her grandma taught me. She’s a retired seamstress. Well, semi-retired. She still keeps a hand in, as she likes to say.” With a flourish, Sadie opened the door off the nice-sized covered porch and stepped into the apartment. “Voilà! What do you think?”
It wasn’t huge. Much like Logan’s office, the apartment appeared to be mostly one large room, with the eat-in kitchen on the end nearest the door, a living area in the middle, and a door on the other side of that she assumed led to the bedroom. But it was a good size for a single person, particularly a single woman who’d never lived by herself.
“This is cute.”
Sadie grinned. “You optimist. It has potential, I’ll give you that, though a coat or six of fresh paint wouldn’t hurt. Bedroom and bath are over here, and you even get your own washer and dryer. Any furniture that’s here comes with the place, but you’d still have to get some things. I can tell you where all the bargain spots are once you get to town. And the porch on the other end is as big as the one we came in from.”
As Ezri trailed her into the bedroom, she started imaging where she could put things. There was a small round table with chairs in the kitchen, and a somewhat worse-for-wear couch in the living room that probably would work nicely with a slipcover, so she wouldn’t be starting from nothing. “How much is the rent?”
“Well, I’m renting the building from Mom and Dad,” Sadie said, propping a hand on her hip. “We even have a lease to make it legal and tax deductible and what not. I could sublease it to you—how does three-fifty a month sound, plus utilities? It has a separate meter for the water and electric. Colin had that put in when he lived here.”
Ezri knew her eyebrows were climbing halfway to her hair. “Three-fifty sounds like a steal.”
Sadie waved a hand. “Not really. Yes, it’s the family discount, but it isn’t like I was going to rent it to someone else. It’d help me out, but I wouldn’t feel like I was ripping you off.”
“I’m assuming you and I would have a lease as well?”
“Absolutely. How about month-to-month, in case you end up getting Gibsonitis or something? Not that I’m expecting you to pack it in that easily. After all, you’ve put up with one of my brothers for a year now without being scared off, right? Surely you’re made of stern stuff.”
Ezri gave in and snickered. “It takes a lot to run me off, Sadie. I’m the eldest of nine kids. I’m not the least bit intimidated by your family, quite the opposite.”
Sadie’s eyes widened comically. “Holy mother-of-pearl… nine kids?” When Ezri nodded, she whistled low. “Good God, you must be unflappable. Nine kids…”
She could sense the younger woman’s curiosity, but that tale was best left for another day. “Let’s say that living away from my family is significantly more peaceful than living with them. It’s a long story.”
“Sounds like one I would love to hear someday.” She stuck her hand out. “So, do we have a deal?”
Ezri took her hand, so giddy with excitement she was almost ready to dance in place. “Yes, we do.”
When she’d first mentioned her concerns about continuing school to Luke a few weeks earlier, she’d never expected an alternative course for her life to open up so easily, so quickly. As she drove back to Knoxville, she considered all the changes that were happening. She couldn’t believe things were coming together so smoothly.
She wasn’t looking forward to telling Cece that she was leaving the Knoxville area, but she knew the older woman she thought of as family would understand. Besides, it wasn’t as though she was moving across the country again—London was only two hours or so from Cece’s home in Hardin Valley. It would make a pleasant day trip for weekends, and they’d keep in touch.
Thinking back about how far she’d come from the scared young girl who’d left Utah under a cloud of uncertainty, she couldn’t help but be thankful that she’d found the courage to leave her family, to get herself free from the situation that was so untenable. Thankful and frankly blessed to have found the friendships of people like Felicity and her aunt Cece, of Luke Gibson.
It was worlds more than she’d ever expected to find outside the small town where she’d grown up, and in the privacy of her own mind, she could admit that it was more than she ever thought she’d achieve.
“I made it, Mom, Dad. I’m a success. You were wrong about me. I can stand on my own. I wonder what else you were wrong about.”
Time would tell, she knew. It wouldn’t do to get too cocky. But there wasn’t anything wrong with hope, she didn’t figure—hope had sustained her through the past five years, hope and a stubborn determinedness to not let her detractors win. Now, anything less was unimaginable.
The reunion she’d hoped for with her family had never happened, her exile turning permanent after several heated arguments via phone that had turned beyond ugly. Though she still hoped that she’d someday be able to have a relationship with her parents and siblings, she’d given up trying to bridge the gap between them after that last, disastrous confrontation.
Simply put, she’d had to decide to isolate herself from them in order to stay sane. The what-ifs were pulling her down, her family’s negativity toward her choices destroying her optimism for the future and enjoyment of the present. So she’d closed that door, moving on with her life largely without them in it.
It still weighed on her from time to time, and she still missed them—especially her siblings, even though she’d often felt like an outsider even amongst them, as none of them shared her perspective on the world. But she couldn’t pretend to be something she wasn’t. She never had been any good at that.
As she settled in for the drive back to Knoxville, she focused her mind on the list of tasks she’d need to accomplish before the move, deliberately steering away from the hurtful memories of the past. There was a lot of good in the future, things to look forward to. Exciting adventures to enjoy, new horizons to explore. And there was always hope that her family would change, accept her for who she was. It might be a slim hope, but it was hers, and for now, that was enough.
Chapter 2
The Rusty Pigeon, a popular, pub-style eatery in downtown London, was already hopping with patrons when Colin Gibson showed up a few minutes after six o’clock on Saturday evening. In fact, the place was so busy, he’d had to park two blocks away. Tonight was the first time in several weeks that he’d slowed down to relax, except for a few hours over the past weekend when he’d helped celebrate Sadie’s graduation from high school, and he was looking forward to the break.
He was meeting Luke and their cousin Isaiah for dinner. And he was finally going to meet the mysterious Ez, Luke’s former roommate who would be starting work with their father next week. Colin had heard a lot about the guy in passing, but he’d been so tied up working on some final touches for a project for his own work, he’d not been able to get many details.
From what his brother had said, though, Ez was a stand-up guy whom Luke considered to be almost a member of the family. Colin vaguely remembered Luke having mentioned something about a hullaballoo with the guy’s family that had left them estranged. Colin knew from experience how painful such a thing could be. Fleeting thoughts of his broken relationship with his cousin Easton crossed his mind, but he quickly shoved those aside. Tonight was a night for fun, not reflection.
Fun was something Colin didn’t seem to have enough of these days.
He nodded at some familiar faces but didn’t stop to chat as he made his way inside to search for Luke. He was actually looking forward to the coming months with a great deal of anticipation—Luke would be sticking around eastern Kentucky to work on a project for his master’s degree, and Colin hoped that they’d be able to spend a good deal of that time together. Simply put, he liked his brother, and the two of them got into some good-natured trouble together—something else Colin hadn’t had time for lately.
He stopped near the restrooms to glance around the pub for Luke, but his attention was caught almost immediately by a slender brunette coming out of the women’s room. Dressed in a sky-blue knee-length dress whose wide straps left her arms delectably bare, her hair danced around her face in soft, bouncy curls that didn’t touch her shoulders.
When her wide grey eyes met his and she smiled, revealing a dimple on one cheek, Colin felt like he’d been punched in the gut. He caught his breath, but before he could do more than lift a hand toward her, a group of people stepped between them. As they passed, she turned to go down the steps into the pub’s dining room.
No longer caring that he was there to meet Luke, he followed her.
Thanks to the crowd, it wasn’t as easy as it could have been, and by the time he figured out that she’d gone to the Back Porch—the covered, outdoor section of the restaurant—and made his way there, his heart was hammering in his throat, concern building that he’d have lost sight of her for good. He’d never seen her before—he’d remember if he had. That meant she was new in town—or from out of town—and Colin couldn’t bear the thought of never knowing who she was.
The last thing he expected to see when he stepped onto the Back Porch was the girl who’d so captured his attention, the beautiful curly haired pixie of a woman, with her arm wrapped firmly around his brother like she belonged to him, and him to her.
Denial had him staggering back, nearly running into a server with a tray full of drinks. Apologizing distractedly, he turned and headed back the way he’d come. The entire time, his heart was racing, his mind reeling from the emotional impact of the blow.
One story Colin loved to hear his parents tell was how, when they first laid eyes on each other, they’d each felt like they’d been electrocuted. For his mother, the sensation had been a welcome surprise. Not so much for his father who, at that point, was a confirmed bachelor with absolutely zero plans for ever getting married or having a family, finding the whole idea of commitment appalling.
Now, having experienced a similar earth-shattering reaction to a woman for the first time in his life—and to a woman who apparently was taken by his beloved brother—Colin had a lot more sympathy for his dad.
He didn’t stop his retreat until he was on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant. Once there, he leaned up against the corner of the building and drew in a harsh breath, closing his eyes as he cursed his blasted luck.
Why he expected anything different, he’d never know. Nothing had gone right in his personal life since the evening several years earlier where he’d run his mouth and started the chain of events that had cost Easton—the cousin he loved as much as his brothers, the one who’d been his best friend practically from the cradle—his career in law enforcement.
That chain of events had eventually cost him Easton’s friendship, a devastating blow that had come about during a verbal fight that had turned physical between the two of them three years earlier. For the millionth time since that evening in the diner when he’d run his mouth to a blatantly flirtatious waitress, he wished he’d kept his mouth shut.
If there was anything Colin had learned in the years that followed that disaster, however, it was that there were no do-overs in life. Second chances were rare. And forgiveness… well, forgiveness was often nothing more than lip service.
When his phone chimed, the screen showing Luke’s name with a text asking where he was, he cursed under his breath. Was he going to cut and run, or was he going to suck it up and go back inside, face the new, unexpected gauntlet that his brother’s love life had just presented? Decision made, he started walking.
Chapter 3
Ezri was concerned. Luke had texted her while she was away from their table, letting her know that someone he’d rather not interact with had shown up, and he was feeling cornered. He’d asked for her help with a little playacting. When she’d come back from the restroom and seen his expression, the one that meant trouble was brewing, any hesitation she might have had about implementing his plan went out the window.
Acting like it was the most natural thing in the world, she slipped up beside him and let him draw her close, her mind going briefly with regret to the stunningly handsome dark-haired man with vivid blue eyes she’d encountered by the restrooms. Not that she would have felt comfortable approaching him, even if she hadn’t been responding to an SOS from Luke. She was too shy with men close to her age she didn’t know. Even so, the regret was there, a whimsical what might have been, pinching her heart for a few seconds until her attention was diverted by Luke’s tension.
While there was absolutely nothing between them beyond the pure affection often found in siblings, that wasn’t information she or Luke were going to be broadcasting to the perfectly made-up Barbie doll who was standing at their table.
“Ezri, love, this is Jordyn. She stopped by to say hello,” Luke said, his words terse and clipped.
The gimlet-eyed blonde hissed out a breath between her teeth. “How nice to meet you,” she muttered, giving Ezri a once-over, then quickly dismissing her. “I wish you’d let me know sooner that you were back, Luke. We could have made plans.”
“Not this year,” he retorted sharply, his cheeks ruddy. “In fact, not this decade, and likely not even this century.”
Isaiah, Luke’s distant cousin that they were having dinner with, exchanged a look with April, his girlfriend. “Don’t let us keep you, Jordyn. She was just telling us all how she was getting ready to go on vacation,” he added for Ezri’s benefit, waggling his eyebrows. “She has places to go and people to screw over.”
“Well, we definitely don’t want to interfere with that, do we? Sounds like important work, to be sure,” Ezri said, rolling straight into agreement. She was getting an idea of who the blonde was, a vague memory from a few months back rising up of Luke cursing his poor judgment for having briefly dated the girl over the previous summer break.
“Well, you are a little bitch, aren’t you? Good luck with him, honey. You’ll need it,” Jordyn said with a sneer, flouncing away from their table, stopping a few feet away, hand on her hip. “Call me if you get bored with your cat, Luke. I might find time to fit you in,” she threw over her shoulder.
“I’ll make sure he gets his shots first,” Ezri said, her voice louder than usual, thanks to the noise in the room. “Who knows what he might bring home otherwise?”
It was unfortunate that, at that moment, the band playing the live music in the corner stopped their set for a break. Her words fell into the silence, and outrage spread across Jordyn’s face as the shocked crowd around them gasped and tittered.
April’s hastily covered sputter of laughter mixed with Isaiah’s groan, and Luke cursed under his breath. Standing quickly, he moved protectively in front of Ezri.
“Should we make a run for it?” Isaiah asked as Jordyn stalked back toward them.
Before she could reach Luke, an older blonde who resembled her so strongly, they had to be related, came up from behind her and wrapped her hand around Jordyn’s arm, tugging. “Young lady, don’t you dare. You’re on probation already, remember?”
For a few tense seconds, it appeared as though Jordyn was going to fight, but she gave in and allowed herself to be pulled away. Before she left, however, she shot both her middle fingers up in the air toward them.
Luke didn’t move until she was gone. “Show’s over, folks. Sorry for the disturbance,” he announced to the nearby diners, his shoulders falling as the tension in the room decreased. Turning to Ezri, he shook his head, his cheeks ruddy and his eyes alight with embarrassed amusement. “You almost started a brawl, you goofball.”
Ezri punched his arm none-too-gently. “You asked me to interfere… don’t complain about how I did it. It got rid of her, didn’t it?”
“I, for one, approve wholeheartedly.” April, a voluptuous redhead with a ready grin, lifted her glass in a salute. “Well played, Ezri.”
“Thanks. I probably shouldn’t have been quite so… antagonistic. I’d hate like heck to explain why I got arrested or why I had a black eye to Mr. Gibson, even if it was done in protecting his son.” Now that the confrontation was over, Ezri’s own sense of embarrassment was growing, and she covered her face. “I always have had more temper than sense when I’m provoked.”
Luke chuckled as he got his phone out and sent a text. “I’d forgotten that. She put the fear of God into an appliance guy who came over to the house in Knoxville. By the time he left, he was whimpering.” He hugged her, then ruffled her hair. “And I thought Dad made you promise to call him Logan.”
