by Wendy Vella
“And you’re Ms. Harper, I believe?”
Willow snapped her eyes back to the woman. “Yes, ma’am.” Mrs. Roberts Haigh had a stare that went right through you.
“How is your head after the accident?”
“Much better now, thank you.”
“Excellent, and do you plan to stay in Howling?”
“No, ma’am.”
“Well, make sure you give our boy a chance, Ms. Harper. Buster Griffin is one of Lake Howling’s favorite sons and a fine young man.”
Willow’s eyes shot to Buster, who in turn was watching her. “I… ah…” She had no idea how to answer that.
“You live in New York, I believe?” The woman made it sound like a mortal sin.
“I do, yes, ma’am.”
“It’s your choice, of course,” Mrs. Roberts Haigh snapped out, then with a nod she left.
“Wow.” Willow braced a hand on the table.
“She should have been a drill sergeant,” Annabelle said, relaxing now that the woman had gone. “I need to tell Ethan what she said to you.”
“The thing is, Willow, HRH is right. We all hope you’ll give Buster a chance to take his foot out of his mouth.” Jake had waited until Annabelle was out of hearing range before speaking. “He’s one of the best men I know, but he has the emotional stability of a small, helpless animal.”
“Jake, there’s no need for this,” Willow said. “I’m heading back to New York and we won’t see each other again.”
“That would be a shame, because I think you and he could have something special.”
Jake left Willow staring at the piece of paper she had written the word School on in big black letters. Give Buster a chance? She shook her head. He didn’t want to give her one—did they not realize that? It wasn’t she who had misjudged him, after all. Dismissing Jake and HRH, she shaped another letter on the cardboard. Leaving Howling was for the best, she assured herself. She’d make changes, she’d promised herself that, but leaving was the right decision. There was nothing for her here but heartbreak.
“Coffee. Drink it.”
A hand appeared before her, fingernails short, and scrupulously clean with few scattered burn marks. She kept her eyes on the pen she was using instead of looking up at Buster. Her heart was racing, her body alive, and all because he was close.
“There’s cake, pie, and a bunch of other stuff. What sounds good?”
“Nothing, thank you.”
“Did you eat before you came out?”
“Yes.”
“What?”
Picking up the coffee with the intent of throwing it over her shoulder at him, she detoured and took a sip as the fragrance wafted up her nostrils. Hot and sweet. Her insides sighed.
“Food.”
“Hot or cold?”
“Warm,” Willow said to be awkward, then took a bigger sip, nearly burning her tongue. She felt him leave and relaxed again, only to tense up seconds later when the hand reappeared, this time with a plate full of food that he slapped down before her.
“Eat.”
Willow bit her lip and tried to swallow down the volley of insults she wanted to hurl at him. Stay calm. You’re leaving tomorrow. Just be polite. “Thank you.”
“Should you even be out of bed already? Haven’t you just slept around the clock for two days?”
Inhale, exhale, Willow reminded herself.
“Seems like a dumb decision to me.”
In the short time since she’d met this man, she had laughed, cried, had the best sex of her life and felt anger so uncontrollable that it had nearly blinded her.
“If you’re trying to keep me healthy to make sure I leave Lake Howling, there’s no need. I’m going, even if the road is closed.” Her words were short and clipped, then she bit her tongue to stop from saying anything else.
“Don’t be nasty, New York.”
“Nasty?” Willow got to her feet and turned so quickly the chair she was sitting on overturned. “You said I was the biggest bitch you’d ever met. If that doesn’t make a person nasty, I’m not sure what would.”
“I heard what you said on the phone.” Buster appeared calm, unlike her. In fact, she could feel her body filling with heat, from her toes to the top of her head, and with it came rage.
“So on the strength of that, you were willing to believe the worst of me and after…after what we’d just shared? You wouldn’t even listen when I tried to explain.”
“I don’t like being played.” His words were cold and flat, totally emotionless. Willow wanted to punch him hard, just to see something on his face, even if it was pain, because she was seething it.
“Well, hooray for you. Now why don’t you stuff your food up your ass, because I don’t want it. So don’t think that you coming over here and giving me this”—she waved her hand at the laden plate—“makes you the bigger person, because it doesn’t.”
“Bigger person,” he scoffed. “Are we children, then, scoring points off each other?”
“We made love and then you called me a bitch!” Willow shrieked, losing all semblance of rational thought. “And now you’re handing me food and coffee, acting like it meant nothing,” she snarled. “Well, it may have meant nothing to you, Aramis Griffin, but it meant something to me.” She jabbed a finger into his chest.
“It meant something.”
“No.” She shook her head. “If it had, you would have let me explain that call or apologize, but you didn’t, so go away. In fact, I’m not even sure why I’m here. This entire trip has gotten way out of hand, and I need to get away from here. From you. So thanks for saving me from the car and my own stupid actions, but no thanks for anything else.”
“Explain that call to me.”
Something was there in his eyes, something that hadn’t been there when she’d first arrived, but Willow wasn’t sure what, and right now she didn’t care. “You had your chance, and we might not have known each other long, but you should have at least had a little bit of doubt about that call. Enough to ask me to explain at the time. I don’t want to be around a man who doesn’t trust me.”
“I don’t know you!” The words exploded from him.
“I know what we shared in that cabin, and I know what we both felt. Based on that, you should have gone with a little faith.” Willow lowered her head as she saw all the faces watching her. They were probably all angry that she’d spoken to their friend the way she had. Walking around him, she made for the exit. She’d get a lift home from someone, and the sitter would let her into the house.
“Willow!”
Ignoring the shout, she kept running, right out of the tent and toward the road just as a camper drew alongside her and the driver lowered the window.
“We’re looking for the campground.”
Looking over her shoulder, she saw Buster was following. “If you give me a ride, I’ll take you there.”
Seconds later, she was in the front seat next to a middle-aged couple, and they were heading out of Howling. They talked to her, and she replied, but couldn’t remember a word of the conversation when they pulled into the campsite minutes later. There weren’t many places left, but the man managed to maneuver into one and thanked Willow for her help when he stopped.
Climbing out, she saw her parents’ RV. Something made her walk toward it. The flowers she and Jade had painted on the side were faded now, but no one had painted over them. Overcome with a wave of longing, she lifted a hand and knocked softly on the door.
“Moonbeam!”
“Hi, Shane.” He looked older, Willow realized, with deep lines fanning his eyes and gray threading through his hair.
“Come inside out of the cold.”
She nodded and took the hand he held out to her.
“Look who’s come to visit.” Her father led her into the warmth of the RV, and Willow let her eyes roam about the familiar interior of the only home she had ever known, with its warm wood paneling, decorated in the colors of autumn. Amelia had always k
nown how to make this place a home.
Surprised by her thoughts, Willow wasn’t sure where they had come from. She’d hated everything this thing stood for when she was a child.
“You came.” Amelia had tears in her eyes as she held out a hand to encourage Willow to take the seat beside her. She sat, then Shane sat down, and she was sandwiched between her parents. Opposite them sat her sister and a man she didn’t know.
“This is Harry, Willow.”
He let out a sneeze before giving her a lovely smile. “I’d give you a hug, but as you can see, this cold is hanging on.”
“How are you, Jade?” Willow asked her sister.
“I have some morning sickness, but mother has some herbs that are helping.”
Willow found herself telling them about the accident and that she’d stayed at Macy’s for the past few days.
“You should have contacted us. We’re your family, and we would have cared for you,” Jade said.
Willow sighed. “I know, but I’m used to doing things on my own.”
Her family didn’t say anything more on that subject, instead telling her what had happened in their lives over the last few years. Willow slowly felt herself relax in their company, in the surroundings that had once been her home, even though she’d rebelled against every inch of this place.
“I didn’t mean to stay away.” Willow said the words slowly, knowing they needed to be said. “But I hated growing up here with you all, and for that I’m sorry, but I always felt as if I didn’t belong.”
“We knew that, but we were never sure how to change the way you felt,” Shane said. “It was hard knowing how unhappy you were, and seeing the anger inside you.”
“Sometimes you would sit on your bed for hours, not talking to anyone,” her mother added.
“I remember.” Willow looked at her mother. “I was angry with you for making me live your life.”
“And was it your anger that kept you away from us for so long?” Jade asked her.
“Yes. Even when I was lonely, I still believed I was living the life I wanted, a better life than I’d had here with you all.”
“Tell us about that life. Tell us what happened after you left. Please, Willow,” Amelia said.
She found herself talking, and they listened. She told them about the path her life had taken, both the good and bad parts, and the way she had shut herself off from emotional entanglements and lived by the rules she had set for herself. It was cleansing to talk so openly, and the knot of anger inside her eased a little.
“We wanted to come for you, but we believed that you wanted to be on your own,” Amelia said. “We thought you would contact us if you needed help.”
“We’re sorry, love,” her father said. “Sorry that we let you down.”
“I believed I knew what was right for me,” Willow said. “But lately I’m not so sure. Yes, I may not have liked the way you raised me, but I knew you loved me, and I shouldn’t have stayed away for as long as I did.”
“Maybe,” Amelia said. “But your father and I have acknowledged that our way is not necessarily the right way, because it cost us one of our daughters.”
“I know we can’t change the last ten years or your childhood, Willow, but will you let us back into your life?” Shane asked.
“Yes,” Willow nodded. She wanted to change, and that started here with her family. She couldn’t live her life alone anymore—coming to Lake Howling had taught her that.
They ate, drank tea, laughed and cried, and Willow felt freer at the end of it. She felt lighter inside. Her heart was tender and raw, but she knew that after tonight she would be different. It would take time, but she wanted to build a relationship with her family.
“And what about this man, Buster?” Jade said. “I felt there was something between you when we met him that night in The Howler.”
“No.” Willow shook her head. “There can’t be anything, because he believes that I’m like his ex-girlfriend, and that’s not a flattering comparison.”
Willow’s mother touched her hair. “But you care for him?”
“Yes, I do, but the timing isn’t right, and he doesn’t care for me.”
“You can prepare all you like, but the time is never right when it comes to matters of the heart,” her father said. “Maybe you should at least give this man a chance, because to leave when you haven’t can’t be good for either of you.”
“I’ll think about it.” But she didn’t want to think about it. She wanted to stay here, where she felt at peace for the first time in many years. After a moment, she said, “I need to text Macy and tell her I’m here.” She knew her friend would be worried, so she quickly sent the message. Macy’s reply was that she was glad Willow was okay, and to call if she needed anything.
“Your friend is a nice woman,” Amelia said.
“Yes, and if I stayed here, we’d become close, I think.”
“Maybe you should at least stay in contact with her, then.”
“Maybe,” Willow said, then she felt her eyes begin to grow heavy. Within minutes she had drifted off to sleep nestled between her parents, with the sound of her family talking softly lulling her to sleep.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“It’s crazy out there, Buster.”
Buster looked up as Connor Tucker dumped a stack of dishes on the table.
“You keep it running smoothly for me, Connor. You’ve got four staff. You make sure they all do what you want them to.”
Connor’s shoulders went back at Buster’s words. The boy hadn’t been given many breaks in life, but Buster believed he was a good kid with a smart head on his shoulders. He just had trouble believing in himself.
“I will. You don’t have to worry none about that.”
“Good man.”
Alone again, Buster filled orders, baked, and stewed about Willow walking away from him last night when he’d tried to talk to her. What the hell had she been thinking jumping into that camper and driving away with a complete stranger?
Shaking his head, he thought he was lucky she hadn’t slapped him because his attempt at apologizing had been pathetic. If he’d just said he was sorry he’d acted the way he had, and that he should have at least given her a chance to explain, then she would have stayed and listened.
The problem was, he didn’t feel rational around her. Seeing her sitting there, face still pale, bandage sticking out from under her hat, he’d felt off-balance. The need to hold her and then yell at her for leaving the house had been strong.
“Christ,” he muttered. She made him crazy, and not in a good way. He normally didn’t lose control, yell and behave irrationally, but he’d done nothing else since she’d arrived in Howling.
He’d felt warm when she had hugged Mikey, and then he’d wanted to protect her from HRH when she’d looked nervous as the woman talked to her.
“I don’t want to be around a man who doesn’t trust me.”
“Buster, there’s a guy out front who wants to talk to you.” Connor ran into the kitchen, interrupting Buster’s thoughts.
“Tell him I’m busy.”
“I did, but he said he was like this food safety specialist from the Department of Agriculture, and that he needs to speak to you urgently.”
“Well, fuck,” Buster muttered. “Like this day wasn’t crazy enough.” Wiping his hands, he followed Connor out to the café.
The guy was standing beside the counter, a slim black briefcase swinging from his fingers. Buster knew the man; he’d been here before, and they hadn’t hit if off real well then. By the look on his face that wasn’t about to change.
“Mr. Griffin.”
Buster nodded. “Mr. Phillips.”
“I’ve had a complaint that you’re using this facility for illegal practices that would directly contaminate the food and beverages you serve here at The Hoot Café.”
“If you raise your voice a little, I’m sure there are a few customers in the corner who didn’t hear,” Buster said as calm
ly as he could.
The man had the grace to blush a little. “Yes, well, this is a very serious complaint.”
“Let me guess. It was anonymous, but we both know it was from Millicent Lawrence again, don’t we, Mr. Phillips?” Buster had the satisfaction of seeing the man’s cheeks get redder.
“Every complaint must be thoroughly investigated, Mr. Griffin.”
“And this one just happened to coincide with the winter carnival you and your family attend, and it just happened to be from a member of the Lake Howling book club. Very handy for you, Mr. Phillips, especially knowing that I’d be busy.”
“Mr. Griffin, this is not personal, I assure you.”
“Like hell it’s not!” Buster had just about used up his store of patience. He’d been working like crazy getting things ready for the carnival and had had no more than a few hours’ sleep a night for weeks, so his temper was on a very tight leash. And don’t get him started on this shit with Willow, he thought.
“Now, Mr. Griffin, there is no need to yell.”
“No need!” Buster thundered. “I should wring your—”
“What seems to be the problem here?”
And just like that, he felt calmer. Willow was dressed in one of her suits, hair neatly tamed, briefcase in hand. He saw the small square of bandage on her forehead and felt his insides twist at the memory of how she’d gotten it. He could have lost her. The realization rocked through him.
“Ms. Harper.” She held out her hand to Mr. Phillips, and the sniveling bastard took it with a smile.
“Mr. Phillips,” the man said. “Food Services Inspector.”
Willow blinked and opened her eyes wider, which made her look awed. “I’ve always respected you people. You really do have the health of the nation in your hands, and you’re all doing a wonderful job, Mr. Phillips. Unsung heroes, to my mind.”
Buster watched Phillips preen and couldn’t believe he was buying into Willow’s BS.
“We try, but—” Phillips shot Buster a look. “It’s not always easy.”
“Well, let me help you here. I’m an associate of Mr. Griffin’s.”
News to him, but he was willing to roll with it. Hell, he’d do anything to keep her here in The Hoot until he had a chance to talk to her.