She obviously loved Uri. But sometimes love was not enough. Sometimes love was not healthy, it was destructive and harmful. Breeze had seen it during her college years when she’d worked hard alongside other students who had dropped out due to breakups in relationships. Lisa was just reminding Breeze that love was a multifaceted jewel.
“Hi, Uri.” Breeze opened the front door to find her brother-in-law on the doorstep. “You could have knocked.”
“I texted Lisa to say I was here,” Uri told her.
“I know, but you could have just knocked.” She forced a smile onto her face as she opened the door for him and invited Uri into her home. “I see you bought some coffee. Can I offer you anything else?”
“No, thank you. We just came by to pick up our son.”
“Lisa was just telling me about your plans.” Breeze led Uri through into the kitchen, sensing his eyes boring into her back. They’d always gotten along. But Breeze and Uri were not friends, they had no common ground, no connection.
“The best coffee in town.” Uri placed a cardboard cup onto the table next to the coffee cup Breeze had poured for Lisa. “Not that it says a lot about the coffee. It’s not the same as the freshly ground Peaberry Kisii beans we drank in Kenya.”
“You look well, Uri.” Breeze couldn’t think of anything else to say. Other than, you really are a prize jerk, and she figured that might not help the day go well.
“Yes, we’ve spent the last few weeks walking and talking and deciding on what we want out of life,” Uri said.
“What we want.” Breeze looked at her sister, but her sister looked at her coffee.
“Yes, I’m sure Lisa has told you and I can see by your disapproving impression you don’t agree. But Lisa is my wife and Tristan is my son.”
“They are.” Breeze bit back her retort where she’d tell him that maybe he should have kept that in mind when he left his son behind while he went off to rekindle his old life and dreams, with his wife in tow. Breeze was certain that Lisa had gone to save her marriage, while Uri had simply gone because it was what he wanted to do.
“Where is my son?” Uri directed the question toward Lisa.
“He’s with a friend of Breeze’s,” Lisa replied. “Breeze had trouble with her daycare and Joey offered to step in.”
“So my son is with a stranger?” Uri asked.
“Tristan is with a friend of mine, a very good friend.” Breeze fought to keep her tone neutral.
The sound of Joey’s truck pulling up outside sent a rush of relief through her veins. Leaving her sister and Uri in the kitchen, she went to the front door, wanting to give Tristan a warning that they were here so he wasn’t shocked when he saw them.
“We’re home,” Tristan said as he strode up to the door looking a foot taller than when he’d left last night. In his hand, he clutched a piece of wood carved into the image of a cat sitting down with his tail wrapped around his feet. “Look.”
“That is amazing.” She held out her arms and he ran to her, hugging her tightly. “It sounds as if you and Joey have had a wonderful day.”
“We have. It was the best day ever.” Tristan pulled away from her and ran his fingers over the smooth wood. “We were going to hike in the mountains, but we spent all day doing this instead.” He flexed his fingers. “My hands are sore.”
“Hi.” Joey stood behind Tristan, looking handsome, his sun-kissed skin flushed with pleasure as he looked at her.
“I have a surprise for you.” Breeze fixed her eyes on Tristan. “When I got back from work, your mom was here. She’s in the kitchen with your dad.”
“They’re here?” Tristan asked, shrinking away as he nervously clasped his wooden cat.
“Yes, shall we go and say hi?” Breeze asked, her tone light and filled with enthusiasm she didn’t feel.
“Should I go?” Joey asked quietly as Tristan went into the house, heading for the kitchen.
“It’s up to you,” Breeze replied, reaching out to him and wrapping her arms around his waist. “Take me with you,” she murmured against his ear.
“You know I will.” He nodded toward the kitchen. “But I think the little man needs you more.”
She kissed his cheek. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” He turned his head and kissed her mouth. “If you need me, just call.”
“I will. Thank you. For everything.”
Chapter Twenty-One – Joey
Thank you for everything, what did that mean? he pondered as he went back to his truck and climbed inside. He sat for a few minutes staring at the house, waiting in case Breeze flung open the door and begged him to come back to her.
They don’t need us right now, his bear told him, but they will. Looking at Breeze’s face, when this blows over, she is going to need us more than ever.
Do you think they have come to take Tristan home with them? His bear was not happy at that thought, they had enjoyed their day with him so much. Yet, they both realized that was where Tristan belonged. If his parents were deeply committed to making it work.
Whatever happens, they would all be there for Tristan, whether he needed them today, tomorrow, or ten years in the future. Love had no time limit.
He drove home, feeling deflated after the joyful day he’d spent teaching Tristan to carve. The boy was a natural, able to look into the wood and see how he could carve it to bring out the beauty of the grain.
Joey parked outside his log cabin and stared at his home for a few moments before he got out of the truck. He needed to run. He needed to work off some of the tension in his body. But as he slammed the truck door closed and prepared to shift, his bear stopped him.
What if Breeze needs us?
Joey sighed. His bear was right, if he ran into the mountain, there would be no way for Breeze to contact him if she needed him to come to her rescue.
His bear chuckled at Joey’s human side. I don’t think our mate will need rescuing, but she might need a shoulder to cry on. Or someone to rant at to work through her frustrations.
Joey went inside and began cleaning the kitchen. Tristan had been so absorbed in carving that they had made a quick lunch and gone back outside with their food. They’d sat together under one of the old pine trees that grew tall and straight toward the sky.
There they had listened to the breeze as it ruffled the new leaves and Joey had taught Tristan how to recognize the trees and which had the best wood for carving and which were the best for burning on an open hearth.
It was a good day and Joey determined that nothing was going to persuade him otherwise.
After cleaning the kitchen, he took out a pan and filled it with water, which he set to boil. As he went to the cupboard for spaghetti, his phone beeped.
Hi, Joey, can I come stay the night? x The message was from Breeze.
He was both pleased and concerned in equal measure. Of course, he was ecstatic that his mate was coming to stay. However, this must also mean that things had not gone smoothly with Tristan’s parents.
Of course, I’m just making dinner x
I’ll be there in fifteen minutes. I’ll grab some wine. Do you want some beer? x
Beer would be great. Thanks. See you soon x
He stared at his phone as he sent the last message, wishing he could talk to her now and check if she was okay. The hands of the clock went around impossibly slowly as he made sauce for the spaghetti and then turned his attention to the garlic bread. He also rummaged in the freezer for a dessert, hoping by the time they had eaten, Breeze would be okay.
She might be okay anyway, his bear told him. Maybe she is just giving Tristan and his parents some space. They haven’t been together as a family for weeks.
Maybe you’re right. He lifted his head and looked toward the door at the sound of Breeze’s car approaching. Turning down the stove, he went to meet her, ready to fold her in his arms and tell her it would all be okay.
Joey opened the door and watched as her headlights grew larger. He was illumina
ted by the lights until she turned the wheel and parked her car next to his truck.
Where it belongs, his bear said.
All in good time, Joey replied. Although, we might need to build a bigger cabin if we intend to start a family.
No ifs about it, his bear replied.
“Hi.” He raised his hands and walked down the porch steps to meet his mate.
“Thanks so much.” She got out of the car, went to the trunk and took out an overnight bag. “I thought it was best if they spent some time on their own.”
“I wondered if that was the reason.” Joey stopped walking and waited for Breeze to reach him. “Are you okay?”
“No.” She stood with her shoulders slumped forward. She took a deep breath which shuddered through her body. “Honestly, I never truly got along with my brother-in-law, we kind of tolerated each other. Now I just think he’s the biggest idiot to ever walk the planet.”
“That bad?” Joey asked as Breeze closed the distance between them. He opened his arms and she came to him, resting her head on his chest. “I know now why I had such a hang-up about me and you while Tristan was in my life. I was worried I’d end up exactly like my sister, trying to hold it all together when one person doesn’t care if they are all together or not.”
“They didn’t come back for Tristan?” Joey asked.
“Yes, but on Uri’s terms. Which are my sister and my nephew traipsing around the world after him. He says the breakdown in their marriage came about because he wasn’t fulfilled. He isn’t a stay-in-one-place kind of guy.” She ground her back teeth together. “My interpretation of that is that he doesn’t want to hold down a steady job and support his family. He wants to live a life where he is free to do what he wants, and they are welcome to follow him like a couple of lost puppies.”
“Traveling isn’t a bad way to live,” Joey told her gently.
“No, it’s not. Not if it’s done for the right reasons and everyone has a say in whether it’s what they want. But when Tristan said he would be happy to stay here in Bear Creek with us…” She tilted her head back and looked at Joey. “That’s what he said.”
“Ouch, that must have hurt Uri’s ego.”
“Just a smidge.” She held up her fingers an inch apart. “Anyway, it was around then that I said I needed to give them some time to think things over. I also told Tristan I would support him in any way I could. That we would be there for him.” She patted Joey’s chest. “I figured you would be okay with that.”
“Absolutely,” he answered. “We are a family. Tristan is part of our family forever.”
Breeze lifted her overnight bag and patted it. “I have wine and beer and I am not afraid to drink it all.”
“Come on. Let’s go eat and I got a dessert out of the freezer.” He dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “We can eat and drink and make love all night.”
“I like the sound of all of that.” She leaned her head on his shoulder. “Did I tell you I loved you?”
“You did but you can tell me again.”
“I love you, Joey.” She climbed the porch steps wearily. “I’m sorry you got dragged into my family drama.”
“I’m not.” He led her inside and shut the door behind them. “I like that you trust me enough to make me part of your family drama. If you’d shut me out, I’d have been worried you didn’t trust me. Or didn’t need me.”
“I trust you and I need you.” She inhaled deeply. “Something smells good.”
“It’s nothing fancy,” he told her.
“I like plain and simple.” She dropped her bag on one of the chairs and unzipped it. Reaching inside, she took out a bottle of red wine and a six-pack of beer.
“You are the kind of guest I like.” Joey held out his hand as she passed him a beer.
“I love your home.” Breeze leaned back against the counter and looked around the small kitchen. “It’s cozy.”
“We can extend if you want,” he replied.
“No, I mean it, it’s cozy. It makes me feel safe and warm. Like if there was a storm raging outside, we would be okay in here.”
“Is there a storm raging outside?” he asked as he drained the spaghetti.
“There might be. I left in the hope it might defuse the situation. Or maybe it was because if I had to spend another minute listening to Uri, I might have said something I regretted. The last thing I want is to alienate myself from Lisa and Uri. I want to be a part of Tristan’s life. And they have the power to cut me out.”
“Do you think they would?” Joey asked as he set the plates down on the table. “It was you they turned to when they needed someone to care for him while they went off to find themselves, or each other, or whatever they were trying to find.”
“Uri and I haven’t always seen eye to eye. Honestly, if he didn’t see me as free childcare, I doubt I would’ve had such a big part in Tristan’s life. But I was the convenient aunt, he always knew they could ask me to look after Tristan even at short notice.” She smiled sadly. “I’m not blaming the situation entirely on Uri. We’ve all had our parts to play.”
“A woman who can see she might have made a mistake.” He dipped his head and winked, and she grinned.
“Wow, well, if you ever meet a man who has that character trait, let me know, I’ll marry him on the spot.”
“Ouch. I’m wounded.” He studied her for a moment. “What about your sister?”
“What about her?” Breeze asked as Joey strained the spaghetti and fetched plates from the cupboard. With the addition of some fresh herbs and salad, the meal might just impress his mate. If he’d known she was coming to dinner earlier, he would have made something more impressive.
“You tell me.” He gave her a searching look.
“My sister.” She grabbed the bottle of wine and Joey pointed her in the direction of the glasses. “I am going to need some of this.”
“You two don’t get along?” Joey asked.
“We did when we were kids,” she began as she sipped her wine. “We were best friends, played together all the time, at the park, in the back yard, we always found something to do. High school was a little rocky. I blame that on my Goth stage.”
“Goth?” Joey tilted his head back and laughed.
“Glad to be of amusement.”
“No, it’s just.” He pointed the spoon at her. She was dressed in a cotton dress covered with small blue flowers, coupled with a sweater to ward off the chill air. As usual, Breeze wore hardly a scrap of makeup. She was naturally beautiful. At least to him.
And no other opinion matters, his bear concluded.
“Just what?” She folded her arms across her body, her wine glass grasped in one hand.
“You are about as far away from a Goth as it gets.” His brow furrowed. “That’s not to say I would not love you however you dressed and whatever you wanted to be. I just can’t imagine you as a Goth.”
“Nice explanation.” She sighed and smoothed her hand over her hair. “I had black hair, black nail polish, black clothes. And a black mood.”
“Were you okay?” Joey asked.
“I don’t think I was,” she admitted. “My mom wanted me to be a lawyer. Since my sister had no intention of finding a career and instead decided to try all the jobs until she found one she liked, it was as if my mom’s dreams of one of her children accomplishing great things was put on my shoulders.”
“That’s tough. But you obviously didn’t become a lawyer, so you didn’t let her bully you.”
“To some extent yes. To some extent no.” Breeze took a long drink of her wine. “I hated the idea of law. The compromise was that I became a doctor. But I soon realized I was not cut out for it. Although I loved aspects of the work, it just wasn’t for me. While I was trying to figure out how to tell my mom, I was present at the birth of a baby. At that moment it was as if my future crystallized and I knew that was what I wanted to do.”
“And your mom?”
“She was okay with it. Eventually.�
� Breeze refilled her wine glass as Joey set the plates down on the table.
“Dinner is served.”
Breeze inhaled deeply. “This smells wonderful. It’s nice to eat a meal I haven’t cooked myself.”
“I’ll cook for you every day if you never leave,” he teased.
Her expression faltered and her bottom lip trembled. “If Tristan goes home with his mom, nothing is stopping me from moving in here with you tomorrow.”
“Hey.” Before he sat down, he went to his mate and held her against his chest. “It’ll all work out.”
“Will it?” Breeze sniffed loudly. “I know the best place for Tristan is with his parents, but not like this. Not with him trailing around the world behind them. I know what it’s like to suffer in silence and do what your parents want you to do even though a piece of you dies each day.”
“I’m sure it wouldn’t be like that for Tristan,” Joey said gently.
“But he doesn’t get a say in it, does he? Even my sister doesn’t get a say. I don’t think it’s what she wants to do.” Breeze leaned her head on his chest. “She desperately wants her marriage to work because if it doesn’t, it’ll prove all the people who said she was rushing into it right. And that includes me.”
“All you can do is be there for her. Show her that it’s okay to fail. Not that leaving a jackass is a failure,” he assured her.
“Uri is the reason our relationship fractured. He always was jealous of Lisa and me.” Breeze pulled away from Joey and went to sit down. “Come on, don’t let dinner get cold over my dysfunctional family.”
“Do you think she would leave him if she knew she had your support?” Joey asked.
His bear shook his head, he agreed with what Joey was going to say, but he also knew this might set their relationship with Breeze back by months.
“I don’t know. And I don’t want to be the person who persuades her to rethink her life choices. I don’t want to be the one to blame. I don’t want to lose my sister and Tristan.” Breeze picked up her fork and stabbed it into the spaghetti.
“I waited a long time for my mate,” Joey told Breeze. “But I think all the waiting is easier than going through all the heartache of being with a person who might not be right for you.”
Joey: Spring (Shifter Seasons Book 6) Page 16