Chapter Twelve
Twelve
E li slowly woke the following morning to the soft light filtering through the curtains in his bedroom. He felt an unfamiliar warmth next to him, and glanced sideways finding Willow, nestled against him, tangled in the sheets of his bed.
Damn, he could get used to this.
She was there, in his space, and he didn’t want her to leave. It felt unfamiliar to have someone next to him. Although he had been with other women since returning from the rodeo, it had always been in their homes, never his. He half expected to feel uneasy about letting someone into his personal space, but the feeling never came.
He lay there a moment longer, allowing himself to enjoy her sweet presence, before he kissed her shoulder. With reluctance, he peeled himself out of the bed, muscles stretching in protest. As he made his way downstairs to the kitchen, thoughts of the day ahead swirled in his mind.
Reaching the kitchen, he headed for the coffeepot and got that brewing. Last night, he had texted Jaxon to let him know that he would be arriving late to work today. Eli rarely took time off, so he wasn’t surprised by the lack of fuss. He pressed the button to start the brew, the machine gurgling to life, when his cell phone rang. He retrieved it from where it was being charged on the countertop, noting Harris was calling him back.
“Hey, Harris,” Eli spoke into the receiver.
“Morning,” Harris replied. “Sorry, I’m only calling you back now.”
They’d been playing phone tag yesterday. “It’s all right,” Eli said. “I wondered if there were any updates on Samantha. I need to know Willow’s safe.” His gaze drifted out the kitchen window to the mountains off in the distance. The sky was overcast, and even from his spot in the warmth of his house, the air looked freezing.
“She’s safe,” Harris confirmed. “I personally talked with Samantha yesterday. She’s scared of being arrested and she doesn’t want any more trouble. She had a warped understanding of thinking she was protecting her brother, but she understands we’ll charge her if she reaches out again.”
A sigh escaped Eli, the tension in his shoulders easing. “Thanks, man. That’s good to hear.”
“Keep your eyes open, of course, but I don’t think she’ll cause you two any further problems.”
“Appreciate it, Harris. I know this case wasn’t in your department, but I’m grateful for you looking into it.”
“It’s not a problem. Anything else comes up, I’m just a call away.” The line went dead, leaving Eli alone with his thoughts once again.
Relief washed over him as he grabbed two mugs from the cupboard when a whisper of movement caught his attention. Willow glided into his kitchen, wearing nothing but his faded T-shirt, its hem playfully skirting her thighs. Her tousled hair cascaded over her shoulders, and a grin broke across his face. He moved toward her, instinctively drawn by this magnetic thing between them. “Morning, beautiful,” he murmured.
“Morning,” she responded, a sleepy smile tugging at her lips. The distance between them evaporated as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into an embrace. He dropped his mouth to hers. She tasted of sun and sweetness, and he couldn’t get enough.
When he pulled back, she watched him closely. “Last night...”
He frowned. “If you shove me on my ass again, we’re going to have a problem.”
She laughed softly, shaking her head. “I don’t regret it, but I want to make sure we’re clear. I’m not ready for a relationship. I can do friends-with-benefits, but I can’t offer anything beyond that. I’m not capable.”
He cupped her face. “I’m not asking for anything you can’t give. As long as I get to keep kissing you, I’m good.”
Her eyes warmed in their beautiful way. “Better kiss me again so I can see.”
He did as she asked, placing his mouth against hers and putting in everything he had to leave her breathless.
It worked. Her cheeks were pink, and she was breathing heavily when he broke away.
He lifted his brows. “Your decision?”
“You can kiss me any damn time you want when we’re alone,” she said.
He accepted her decision with a nod. “Detective Harris just called,” he told her, turning back to the counter and fixing their coffees.
Willow slid onto the stool at the breakfast bar. “Anything we should worry about?”
“Nah, Harris thinks Buck’s sister won’t be stirring up any trouble,” he explained. He handed her a steaming cup, their fingers brushing—a jolt of heat spiraling straight to his groin.
“Thanks, and that’s good.” She smiled, wrapping her hands around the mug. “Do you know them—Buck and Samantha?”
“Not well,” Eli said, before leaning against the counter and taking a sip of his coffee. “They both went to my high school, but we were all in different grades.” He set his mug down and took the cast iron pan from the bottom drawer on the stove. “I consider myself lucky that they weren’t in my circle of friends.”
“No kidding,” Willow quipped, a wry edge to her voice. “Did Amie go to your school too?”
Eli shook his head. “She didn’t grow up here. She probably ended up here like everyone else, came for a visit and never left.”
Willow laughed. “That seems to happen a lot around here.”
“More than you can even imagine.” He focused on fixing breakfast, glad he had eggs and bread.
“Need any help?” Willow asked.
He glanced over his shoulder, flashing her a grin. The kitchen was bathed in the soft morning light, casting a warm glow on Willow’s face.
“Just keep looking that cute, it’s all the help I need.” The sizzle of butter melting in the pan filled the room.
“Flatterer,” she teased.
“Always.” He winked, pouring the eggs into the pan, as they hissed hitting the hot surface.
In no time, he had the bread toasted and buttered and added fluffy scrambled eggs onto two plates. He set them down on the small kitchen table by the window, and she quickly headed his way.
“How are things shaping up for the Christmas market?” he asked, as they sat down.
“Good, actually.” She reached for her toast, taking a nibble, her tousled hair falling over her shoulder. “We’re in full Christmas mode at the bar. And the Christmas crafts are coming together. I think we’ll make a decent amount of money for the shelter.”
“That’s incredible.” He scooped up some eggs on his fork. “Gotta be proud of how far you’ve all come with the bar since you first moved to town.”
“That’s probably an understatement,” she said with a laugh, “considering no one wanted us here when we first moved here.”
“It’s not so much as not wanted you here,” he countered. “It’s that people around here aren’t used to change. Your cocktail lounge was change. Looks like everyone has come around now.”
“They have,” she agreed with a soft nod. “Everything is starting to feel like it’s coming together.” She ate some eggs and then asked, “I hope you’re coming to the market.”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” he assured her with a smile. “What’s your plan for today?”
“I better get to the bar at some point,” Willow said. “We’ve got a big party coming in today. What about you? Will Jaxon be upset you’re coming in late?”
Eli snorted. “Jaxon isn’t my keeper. I’m sure he’ll understand. After I drop you off at home, I’ll head to the ranch to get my rides in today. As long as training happens, that’s all Jaxon is worried about.”
Willow flashed her sweet smile. “Charly and Aubrey have been blowing up my phone with texts, even though they know exactly where I am because I texted them last night.” She chuckled. “They’re like my personal bodyguards. Always have been, but it’s even worse now.”
“They care about you deeply,” Eli interjected.
“And I feel the same way about them.” She paused for a moment, cocking her head. “You understand that, right? You, Jaxon and Gunner are really tight?”
“We are,” he confirmed, “but they wouldn’t murder anyone for me. Charly and Aubrey, on the other hand...”
She let out a bark of laughter. “They probably would, especially Aubrey.”
He’d seen that side of her himself. “She’s tough, huh?”
“She’s like a bull in the form of a woman,” Willow replied, her mouth twitching. “Charly is like a mother hen, but Aubrey is my own personal ninja, ready to take down anyone who hurts me.”
“I’ve come to realize that.” Eli chuckled.
Willow held his gaze for a long moment before she focused on her plate and the half-eaten food there. “She came to see you about me yesterday, didn’t she?”
“Yeah,” he said, not intending to ever withhold anything from her. “Just to set me straight and make sure I had my head on right.”
“That’s just how she is,” Willow replied softly, and didn’t look bothered by that fact. “She also went to talk to Niko in jail. I never asked what she said to him, but I can only imagine.”
“She’s a very good friend to you,” Eli pointed out.
Willow nodded in agreement.
Each bite, each sip of coffee, all brought more conversation that Eli couldn’t get enough of. He didn’t think he’d talked this much to anyone since his mother passed. He swore he could listen to Willow talk about nothing, and he’d still find her riveting.
When their plates were empty, he lingered over the last dregs of coffee, reluctant to have this morning end. He reached for Willow’s hand across the table, his fingers grazing hers.
“I like this,” he told her. “Just being here, talking. It’s nice.”
Her smile warmed all the cold cracks in his heart. “I like this too.” She gave his hand a firm squeeze and then rose to clear away the plates, and she gave him a spectacular view from his spot of her bare thighs in his T-shirt.
She had to get to the bar. He had to get to the ranch. But with the heat filling him, and his cock twitching, he said, “You know what else I like?”
“What’s that?” she asked, not looking back.
“You in my T-shirt.” He had her in his arms a second later, and her laughter filling his kitchen was the best sound he’d ever heard.
The Naked Moose buzzed with excitement as Willow entered the bar after Eli dropped her off at home and she’d showered and gotten ready for the day. She couldn’t get the smile off her face. Not only the skating, but their hot night, and even this morning after breakfast, had been magical.
Being with Eli was magical . Her body felt more than alive this morning. It felt... reborn .
When she pushed through the door, the music was already pulsating through the lively bar. Aubrey and Charly were putting the finishing touches on the photo booth, a colorful backdrop flashing “Born This Way” in bold, proud letters.
“Hey, you made it!” Aubrey’s voice cut through the music.
“I wouldn’t miss this party,” Willow replied, heading toward them.
Aubrey grinned. “With that smile on your face, I’m surprised you even managed to get out of bed.”
Charly came out of the back, stopped dead and said, “I want to hear every single detail, but we need to finish up, so talk while we work.”
Willow agreed with a nod. “What can I do to help?”
“Those balloons need to be blown up,” Charly said, pointing to the pack of balloons on the bar.
“I can do that.” Willow put her winter jacket and scarf behind the bar and then grabbed the package. Her fingers tied each balloon after blowing them up, infusing the room with splashes of color.
Aubrey, perched on a ladder, unfurled the last of the rainbow flags above the bar.
Below her, Charly steadied the ladder. “Perfect, just a little to the left.”
Aubrey affixed the flag in place with a tack and then she descended the ladder and turned to Willow. “Now spill it, girl.”
Willow laughed, tying up a balloon. “Last night was magical...” She told them about the park, how he opened up about his past, and the skating.
“That certainly sounds incredible,” Aubrey said.
Willow agreed with a nod. “And then—” her grin grew wider “—we went back to his house. Those cowboys. They’re so damn charming.”
“Willow Quinn, look at you!” Charly exclaimed, beginning to tape the balloons onto the walls beneath the twinkling Christmas lights. “And yeah, I get it. I have no control where it comes to Jaxon.”
Willow laughed and felt a surge of gratitude for her friends, who had seen her at her lowest of lows and highest of highs. “Thank you,” she murmured to Charly. Then she set her gaze on Aubrey. “For everything.”
Charly smiled, coming over to hug Willow. “We just want to see you happy.”
“We sure do,” Aubrey agreed, throwing her arms around Willow too. “I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself. It’s about time you had some fun.”
Just so happened, Willow agreed too. She kept waiting for the fear to rise that she was letting Eli in, but it never came. She wasn’t sure if it was because Eli was who he was, or they had a good friendship before, but she felt... safe .
She wasn’t certain where this would lead, but she felt okay with this next step with Eli. Maybe it’d only ever be fun between them. Or maybe not. But right now, she didn’t need to know that answer, and there was freedom in that.
Minutes ticked by quickly, which eventually turned into hours. As the night wore on, the bar began to fill up with people, all there to celebrate James and his coming out to the world. The pop music from the speakers above the bar were loud and pulsing, and the drinks flowed freely. In the midst of it all, James stood tall and proud, dancing in the middle of a circle surrounded by his friends and family.
Willow watched from the sidelines, her heart bursting with love and admiration for a man finally living authentically.
Then, as if on cue, the music cut off and a figure emerged from the back—a vision in sequins and feathers, the spitting image of Cher in all her glory. The crowd cheered, turning to the stage, as the drag queen took to the microphone.
“Darlings! Tonight, we celebrate love in its purest form!” the performer declared, their voice sending the crowd screaming in joy. They launched into a rendition of “Believe,” their movements a blend of grace and power.
Willow watched, mesmerized, as the Cher doppelg?nger killed it. Her message rang clear: Be unapologetically you.
In that moment, Willow felt the gravity of all the good that they were doing with the bar. In The Naked Moose, people could be themselves, free from judgement and fear.
With tears welling in her eyes, Willow twisted off the cap of a bottle of beer. She caught Aubrey’s eye at the end of the bar, and she smiled, obviously understanding Willow’s line of thought.
“Need a hand with those drinks?” Charly called, sliding up to Willow behind the bar.
“Please, thank you,” Willow replied.
As Charly garnished the margaritas with tiny paper pride flags, Willow moved to the next customer approaching the bar, a wide grin on her face as they eagerly awaited their drink.
“Beer please,” the woman called over the music.
Willow cracked open another beer and slid it across the counter. “Here you go,” she said with a friendly smile.
The brunette accepted the drink with a nod of thanks. “You guys always throw the best parties,” she remarked.
Willow’s heart nearly exploded. “We try our best,” she replied, before taking the woman’s payment and returning to Charly’s side to assist with the flurry of drink orders.
As Charly balanced the tray full of drinks, she made her way through the dance floor, and delivered them to a group of people who eagerly reached out to grab their drinks.
Charly’s eyes were filled with pride as she returned to Willow’s side. “Just look at them,” she said, her voice soft and full of emotion, gesturing to the crowd.
Willow followed Charly’s gaze and felt her heart swell with joy as she took in the scene of celebration. “Look at us,” she whispered, turning to Aubrey and Charly. “We did this together.”
Aubrey wrapped an arm around Willow’s shoulders and pulled her into a tight hug. “And we’ll keep doing it,” she declared firmly. “Because this is what truly matters.” She gestured to the happiness surrounding them.
Willow nodded in agreement, a smile spreading across her face. The bar’s success was a result of their combined efforts. Charly’s experience in owning a bar, Aubrey’s culinary creativity in crafting drinks and appetizers and Willow’s skills in marketing all contributed to its success. They had poured their hearts into this venture, and it was thriving. “Isn’t this a wonderful feeling?”
Charly glanced sideways. “What feeling?”
“Being happy.” Willow smiled. “Not being scared all the time.”
“Yeah, Wills, it’s pretty damn good,” Aubrey said.
Charly nodded in agreement, glancing between them. “Now is it a good time to point out that doing a backpacking trip to Yellowstone after college was so much better than going to Rome?”
Willow’s laughter filled the air. It was hard to believe that a drawing they had made as tweens, depicting their perfect future town where all their dreams would come true, closely resembled Timber Falls. And even harder to believe that Charly had stumbled upon both the picture and the town itself. But Willow was a firm believer in fate and its unpredictable ways. And that camping trip had ended with the town and the pact that changed their lives forever. “I’m going to say, yes,” she said with a laugh.
“Hmmm, I’m not quite there,” Aubrey called over the loud music before hurrying off to assist a customer.
Charly grinned mischievously. “The Timber Falls magic hasn’t reached her yet, but it will.”
“How can you be so sure?” Willow asked.
Charly’s smile widened, and she motioned toward the crowd. “Because Timber Falls is brimming with magic. It hit me. It hit you. Aubrey is certainly next.”
Willow wholeheartedly agreed. For all that had gone wrong in her life, she now felt the blissful flow of magic that had gone through it, and she just knew...that it had brought her to this new reality where life was... good .