Page 125 of A Wolf in the Garden

“It’s done,” Van says quietly after his last call ends. “I hope your mother knows how much I appreciate that she’s willing to come here for Christmas, especially because she’s bringing Koro down too.”

My eyes are still closed, but I lift my phone in one hand, wiggling it in front of me. “Do you want to read her latest texts? She’s claiming it as her idea. So she’s totally fine with it. I think they’re both really excited.” I open my eyes, squinting against the sunlight. “I don’t know how many years Koro has left — I hope it’s a lot, his problem is mainly his hip — so it means a lot to me that he’s able to come here and see the vineyard and the garden project.”

“And your garden.”

“And my garden, yeah.” I still haven’t decided what exactly I’m going to do with my property, but in the meantime Van and I have arranged for my mortgage to be paid off courtesy of one of his many savings accounts. I’m not willing to destroy a chunk of my garden to tow the tiny house out — that idea broke my heart a little too much, so it’s staying put. “I think I’m going to wait until the new year and then look for a tenant,” I say out loud, weighing up options in my mind.

“With the height of that bathroom, you’ll have to specify that they need to be under five foot six.”

I roll my eyes, grinning. “You’re not going to recommend it to any of your wolf buddies?”

“No, definitely not. Like I’ve always said, I love your house — it’s veryyou— but I hate that fucking bathroom ceiling.”

“This is my house now, anyway,” I say quietly, looking at the pile of moving boxes stacked up near the doorway. It’s been a week since Lylia left, and we spent all of yesterday sorting through my belongings and moving it all here. You’d think there wouldn’t be much, given my small home, but once all the drawers were emptied and anything breakable wrapped up in newspaper, it still looked like a lot. I haven’t started unpacking yet — we’re still balancing our work commitments and getting Lacey and the boys settled into their house, but I think by this coming weekend I’ll have it all sorted.

Van bends towards me, his arms caging me on either side, his face suddenly an inch from mine. “This is your home,” he agrees.

I press my lips to his. “You are my home.” I pull back, running my fingers over the day-old stubble he’s sporting. I’ve always been a tactile person, and I love the feeling of it. “Speaking of home, this home needs a Christmas tree. I want to decorate one with you this weekend. Start some new traditions together.”

I’m obsessed with his full lips and the way they curve ever so slightly when he’s amused but trying not to show it. “Are we getting a real one, or will that hurt your plant-loving heart?”

“Real! That’s the whole reason they’re grown anyway. You know as well as I do that proper plant care involves killing a great many living things — weeds, pests, seedlings when you’re thinning them out. There’s a farm down the road from here where you can pay a donation and go chop down your own pine. Can we do that?”

“Of course.”

With the sun hitting the side of his face, his gold eyes practically shine. He’s breathtakingly beautiful, my Evander.

“What are you thinking?” he murmurs, his lips brushing my cheek ever so softly. “I can see the wheels turning in your mind.”

“That I’m happy. I’m really, truly happy right now.”

He slides onto the couch beside me, lifting me until I’m straddling his big thighs. “So am I baby.” His lips brush mine, teasingly slow, curving as he chuckles against my cheek.

“What?”

“I’ve got some gossip you’re going to go absolutely feral for. I just remembered.”

My eyes are wide.“What is it?”

“Kaito is moving in with Cassidy at the end of this week.”

“What?!They’re together?! Evander! You have to tell me this stuff!” Van’s assistant, Cassidy, is gorgeous; tall and voluptuous, and one of the bubbliest people I’ve ever met. Her personality is the opposite of Kaito’s, but I’ve seen them interact before, and there’ssomethingthere — I can feel it.

“Iamtelling you! And no, they’re not together. I mean as roommates. They’re notlivingliving together. His rental was only short term, until Christmas, and she’s had a change of circumstances recently and needed to rent a room out in her place, so it’s worked out that way.”

“Oh,” I slump, feeling strangely disappointed. “You got me all excited there for a minute.”

Van’s laugh is light and carefree. “I can tell.” His hand snakes under the hem of my tee, drawing lazy circles on my hip. “Who knows? You said last month that you thought there was chemistry between them, didn’t you? This could be the start of some great love story for them.”

I shake my head, smiling. “I don’t know. He’ssostandoffish, and she’s… not that.”

Van shrugs. “Different things do it for different people, right?”

“Hmm. What is it about me, then, that does it for you?”

“Everything. Everything, baby. You’re fucking perfect.”

* * *

---