Page 130 of Valentine Nook
P.S. Pierre has promised to always bring you donuts.
Instead of taking me to Burlington’s front door, I instruct my driver to drop me at the stable yard where Thunder is sound asleep.
“Look what Holiday made you,” I whisper as I creep in quietly and wake him enough to receive a grunt in reply.
Kneeling, I break it in half and hand over his midnight snack. It’s only when he smells the sugar does he open his eyes fully.
Thunder’s velvety lips quiver around the jam oozing out, and with a snort, he nudges me for the rest. When he’s done eating, he lays his head down and goes back to sleep.
Only when I settle next to him in the hay and lean on his soft belly do I allow my tears to finally fall.
CHAPTER 27
Holiday
For the first time in five months, I step onto United States soil and fall straight into my brother’s arms.
“It’s gonna be okay, Hol . . . I promise.”
“You . . .”Sob. “Don’t know . . .”Sob. “That . . .”Sob.
“I do. And you know how I know?” he replies, squeezing me tight and rubbing my
back in that soothing way he’s always done when I’m having a crisis.
I take a big sniff. “How?”
“Because that’s what you always tell me.”
If it’s possible, Tanner’s words make me cry even more. I’m also sure I’ve never said that, and if I have, then I’m clearly a bigger idiot than I already thought I was. Because right now, I can’t imagine it ever being okay.
“And I’m all for you crying it out right here in the middle of the tarmac, but as it’s four in the morning and I’m freezing my nuts off, it would probably be a better idea to get in the car.”
Easing out of his grip, I take the edge of his sweater and use it to wipe my nose, just like we did when we were kids. Yes, it’s gross, but it always raises the tiniest smile.
“Feel better now?”
I shake my head. “No.”
“That’s the spirit.” He winks, tapping his fist to my chin. “Now, let’s . . .” He becomes distracted by something over my shoulder. “Holiday, what the fuck is that?”
I spin around, and the tears start up again. Not that they stopped at any point over the past nine hours since I left Lando standing on the steps of the Dorchester Hotel. I’m severely dehydrated. But along with the tears, I do manage a slight smile at the sight of the air steward wrestling Willard the bear—as I named him—down the narrow steps of the plane.
I could have left him to be packed up and sent back with the rest of my things, but as Lando gave him to me, I didn’t want to risk him being damaged.
“That’s Willard,” I wail, topping it off with a loud sniff. “The bear Lando gave me after I won the coconut shy.”
“I still don’t know what’s shy about a coconut,” Tanner mumbles with a shake of his head. “Okay, get in the car. That thing will have to go in the back seat because he won’t fit in the trunk with your bags.”
I do as I’m told because truthfully, I’m also freezing cold. Once I make sure everything’s been packed into the car, I settle into my seat while Tanner wrestles Willard into his until finally we’re ready to leave.
I turn to him as he starts the engine. “Thank you for coming to get me, Tanny.”
The smile I offer him is weak, but it’s also so grateful. I honestly couldn’t have faced landing on my own and having a car service take me to Tanner’s apartment, where I’m staying until I fly back to Los Angeles in a couple of days.
“Of course I was coming to get you. I’m not going to let my sister cry her eyes out by herself.” He tuts. “We’ll be home soon, and Brady will be awake. He’ll make his auntie Holiday feel better. Then you can get some shut-eye.”
“What about Millie?”
