Page 113 of The Wild Card
I recognize the Bobs and most of the women from the LLLS meeting. I recognize Nan from the diner and Wolf Waters—who’s thankfully not wearing chaps butissporting a kilt. I wave at Kalli from across the room, and she points to the big man next to her who must be her boyfriend, Deacon, and mouths what I interpret as,I’ll introduce you later.
“What happened?” I ask as we walk over to where Lindy and Pat are standing with Val and Chevy.
“Sheet Cake happened,” Lindy says with a laugh. “Basically, the whole town showed up outside. They said they were happy just to be nearby to show their support.”
“As in, they wanted to be respectful but also couldn’t leave well enough alone,” Val adds.
“And in an uncharacteristic move for our antisocial oldest brother, James invited them all in,” Pat says. “And now, we’ve got ourselves a real party.”
Collin’s hand never leaves mine as Winnie and James cut the cake. Wolf joins Kyoko behind the bar to serve drinks, and someone puts a big jar on the bar top that’s stuffed full of bills by the end of the night. And then the whole town is on the dance floor. Sheeters—which is apparently what they’re called—candance. Or, at least, they love dancing with wild abandon, not caring whether they are any good or not. I’m not particularly skilled at dancing, but Collin is, and we boogie until my feet are practically numb.
As the night wears on, the celebration spills out onto the patio, the music slowing. Collin and I sway under the stars, and not even the racoons who creep close to steal half-eaten cake off plates can ruin the vibe.
Winnie and James finally prepare to leave, and everyone gathers to watch them walk down Main Street. Lindy, Val, and Harper pass out sparklers, though I’m not sure how there are enough since the guest list more than quadrupled. Maybe someone suspected it would end this way.
An odd sound tugs my attention to Wolf, who’s standing on the sidewalk, warming up a set of bagpipes.
“Well, I guess that explains the kilt,” Collin says. Whatever he starts to say next is drowned out as Wolf starts playing in earnest.
The tune is familiar, though I can’t remember the name of the song, and the sound rings through the night, echoing off the buildings around us and creating a sense of importance and magnitude to the moment. Collin wraps an arm around my waist and tugs me closer as Winnie and James turn around halfway down the block to wave one last time.
Then James picks Winnie up again and starts to sprint away. I can’t hear her laughter over the bagpipes and the people around us, but I can see her laughing, head thrown back, as the full moon casts its silver blessing on them both.
CHAPTER 26
Molly
Five minutes before closing,the coffee shop door swings open and Wolf ducks his head and makes his way through the door. I find myself biting the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing—even before Kalli notices what he’s wearing.
From the table in the corner, where Collin is sitting with Winnie, laptops out and paperwork everywhere, there is a loud snort. I’m not sure who made the noise, but it grabs Kalli’s attention. She looks their way, then turns and sees Wolf.
“Out,” she says, pointing toward the door.
“But there’s no rule,” Wolf says. “I looked last time I was here.”
“I shouldn’t need a rule for this. It’s common sense, Wolf. You cannot wear stilts into a place of business.”
The stilts in question are not the kind that a person can easily hop on and off of. They must be attached around Wolf’s legs underneath his pants.
Honestly, I’m pretty impressed by not only his balance but his sheer audacity. He’s got to be pushing eight feet tall.
I probably shouldn’t be surprised by this kind of thing in Sheet Cake. Especially not when it comes to Wolf. And I better get used to it considering this is my new home.
Home. The word, the idea—both excite me.
Though I had already made my choice to stay here, being at the wedding really cemented it for me. Not just about the place, but about the people. I have Collin and I have my brother, but I also have Harper and Tank and Winnie and Lindy and James and Pat and Jo. Seeing how the whole town showed up for James, even as they tried to respect his wishes for a small, private wedding, only made me more sure about being here.
Maybe they wouldn’t do something like that for me—yet. But I think once the town’s loyalty is earned, it’s impossible to lose.
“Where on earth did you find pants long enough that fit you?” Winnie asks Wolf.
“You like my pants, Winchester Graham?”
Winnie grins at the use of her new last name. “I do.”
Wolf does a mock runway walk through the shop, executing a perfect turn before coming back to the register. The gray cargo pants really do fit him well and seem perfectly tailored for the stilts. His form isn’t bad either. He could teach a class onAmerica’s Next Top Modelif they ever bring back the show. My roommates and I sometimes watched the show during college as a study break and actually, now that I’m thinking about it, they had a stilts challenge one season.
“Well, then, thank you. Because I busted out the sewing machine and made these myself,” Wolf says.
