Page 59 of Knotty, Nice, & Holiday Lights
Some more of that tension in my body chips away, until I look at Will, standing by the kitchen island, a pinch in his brow, his gaze cast down at the floor.
My heart plummets at the sight of him so… sad.
Oh no.
I make my way to him, slowly, where I take his hand in both of mine, drawing his attention to me. “Hey,” I coax. “Talk to me. Don’t keep it inside.”
He winces. “Honestly, I rarely thought about having a family and kids. Less so since my parents are gone.” His sapphire eyes swim and glisten, and I press my palm to his cheek. The weight in my heart isn’t mine, not really. Instinct screams that this belongs to Will.
“I think I’d be scared,” he says. “Scared that if I ever had kids, something might happen to me—or to all of us. That our children might be left all alone.” A tear slips from his eye, making a sob form in my chest, my own eyes growing hot.
This is not what I wanted. I didn’t want to make Will sad by bringing this up. How could I have been so stupid?
“It’s probably best if we don’t, you know?”
Will slips from my grasp, disappearing inside the B&B, leaving me gaping and helpless, turning my horrified eyes on an equally saddened Asher and Matthew.
Ah, there’s nothing like small boutique Christmas shopping early on a frosty morning!
Crescent Lake’s Main Street isn’t the only place in town for little quaint shops, but it's definitely the most popular. The well-maintained and clean sidewalks are filled with boot and winter-coat-wearing citizens, a rainbow of color moving in waves outside the decorative storefronts.
The day after Thanksgiving, all of the autumn decorations were gone.
The day after that, the flood of Christmas and Hanukkah decorations went up like Father Winter blew in and vomited holiday spirit in every corner and crevice of town.
There are sparkly candy canes, and some that light up, all along the walkways and affixed to lamp posts. Some storefrontswith snow-covered grass display giant tree ornaments and menorahs. Many of the pine trees are lit up, even in daylight.
The giant windows of storefronts are decorated with stick-on decals, some with fancy hand-painted scenes, either full color or white, looking like someone etched them into snow and ice.
And everything is absolutely gorgeous.
Yet I can’t fully embody the holiday spirit.
I went out on my own to do a little shopping, and, being that it’s a week before Christmas, everything is more crowded, from the stores to the streets. And all I can think about is Will’s sad face yesterday afternoon. Not even as I browse adorable glass figurines I know my mother would love.
“You’re Izzy, right?”
Startled, I turn to a tall, handsome Alpha who’s smiling at me, his steel-colored eyes crinkled in the corners with joy, his brown hair styled in a classical way, not a strand out of place. His scent is a mix of several, one of which is really familiar, and I realize he must be a part of a mated pack.
Blinking up at him, I nod as I say, “Yeah, that’s me.”
“I’m Vaughn Heller, one of Violet’s husbands.”
My mouth forms anOof surprise. “It’s so nice to meet you,” I gush, holding my gloved hand out for him to shake, which he does immediately.
“I heard from Vi that you were here. And maybe from Will, too.” He looks a little bashful when he says it.
I huff a laugh. “I hope you’re only hearing good things about me.”
“The best things.” His smile is kind. “Will is really taken with you.”
He doesn’t make a show of smelling me, that would be rude, but I know my Alphas’ scents cling to mine, even if we haven’t marked one another yet.
“I love him.” Simple words with more meaning than most long-winded explanations.
“That means a lot to me to hear you say. Will has been like family for almost his whole life.”
My lips part, then shut on a false start. I want to ask him, talk to him about what’s going on in my head, but is it right? Would Will be upset if he knew I’d talked to his friend, my friend’s mate, about something so private?
