Page 12 of Falling for Ezra Thomas
“Well, at least we know why he ghosted Lorelai after kissing her,” Maverick says and shrugs. Of all the brothers, he is my least favorite at this very moment. At almost twenty, he’s got more muscles than brains which he puts to good use at the firehouse with Novan, but boy oh boy, do I wish he had a filter for that big mouth of his.
Every single head, including the ones who already knew Ezra and I kissed, turn to look at me.
“Hewhat?”Mr. Thomas asked. “What did you say? He kissed Lorelai? This Lorelai?” He points directly at me, putting me on the spot.
I swallow and try to hide behind Vivien, but there’s no way to escape. There are too many of them, and I’m bound to get caught if I try to bolt. Ezra ruffles his messy hair again and I realize it won’t be long before it’s way too short for him to do that. He reaches for me and digs me out of the pile of people I’ve managed to wiggle behind, pulling me to my feet.
Now Mrs. Thomas has gone silent. Her pretty, tear-filled eyes zero in on me while her lips part in anxious anticipation. She’s been collecting future daughters-in-law like lawn ornaments here lately, and I have no doubt that is what she’s looking for now when she takes me in. I mean, there coulddefinitelybe worse mothers-in-law, but Ezra and I are far from that sort of commitment. For crying out loud, we just settled on what we’d call this thing between us—long-distance dating.
“Uh, yeah. About that, Lorelai and I talked about that kiss and we decided to give long-distance dating a shot. We’re going to write letters while I’m gone and see where this goes.” Ezra’s cheeks flush and mine prickle. I’m sure we are a matching pair of red faces at this point with all eyes on us, but when he grasps my chin and tugs my face to look at him, the rest of the room disappears.
I lick my lips and swallow my nerves, gazing into his deep, endlessly soulful eyes. I’m in trouble. Oh man, I’m gonna have to figure out how to be the girlfriend of a soldier, because I can’t even remember my name right now.
“We’re good, yeah?” he whispers in front of God and his whole family. I manage a little nod and a small smile, the best I can do under the pressure. He leans forward and presses thesweetestkiss to my nose.
It’s going to be okay.
I’ve been a part of this family since I was a little kid. They love me, and there is absolutely no reason for me to worry about what comes next where they are concerned. It’s the man standing in front of me that has me spiraling out of control.
“Can you put your weekend getaway on hold for a few days?” he asks, forgetting there are other people in the room. Still, I nod. “Will you go on a date with me tonight?” Again, I muster a nod even as my stomach swirls with anxiety. “Thank you for being here for this. For me.”
“Um, can you two stop with the gooey eyes while the rest of us are in the room?” Maverick asks.
Ezra growls and shoots his brother a fierce glare, but Maverick is probably right. We were too far gone, too lost in each other to even remember there were others in the room.
Mrs. Thomas stands and wipes her tears. “I need a moment, then I’ll make some dessert. You two should…you know.” She motions for us to get out while the getting is good, but guilt tears at my chest.
“Do you want me to ride home with Viv? We can go out in the morning. Maybe get breakfast? That way you can spend time with your family,” I say.
People slowly exit the room, still full of questions that will have to wait. Eventually, Beck smacks Ezra on the shoulder on the way to the kitchen and we’re alone. Ezra rests his foreheadon mine and sighs, the weight of the world finally off his shoulders. Mostly. I have no doubt there will be many more confrontations between family members, but now that the initial shock has abated, he seems freer.
“I suppose I should spend some time with them, but I want to talk to you. I want to make sure you’re okay with everything before I leave. I don’t want to leave you feeling like this is barely tangible, okay? I’m in it, Lore. I want to put in all the work.”
I know that already. I feel it in the way he holds me with his fingers tucked into my belt loops, gently swaying me back and forth. He’s getting comfortable, and it’s only been a few hours since we agreed to give this thing a try. It’s only now that I remember Ezra never does anything halfway. For a relationship with him, that’s great. For my heart knowing he’ll do the same as a soldier? It’s almost too scary to think about.
This whole adventure is going to be a giant step into the unknown. My entire life has been turned upside down in less than twenty-four hours, and I’m emotionally spent. When Ezra slides his hands up my back and pulls me into a tight hug, my tension eases further and I know, no matter what happens, my life will never be the same.
“How did this happen?” he murmurs. “How did you go from Lorelai, my best friend’s sister and my childhood friend to the one person I can’t stand to leave behind? You’re going to steal my heart, Miss Mays.”
We’re moving fast already, and a sudden need to protect my heart takes control. I wiggle free and look up at him, but I don’t expect what I find.Thisis not Ezra Thomas, the goofy and lighthearted half of the elder Thomas twin duo. He’s lost that sparkle, the thing that makes him,him.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
“I’m having second thoughts, that’s what’s wrong. Only, I’m not exactly allowed to have second thoughts about this.”
“This? You mean you and me or the Army?” Panic nudges my self-protection mode up a notch.
“The Army. This thing between us might only be a few hours old, but I think that might be part of the problem. I want to stay and explore it with you. I want to spend all of my time with you, and that’s hard to do when I’m getting yelled at by a drill instructor all day.”
I can’t help giggling, but I brush the messy hair from his face and try to contain my laughter. “You’re going to look so much different when you get back. This crazy hair will be gone, for one. And let’s not forget the snazzy uniform. I feel sure I can find plenty of time for you when you get back.”
“Yeah?” he teases, repositioning his arms so I have very little wiggle room.
“I can always make time for a man in uniform.”
“Ew. My brothers wear uniforms. Don’t make me think about you kissing them.”
I roll my eyes and realize that this is step one. This is the part where I prove that I can support him even through things that are scary, unknown, or even all wrong for him. He won’t really know until he gets there, and even then he’s got to stay until the end of his first enlistment. Who knows if it will be a career, but if I really want to do this with him, I have to wipe the sadness from my face and enjoy the time I have with him before he leaves.
