Page 23 of Falling for Ezra Thomas
Most of the guys aren’t so bad. We get along well enough, but if Buckler doesn’t quit getting us into trouble by running his mouth, some of the guys might resort to drastic actions. Maybe I shouldn’t write that in a letter that people will read before letting me send it. It’s all in fun, though, so I guess it’s not a big deal.
I’ve thought a lot about the past, too, especially all the vacations our families took together when we were growing up. I remember tic-tac-toe under the bed, but what I remember most from that trip happened the next day. Remember when we all hiked up that trail and you sprained your ankle? You only trusted me to get you back down and rode on my back the whole way. Well, except for the ten minutes you let Beck carry you so I could eat a snack.
And he dropped you.
So yeah, I can see why I’m your favorite Thomas. I’m the only one who hasn’t physically harmed you over the years. I’m kidding, mostly.
I think I agree with what you said about feeling like we lost something that day. I was worried that Vivien and Beck would ride off into the sunset and never look back, but I think they’ve both proven that is not what is going to happen. If anything, now we’re stuck having to watch them make swoony eyes at each other all the time. How did we get so lucky?
While we’re being honest, I gotta say, I miss kissing you. There are way too many weeks between now and when I get to do that again.
I also think you’re right about our feelings. Growing up as close as we did would probably make it complicated for anyone, but yeah, looking back it has always been the Mays sisters and the older, wiser, and much more handsome Thomas twins—even if Beck was always grumpy and hid in the shadows.
Having you in my life has meant as much to me as having Vivien, because yes, while she has been my best friend, there are things you know about me that she doesn’t. And I think that’s okay. She doesn’t need to know everything, and as our relationships progress, I think we’ll see even more changes. It’ll be Viv and Beck taking on the world together, and a whole lot less of me. On the other hand, that means I’ve got more time available for kissing the other Mays sister, which I must admit, sounds like an amazing situation for a guy to find himself in.
Because I’m falling in love with you, too. And it can’t be a coincidence or an accident. It’s years of growing a friendship, getting to know one another even past that. I think we’ve always been more than “just” friends, even if we didn’t know what we were. When I think back over the years the same way you did, I see a lot of times when it was just the two of us, bonding and sharing things we didn’t share with others. We were building something more, even if we weren’t aware of it at the time.
The night of the popcorn fight was…I’m not sure what to call it. It was like a wake-up call, something that said pay attention, doofus. This is your future. Grab on to it now, before it’s too late. I wish I had heeded that alert sooner, had a few more days with you by my side rather than spending it questioning my entire life. Even so, we’re here now, and I wouldn’t want to go through all these changes with anyone else.
I get that this letter writing thing is supposed to be like dating, but I’ve gotta be honest. For me, it’s only confirming what I already know. I want to do whatever it takes to make this work, because now that I’m aware of these feelings and I see all the ways in which we are perfect for one another, I can’t imagine letting it go.
I’ll fight for you, for this, and for a future for us. No matter what it takes or how hard it might become, I’m in this for the long haul, Lorelai.
Love always,
Ezra
Chapter Fourteen
Lorelai
A quiet knock onthe front door wakes me from a late afternoon nap. At first, I think I dreamed the faint tap, tap, tap, but when it happens again, it startles me. I sit straight and rub the sleep from my eyes, orienting myself. Still in the Thomas cabin, but the fire has burned down, and a chill takes the air.
I stand and stretch before peering out the front window. Mrs. Wilcox, the town postwoman, stands on the front stoop with a letter in her hands. The mountain iswellout of her delivery area, so I’m more than surprised to see her rosy-cheeked face.
Pulling open the door, my eyes go wide. “Mrs. Wilcox, come in and warm up. What are you doing here?”
She pushes her curly blonde hair from her forehead and grins. “Oh, I was heading to visit my sister and thought I’d skip protocol to bring you this. Technically, I was supposed to deliver it to your home address, but I knew you’d want it.”
She hands me a letter from Ezra with an ever-widening grin. It’s a sweet gesture followed by an onslaught of questions. “Howis he doing? Is he fitting in well? They aren’t being too hard on them are they?”
I chuckle and head to the kitchen to get her a cup of tea. Lavender vanilla is her favorite if I remember correctly—and I’m certain I do, since everyone in Coldstone Creek knows everything there is to know about the chatty mail deliverer. I motion for her to sit.
He must have written his first letter to me the second he dropped his bags at basic, because it was waiting for me when I dropped mine off at the post office. This second one is a surprise. “As far as I know, he’s doing well. He said so in his first letter, at least. It’s basic training, so I imagine it’s at least a little difficult. I know he’s missing home.”
She sits at the open bar counter and crosses her hands on the countertop. “That’s good to know. And what about you? How are you doing?”
“Hanging in there, I guess.” I shrug. Sometimes, the whole town knowing your business is frustrating. There is no doubt that everyone means well, but sometimes a girl just wants a little privacy in her life. Privacy I thought I’d get at the cabin, though I can’t be upset she brought me a letter from Ezra.
“Any job prospects? You know the post office is always hiring,” she says.
I turn to put the kettle on the stove and grimace. The very thought of sorting and delivering mail in Coldstone Creek makes my skin crawl. I’d get bored after one day, and they’d find me in a back room eating chocolate and crying by the end of a week. It’s not for me, thanks.
“I appreciate the suggestion, but I think I’m going to take a short hiatus and then worry about it. I have enough saved to hold me over for a while.”
“Wise decision, I think. You don’t want to leap into something else and change your mind again.”
Ouch. I’m almost certain she didn’t mean to issue the backhanded compliment, but she’s also right. I can’t spend eternity considering what I want to do, but I also can’t think of a single thingbesidesveterinary medicine that interests me. After time away from my old job and a few conversations with Ezra, I’m much more comfortable than I was when I quit. That said, I’m still not sure working for another doctor is right for me.
