Page 31 of Falling for Ezra Thomas
I’m sure I will. Giving cows hugs might beexactlywhat I need to feel better about everything.
Yep. Absolutely. Hugging cows was everything I had hoped it would be and more. Silas laughs as I wrap my arms around a big old mama and squeeze her as hard as I can. She keeps chewing as if I don’t even exist, and it soothes my soul in ways I can’t describe. Hugging cows should be at the top of every therapist’s list.
“Thank you so much for letting me come and help,” I say.
“Glad to be of service. After all, you were a big help when that baby got stuck in the mud. The least we can do is let you snuggle bovines until your heart’s content.” Silas grins and leans against his truck.
“Well, I guess my heart is as content as it can be right now. What do we do next?”
“Nothing. I’m all done, just gotta get you ladies home so I can shower,” Silas says.
“Actually, do you mind if I drop by and hang out for a while?” I ask.
“Don’t mind at all. Actually, Novan will be there too. He’s avoiding his new neighbor, whatever that means.” Silas shrugs, but where Novan is concerned, you can never guess what he’s thinking. He’s sweet as can be, but has a grouchy streak that can scare off even the most dauntless of human beings. Those times, he's even worse than Beck.
On the ride to the town house, Ella fills Silas in on her day while I stare out the window. I know once Ezra finishes basic training, we can pick up where we left off, but I miss him. I can’t imagine how awful it would be for him to have left without us working through everything first. I’d be stuck wondering if the kiss meant nothing to him, rather than worrying what our future might hold.
By the time we reach the town house, I’ve gone over every possible scenario and have come to a single conclusion. No matter what comes, I know I have so many friends and familywho care about me—enough that they show up at my present place of employment, bring me to pet cows, and tolerate my total silence. They’re going out of their way to make sure I’m secure, and it means more to me than they can know.
Novan’s car is parked in front of the town house beside Rafe’s. The other boys are nowhere to be found, which might be a good thing. Lev and Mav are darling, but I’m beginning to feel a little down again. I don’t need to bring the Thomas boys into that depression with me by reminding them their brother is off doing things they’d rather he didn’t.
“You sure you two lovely ladies want to hang around with three boring, moody guys?” Silas asks with a glint in his eyes.
“Sure, why not? We can have a pouting contest.” I push open my car door while Ella laughs.
Inside, Rafe and Novan are debating the finer details of chair arrangement while playing video games. When the door shuts behind us, both brothers nod and grunt.
“Really? Two pretty ladies walk in with me, and that’s all you two have to say?” Silas asks.
They both glance up and grin before standing to give us their seats. “Forgive us,” Novan says. “We thought it was just Silas and his foul farm scent. You hungry?”
“I could eat,” Ella admits with a shrug.
“Leftover pizza on the counter.” Rafe looks over at me and adds, “None of that pineapple trash Vivien likes.”
“Thank goodness for that,” I say and head to the kitchen. “I’m gonna run to the restroom first.” I’m met with another few grunts as I jog up the stairs to the main bathroom. I pass Beck’s room, then Rafe’s before ending in the hall in front of Ezra’s. His door was left wide open, revealing a neatly made bed, his hockey bag against the wall, and a pair of shoes tucked beside his dresser.
I swallow and my heart sinks. It was probably a bad idea to come to the town house, but going home to my empty apartment is worse. At least this way, I’m around people who care about me. Most likely, Beck and Vivien will be around soon. Inhaling a deep breath, I intend to go to the bathroom but my feet take me into Ezra’s private space. Like Beck, he has a Denver Dragons’ hockey team poster on his wall that’s been there since they moved into the town house just after graduation.
On his dresser are several framed pictures, mostly him with his family, but also a few of him with Vivien. I’m just about to exit and end the torture when a more familiar face catches my eye. It’s me and Ezra sitting on a bench down by the lake, the same one we vacationed at many times when we were young. I must have said or done something funny, because Ezra is laughing while I stare at him with a wide grin. It’s just the two of us, and the moment—or maybe the person in the picture with him—was important enough for him to frame it and put it in a place where he would see it every day.
Again, I swallow the ball of emotion building in my throat.
“You okay?” Novan’s soft tone brings me back to reality and I clear my throat.
“Yeah, I’m okay.”
“You’re not, but it’s okay. Gimme a hug, Loreybear.”
My voice cracks and a sob breaks free the second I land in Novan’s wide-stretched arms. He hugs me tight and lets me cry until I even out and things begin to feel okay again. Eventually, he releases me and brushes my hair behind my ear.
“It’s gonna be okay. My brother might have been a lug head about joining the Army and keeping it a secret, but he was thinking with his whole brain when he pursued you. He’s not dumb enough to let you go, so be patient and take it one day at a time.”
I nod and take it to heart. He’s not the first person to remind me that taking things day by day is what’s best right now. If I can only convince myself that I don’t need a grand plan, then maybe, just maybe, things might start looking up again.
Chapter Eighteen
Ezra
