Page 42 of Falling for Ezra Thomas
My sister adjusts her gown and stands with Beck’s help, but just as we take a few steps towards Luna’s table, Rafe finally turns around and scans the room. When his eyes fall on Luna, she smiles and looks down at her shoes.
“Wait. Wait a minute,” I say and grab Ezra’s hand. “Let’s see how this plays out.”
Rafe takes a deep breath, fidgets with the lapels of his tux, and finally makes a move. He crosses the distance between them and speaks to her, though I can’t make out what he says. Luna finally looks up and nods. Rafe offers his hand and Luna accepts.
“I guess that’s a good sign, right?” I ask.
“He’s still crazy in love with her, so I hope so. He’s going to take Beck’s place as the town house grump if they don’t get back together,” Ezra says.
“There is literally nothing you can say to me today to put me in a bad mood, but nice try.” Beck sighs and motions towards the crowded dance floor. “Want to dance, wife?”
“I’m never going to get used to that,” Vivien says but accepts his offer, leaving Ezra and me alone.
I still can’t get used to how he looks now. Even the way he carries himself is different. There’s more confidence, more fierce determination that has always been there, but shadowed by the weight of so many Thomas brothers before him. He’s found what makes him stand out, and I’m so proud of him. I just hope I can be what he needs when those deployments end and he’s stressed.
“Want to dance with me?” he asks.
“As if the answer would be no. Please, I’ve been waiting all day.” I take his outstretched hand and let him lead me to the dance floor. Once I’m in his arms, he relaxes and looks over at his elder brother.
“Do you really think they have a chance again?”
“I do, actually.” I snuggle closer. “How long do I have you for again?”
“A whole week, then I have to go back to Georgia.”
“I can’t believe you got stationed there for now. That’s lucky. A quicker drive than, say, across the world.” I toy with the nape of his neck where his hair used to be and end up massaging little circles instead.
“Still, it’s good to know you’re ready and willing to follow me there.”
“Under certain conditions of course. Have you put any thought into what those might be?” I tease.
Ezra ducks his head to whisper in my ear. “Pretty sure the first requirement is to make you my wife.”
I can’t help but hum with joy. “You Thomas boys move so fast. At this rate, we’ll be attending ten weddings in less than a year.”
“You up for moving fast?”
“For you? Yes,” I say and push up to kiss his cheek.
“You know technically Lev and Silas are not engaged.”
I laugh, interrupting him. “Oh, come on. You think those two are going to let Emma and Ella slip away? Nope. Guarantee they’ll be married within a year.”
“Well, putting Rafe aside just in case he and Luna get back together, that leaves Mav, Novan, Case, Griffin, and Wilder wifeless with zero prospects right now. None of them are even dating anyone, so my guess is this frenzied search for the perfect Thomas brothers wives ends with you, my sweet Lorelai.”
I shrug, knowing how fast things can change in life and in love.
“Never know. The perfect women for them might be closer than you think,” I say, but in a small town like Coldstone Creek, the odds are stacked against them. Still, I have a good feeling this is just the beginning of the sudden growth spurt of the Thomas family.
“Eh, who cares? I’ve got my future right here, and that’s all I need to know.” Ezra leans in and kisses me again, only this time he has a plan to steal as many as possible. Dark clouds descend again, and when the time is right, and the rain begins, he grabs my hand and we dart down Main Street away from the reception and towards his mother’s bakery.
“Ez, we can’t leave our siblings’ wedding!”
He spins on his heel and picks me up. “Who said we were leaving? We are merely picking up a cake for my mother, that’s all. But hey, too bad we can’t transport it until this rain slacks off a little. Want to grab a corner booth and work on thatmaking up for lost timekissing again?”
I grin and let him pull me into the darkened bakery for a few stolen minutes. We might as well get used to living one moment to the next, because something tells me my soldier’s career has only just begun.
Chapter Twenty-Four
