Page 69 of Lone Wolf in Lights
She smiled in return and then her gaze drifted to a bunch of drunk marketgoers ambling by, tinsel draped over them and sporting Santa hats askew. They sang carols off-key, arms slung around one another.
Eli chuckled, the sound mingling with Willow’s laughter. “Only in Timber Falls,” he remarked, shaking his head at the group.
“It’s fun, though,” Willow said, nudging him playfully with her elbow. “Come on. Let’s join the others and warm up before we freeze to death.”
Eli followed her lead, entering The Naked Moose where the bar’s amber glow enveloped him. Willow’s parents, along with Aubrey, Charly, Jaxon and Gunner, were nestled into the nooks of the bar, drinking up the last of the mulled wine.
“Here’s to a successful Christmas market!” Jaxon raised his glass.
“Here, here,” Gunner said, echoing the sentiment.
“Couldn’t have pulled it off without everyone pitching in,” Willow responded, pouring herself and Eli a generous serving of the mulled wine. “Thank you so much everyone.” She looked to Jaxon and Gunner. “Especially for making more crafts. You’re all the best.”
Eli accepted the glass from Willow with a nod of gratitude. He took a sip, its spices dancing on his tongue, as Willow said, “Eli, you haven’t met my parents yet. This is Diane and Cliff.”
Her father stuck out his hand. “Good to meet you, Eli.”
He was a stoic-looking man. White-collar, for sure. “Likewise, sir,” Eli said, returning the handshake.
Willow’s mother, a petite woman with the same strawberry blond hair as her daughter, only cut above her shoulders and very straight, approached Eli with open arms. Her embrace was surprisingly strong, engulfing Eli in a scent of cinnamon and vanilla.
“It’s wonderful to meet you, Eli,” she whispered, her voice laced with genuine warmth. “I’ve said to Jaxon and Gunner, but I’ll say it to you too. Thank you for being so wonderful to our Willow.”
He felt a lump form in his throat as he returned her hug, a gesture so simple yet loaded with emotions he wasn’t used to anymore. It wasn’t often that Eli allowed himself to be pulled into the folds of his feelings, but this felt right—like a mother’s hug. Something he had deeply missed.
“No thanks required,” he managed to say, eyes meeting hers as she leaned away. There was a certain sparkle in her gaze as she looked between Willow and him, and Eli didn’t know if Willow had spoken to her mother about their fake relationship, but by that knowing look, he assumed her mother’s intuition could sense something between them.
He knew he’d have work to do to earn their trust. But he loved hard work.
Though by the soft way she watched him, he knew Willow had mentioned him and had said only good things. Her warm smile engulfed him as Willow’s father turned away to focus on the bar, sliding his hand along the polished wood.
“Before you two came in, I was talking about this bar. I swear things are built better here,” he said, admiring the craftsmanship.
“Eli built that,” Jaxon said.
Eli gave Jaxon alook. Talking about his work wasn’t exactly comfortable.
“Really?” Cliff asked, glancing up through his glasses. “You made this?”
Eli nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. “When Jaxon opened the bar, I built it for him.”
“It’s remarkable work, Eli,” Cliff said, peering at the intricate design that swirled at the edge of the counter. “Tell me, what’s your secret to getting these curves so smooth?”
Eli slid his hand across the familiar grooves he had sanded down countless times. “Patience and steady hands,” he replied, his voice threaded with memories of hours spent laboring over the wood. “Lots of patience.”
Charly, Aubrey and Willow had drifted closer. There was surprise etched on their faces.
“Wow, Eli, I had no idea you made this,” Aubrey exclaimed, her smile soft.
“Neither did I,” Willow added, her eyes dancing over the craftsmanship before resting on Eli. He watched as Willow’s gaze lingered on the bar, her eyes tracing the whorls and knots in the wood with tenderness. Her fingers danced lightly over the surface, much like they had explored his body not that long ago.
He clenched his jaw tight, not letting those thoughts fill his mind with her parents there.
“I love that you made this,” Willow murmured, finally turning to him with her sweet smile that undid him. “It’s beautiful, Eli.”
“Thank you.” He shifted uncomfortably, unaccustomed to such praise, yet unable to tear his gaze from the emotion flickering across her features—admiration, yes, but something deeper too, something that matched the slow burn in his chest whenever she was near. “I’m glad you think so,” he said, his voice low. “I’d really hate to have to get it out of here. It wasn’t fun getting it in.”
Her laughter, light and unguarded, filled the space between them. “There’s no way we’d ever get rid of it.”
