Page 142 of Where Broken Wings Fly

“Deal,” she replies with a smile.

Lapsing into comfortable silence, we work together to finish dinner. It’s been a long time since I cooked with anyone. Feeding the twins was usually an activity reserved for me and my mama growing up.

I feel closest to her while cooking. It’s been a long time since my parents passed away, but I still feel their absence in every corner of Briar Valley. The constant reminders forced me to build my walls impossibly high—until Willow knocked them all down.

For that, I’m grateful.

She will never realise how she’s changed my life.

Getting everything transferred to the dining table, we gather the whole rowdy group. Arianna claims the seat next to Micah, still fawning over the paint-smeared son of a bitch. He looks mighty pleased about that fact, letting us settle around them.

“Wait,” Willow blurts. “The food might be a bit spicy.”

Zach’s eyes light up. “Did you use my homegrown chillies?”

She nods. “They’re in the salsa and salad.”

“Sweet.”

“Am I gonna need a glass of milk with this?” Ryder asks.

“Um, maybe.”

Grumbling to himself, he disappears to get his drink from the fridge, leaving the rest of us to dig into the meal. Surrounded by my family, all laughing and sharing food, makes me freeze with the fork halfway up to my mouth.

I want to take a mental snapshot of this moment. For the first time in years, this actually feels like a real family. Not just an empty cabin full of broken people. It’s all because of her. She’s given us a reason to come together.

Taking Willow’s hand under the table, I drop a kiss on her temple. She smiles up at me, her thick lashes framing grateful eyes that haunt my dreams every night. Fuck, this girl.

“Thanks for building the table,” she murmurs.

Zach cuts me off. “Um, hello. Me and Ryder worked tirelessly to build this bad boy too. I even got a splinter. Look!”

He sticks out his spotless index finger with an exaggerated sigh. Willow shakes her head at his antics, stabbing a tamale and dipping it in salsa.

“You’re such a jackass, Zach. Eat your food.”

He shoves a huge forkful into his mouth. “I’ll make you pay for that later. I’m a very sensitive creature, you know. You’ll need to soothe my bruised ego.”

Ryder lets out a long-suffering sigh as he sits down. “Can we please save the sexy talk for when I’m not eating? It’s making me feel a bit ill.”

“What’s sexy talk?” Arianna blurts.

Choking on a mouthful, Willow has to hammer Micah on the back before he chokes. Zach is grinning at Arianna, while Ryder points his fork at the idiot threateningly.

“You’re corrupting the child, Zachariah.”

Zach raises his hands. “Hey, I’m a good influence.”

Ryder tucks a loose strand of hair behind Arianna’s ear. “Don’t worry, squirt. Uncle Ryder will look after you. Ignore these mannerless twats.”

“What’s a twat?” she asks instead.

Willow’s head thumps against the table. “Jesus, it’s like feeding time at the zoo.”

I smooth a hand over her hair. “You wanted a family, right?”

She groans in response. “Yes.”

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