Chapter Sixteen

Bree didn’t leave my house until almost one in the morning, and by the end of the following week, I was itching to see her again. She and Jackson had their hands full working on repairs in the middle of town, and now that the weather was starting to get nice, it would be a lot harder to see Bree on a daily basis.

Not that I needed her assistance. I could easily walk around without the help of a wall or some other inanimate object. However, seeing as I was running low on food…

“A trip into town shouldn’t hurt,” I said as I locked the front door behind me. “Then, maybe if I have time, I can swing by and check on Bree.”

Last I heard, she and Jackson were working on the diner as some of the bricks along the one side had come loose when someone backed into it. It wasn’t enough to leave a large hole or anything but still enough to worry the owners about the lack of support.

It was odd, I realized, that just by driving into town, my heart felt heavier somehow. As much as I enjoyed my time here, and as much as I craved Bree’s company, it somehow wasn’t enough. There were times when I wanted to run to Greta and tell her something not wolf related, only to lose that excitement once I realized that wasn’t an option.

I could still call her, of course, but I wanted more. I wanted to take her in my arms, clasp her hands, and see her face. I wanted to watch her as she laughed at one of my mistakes and cheer for me when I got something right. Aside from our own mother, she was the reason I didn’t give up on our app or the people it helped a long time ago.

And now, after sitting with Bree and hearing about some of the hardships she and her kin faced, I was really glad Greta stopped me from putting on the breaks completely. We could help so many people.

Not with relationships but housing as well. I hadn’t figured out how to connect the two yet, but if there was one thing I knew about Bree, she’d be more than willing to help.

Turning toward the center of town, I slowed down as the streets were completely packed with cars. Early on a Monday morning, I hadn’t expected all that much, but considering how small most of the parking lots were, I shouldn’t have been surprised.

Thankfully, the grocer still had two spaces left along the side of the building, so as soon as I parked and gathered my things, I got out and turned toward the diner. The damage Bree had mentioned wasn’t noticeable from where I was, but soon enough, she and Jackson rounded the side of the building.

Undetected, I stood there and smiled at just how animated Bree was as she spoke to her brother. Jackson, on the other hand, had his hand in his pockets and had likely heard whatever she was saying a thousand times before.

The relationship they shared made me thankful for the one I had with my sister. Except for all the lies you’ve told.

Yeah, that was something I still hadn’t figured out, and until Bree gave the okay, I didn’t feel right telling my sister. She deserved to know. She deserved to hear the excitement in my voice along with a chance to join me in my joy. And she did, to a degree. But not when it came to the truth.

As the weeks went by, I started to wonder if she’d be happy for me at all or just ask me to come home. She almost got me on a plane once before, and with my homesickness apparently in full-swing, it wouldn’t take much for her to do so again.

“Carley?” Bree asked with amusement in her voice. “What are you doing here?”

I looked to my right, then my left, then crossed over the road to join them. “I’m not stalking you, I promise.” I managed a small smile. “Morning Jackson. It’s nice to see you up and about again.”

Jackson grunted, gave me a shrug, then turned back the way they came.

“What’s that about?” I asked as I watched him go.

“He’s hungry,” Bree said apologetically. “Or rather his wolf is. I told him we could take a break and sit in the diner but—”

“That isn’t what he wants,” I said with a nod. No doubt his wolf was itching to hunt, and by the look of things, Bree wasn’t doing any better. “Is everything okay? With us, I mean. After the other night, you’ve been keeping your distance. I know you’re busy, but you barely call. When you do, it’s only for a few minutes.”

“Sorry about that. When the weather changes like it’s been, I get restless. I tend to run a lot.” She said the last words low enough so only I would hear. “Everything will calm down in a few days once I get it out of my system,” she promised.

However, given the dark circles under her eyes and the exhaustion in her voice, I wasn’t convinced.

“Are you sure everything’s okay?”

“Everything’s fine,” she said with a forced smile. “I’m just a little tired is all.”

A little? She looked like she was about to fall over.

Then, realizing food was fuel for her and Jackson, I said, “I’m heading in to get a few things. I’ll get you two something on the way out.”

“Oh, you don’t have—”

“You need food, Bree, and while I know it won’t satisfy you as much as a hunt, this will hopefully be the next best thing.”

She looked like she was about to argue with me but thought better of it and smiled instead. “Remember, nothing heavily processed.”

“I’ll do my best.” With that, I turned to go, hyperaware of her eyes on me as I entered the store.

Gathering what I needed, I dumped everything into my cart, fully focused on Bree and just how clouded her eyes appeared when we spoke. It wasn’t that I’d seen her wolf in them, either. This was different. It felt as though she was low on energy, and yet she and Jackson still came out here to work.

If she isn’t careful, someone might get hurt. That someone being her.

If the warmer weather made her restless, that must’ve meant she couldn’t hold back her wolf. She’d mentioned how taxing the shift was before, though we hadn’t really spoken about it since. And if she wasn’t getting any sleep, there was a chance her wolf might come out at the wrong time.

She’d never said as much, but knowing how a bit of restlessness affected her brother, I had a feeling Bree was the same exact way.

Question is, how do I help? I could feed them warm meals as much as I wanted, but at the end of the day, I wasn’t a wolf. I wasn’t even close.

 

 

The roads had opened up by the time I left the store. I’d spent a lot more time at the meat counter than I’d intended, so when I walked over to the diner to see Bree, she wasn’t there. Figuring she and Jackson might’ve gone in for a bite to eat, it wasn’t until I poked my head inside when I realized that wasn’t the case.

But if they aren’t here, that must mean—

“They’re at the gazebo.”

It wasn’t far from the diner, and it would’ve been the perfect spot for them to take a break.

Sure enough, as soon as I turned up the road, I spotted them under the tiny roof, talking in hushed tones as Bree stared down at her feet.

“I hope you’re hungry,” I called out loud enough for them to hear so I wouldn’t startle them once I got too close. “It might not be a fresh buck, but it should help.”

Jackson’s head whipped around in my direction, his eyes darkening once he did. His sister, on the other hand, sat up in surprise, then smiled as I quickly closed the distance between us.

“Is it warm?”

“Jackson,” Bree scolded, passing her brother a warning glance before meeting my gaze again. “I’m sure whatever it is, it will be lovely.”

“I’m sorry it isn’t fresh,” I apologized as I placed the bag of foodstuffs on one of the benches across from them, “but it’s the best I could do. I would’ve headed into the diner, but—”

“This will do nicely,” Bree said, cutting me off. “Won’t it, Jackson?”

He shrugged, then shoved off the bench and walked away.

“Have I done something wrong?” I asked once he was gone. “A few days ago, he seemed fine. I thought we were getting along.” Unless that was all for show, which at this point, could’ve been the case.

“It isn’t you,” Bree assured me, “it’s me. He doesn’t like how slow things are moving. Like I said the other night, wolves aren’t accustomed to courtships like this. But he has to understand that I can’t just push you into a situation you don’t like. He’s like an impatient kid in a candy store. He can see where this is going just as easily as we can, but he wants to get to the end since all of the waiting is making him anxious.”

“And what about you?” I asked as I took my place beside her. Was all of the waiting, as short as we’d been together, bothering her as well?

“It doesn’t matter,” she said, dismissing my concerns completely. “There’s nothing worse than forcing someone into a relationship they aren’t ready for. Yes, it’s difficult, and yes, my wolf might not agree with me, but it’s easier for me to slow down and understand where you’re coming from instead of the other way around.” She turned to me then and took my hands in hers. “I don’t mind the wait,” she said with a smile. “Because I know that, in the end, it’ll be worth it.”

“But is it hurting you?” I asked as I looked the way Jackson had gone.

“No,” Bree said as she gently caressed my face with the backs of her fingertips. “If it does, you’ll be the first to know.”

She leaned in then and released a breath before pressing her lips to my own. It was a whisper of a kiss and not nearly as aggressive as I would’ve liked, but it would do for now. Considering where we were, something discrete was probably best.

Especially once Jackson decided to join us again.

“Sorry,” he mumbled without looking at me. “It’s this town.” At least that much was mostly true. I could already see how uncomfortable he was away from the woods.

“It’s no problem at all,” I assured him as I got up to go. “I’ll leave you to it, but if you still want a warm meal later on and don’t mind getting the meat on the way back, I’ll happily have you both over for dinner tonight.”

Jackson perked up at that. He even smiled a bit. “We could make it a weekly event,” he offered after giving it some thought.

Bree glared at him, but I had to agree. Especially if it meant staying on Jackson’s good side.

“Then it’s settled,” I said with a smile. “I’ll see you both later on tonight.”

Jackson nodded his approval as Bree stood to give me one last hug.

“You didn’t have to do that,” she said, her embrace feeling terribly weak compared to her usual.

“I did,” I said as I glanced over at Jackson who’d already broken into the bag of food. “Not just for him and your wolf but also for you. It’s important.”

She followed my gaze and managed a watery smile. “It is. Thank you.”

“Besides,” I said, “it means I get to see you again. Twice in one day is a real treat.”

She laughed at that, then let me go. “It truly is.”