Wild Love: Chapter 21

Cora went charging out of the office but clearly stopped short outside. I can see the uncertainty painted all over her face when her gaze snags on Willa in the distance, sitting on a stump beside the fire pit near the lake, stick held in her hand as she draws in the soot.

“Actually, I’ll… take a lap around the property and let you deal with this first,” Cora offers, voice just a little more timid than usual.

I gather her against my side in the world’s most awkward half hug and squeeze her shoulder. “Whatever you want. She’s not as bad as she seems. I promise.”

Cora’s eyes narrow like she isn’t sure about that, but if I know my sister, she’ll have Cora won over in no time.

“Why didn’t you tell them all about me right away?” Her voice is small and her face downturned, so when I peek at her, I can’t make much out.

I also can’t tell her about my father’s past—wouldn’t even want to correlate the two. Plus, knowing Cora, she can hit Google and find it all anyway. So I share only a piece, something she’ll understand.

“I’m just… I’m a private person, Cora. I’m close with my family in that I love them all very much, but I don’t want them in my business. Willa used to work for me at my bar, and it was torture. Constantly all over my personal life. If she hadn’t been such a killer fucking bartender, I’d have fired her ten times over so I could have a little peace. I grew up with the paparazzi around—having to consider every move I made and how it might look outwardly. I don’t like that feeling. I needed processing time with you, and truth be told, I didn’t want differing opinions or to worry about how bringing you into my life might be perceived. I knew it was the right thing to do, knew it was what I wanted to do. And now they can all just deal with it.”

She peeks up at me from beneath a fringe of dark lashes and long bangs with a soft smile.

“It has nothing to do with them and everything to do with you and me, yeah?” I say.

She leans into my ribcage now, squeezing me back.

“Plus, they’re all going to love you. I already knew that,” I add for good measure, because it’s true.

“Don’t let her push you around, okay?” is all I get back from her.

I clear my throat to cover a laugh. “Okay.”

And with that, Cora spins on her heel to walk away and I saunter toward my sister. When I get close, she doesn’t look up—just continues using the tip of a twig to draw in the ash.

“What are you drawing?”

She sighs wistfully, lips tipping up ever so slightly. “Hearts.”

I glance down and realize she’s made a repeating pattern of them along that side of the pit.

“You seem calmer.”

Her green eyes move up slowly from the ground and she drops the stick. “Calmer?”

“Looks like I thought wrong.”

She stands and heat splashes across her cheeks. “Of course you thought wrong! How could you not tell me this?”

“The sperm donation part or the kid part?”

“I don’t care what you do with your dick, Ford! But a kid? A niece? What the fuck, man?”

I bite at the inside of my cheek. “You know what went down with Dad. I wanted everything in place before I told anyone the news. I didn’t want to be talked out of helping her.”

“I wouldn’t have talked you out of it.”

“But you’d have told Mom and Dad. You’ve got a big heart but also a big mouth.”

Her arms cross, and she works her jaw. “I don’t know about that⁠—”

“I don’t owe you an explanation for everything that crops up in my life. Despite what you might think, not everyone is the open book you are. And I’m a grown man, not your kid. I told you all when I was good and ready.”

“But you didn’t tell me. You told Mom. And she’s the one who told Dad, who eventually told me. And it came up like they thought I already knew! That’s fucking brutal, Ford.”

My throat tightens and guilt lances through me. I got so swept up in Cora. In Rosie. In work. “I’m sorry, Willa. I should have phoned you and told you. You’re right, that wasn’t fair of me.”

She freezes, and I see Cora pad silently up behind her, shaking her head at me.

“What did you just say?” My sister holds a palm up to her ear like she didn’t quite hear me.

“That wasn’t fair?”

A smug smile curves her wide mouth. “No, the other part.”

My molars grind. I know what she’s after. And I’m not sure I’m in a position to deny her right now. “Okay, fine. You’re right.”

Cora huffs out a light laugh and Willa spins to take her niece in for the very first time. Silence descends between the three of us as the two of them watch each other closely.

Cora leans around Willa to look me in the eye. “Way to not let her push you around.”

I scrub my hand over my mouth to cover my smile. “You two are real ballbusters, you know that? Must be hereditary.”

Willa turns back to me with wide eyes and a stunned expression on her face. “Oh, no, Ford. She is all you.” Her head moves back and forth between us. “Like… you as a tween but make it a girl.”

Cora and I both roll our eyes.

“Truly unreal.” My sister laughs the words out. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Cora,” she adds, extending her hand. “I’m Willa.”

Cora approaches to take her hand. “Yeah, I heard that part. The neighbors might have too.”

At that, my sister throws her head back and laughs, then tugs Cora into a hug. One that has Cora looking completely taken aback.

When they pull away from each other, Willa asks, “What were you guys doing when I got here?”

“Listening to music.”

“I like listening to music.”

Watching them interact does something to my chest.

Cora eyes her warily. “What kind of music?”

Willa bites down on a smile, eyes slicing to mine for a beat. “All kinds. Can I join in?”

Cora brightens. “Really?”

A shrug from my sister. I might as well not be here at all. “Yeah. Show me what you like. Let’s go hang. I’ll even let Ford join us,” she teases.

Then they turn away, back toward the office. All I get is a wave over Willa’s shoulder, urging me along, followed by Cora blurting out, “Do you like Rage Against the Machine? Ford donated sperm so he could afford to go see them.”

My sister laughs and turns mocking eyes back on me. “Now there’s a story to pass down through the generations. Love that for Ford.”

And just like that, friends are made and embarrassing stories are told. I spend the afternoon watching them interact, soaking up the sight.

But my mind? My mind is always on Rosie. And obsessing over what the hell she and Fuckboy are up to right now consumes me.

It makes me something I don’t think I’ve ever been.

It makes me jealous.