Briar Valley: The Complete Duet

16. Willow

CHAPTER 16

WILLOW

SAD DAYS - PRESENCE

Surveying the windswept town, tears prick my eyes. Several of the huge, hand-carved wooden cabins have broken windows or damaged roofs. It’s the same story across the whole of Briar Valley after three days of bad weather.

Gardens are trashed, picnic benches upturned, and trees have been uprooted. That’s just the superficial stuff. Yet nobody looks sad or has dared to shed a tear. They’re helping each other clean up and figure out what needs to be done.

“This is terrible.”

Standing next to me with his hands on his hips, Killian surveys the damage. “We’ve had worse storms. This isn’t too bad.”

“How could it be worse than this?”

He huffs. “Well, at least they’re still standing.”

“I never took you for a glass half-full kind of person.”

To my amazement, he flashes me a toothy smile.

“People can surprise you.”

His grin disappears as quickly as it arrived, leaving me to wonder if I hallucinated the whole thing. Killian was the first one at the front door this morning, demanding to see if we were okay and inviting me to help him search around town.

I hid from the storm with Lola and Arianna in the cabin. Albie and Ryder joined us on the second day, braving the howling winds. We passed the time playing card games in front of the fire, drinking Lola’s homemade sloe gin and trading stories.

“Speaking of surprises, did you know that Lola and Albie are a couple?”

“No, they’re not,” Killian blusters.

“I’m not joking. Ryder told me last night. He caught them kissing a couple of months ago. Apparently, they’re been dating for a while.”

He full-body shudders. “That is the most disgusting thought ever.”

Ryder is full of charming one-liners and a crazy amount of gossip. His light-hearted conversations have kept me going for these past few days. He’s got the beadiest eyes in the whole town and seems to know everyone’s business.

“How’s Micah?” I dare to ask.

His jaw clenches into an unyielding line. “Fine.”

“No injuries?”

“Nope. The idiot had a close call.”

“That’s for sure.”

Grabbing a huge fallen tree branch, Killian snaps it in half in one easy move. I stare as he flexes his trunk-like arms. When he catches me looking at him, I quickly look away.

“You just gonna stand there gawping?”

“I’m not gawping,” I defend.

“Sure you’re not.”

He really is infuriatingly hot and cold. This whole untouchable grump act is beginning to wear thin. I’ve seen the gentle giant that lives within him. He doesn’t need to pretend for my sake.

“Go knock on the Jacobsons’ door and make sure they’re okay. I’ll finish up here.”

I take advantage of the excuse to escape. He’s been in a confusing mood all morning, sulking and sparing me odd looks. I’m too scared to ask if Micah told him about what happened between us, and downright terrified to think about Zach either.

Denial is healthy, right?

Who the hell am I kidding.

This is a mess. I’ve fooled around with both twins, and I have no idea what I was thinking. After Zach slipped out to return to his cabin, all I could think about was the burning path of his lips kissing my body.

Traipsing up the hill, I catch sight of the newest addition to the town. It’s a generous cabin made from golden shades of tan-coloured wood, the perfect size for a growing family. The swing set in the garden is half-collapsed from the high winds.

Stuffing my shyness down, I head up the porch steps and knock on the front door. There’s a sound of a crying infant inside and it’s several seconds before the door swings open, revealing a short, haggard woman.

“Hello?” she says in a thick accent.

“Um, hi. I’m Willow. Killian sent me to check on you.”

Running a hand over her brown ponytail, the woman’s olive-skinned face brightens into a grateful smile. She looks to be a similar age to me with deep, almond-shaped eyes the colour of unfiltered sunlight and full, pillowy lips.

“Thank you for coming. I’m Aalia.”

“It’s nice to meet you. Are you all okay?”

“We’re fine, but the children… they…” Pausing in her broken English, she huffs. “How do you say? This… noise?”

“Crying?” I suggest.

She clicks her tongue. “Yes, crying. All day long.”

“Want me to give you a hand?”

Quickly ushering me inside, she speaks fast in a beautiful, vibrant language. A small boy appears from another room, cradling a tiny, wailing baby to his chest.

He has his mother’s dark hair, but with curious, aquamarine eyes that contrast the rich tone of his skin. I’d say he’s around Arianna’s age. The baby can’t be older than a few months, her cheeks stained red from screaming so loudly.

“Mama!”

“Johan, no shouting,” Aalia exclaims.

Chastised, he falls silent, still cuddling the baby close. I kneel in front of him, sticking out my hand for him to shake. With a blossoming grin, he balances the baby and shakes.

“What’s your name?”

“Johan,” he answers shyly.

“Hi, Johan. Are you happy the rain stopped?”

Nodding back, he adjusts the weight of the baby in his arms. I hold out my hands, reassuring him with a smile. There’s a cheeky wink in his eyes, despite his shyness.

“Want me to try?”

“Yes, please,” he whispers. “She’s so loud.”

“Babies cry a lot, but when she gets older, you’ll have someone to play with. Doesn’t that sound good?”

Johan summons a tiny smile. “I’d like that.”

“You know, my daughter is new in town as well. She would love someone to play with too, if you fancied it.”

“A girl?” He wrinkles his nose.

“I’m guessing girls are yucky, huh?”

“Yeah. They are.”

“Well, have a think about it.”

Nodding to himself, he surrenders the baby to me. I take her into my arms, cradling the tiny bundle. Johan watches closely for a moment as if assessing whether to trust me with his sister or not.

I must pass the test because he turns away and races back the way he came. Repositioning the baby to get her comfortable, I stand back up and find Aalia watching with a bright, grateful smile.

“He’s a good boy, but not when he’s cooped up inside.”

“Trust me, I know. My six-year-old has been a nightmare during the storm as well. What’s this little one’s name?”

She strokes a hand over her daughter’s head. “This is Amie, my youngest. She cries too much.”

I hold her to my chest and begin to rock back and forth. She’s so beautiful, already sporting a headful of dark hair and stunning eyes that perfectly match her brother’s orbs.

“Hey, pretty girl. You causing trouble for your mama?”

Cooing and rocking the baby, it takes a few minutes for her to drop off. Aalia lets out an exhausted sigh, heading into the kitchen to brew a pot of tea. I perch against the dining table, keeping Amie safe in my arms.

“Did you have any more damage from the storm?” I watch as she adds a mixture of fresh herbs to boiling water. “I saw your garden and swing set.”

“That was all. Nothing else.”

“Good. I’ll tell Killian to get them fixed up for you.”

“You are too kind.” She sets two teacups down on the table, adding saucers and spoons. “In my country, we drink this tea with friends. It is a custom.”

“Where are you from? I hope that’s not rude to ask.”

“Not at all.” She returns with the tea pot and gestures for me to sit. “We’re from Egypt, but we have been everywhere. Many different countries, looking for a home.”

Aalia pours the steaming tea into my cup. I breathe in the floral scent and take a sip. Exotic flavours burst across my tongue, exploding with hints of cardamon and rich spices. I can’t help but groan.

“This is amazing. Thank you.”

She smiles at me. “It’s a pleasure.”

“Your English is great. How long have you been here?”

“We’ve been in temporary accommodation for a few months. I learned this language in my country, but Johan speaks more than me.”

Right on cue, the star of the show returns, his shyness now completely forgotten. He demands my attention and recites the whole alphabet, grinning from ear to ear when I clap. He gives me a little bow, earning a kiss on the cheek from his mother.

“The people here saved our lives.” Aalia watches Johan disappear into the bedroom again. “Lola is a good woman. I do not know how to thank her.”

“How did you learn about this place?”

“She took us from a friend of hers. No questions.”

“That’s really good.” I take another sip of the delicious tea. “Lola helped us too. I’m here with my daughter, Arianna. We arrived a month or so ago.”

“That’s a beautiful name,” Aalia compliments.

“I’ll have to introduce her to Johan. She could use another friend to play with. Rachel and Miranda’s kids are a bit older.”

“Yes, he needs someone.”

“Even a yucky girl?” I laugh.

She shakes her head in amusement. “Even a girl. I am too tired to play with him. Two children is… how do you say, uh… hard. Lots of work.”

“I bet. Does your husband help?”

The light that seems to emanate from her extinguishes, and her face shuts down. It’s like looking into an awful mirror, seeing the slight tremble of her hands, and the way she studies the circle of light skin around her ring finger.

“He is not a good man.”

“I’m sorry,” I rush to apologise. “We don’t have to talk about him.”

“No, it’s fine. When he was not happy, he liked to hit. I took my children, and I ran.”

Taking my hand in hers, I gently squeeze. “I understand.”

Her golden eyes shine with tears. “I hope I did the right thing.”

“You did. Don’t ever doubt yourself for keeping your babies safe.”

Wiping her tears away, Aalia looks from Amie asleep in my arms to my wedding band still in place. She arches a perfectly plucked eyebrow.

“And your husband? He is here?”

“Um, no. We aren’t together either.”

“I’m sorry, Willow. But you’re still wearing the ring?”

“I’m not ready to take it off yet.”

“It won’t make you bad or, you know, not strong.” She struggles over her words. “I was scared to run and to be alone. But we deserve to be happy.”

I let out a weak laugh. “You think?”

“I do,” she affirms. “Here, I am happy.”

“I’d like to be. One day.”

“You will. When you’re ready to take the ring off, come for some tea and we’ll take it off together.”

Chest warm with appreciation, I blow out a long-held breath. “Thank you, Aalia. That means a lot to me.”

“Us single mothers need to stick together. We can help each other, we don’t need these…” She lowers her voice. “ Shitheads .”

I choke on a mouthful of tea and Aalia has to hammer me on the back. The baby begins to stir in my arms, shaken by the sudden movement. I hush her, trying hard not to laugh and wake her up.

“Where on earth did you learn that word?”

Aalia winks. “Killian called my husband this name.”

“Huh. Why am I not surprised?”

Both giggling, we finish our tea. Aalia takes the baby from my arms to breastfeed her and while she’s preoccupied, I wash up the cups and saucers. She still needs a few essentials, so I begin a mental list, intent on helping her out.

The sound of crashing from outside alerts me to Killian’s presence. He begins to clear the fallen branches from Aalia’s garden and when I peer out between her curtains, he’s giving the destroyed swing set the stink-eye.

Beginning to dismantle the wooden poles, he smashes them into smaller logs to be burned with the help of a shining axe. Fury fuels his every move. It’s clear that something is eating away at him, even I can see that.

“You like him?”

Startled, I find Aalia by my side. “Killian?”

“He is… handsome?”

“No, no. I mean, he is. But no, we’re just… friends, I guess? Lola is my grandmother. I came here to find her.”

“You have her eyes.” Aalia winks at me. “I like her a lot.”

“You think?”

“Oh, yes. And all this hair, it’s so long. Beautiful.”

I run a self-conscious hand over my curly, rain-mussed hair. “I hate the length. My husband never let me cut it. He said it wasn’t allowed.”

“You want me to?” Aalia mimes a snipping motion with her fingers.

Just like with the thought of removing my wedding ring, an uncontrollable shudder overtakes me. The one time Mr Sanchez caught me trimming my hair, he broke my wrist.

I was always careful after that, snipping off bits here and there, but nothing noticeable. It was the same with Arianna. We had to follow his rules, including for our appearances.

“Another time. I need to build myself up to it.”

“I understand,” she offers with a smile. “I’m here.”

“Thank you. I’ll let you know when I’m ready.”

After a quick hug, I call goodbye to Johan and step outside. Killian’s still loading up the truck with broken wood. We have a bunch more cabins to check out, and I need to start planning for Arianna’s birthday party next week.

“If you need a hand with the kids or someone to talk to… you know where to find me.”

Standing inside the open doorway, Aalia blows me a kiss. “Me too. Come back and see us soon. I’ll cut your hair and make tea. Okay?”

“Okay,” I agree. “See you around.”

With a final wave, I return to the truck. Killian is all done. He’s piled up the salvageable parts of the swing set on the lawn, assessing what remains with his blonde brows furrowed.

I climb into the passenger seat, waiting for him to join me. The whole truck shakes with the force of him climbing inside and slamming the door shut behind him.

“You meet Aalia? Is she alright?”

“Yeah, she’s fine. No other damage.”

“That’s good. We’ve been in contact with her for a while. Zach and I worked nights for almost a week to get the cabin done early. She was living in a shit hotel.”

“I didn’t realise she was here all alone. I would’ve come and said hello sooner.”

Killian shrugs. “Lola has a friend who works for the local council. Every now and then, a new family comes here to get away. Some stay and others move on to different places.”

“This place is like a rehab centre or something.”

“Except most people never leave,” he comments. “Briar Valley was half the size it is now when I was a kid.”

“You never wanted to leave?”

“No. Never.”

“Why?”

Driving away from Aalia’s cabin, he focuses on the cobbled road, his lips sealed. I hate that his barriers are slamming back down, pushing me out again. It’s like I get so far into understanding him before he shuts me out.

My question hangs in the air between us as we drive through trees stripped of their leaves by the storm. Even the distant mountains look extra snow swept, the peaks peppered with a fresh sprinkle of white powder.

“Lola’s always struck me as a private person.” I fish for a topic to break the silence. “Even in Highbridge, she wasn’t well known. I can’t imagine her having many friends.”

“She’s known Katie for a long time.”

My stomach twists. “Katie?”

“She came to stay here once upon a time. Hell, it must’ve been about twenty odd years ago. I was a kid myself at the time.”

He’s getting comfortable again, forgetting his bad mood as we drive onwards.

“Does Katie still live here?”

Killian shakes his head. “She left a long time ago. Poor woman had the crap beaten out of her when she first turned up, and this big fucking scar down her left cheek.”

My heart explodes out of control.

“Lola took her in,” he continues. “They’ve been friends ever since.”

Staring at the side of Killian’s head, his long hair pulled back into a bun at the nape of his neck, my nails dig deep into my palms. It has to be a coincidence.

“A scar? On her face?”

He looks at me strangely. “Uh, yeah. It was huge and fresh. Why does it matter?”

“Shit! Stop the car. I’m going to be sick.”

“Right now?” he bellows.

“Yes, now!”

He abruptly brakes, causing the tyres to spin. Once we’ve halted, I fall out of the truck, landing on my knees in the grass with a pained grunt. A hot burst of vomit surges up my throat and I violently retch.

The driver’s door slams shut and for the second time, Killian rubs my back as he holds my hair out of the way. This is officially exceeding the amount of times I wanted him to watch me throw my guts up.

“Willow? Talk to me, baby,” he pleads.

Exhausted, I lean into his solid weight at my side. He’s holding me close and refusing to let go, despite how gross this is. I take a moment to catch my breath, still feeling sick.

“The w-woman… Katie? You said Katie?”

“Yes. What’s going on?”

Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I make myself meet his alarmed eyes. Fear stares back at me in shades of molten brown, breaking free from his cool control.

“Katie is my mother.”