Falling for Ezra Thomas (Life With the Thomas Brothers #4)

22. Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Two

Ezra

I can’t believe I survived basic training, but at the same time it feels like the time flew by. Olson has already left and headed home for the short break we get between now and our official duty assignments. And then…we wait. Wondering if I’ll be selected for RASP will drive me crazy, but in the meantime I get a little time off to attend my brother’s wedding and, if I don’t chicken out, propose to Lorelai.

“I tried to tell your mother not to go overboard, but I can’t promise there won’t be a major homecoming party for you.” Dad glances at me in the passenger seat for the hundredth time as if he doesn’t recognize me.

“It’s okay. I sort of expected it.” I run my hand over my short hair, still getting used to not having a mop of a mess up there. I never could figure out how to style it, but I suppose now it’s pretty easy. Just wash and go.

“I can’t get used to you with such short hair. And the uniform. And you’re…bulkier.” Dad chuckles and looks over at me once more. “You look the same but different. How does that happen in a few months?”

“Hours upon hours of training. I’m glad to be home for a few days. It’ll be nice to eat something home-cooked. Probably shouldn’t eat too many cinnamon rolls though.”

Dad laughs again and turns onto the main road leading into Coldstone Creek. It’s quiet in the little town, but tomorrow is the big day for Beck and Vivien. The timing worked out perfectly, which was a huge load off my back. The idea of missing my twin’s wedding made me sick.

A few people stop on the sidewalk and wave, but most mind their own business. When we pass Sweet and Salty, it finally feels like home again. I crack the window and let the aroma of baked goods wash over me.

“I missed that smell,” I admit. “Did Aunt Tress have any issues making the wedding cake?”

Dad shrugs. “How should I know? That’s not my area of expertise.”

“True.” I chuckle and try not to leap out of my skin when he turns onto the familiar road leading to my parents’ house. The one I grew up in. The one I’ve missed since I’ve been gone even though technically I don’t live there anymore. I’ve lived in the town house for a few years, but this house will always be home.

“You ready? I also can’t promise your mother won’t tackle you.”

I grin and wave him off. There isn’t anything about returning to Coldstone Creek that I didn’t prepare for. A party, Mom tackling me in a big hug, my brothers taking turns picking on me about my hair. I even prepared for Vivien to ask her usual hundred questions. But nothing… nothing… no amount of preparation in the world, could have prepared me for pulling into the driveway and finding Lorelai Mays standing in a yellow sundress with my dog on a leash, smiling in front of half the town, who crowd around her as if there is some invisible barrier they can’t cross.

When Dad parks and I get out of the car, I realize there is a barrier. It’s respect, and they respect Lorelai enough to let her be the first one to greet me home.

She practically throws the dog’s leash at Vivien, bounds down the driveway, and leaps into my arms. I manage to grab her around the waist with both arms and twirl her around to slow her momentum before she clasps her hands behind my neck to kiss me.

The woman doesn’t care who sees or what spectacle we might make of ourselves. She whimpers and tightens her grip around my neck, grasping on to what she can as if she can’t possibly get enough. Her heart pounds so hard, I can feel it against my chest. Or maybe it’s mine. I don’t know, but I ease her back onto her feet and run my hands up her back to settle behind her head.

A breath later, she pulls back and smiles, her eyes filled with tears. “I love you,” she whispers. “I’m so happy you’re here and I can say it to you instead of in a letter or over the phone. I love you, Ezra.”

I tuck her against my chest and breathe her in. “I love you, too, Lorelai. I missed you so much.”

I know my family is getting antsy, but to their credit, they give us our moment. Except for Samson and Judah, who manage to break free from Vivien and Beck and plow us over. Lorelai squeals and I manage to keep her upright, but my brand new Army uniform is covered with hair and dog slobber as they stand on their back legs to sniff and lick me.

This is the cue everyone needs to join the family hug, and soon I’m enveloped in a mass of people. Lorelai’s fingers slip between mine, grounding me. I need it. I need her to anchor me in this moment, because missing all of these people for months, all of that sadness, hits me again all at once. I know I’ve made the right choice, but that doesn’t make it easy to walk away from Coldstone Creek. At least for now.

“Let’s go out back and get this cookout started!” Wilder yells over the laughter and chatter.

The mass migrates around the back while leaving only Beck, Vivien, Lorelai, and me behind.

“I’ll take your bag in. Take your time, son,” Dad says and heads to the front door.

I take a cleansing breath and give my attention to the three people I’ve missed the most.

“It’s been so strange without you here,” Beck says. “I found myself hanging out with those other eight guys.”

“Yeah, he even drove all the way to Charleston to visit Griffin once. It was odd,” Vivien teases.

“Yeah, and he came to Sweet and Salty to annoy me every afternoon.” Lorelai smiles but it has a certain quirk that I know means she’s taunting Beck.

“You know you loved my late afternoon annoyances,” Beck says and flicks her hair over her shoulder in an annoying brotherly gesture.

Vivien stands on her toes and comes in for a hug. It feels nice to have her arms around me, but it’s so different now. The love is still there, but it’s changed. It’s more like family, like a sister in the most real sense, rather than a best friend.

“I missed you so much,” she whispers.

“I missed you too, Vivasaurus.”

“We’ll catch up soon. Lorelai has some fun news to share.” With that, Vivien releases me, takes Beck’s hand, and disappears with him to the back yard.

When I turn my gaze back to Lorelai, she’s already watching me. “You look so handsome. I could get used to this,” she says and runs her hands over the front of my uniform.

“Yeah?” I don’t give her a chance to respond before I tug her against me and kiss her again. Kissing her is euphoric, and I could just let go and drown in her but for the fact that I love her too much to die from happiness.

I groan and pull away. “What’s this fun news you want to share?”

She smooths her dark hair and the front of her dress almost as if she’s about to make a pitch, which worries me slightly but I feel pretty good about us. I’m positive whatever she says won’t derail what we’ve started, but I still brace for impact.

“I got a job offer from one of my old professors. It’s an assistant position at the surgical department at UGA.”

My eyes go wide, knowing this is a major opportunity for her. “Lore, that’s amazing! When do you start?”

“I don’t. I turned it down,” she admits, but she doesn’t seem sad.

“You…turned it down? I don’t understand. Was there something about it that you didn’t like?”

“Well, the salary was great and the benefits to die for, but I realized that I want something slower. I want flexibility. I want to take care of a home, raise my kids myself, homeschool, make bread, paint and draw.”

I blink. There is definitely something she’s gearing up to say, but I can’t figure out how all of those things add up to what she’s getting at.

“While I was in the cabin, I taught myself a lot. I realized I’m good at a lot of things, but I kind of suck at relaxing. Unless, of course, I’m drawing. Which is odd. I’ve never done it before, but Luna says I’m kind of a natural. Anyway,” she says with a wave of her hand. “Luna, Emma, and I are going to write and illustrate a children’s book series together. Luna has some contacts, and she’s positive we can get a publishing deal. I mean, I’ll probably have to keep working for your mom while we do the work, but yeah. That’s what I’m going to do.”

“You’re going to be an author and illustrator?” I ask, verifying before I throw another premature celebration.

“Yep. Crazy, isn’t it?”

I shake my head and wrap both arms around her waist, tucking her close. “Nope, not at all. You can do anything you set your mind to, Lorelai Mays, and I have no doubt your books will sell like crazy. I’ll be the first in line for a signed copy.”

She grins and lets me nuzzle her ear without complaint even though I know she’s ticklish. “So, I have a question about all of that other stuff you said. Does that mean you would be flexible enough to, say, travel around the world wherever a certain someone might be stationed?”

“Mmm, maybe,” she hums, her eyelids heavy. “Depends.”

“Does it? What does a guy have to do to ensure that happens?” I kiss behind her ear and bury my face in her hair.

“I suppose you’ll have to test a few options and find out,” she teases and pushes against my chest. “Come on. Let’s go have this cookout and mingle. The sooner we do, the faster we can spend some alone time at the town house.”

“Alone time, you say?” I let her drag me across the driveway towards the gate.

“Oh, yeah, for sure. We have a lot of kissing to catch up on, Ezra.” She grins and her dark eyes sparkle. Yeah. I can get used to waking up to this beautiful woman every morning, thinking about her while I’m away, and falling deeper in love with her every single day.

A vision of her doing all the things she said she wanted to do flashes in my mind, and it feels a lot like…home. Lorelai is home for me, and I get it. I get why Beck fell so hard and so fast for Vivien. These Mays ladies know what they want just as much as we Thomas boys do, and they’re very, very good at getting it.

Lorelai has me now and forever in the palm of her hand.