Goddamn it, Stone, I silently chastised. Get that you of your fucking head, already.
“No one is meant to be alone for their whole life, Stone, especially not someone as incredible as you.”
While she meant the words to be a compliment, it still rankled. I’d known pretty much all my life that relationships and all the chains that came with them were never in the cards for me. I’d never been shy about admitting that to the people in my life; I just wished they’d actually believe me.
“Trust me, babe, if I meet a woman who knocks me on my ass enough to make me want to put a ring on her finger, you’ll be one of the first calls I make.”
That seemed to be enough to appease her. “And if that day ever comes, I might just have to force Mace’s ass on a plane so we can fly down there for a visit.”
“You ever feel like doin’ that, darlin’, you guys have a place to stay.”
I could hear the smile in her voice when she said, “I might just have to take you up on that.”
The subject shifted back to Will after that, and we spent some time reminiscing about the good times that I’d been trying to forget all morning long. Each memory was like a knife to the chest, but I knew it was what Lyla needed, and I wanted to give that to her.
Finally, a few minutes later, the call started to wrap up, and a wistfulness filled her voice as she whispered, “I miss you, Stone.”
My voice lowered, growing gruff. “I miss you too, sweetheart. I just want you to know that no matter how far apart we are, you’re in my heart, and you always will be. You’re family.”
She sniffled again. “Same goes for you. And if you need me for anything, I’m just a phone call away.”
My chest clenched painfully. “Same, dollface.”
We said our goodbyes a second later, and I hung up, spinning on my boot to head back toward the garage. When I lifted my head, I saw Big Red pulling into the forecourt. Willow parked close by the office and climbed out dressed in a pair of light gray joggers that showed off that incredible ass, a plain light blue t-shirt with a pair of flip flops on her feet. Her hair was bundled up on top of her head in a messy knot, but it didn’t take away from her beauty.
My dick immediately stood at attention, and the skin over my muscles grew tight as she shaded her eyes from the sun with her hand and did a casual sweep of the parking lot.
She did a doubletake when she spotted me, clearly not expecting to see me, and lifted her hand in an awkward wave. Instead of turning toward the office, she changed course and took a few steps in my direction . . . only to stutter-step to a stop before whipping back around and lunging back into the truck to grab whatever it was she’d forgotten.
Fucking adorable.
A second later, she popped out with my helmet in her hand. The past two times I’d been with Willow, I’d been so consumed with thinking things I had no business thinking—namely, how much I wanted her and couldn’t have her—that the helmet hadn’t even been on my radar, and I’d left it behind twice.
I stayed rooted in place as she got closer, unable to move as she hit me with a shy, nervous smile. “Um . . . hi.”
Friends. Just friends, I reminded myself over and over as a grin pulled at my lips. “Hey.”
She shifted from foot to foot silently for a few beats, her sky-blue eyes studying my face in a way that made my skin prick. It was like she could see deeper than just the surface and sensed something there.
She cocked her head to the side, her brow furrowing. “You okay?”
“Yeah. I’m good.”
She took a step closer, those shrewd eyes narrowing even more. “Are you sure? You seem . . . I don’t know; upset or stressed out, maybe.”
I tried not to let my face relay the shock I felt at her insightfulness. One of the reasons people called me Stone was because they couldn’t get a read on me. I’d become a pro at keeping my feelings hidden behind a rock-hard mask of indifference, so the fact she could see through that mask blew me away.
I opened my mouth to feed her the lie that everything was fine when the words just fell out of their own accord, without any permission from me. “Today’s the anniversary of a close friend’s death. It’s always a rough day for me.”
Sympathy washed over her delicate features instantly. Her free hand came out, her fingers wrapping around my forearm. “I’m so sorry,” she breathed, her voice dripping with emotion. “You shouldn’t be here, Stone. You should have taken the day off to just deal.”
I figured I’d already started, so I might as well just keep spouting the truth. And honestly, there was something about confiding in Willow that felt different than talking to Lyla about it. Something almost . . . freeing. “It’s actually my day off, but I’m not a big fan of being alone today. I came in to get away from the silence at home. If I’d stayed there, I’d have just drunk my weight in whiskey until I passed out.”
The sadness was still there, swimming in her eyes, but there was something else there that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. At least until she spoke next.
When she let go of my arm and clasped her hands together, I had to grind my teeth against the heat she’d left behind and the idea that I wanted that touch back. “I get it. My mom died six years ago. The anniversary of that day always sucks.”
I wanted to reach out to her but clenched my fists to keep from doing just that. “I’m sorry about your mom, babe.”
“And I’m sorry about your friend.” She shrugged and gave me a tiny smile. “I know there isn’t really anything that’ll make you feel any better today, but if you ever need to talk, I’m here.”
Christ, she was undoing me. “Thanks, mouse. I appreciate that.”
As if remembering why she’d walked over in the first place, her eyes flared and the hand holding the helmet thrust out, nearly smacking me in the chest. “I brought this for you,” she said quickly. “I didn’t want you to go another day without it. That motorcycle was a lot of fun, but you really need to wear that,” she rambled.
I took the helmet and let out a chuckle. “Thanks, sweetheart.”
She took a step back, shifting from foot to foot. “Well, I guess I’ll let you get back to . . .” she threw her thumb over her shoulder, “you know. Work and stuff.” She kept moving back as she pointed to the helmet I was now holding. “Be sure to wear that,” she said in a semi-scolding tone. “Safety first.”
One corner of my mouth hooked up in a smirk as she stumbled a little, tripping over her own feet before quickly righting herself. “Got it.”
“Okay. Well . . . have a good day.”
With that, she spun around, hustled back to Big Red, and climbed inside.
It was the damndest thing, but after just a few short minutes in Willow’s presence, I suddenly felt better than I had all damn day.
Chapter Eleven
Willow
I’d been a bundle of nerves as I got ready for work Monday morning. The high I’d been riding from my shopping trip with the girls had finally worn off, leaving me questioning everything.
I worried the clothes were too flashy. I worried that my hair looked ridiculous with the new cut and highlights. I’d done my makeup exactly how Lark and Aurora had taught me, but now I worried that it was too much.