FAITH AND THE ROCK STAR EXCERPT
Chapter One
Faith Harris was standing at reception when Hope Lawrence waddled in with a cell phone pressed to her ear.
Heavily pregnant Hope wore a pair of lime-green tights and a long white shirt that hung to her knees. Faith suspected it belonged to her man, friend, and local Paul Newman. The black cardigan she wore over that also came to her knees. Her hair was bundled on top of her head in a messy knot, and on her feet were her shitkickers, as Newman referred to them. No-nonsense black lace-up boots.
“You promised me, Ryan!” Hope’s voice rose several octaves. “Mom and I haven’t seen you in years!”
Faith winced at the shriek. Hope wasn’t the hysterical type normally, but pregnancy had made her irrational, which Faith had noted was a condition that a few of her friends suffered from. Hormones, apparently, played hell with your personality.
“Seeing your face on TV or a screen is not the same, and I will scream if I want to. I’m eight and a half months pregnant and I want to see my big brother. I want you to see me too, because I may change beyond recognition after childbirth, and you won’t know me when you finally do make the time to visit. How bad will you feel then!” She paused, presumably so Ryan could speak.
“I may,” Hope whispered. “I don’t want to speak to you anymore.” She cut the call and handed the phone to Faith. “My brother is an asshole, and I n-need to use the bathroom, and when I come back, I want a large wine.”
“You can’t drink wine, as you very well know,” Faith said. “But we can go see Buster, and he’ll make you a large hot chocolate with those little marshmallows you like, and you can have three chocolate chip cookies. I’ll even buy.”
“That could work.” Hope sniffed.
“And I doubt you’ll change beyond recognition. I mean, look at the women who had babies in this town. I still recognize all of them.”
“Shut up. I was just trying to guilt my brother into coming home. Even crows like to live with their families,” she muttered, waddling away.
Bastard. Just thinking about Ryan Lawrence made her want to punch something. Hope’s brother had been a friend of Faith’s twin, Noah, and her. In fact, because their town was small, they’d all been close with the kids their age growing up. Faith had pretty much worshipped Hope’s brother from the day she was old enough to know just how cool he’d been. Tall, dark, and broody, he’d not spoken a lot, and often had just been there, but she’d had a serious case of puppy love for that man. She was pretty sure she’d followed him around like a puppy a time or two. Then they’d shared that summer together. Talked, laughed, and taken each other’s innocence. Faith had believed Ryan was her happily ever after. The following week, he’d left without telling her and never returned.
Bastard. Eleven years was a long time to hold a grudge, and she had moved on, but thinking about the devastation she’d felt and the weeks of crying into her pillow still left a nasty taste in her mouth.
The cell phone in her hand vibrated, the sounds of a birdcall ringing out through the reception area of The Howler, the hotel she and her brother owned. Trust Hope, a wildlife nut and photographer, to have a birdcall for a ringtone.
Looking at the caller ID, she saw a picture of Ryan as he was today. Big, dark, and hot. A rock star, with a face made up of all the right angles, hair that was cropped short, and an arm covered in sexy tattoos.
She accepted the call and held it to her ear.
“Jesus, will you calm down already? What’s the matter with you, anyway? You’re having a baby, not a breakdown. I told you why I can’t come. I have commitments that can’t wait. We’re touring, then we have a photo shoot and appearance at the American Music Awards.”
Those awards were last week, bastard! Faith could hear the frustration in the deep gravelly tone that had made him a superstar as one of the singers in Talon, a band that was famous in the entertainment industry.
“Cut me some slack here, Hope. I’ll get home at some stage, I promise.”
“Here’s the thing, shithead. I don’t give a damn about who you are or what you have to do, but I do care very much for the woman weeping in my bathroom. Your priority should be to her. You’re her big brother, for pity’s sake. Man the hell up and behave like one!”
“Who—”
“You may be this godlike figure in your own eyes, but believe me, here you’re just plain old Ryan Lawrence who wet his pants first day of school.”
“Faith?”
She cut the call and then turned the phone off.
“Who are you yelling at now? One hopes it wasn’t a customer.” Her brother was walking down the stairs. Tall and dark, her was her twin and other half. Faith looked him up and down. Dressed in jeans and a sweater, he was his usual handsome self, although now that he had an extra layer of happy, he was even more so. Not that she’d ever tell him that. He was also one of those annoying people who liked the skin he was in. A man who was where he wanted to be with the people he wanted to be with. She envied him that.
Faith had never been quite sure why she was on this earth. What were her passions? What did she want to achieve? The answer to those questions was an internal shrug.
“No, not a customer.”
“Then who?” He stopped beside her and flipped her short ponytail as he had since she was old enough to be annoyed by it.
“Hope came in yelling into her cell phone. I just helped her with that.” Faith shrugged.
“Helped her how?”
“I just reminded Ryan that he had a sister who needed him.”
“Faith….” Her brother’s warning fell away as he saw Hope.
“Hey, you, how are you now?” She stepped around Noah and went to meet her friend.
Hope’s eyes were red, and she looked tired, but that was to be expected when you carried a small person around with you all day in your tummy.
“Hey there, sweetheart.” Noah wrapped her in a gentle hug that had her sniffing again. “How you doing today?”
“I wish you were my brother, Noah.”
“You don’t really mean that. Ryan is a good guy.”
“He’s an asshole,” she muttered.
“No, he’s not. He’s a rock star who loves you but has a whole shit ton of other stuff to deal with. But in case you need a big brother, I’m here for you, which I believe I’ve told you many times, Hope. You know how it works in this town. We’re all siblings.”
He released her, and she waved her hand in front of her face. “Stop being nice. You’re gonna make me cry again.”
“Did I tell you that Kermit rang and wanted those tights back?”
Hope giggled.
“Much better. Now, you girls go and do what you need to. I got reception.” He kissed Faith on the cheek and hugged Hope again. His smile widened as he saw who was walking in the front doors. “Hey, baby.”
Lucy Dwight was Noah’s girl. Their love was deep, and Faith knew it would endure until their last breath. They were getting the happily ever after they both deserved. Lucy had lived a troubled life, and Noah had had his heart broken by a bitch. They’d healed each other.
Lucy jumped him and wrapped her arms around his neck, then kissed him loudly.
“They always do this kind of crap; it drives me crazy. Thankfully they are moving out soon, and I can walk about the place without seeing it constantly,” Faith said, scowling because it was expected of her. But deep inside, she was happy for them. Happy and just a bit jealous, and yes, scared.
She was no longer the most important woman in her twin’s life. Which was pathetic and small of her, especially as in Lucy she’d gained another sister. But she missed being the centre of someone’s world. Missed that they were always the one the other turned to.
You are a mean-spirited person, she silently lectured herself.
She didn’t want anything to change and loved Lucy totally and utterly, but her brother had found his HEA, and Faith had a feeling she’d be looking for hers from this life into the next one.
“Jealousy makes you ugly,” Noah said.
It certainly does.
A loud woof from behind them told her Buddy, Lucy’s dog, was pleased his mistress was here. He’d been a stray like her, as had the cat, Bandit, lounging in the front entrance in the sun.
Hope sniffed loudly.
“You cry again, and I’m not taking you for hot chocolate.” Faith levelled her friend with a look.
“I’m good,” Hope said in a high-pitched voice. “This baby just makes me mushy. I far prefer birds.”
The ridiculousness of the statement had them all laughing.
“So try not to ruin the place while I’m gone.” Faith pulled on her jacket and then nudged Hope out the door, leaving the lovebirds to continue falling all over each other.
They walked out the front door after acknowledging Bandit with a pat.
Lake Howling was a small town with a big heart. It was home, and while she’d never really had the urge to explore beyond its borders like some had, her feet had started getting itchy lately. She put that down to the fact her twin had his shit together in his personal life and she didn’t. But for the most part, she was happy to hang out here with her people all around her.
The air had a bite to it that promised to slide into the icy-cold months of winter. They would be stocking up on supplies and chopping wood for the fires over the next few weeks. But right now, an extra blanket was all she needed.
Hope sighed, and Faith followed her gaze to where the new facility would be built, a place for concerts, indoor events, and gatherings that were bigger than the church could accommodate.
“It’s like she doesn’t know how to just go with the general consensus and agree,” she said, watching her mother, Millicent Lawrence—or Militant when she wasn’t listening—pace up and down with a placard that said, “No to the facility. Not all change is good.”
“You have to admire her commitment to the cause,” Faith said.
“There is that.” Hope sighed again, and it was pathetic.
“For the love of God, woman, get it together, will you? Surely there is a rare species of bird or animal in need of your attention?”
“Well, I read in a journal yesterday that some of the geese around the area are dying from a fungal infection.”
“That has to be tough.”
“And then some.”
“So go slather them in cream or something.”
“I might just do that,” Hope said, sounding perkier.
“Promise me one thing.”
“What?”
“You don’t name your child after some kind of species, like finches or osprey.”
“As if Newman would let me. But Finch would be cool right?”
“I’ll tell Newman to stand firm then.”
Lake Howling had one road in, and it led straight into Main Street. The town stretched along the part of the lake with stores like The Roar, a general store. The Howlery was a bakery Lucy and Noah now owned. They’d purchased it from Mrs. Cribbins, or Mrs. C if she liked you, one of the more colorful characters in town.
“I know he’s a big deal, Faith, and I know he’s busy, but I just wanted to see him,” Hope said, sounding sad again. “He’s my brother, and okay, we’re not as close as we used to be, but we stay in touch, you know, and I had a need to see him. Mom too. Since she had that fall, some of the bite has gone out of her.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that. Last week she caught me throwing something in the trash. I hadn’t realized I’d been off with my aim and turned away. She marched into The Howler and slapped the wrapper on reception. Her glare could have felled an entire forest.”
Hope sighed. “She brought us a bag of sweaters she’s knitted the baby. Black, or gray, and one in natural wool.”
“But those can look cool with the right accessories,” Faith said.
“Newman is washing them in eucalyptus today to soften them up.”
“What a guy.”
Hope sighed again. “He is and has put up with a lot from me lately. Especially when it comes to Ryan. He asked me if it would be all right if he called him. I said no. Newman can do mean really well, and I don’t want him and Ryan falling out.”
Faith felt no regret over the words she’d said to Ryan Lawrence. The man had deserved every one.
“Sure, and I get that, but he’s the man you love, and he wants to protect you. Ryan is being a loser, if you want my opinion.”
“He’s busy and offered to pay for me and Newman to come to him, but I can’t fly now. Besides, I want him to come home and see Mom. She deserves that from him.”
“She does.”
They reached the cafe and entered. The scent of coffee mingled with baked goods made her mouth water.
“Sit, and I’ll get your fix,” Faith said, pulling out the closest chair and waving Hope into it. She then made for the counter.
“Buster!”
“What?”
“A little service here!”
“I’m busy. Help yourself.”
Faith rolled her eyes. “I want you to serve me so I don’t have to. I get enough of that in The Howler.”
She heard a few curses, then he appeared. Shoulders like a linebacker, cropped short dark hair, and green-gray eyes. He wore a faded checked shirt and jeans. On his feet were the ever-present worn sneakers.
“You and your brother will be the death of me. Always wanting me to wait on you like I don’t have other crap to do.”
“I wait on you, to be fair.”
He leaned a hip on the counter while he thought about that. “Point taken. What’s your poison?” His eyes found Hope. “How’s she doing?”
“Ryan’s not coming home, and you know how excited she’s been about that.”
His expression darkened. “I bet that’s hit her hard.”
“Really hard. I may have served him up when she went to the restroom.”
“May have?”
Faith leaned closer. “He may have called when Hope left her phone with me. I then may have told him he may think he’s a godlike figure now but he’s still the boy who wet his pants on the first day of school.”
Buster snorted, which meant he was amused. He wasn’t a man for big or loud gestures, but you knew he was in your corner if you needed him to be. “That may get him here.”
“Doubtful. He’s too much of a big deal for Lake Howling now. Which, I’m not gonna lie, I struggle with. Ryan was quiet, never spoke unless he had something to say. My mom used to say he’d make the perfect broody hero in one of those novels she inhales. He’s forgotten where he came from. Forgotten that his sister needs him like she always did.”
“Harsh, Faith. The man is a bona fide superstar and likely has a punishing work schedule. I can’t imagine the Ryan I knew is not still the man he is today. He wouldn’t want to deliberately upset his sister or mother, although the jury is still out on the latter, to be honest. She’s out there again cutting off my direct route to The Roar. If I go the other way, it’s at least a minute longer.”
“That has to be hard on you. But all I’m saying is Hope was really hurt and upset.”
“She’s pregnant,” Buster said, rounding the counter, which was clearly all he planned to add on the matter.
Faith watched as he gave Hope a hug and brushed a hand over her head. He then returned and made hot chocolate for both of them even though Faith wanted coffee.
“It’s better for your sour disposition. I’m trying to sweeten you up,” he said, handing a mug to her.
“Didn’t work for you.”
He simply smiled and pulled out three chocolate chip cookies and gave her the plate.
“We’re the town grouches, you and I, but I’m the head grouch, and people expect it of me. You, however, are too beautiful to be one. So get your shit together and go see to your friend.”
She bared her teeth at him, snatched the plate, and marched to where Hope sat sniffling.
Heavily pregnant Hope wore a pair of lime-green tights and a long white shirt that hung to her knees. Faith suspected it belonged to her man, friend, and local Paul Newman. The black cardigan she wore over that also came to her knees. Her hair was bundled on top of her head in a messy knot, and on her feet were her shitkickers, as Newman referred to them. No-nonsense black lace-up boots.
“You promised me, Ryan!” Hope’s voice rose several octaves. “Mom and I haven’t seen you in years!”
Faith winced at the shriek. Hope wasn’t the hysterical type normally, but pregnancy had made her irrational, which Faith had noted was a condition that a few of her friends suffered from. Hormones, apparently, played hell with your personality.
“Seeing your face on TV or a screen is not the same, and I will scream if I want to. I’m eight and a half months pregnant and I want to see my big brother. I want you to see me too, because I may change beyond recognition after childbirth, and you won’t know me when you finally do make the time to visit. How bad will you feel then!” She paused, presumably so Ryan could speak.
“I may,” Hope whispered. “I don’t want to speak to you anymore.” She cut the call and handed the phone to Faith. “My brother is an asshole, and I n-need to use the bathroom, and when I come back, I want a large wine.”
“You can’t drink wine, as you very well know,” Faith said. “But we can go see Buster, and he’ll make you a large hot chocolate with those little marshmallows you like, and you can have three chocolate chip cookies. I’ll even buy.”
“That could work.” Hope sniffed.
“And I doubt you’ll change beyond recognition. I mean, look at the women who had babies in this town. I still recognize all of them.”
“Shut up. I was just trying to guilt my brother into coming home. Even crows like to live with their families,” she muttered, waddling away.
Bastard. Just thinking about Ryan Lawrence made her want to punch something. Hope’s brother had been a friend of Faith’s twin, Noah, and her. In fact, because their town was small, they’d all been close with the kids their age growing up. Faith had pretty much worshipped Hope’s brother from the day she was old enough to know just how cool he’d been. Tall, dark, and broody, he’d not spoken a lot, and often had just been there, but she’d had a serious case of puppy love for that man. She was pretty sure she’d followed him around like a puppy a time or two. Then they’d shared that summer together. Talked, laughed, and taken each other’s innocence. Faith had believed Ryan was her happily ever after. The following week, he’d left without telling her and never returned.
Bastard. Eleven years was a long time to hold a grudge, and she had moved on, but thinking about the devastation she’d felt and the weeks of crying into her pillow still left a nasty taste in her mouth.
The cell phone in her hand vibrated, the sounds of a birdcall ringing out through the reception area of The Howler, the hotel she and her brother owned. Trust Hope, a wildlife nut and photographer, to have a birdcall for a ringtone.
Looking at the caller ID, she saw a picture of Ryan as he was today. Big, dark, and hot. A rock star, with a face made up of all the right angles, hair that was cropped short, and an arm covered in sexy tattoos.
She accepted the call and held it to her ear.
“Jesus, will you calm down already? What’s the matter with you, anyway? You’re having a baby, not a breakdown. I told you why I can’t come. I have commitments that can’t wait. We’re touring, then we have a photo shoot and appearance at the American Music Awards.”
Those awards were last week, bastard! Faith could hear the frustration in the deep gravelly tone that had made him a superstar as one of the singers in Talon, a band that was famous in the entertainment industry.
“Cut me some slack here, Hope. I’ll get home at some stage, I promise.”
“Here’s the thing, shithead. I don’t give a damn about who you are or what you have to do, but I do care very much for the woman weeping in my bathroom. Your priority should be to her. You’re her big brother, for pity’s sake. Man the hell up and behave like one!”
“Who—”
“You may be this godlike figure in your own eyes, but believe me, here you’re just plain old Ryan Lawrence who wet his pants first day of school.”
“Faith?”
She cut the call and then turned the phone off.
“Who are you yelling at now? One hopes it wasn’t a customer.” Her brother was walking down the stairs. Tall and dark, her was her twin and other half. Faith looked him up and down. Dressed in jeans and a sweater, he was his usual handsome self, although now that he had an extra layer of happy, he was even more so. Not that she’d ever tell him that. He was also one of those annoying people who liked the skin he was in. A man who was where he wanted to be with the people he wanted to be with. She envied him that.
Faith had never been quite sure why she was on this earth. What were her passions? What did she want to achieve? The answer to those questions was an internal shrug.
“No, not a customer.”
“Then who?” He stopped beside her and flipped her short ponytail as he had since she was old enough to be annoyed by it.
“Hope came in yelling into her cell phone. I just helped her with that.” Faith shrugged.
“Helped her how?”
“I just reminded Ryan that he had a sister who needed him.”
“Faith….” Her brother’s warning fell away as he saw Hope.
“Hey, you, how are you now?” She stepped around Noah and went to meet her friend.
Hope’s eyes were red, and she looked tired, but that was to be expected when you carried a small person around with you all day in your tummy.
“Hey there, sweetheart.” Noah wrapped her in a gentle hug that had her sniffing again. “How you doing today?”
“I wish you were my brother, Noah.”
“You don’t really mean that. Ryan is a good guy.”
“He’s an asshole,” she muttered.
“No, he’s not. He’s a rock star who loves you but has a whole shit ton of other stuff to deal with. But in case you need a big brother, I’m here for you, which I believe I’ve told you many times, Hope. You know how it works in this town. We’re all siblings.”
He released her, and she waved her hand in front of her face. “Stop being nice. You’re gonna make me cry again.”
“Did I tell you that Kermit rang and wanted those tights back?”
Hope giggled.
“Much better. Now, you girls go and do what you need to. I got reception.” He kissed Faith on the cheek and hugged Hope again. His smile widened as he saw who was walking in the front doors. “Hey, baby.”
Lucy Dwight was Noah’s girl. Their love was deep, and Faith knew it would endure until their last breath. They were getting the happily ever after they both deserved. Lucy had lived a troubled life, and Noah had had his heart broken by a bitch. They’d healed each other.
Lucy jumped him and wrapped her arms around his neck, then kissed him loudly.
“They always do this kind of crap; it drives me crazy. Thankfully they are moving out soon, and I can walk about the place without seeing it constantly,” Faith said, scowling because it was expected of her. But deep inside, she was happy for them. Happy and just a bit jealous, and yes, scared.
She was no longer the most important woman in her twin’s life. Which was pathetic and small of her, especially as in Lucy she’d gained another sister. But she missed being the centre of someone’s world. Missed that they were always the one the other turned to.
You are a mean-spirited person, she silently lectured herself.
She didn’t want anything to change and loved Lucy totally and utterly, but her brother had found his HEA, and Faith had a feeling she’d be looking for hers from this life into the next one.
“Jealousy makes you ugly,” Noah said.
It certainly does.
A loud woof from behind them told her Buddy, Lucy’s dog, was pleased his mistress was here. He’d been a stray like her, as had the cat, Bandit, lounging in the front entrance in the sun.
Hope sniffed loudly.
“You cry again, and I’m not taking you for hot chocolate.” Faith levelled her friend with a look.
“I’m good,” Hope said in a high-pitched voice. “This baby just makes me mushy. I far prefer birds.”
The ridiculousness of the statement had them all laughing.
“So try not to ruin the place while I’m gone.” Faith pulled on her jacket and then nudged Hope out the door, leaving the lovebirds to continue falling all over each other.
They walked out the front door after acknowledging Bandit with a pat.
Lake Howling was a small town with a big heart. It was home, and while she’d never really had the urge to explore beyond its borders like some had, her feet had started getting itchy lately. She put that down to the fact her twin had his shit together in his personal life and she didn’t. But for the most part, she was happy to hang out here with her people all around her.
The air had a bite to it that promised to slide into the icy-cold months of winter. They would be stocking up on supplies and chopping wood for the fires over the next few weeks. But right now, an extra blanket was all she needed.
Hope sighed, and Faith followed her gaze to where the new facility would be built, a place for concerts, indoor events, and gatherings that were bigger than the church could accommodate.
“It’s like she doesn’t know how to just go with the general consensus and agree,” she said, watching her mother, Millicent Lawrence—or Militant when she wasn’t listening—pace up and down with a placard that said, “No to the facility. Not all change is good.”
“You have to admire her commitment to the cause,” Faith said.
“There is that.” Hope sighed again, and it was pathetic.
“For the love of God, woman, get it together, will you? Surely there is a rare species of bird or animal in need of your attention?”
“Well, I read in a journal yesterday that some of the geese around the area are dying from a fungal infection.”
“That has to be tough.”
“And then some.”
“So go slather them in cream or something.”
“I might just do that,” Hope said, sounding perkier.
“Promise me one thing.”
“What?”
“You don’t name your child after some kind of species, like finches or osprey.”
“As if Newman would let me. But Finch would be cool right?”
“I’ll tell Newman to stand firm then.”
Lake Howling had one road in, and it led straight into Main Street. The town stretched along the part of the lake with stores like The Roar, a general store. The Howlery was a bakery Lucy and Noah now owned. They’d purchased it from Mrs. Cribbins, or Mrs. C if she liked you, one of the more colorful characters in town.
“I know he’s a big deal, Faith, and I know he’s busy, but I just wanted to see him,” Hope said, sounding sad again. “He’s my brother, and okay, we’re not as close as we used to be, but we stay in touch, you know, and I had a need to see him. Mom too. Since she had that fall, some of the bite has gone out of her.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that. Last week she caught me throwing something in the trash. I hadn’t realized I’d been off with my aim and turned away. She marched into The Howler and slapped the wrapper on reception. Her glare could have felled an entire forest.”
Hope sighed. “She brought us a bag of sweaters she’s knitted the baby. Black, or gray, and one in natural wool.”
“But those can look cool with the right accessories,” Faith said.
“Newman is washing them in eucalyptus today to soften them up.”
“What a guy.”
Hope sighed again. “He is and has put up with a lot from me lately. Especially when it comes to Ryan. He asked me if it would be all right if he called him. I said no. Newman can do mean really well, and I don’t want him and Ryan falling out.”
Faith felt no regret over the words she’d said to Ryan Lawrence. The man had deserved every one.
“Sure, and I get that, but he’s the man you love, and he wants to protect you. Ryan is being a loser, if you want my opinion.”
“He’s busy and offered to pay for me and Newman to come to him, but I can’t fly now. Besides, I want him to come home and see Mom. She deserves that from him.”
“She does.”
They reached the cafe and entered. The scent of coffee mingled with baked goods made her mouth water.
“Sit, and I’ll get your fix,” Faith said, pulling out the closest chair and waving Hope into it. She then made for the counter.
“Buster!”
“What?”
“A little service here!”
“I’m busy. Help yourself.”
Faith rolled her eyes. “I want you to serve me so I don’t have to. I get enough of that in The Howler.”
She heard a few curses, then he appeared. Shoulders like a linebacker, cropped short dark hair, and green-gray eyes. He wore a faded checked shirt and jeans. On his feet were the ever-present worn sneakers.
“You and your brother will be the death of me. Always wanting me to wait on you like I don’t have other crap to do.”
“I wait on you, to be fair.”
He leaned a hip on the counter while he thought about that. “Point taken. What’s your poison?” His eyes found Hope. “How’s she doing?”
“Ryan’s not coming home, and you know how excited she’s been about that.”
His expression darkened. “I bet that’s hit her hard.”
“Really hard. I may have served him up when she went to the restroom.”
“May have?”
Faith leaned closer. “He may have called when Hope left her phone with me. I then may have told him he may think he’s a godlike figure now but he’s still the boy who wet his pants on the first day of school.”
Buster snorted, which meant he was amused. He wasn’t a man for big or loud gestures, but you knew he was in your corner if you needed him to be. “That may get him here.”
“Doubtful. He’s too much of a big deal for Lake Howling now. Which, I’m not gonna lie, I struggle with. Ryan was quiet, never spoke unless he had something to say. My mom used to say he’d make the perfect broody hero in one of those novels she inhales. He’s forgotten where he came from. Forgotten that his sister needs him like she always did.”
“Harsh, Faith. The man is a bona fide superstar and likely has a punishing work schedule. I can’t imagine the Ryan I knew is not still the man he is today. He wouldn’t want to deliberately upset his sister or mother, although the jury is still out on the latter, to be honest. She’s out there again cutting off my direct route to The Roar. If I go the other way, it’s at least a minute longer.”
“That has to be hard on you. But all I’m saying is Hope was really hurt and upset.”
“She’s pregnant,” Buster said, rounding the counter, which was clearly all he planned to add on the matter.
Faith watched as he gave Hope a hug and brushed a hand over her head. He then returned and made hot chocolate for both of them even though Faith wanted coffee.
“It’s better for your sour disposition. I’m trying to sweeten you up,” he said, handing a mug to her.
“Didn’t work for you.”
He simply smiled and pulled out three chocolate chip cookies and gave her the plate.
“We’re the town grouches, you and I, but I’m the head grouch, and people expect it of me. You, however, are too beautiful to be one. So get your shit together and go see to your friend.”
She bared her teeth at him, snatched the plate, and marched to where Hope sat sniffling.
READ THE COMPLETE LAKE HOWLING SERIES
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