Page 43 of Won't Back Down

“Fine. But later. After the hurricane goes through, we’ll talk and finish making a game plan for tackling what’s left.”

I picked up a cookie and bit in, closing my eyes as the sweet, buttery taste of it hit my tongue. “Oh my God, this is my childhood, right here.”

“You used to work for cookies.” Mimi remembered. “It was the only thing you’d let us send home with you for the longest time.”

“My pride couldn’t hold up to your double chocolate chip cookies. The peanut butter ones, either.” I took another bite and chewed. “Not that I didn’t notice the stuff you had Ford sneak into the pantry and freezer when he came over. I appreciated it. You’re probably half the reason Dad and I ever ate anything resembling a vegetable that wasn’t a potato.”

Mimi laid a hand over mine. “Your daddy had a big heart, same as you do. It just never recovered from losing your mama and sister.”

Uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation, I twitched my shoulders and shoved the last of the cookie into my mouth.

Beneath the table, Willa’s hand settled on my thigh and squeezed. “Have you heard anything from Ford?”

“Briefly this morning, actually.” Mama Flo refilled her glass. “He’s two weeks into a relief aid mission in the Philippines after that recent typhoon, but he still heard about the hurricane warning here and called to check on us.”

I paused, another cookie halfway to my mouth. “Did you tell him about us?” I’d considered the ramifications of telling Jace, but I hadn’t once thought about what I’d tell my other brothers. What would they think of this lunatic plan I’d agreed to? Would either of them have gone this far to protect Willa under the circumstances? I didn’t like the sick feeling that curdled my gut at the thought of one of them being the one to kiss her. To comfort her after a nightmare.

Mine. My wife.

“We thought about it, but ultimately that’s y’all’s news to share,” Mimi declared.

I blinked, and the irrational jealousy slid away again. Get a friggin’ hold of yourself, Malone.

“Probably for the best,” Willa added. “We haven’t had the chance to loop Jace in yet, either. I’d rather he didn’t hear it from anyone but us.”

“Fair point,” Mama Flo conceded. “Anyway, he’s doing well, and he said to tell y’all hello when next we saw you.”

We chatted for another few minutes, until we’d finished our tea, and I’d grabbed a third cookie. “We should probably get on. Lots to do at home.”

Willa’s gaze jerked toward me, but I couldn’t read the expression in her eyes.

Mimi rose from the table. “Let me pack up some more cookies to send back with y’all. Least we can do for your help.”

“I will never say no to your cookies.”

After more hugs, a big Tupperware of cookies, and promises to check in soon, Willa and I loaded Roy back into the truck and headed for the north end of the island. Wanting to avoid Sutter’s Ferry entirely, I headed east for the coast road that would take us up the Atlantic side. We’d have to cut across on the lone road that snaked through the woods, and it would add another ten minutes to the already nearly twenty minute drive, but at least we’d avoid the crowds.

“We should probably discuss what we’re gonna send Dax.”

“What are we going to send Dax? What does he need us to do?”

“To some extent, he’ll layer in some more affectionate language into the existing communication. Love you. Miss you. That kind of thing. But he’ll need more. And we’ll need to draft some emails and texts from scratch for him to sprinkle through.”

She shifted in her seat, as if this were the ancient clunker with the sprung springs I’d driven in high school, instead of a late model Ford. “Is that a thing we really have to discuss? Can’t we just write stuff up and send it?”

“Well, for one, the things we write will be feeding off each other. For two, if we get subpoenaed and asked about it, it’d be super weird if we don’t remember the things we allegedly said.”

“Okay, fair point. Where do we start?”

“We’ll have to decide where and how things changed, so he knows when to seed things.”

She took a breath. “I kind of already made something up for Gabi.”

“Oh?”

“She’s my best friend. She knows me really well. I had to give her something when we showed up married.”

“Not criticizing your decision, Wren. What did you tell her?”