Home

Chapter Five

    Lizzie let out bell-like laugh. "It's short for Wulfric. It's better than what I used to call him."

    I looked over at her with my eyebrows raised in inquisition.

    "Wulf," She smirked. I don't know what it was, but that fit him perfectly.

"Am I a little crazy or did they not want me here at first?" I asked her.

She shrugged her shoulders, but she had a smug look on her face. "They were just a little confused at first." Her pretty blue eyes rolled. "They have this obsession with having one of the older ladies from our community," she did finger quotes around community, "watch Lu, but everyone I've met with wasn't a good fit for us. I just didn't feel comfortable with leaving her." She smiled brightly at me. "But when I met you, I knew! It was this weird feeling, but I just knew you'd be perfect."

This is not a cult. This is not a cult. This is not a cult. "You okay, Wyn?" Lizzie had lost her smugness.

"Yeah, of course." Cue awkward-feeling smile.

Lizzie looked at me in thought for a minute. "We deserve a girls day." She looked down at Lu. "Do you think LuLu? Oh! I can take you to the boutique and we could go get lunch at one of the restaurants in town."

I thought about it. I wouldn't get paid for the day, but I would get to get away from the weirdness that happened, and I really did want to see the boutique. "Yeah, sounds fun!"

******
We parked on the main road in town that had stores and restaurants lining both sides. The brick buildings we made bright and cheerful with flowers and colored awnings and doors. We walked a block to Lucy's Crescent. The front of the boutique was brick like the others, but the windows were framed by wood painted the same minty blue as the front door. The white awning had Lucy's Crescent in black lettering across it.

"Did you change the name when you had Lucy or did you always want a daughter named that?" I asked Lizzie as I held the door open for her to push the stroller through.

"It was actually my mother's name. It was actually always her dream to open a boutique. I found plans in her office when I was in college, and then Ro surprised me when this building opened for lease. My dad and mom always had this thing about the crescent moon, and mom had written that she had wanted to name it just "The Crescent", but I thought this was more fitting. And now Lucy can have it when she gets older, if she wants it, of course." Lizzie then proceeded to show me around the beautiful, rustic store. All the clothes were trendy and pretty, which Lizzie took as a huge compliment because she picks all the clothes personally.

We shopped a bit at her store, which she insisted I grab one of the dresses I absolutely fell in love with. I tried to pay her, but she said she'd be offended if I did, so I tried to take the gift as graciously as I could. Then Lucy was hungry, so we quickly grabbed a table at the little cafe right next door, so that Lizzie could sit and feed her. The rest of the afternoon and early evening was spent walking around town, shopping and entertaining Lucy. It was really fun and something I hadn't done in a really long time.

We loaded up all the shopping bags, which I'm proud to say are mostly Lizzie's, though I was close to holding my own. I tried not to think about how much money I was spending, and instead focused on how much my wardrobe was lacking fall and winter clothes. It was the only excuse I could think of and it was working.

I carried as many bags as I could to the door as Lizzie carried a sleeping Lucy upstairs to her nursery.

"Hey, did Lizzie have fun dragging you around?" Roland asked as he strolled in.

I laughed, "I think we both did our own fair share of dragging, which is why I need to make a second trip for shopping bags." I hitched my thumb at the bags I had sat down.

Roland groaned, "Two trips to the car worth. I can't stop the woman."

I smiled a little guiltily, "Actually, the second trip is for my lot."

Roland stared at me for a second before laughing that loud laugh. It was contagious and I let out a little giggle before a wet haired Wulfric entered the room. I immediately lost all thoughts of laughing as my mind headed in a different direction.

His hair was black from the shower I assumed he had just taken, and he was wearing a plain white tee that fit his broad chest and wrapped around his biceps like the cotton was woven just for them. His jeans were a worn pair that hung off his hips so perfectly, and his feet were bare. He should have been in a cologne commercial. It would have sold out immediately. I'm not sure who would buy more, the men wanting to be him or the women wanting to get with him.

"What has you two laughing?" His deep voice rumbled, and he sounded a lot more lighthearted than before, but his warm eyes were still very intense.

Roland had that devilish look again, "The girls went shopping, and apparently Lizzie has met her match."

That sobered Wulfric up. "You're kidding." He gave me a wary look. "No one can out shop, Lizzie."

Roland crossed his arms over his chest as he grinned. "Why don't you go help her carry her bags and find out?"

That had me sobering up. "Oh no, you don't have to do that. I can get them." I put my palms toward him as if to say "I've got it".

"Nonsense." Was all Wulfric said before he walked passed me out the door.

"Ooooor not." I mumbled very low, as I turned on my heel and followed. He already had the back of Lizzie's Rover open when I walked down the front steps. "Really, you don't have to. It's only a couple bags."

He crossed his arms as he looked at the contents of the trunk and then looked toward me. "This is not a couple bags." He shook his head as his full lips curved upward. "I didn't think anyone could do it, but I was wrong. You're just as bad as Liz."

I laughed, "Hey! I think you mean I'm just as good at shopping as Lizzie."

He rolled his eyes but he was still smiling. "If you say so. You open your trunk and I'll grab the bags."

"Oh! I can grab a couple too." I started to reach out to a bag. And then I felt a ridiculously warm hand touch my forearm gently. I didn't dare look up at him.

"Just get the trunk, Wynter." His breath moved the hair by my cheek. I nodded, still not looking at him, before I withdrew and headed for my car. I opened my trunk as he carried my goodies.

"Your car was unlocked." Wulfric commented as he finished loading up my Jeep.

"Yeah, I've gotten into the happen of leaving it unlocked here. It's nice because in LA, I would have woken up to a missing car." I shrugged.

He looked at me seriously. "I know this isn't LA, but you need lock your car."

I refused to point out that Lizzie didn't lock her car. That would be way too childish. But she didn't. Not even when we were in town. I just shrugged again.

This did not seem to be the response Wulfric wanted. "Promise me."

I looked at this beautiful man, who was now frowning down at me, as if he had grown two gorgeous heads. "What?"

"Promise me you will lock your car from now on." He said this as if it was totally normal for him to demand of a stranger. And as if I would just automatically do.

And that made me do something I'm not very proud of because it wasn't the most mature thing.

"No." And then I rushed around to my drivers side, started up my Jeep, and pulled out. Leaving him standing there, arms crossed, staring after me. 

——-
A/N: Let me know what you think!