Page 52

Chapter Fifty-Two

C lover glanced over her shoulder and gave Whit a little wave before turning back to the front door of her parents’ house. Taking a deep breath, she blew it out. Then she knocked firmly.

A minute later, her brother opened the door.

Clover squinted at his face. There was something odd about it, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it—a discoloration around the eye. Maybe he hasn’t been getting enough sleep.

Llew scowled at her. “Since when do you knock?” Then turning on his heel, he walked farther into the house, leaving the door wide open for her to follow.

“Where’s Mom and Dad?” Clover asked her brother, who shuffled into the living room.

He shrugged, plopping down onto the couch and grabbing the television controller. “How should I know?”

“Because you’re home and so are they. Their cars are in the driveway.”

Llew shrugged again.

“Llewellyn?” Mom called from the kitchen. “Who was it at the door?”

“It’s Clover!” he shouted back.

Even though her brother had the remote in hand and stared at the movie he’d paused— Home Alone by the looks of it—he didn’t hit play.

Clover glanced around the living room. It featured none of the holiday cheer it usually had this time of year. There wasn’t even one link of the paper chain hung up. She frowned. She felt this was somehow her fault.

Before she could take a step toward the kitchen, Mom came into the living room, drying her hands on a dishtowel. Dad was right behind her, wearing his gardening clothes.

He must be seeding in the basement .

“Hey.” Clover raised her hand in a self-conscious greeting.

Her family all stared at her for one heavy moment.

“Who wants cake?” Mom asked.

“Me!” Llew shot to his feet.

“I’ll have some,” Dad said.

Mom turned toward her. “Clover?”

Clover nodded. “Yes, thank you.”

“Good. Come to the kitchen, then.”

A few minutes later, everyone was seated at the kitchen table—a slice of spice cake with maple frosting and either coffee or tea before them.

“So where’s your husband?” Mom asked, her tone light and curious.

“Whit is at the grocery store. He’ll pick me up afterward.”

Mom nodded.

Silence wedged its way back in, practically pouring itself a cup of coffee. Clover knew she had to say something, but it felt so surreal to sit at the same table and do the same thing that would have felt totally natural only a few weeks before.

Taking courage from the sweet maple frosting, Clover apologized to her family.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry I didn’t explain beforehand. It all happened so fast. At the very least, I’m sorry you had to find out the way you did. I know you were all surprised.”

“We were hurt, Clover,” Dad clarified.

“Do you think we didn’t want to be there on your wedding day? Do you think we didn’t want to celebrate with you? You took that from us,” Mom added.

Clover hung her head. “I know, and I really am sorry.”

“You didn’t trust us.” Mom shook her head.

Clover frowned. “Look, I’m sorry I hurt your feelings. But you can’t honestly say you all would have just accepted Whit with open arms.” She met each of their eyes. “Am I wrong?”

Mom pursed her lips, and Llew slid his gaze to the side.

“How long has this been going on?” Dad asked.

Clover crossed her arms, digging her fingernails into her biceps. “That’s partially why I didn’t say anything. I’ll tell you everything if you promise to listen quietly.”

She glanced at each of them again. Their silence was their agreement.

“We met on the last day of summer.”

Mom blinked. “Last year? Have you been keeping this a secret for over a year?”

Clover leveled a pointed look at her mother, who bit her lips.

“No, this year.”

It was clearly difficult for her family to stay quiet while she told them everything about how she’d been feeling lost and adrift for a while, about her good luck charm, how Whit had saved her from Rune, about their kiss, about the crow, about when he proposed and the camellias. But they somehow managed it.

“Do you understand now?” she asked them. “You’ve always taught me that the summer gods will provide. So even though this seemed crazy on the outside, it made perfect sense to me.”

Mom and Dad exchanged a glance. Mom sighed heavily, then nodded.

“If your intuition is telling you this is right, then you should trust it,” Dad said.

Mom nodded in agreement.

Clover’s heart warmed. She turned toward her brother, holding her breath.

Llew sucked his front teeth, then sighed through his nose. “All right. Fine. He’s not as bad as I thought he was. At the very least, he cares about you.”

Clover titled her head. “What do you mean? You make it sound like you’ve talked to him.”

Llew avoided her eyes and shrugged. “I wasn’t going to say anything, but dude came to my studio a few times—bought a full punch card and everything. He’s a tenacious little”—Llew’s eyes flicked to Clover’s—“sorcerer.”

Suddenly, Clover recalled Whit’s black eye and swollen lip. She analyzed her brother’s face again. The discoloration could certainly be a healing bruise.

“Did you fight?” she asked bluntly.

Llew lifted his chin. “No.”

He’s lying… Why didn’t Whit tell me?

But as upset as the thought of Whit and Llew duking it out in a yoga studio made her, Clover knew there was only one reason for Whit to go there. He was trying to win Llew over, and by the sound of it, he’d succeeded.

Clover’s chest lightened as butterflies fluttered in her stomach.

“All I need to know is: Do you love him?” her brother asked, staring at her seriously.

A slow smile spread across her face. She dipped her head once. “A little more every day.”

Picking up his fork, Llew shoveled a huge bite of cake into his mouth. “That’s enough for me,” he responded with difficulty.

Clover turned to her parents, who watched her brother with awe. They were just as surprised as she was.

“Mom? Dad?” she asked.

“I agree with your brother,” Dad said.

Clover bit her lip while she waited for her mom’s answer.

“Summer gods grant me the patience to see these seeds become fruitful,” Mom replied finally.

Clover grinned at her family. She felt so light that she thought she might float away.

“So will you all come to Thanksgiving, then?”

Mom blinked at her, glancing at Dad uncertainly. “What do you mean?”

“I talked with Whit this morning. We thought it might be nice to bring the two families together for Thanksgiving next week. Since you didn’t get to come to the wedding, you can think of it like a delayed reception.”

The hesitation that answered her made Clover a little nervous. “You’ll come, right?”

Finally, Mom nodded. “Of course, we’ll come.”

Clover shot her brother a look. “And you’ll be on your best behavior?”

Llew clicked his tongue. “I said we’re cool, didn’t I?”

Clover beamed. “Great! I’ll let Erie know, too. Crane will be excited to come over again. She took a real shine to Whit.”

“Is there anything you’d like us to bring?” Mom asked. “Making an entire Thanksgiving dinner by yourself is no easy task.”

“Could you make some of Mam-gu’s pumpkin pie?”

Mom nodded. “Yes.”

“With homemade whipped cream?”

“Is there any other kind?”

“Perfect.” Clover happily shoved the last bite of cake into her mouth just as her phone chimed with a text from Whit.

He was asking if she needed more time.

“Is that him?” Mom queried.

Clover nodded. “Yeah, he wants to know when he should pick me up.”

“Tell him he doesn’t have to,” Dad said.

“Oh, you don’t have to give me a ride back. He’s already expecting to pick me up.”

“I’m not giving you a ride. You’re taking the van, and I expect to see you bright and early at the shop tomorrow.”

“Thank the gods!” Llew groaned. “I hate delivering flowers!”