Chapter 22

Willow

My mouth fell open as I looked around the room, which now resembled a doctor's office. A compact, curvy woman, with thick curling hair, dusky skin, and warm brown eyes gaped at a man in a lab coat, an expression of horror on her face.

"Cancer?" the woman whispered, bringing a trembling hand to her mouth.

"I'm so sorry to give you this news. Yes, ovarian cancer."

"How, um, how long? How far is it?" The woman ran a finger over a cross on a chain at her neck.

"It's stage four." The doctor cleared his throat.

"Out of?—"

"Four stages."

"Oh." Tears filled the woman's eyes.

"I wish you would have come to me with your symptoms sooner." The doctor reached out and squeezed the woman's arm. "But we're going to fight this."

The kitchen snapped back into focus, with Lia's hand on my shoulder, concern on her face.

"Whoa, are you okay? It looked like you were in a trance."

"I…" I gulped, seeing the same brown eyes in Lia's face as the woman in my vision. This must be about her mother. Oh hell, what was I going to say? I swallowed, trying to collect my thoughts, and something cool and metal slid from my fingers to the floor.

"Meow," Calvin said, flashing an image into my head of me helping Lia, hugging her. I looked to the floor to see what had fallen from my hand and found Calvin batting a necklace around.

"Oh, my locket." Lia bent, picking up a heart-shaped locket that had inexplicably just been resting in my hand, and secured it back around her neck. "My mother gave this to me."

My heart hammered, and my thoughts scrambled as I tried to make sense of my vision. Was this something that I should share with Lia? What if her mother already knew and wasn't telling her? What if this was something that was too personal for me to say?

Calvin sunk his claws into my ankle.

"Ow," I gasped, glaring down at him.

"Willow…is that my mom?" Lia leaned forward, narrowing her eyes at the picture I'd drawn of her mom, worry on her face, clutching her necklace in her hand.

Shit.

"Um, jeez, Lia, I don't know how to say this."

"Just say it. What's going on here? She's upset." Lia tapped the screen.

"So, you know how I've figured out that I might be able to see the future?" We'd talked about my magick in the car the night before, and Lia had seemed pretty stoked about my powers.

"You just had a vision, didn't you? That's where you disappeared to, wasn't it?" Worry furrowed Lia's brow. "About my mother? Just tell me. Give it to me straight."

"I had a vision of her in a doctor's office. He told her she had stage four ovarian cancer and said if only she'd come in sooner."

"No." Lia's fists clenched, and she paced the room, shaking her head. "No, no, no."

"I'm sorry. It might not be true. I'm new to this."

"You're sure that's what you heard?" A sheen of tears coated Lia's eyes when she looked over her shoulder at me.

"Positive."

"Okay." Lia blew out a breath, nodding her head. "Right. Okay. We've got this. We'll handle it. You said this was from the future…so, we could jump on this now, right?"

"Um, I think so? I'm sorry, I wish I knew more. I just got that flash." I wished I could do more, but that was all I had to offer.

"No, Willow, you've done more than enough! I have to call my father. The thing with my mom is that she never goes to the doctor. She's always so busy taking care of everyone else that she brushes off her own issues. He's the only one who will be able to bully her into going. We might have caught this in time, with your help."

I stood up and gave Lia a quick hug, worry curling through my stomach. "Let me know how it goes, please?"

"Am I interrupting?"

We pulled apart to find Ramsay leaning into the kitchen from the interior door.

"No, it's fine, come in," Lia said, pulling her phone from her pocket. "We were just finishing up."

"What are you doing here?" I asked instantly noticing how happy I was to see him. I slid the image away, closing the app, and tucking the iPad into my bag. Calvin scampered across the kitchen floor, and Ramsay bent to scoop the cat up into his arms. I couldn't help but admire how handsome he looked, his large arms cradling the tiny kitten, and it made me go soft and gooey inside.

"Thought I'd come pick you up since it's heaving out there today."

"That's nice of you, thanks." I wasn't about to turn down the offer of a ride. I'd been walking most mornings, enjoying the brisk morning air, the time giving me a chance to soak in the stunning countryside.

"Everything good here?" Ramsay looked between the two of us, clearly sensing the tension in the air.

"Of course. Lia, I'll see you later?"

"Yup, thanks, Willow. I mean it."

"No problem." I squeezed her shoulder, her phone was already at her ear, and started to leave.

"Oh, have fun on your date later," Lia called after us, then started speaking softly into the phone.

"Will do."

"Date?" Ramsay skidded to a stop in the hallway, and I almost bumped into his back.

"Yes, a date. You know, where two people go for coffee or a glass of wine and size each other up to see if they want to jump each other later."

"I'm aware of the concept."

I didn't say anything else as we left the castle, my mind on Lia and her mother, and Ramsay also stayed silent. Tucking Calvin inside his coat, he held the door for me and gestured to where he'd pulled his truck as close to the castle door as he could. The rain hammered the earth, and I could barely make out the loch in the distance, let alone the end of the parking lot.

"Make it quick." With that Ramsay dashed into the rain, flinging the passenger side door open, before sprinting around the side of the truck. I tucked my bag beneath my coat, and followed suit, and gasped as icy rain splashed against my cheeks. Diving into the car, I slammed the door after me, my chest heaving, as I wiped my face.

"Maybe we should have waited."

A grunt was my only answer.

Calvin crawled out of Ramsay's coat, picking his way across the seats to my lap, and I curled him to me. His little body shivered in the cold, and Ramsay turned the key, heat pouring from the vents.

"It rains a lot here."

Ramsay didn't even bother with a grunt this time, instead flicking his lights on and shifting into gear, before steering the truck carefully across the parking lot.

Giving up on any conversation, because based on the way his expression looked like it could be chiseled from marble, Ramsay was in a mood, I leaned back into my seat. Staring out the window, I watched as the raindrops exploded against the glass and wondered if my vision had come in time to help Lia's mother.

Would my life always be like this from now on? When I'd first learned that I'd be able to see the future, I'd thought it would be a cool tool to have at my disposal. But something like this? Yeah, it carried a lot of weight. I realized that I'd need to be careful in how I used my so-called powers in the future, because who was to say how my visions could forever impact someone's life? Now I was beginning to understand that line in Spiderman about great power bringing much responsibility. Since I wouldn't have any control over the visions coming to me, I would have to decide what I shared with people. Like, what if I saw that someone's husband was cheating and she hadn't asked me about it? Did I just share that information? It could ruin someone's life. Gnawing my lower lip, I stroked Calvin's fur, his soothing purr rumbling under my hands, and let the heat wash over me. By the time we'd pulled up in front of the shop, Ramsay angling the truck as close as possible, the windows had started to steam.

"I'll unlock the door."

With that, Ramsay disappeared into the rain, unlocking the door before he ducked inside.

And that was it. No waving for me to come in, nothing. I looked down at Calvin.

The cat blinked up at me, telegraphing me an image of Ramsay with a grumpy look on his face, and I giggled.

"He is a grump, isn't he?"

"Brrrp."

"Well, let's see what we can do to change that."

"Brrrraaaap." Calvin stood and bumped his head against my chin, rubbing his face against mine.

"You're seriously cute, you know that?" Gathering the cat in my arms, I raced inside, ducking my head against the rain. Once in, I slammed the door behind me with a laugh. Ramsay was crouched by the fireplace, building a fire, and I took a moment to admire his butt.

I mean, I wasn't dead, okay? The man was seriously built. Thick muscular legs led to a perfect bubble butt, and his broad back showcased his strength. I mean, he'd carried me easily around, and I was no lightweight. Remembering the number of times he'd already lifted me easily in his arms sent a shiver down my back, and I took my bag to the desk, before hanging up my coat and depositing Calvin on his cat jungle gym.

At the strike of a match, I sprawled in the chair next to where Ramsay crouched at the fire and dangled my head near his.

"I've always loved a fire. It's cozy, isn't it?"

Ramsay grunted.

"How was your night? Did you get a good night's sleep?" Maybe I was crossing a line asking about his sleep, but we'd moved over the line into friendship category when he'd invited me to the dance. Or at least that's what I'd thought.

"No."

"Ah, that explains the mood."

Ramsay didn't move, just turned his head to skewer me with a look.

I grinned.

"Is tetchy the word I'm looking for here?"

"Bloody hell." Ramsay rose and disappeared into the back room, switching on lights as he did so. I got up and followed him, determined to pester him back into his slightly less grumpy self. There was an edge about him today that made him unreadable, and I wanted to set us back on an even keel.

"No? What about crabbit? I learned that one recently too."

Ramsay glowered as he flipped the switch by his sewing machine, mumbling something under his breath.

"What was that? I didn't catch it."

Ramsay ignored me, continuing his routine of flipping all his lights on, and I moved to the doorway that led to the kitchen, knowing he was going to make tea. He always brewed a pot for us in the morning. When he stepped close, assuming I would move, he pulled up short when I didn't.

"Move."

"Why don't you tell me what's going on? I promise you'll feel better."

"Move, Willow."

"Nope." I grinned up at him, crossing my arms over my chest.

"I'm not in the mood for this."

"Aw, come on, Ramsay. Give it up. Tell me what's wrong."

"Move. Or I'll make you move."

I just raised an eyebrow at him, and when he reached out, grabbing me beneath my elbows and lifted me, I couldn't help it.

I giggled.

"Oh, you think this is funny?" Ramsay's face was close to mine, his expression furious, and I desperately wanted to lean forward and sink my teeth into his bottom lip. Ramsay stepped backward, moving me out of the way, while my heart pounded and my gaze remained transfixed on his mouth.

This is not a good side of you, Willow.

But I couldn't help that every time he casually picked me up, and moved me around at his will, a baser side of my self went all fluttery and faint like a damsel in the days of yore. It shouldn't be so hot, the sheer strength and grumpiness of this man, and yet here I was. Lusting after Ramsay once again.

He dropped me unceremoniously to my feet, and then brushed past me, leaving me with my eyebrows raised. I virtually skipped after him, bouncing into the narrow kitchen as he put the kettle on. "Oh, for feck's sake."

"I'm just gonna bug you until you tell me." I was pulling out every annoying little sister trick, and I went over to him, poking him several times in the back until he turned to glare at me.

"Has anyone told you how annoying you are?"

"It's part of my charm."

Ramsay inhaled, closing his eyes for a moment.

"Och, you're not going to leave this alone, are you?"

"Nope." I mean I would have, if he'd really wanted me to, but since I sensed he was weakening, I pressed my advantage.

"Fine. I had a fight with my brother."

"Ah, yes, I'm familiar with those. Sucks, huh?"

"You could say that." Ramsay gritted his teeth and pulled out a canister covered in cheerful daisies. Opening it, he pulled some teabags out and dropped them in a pot, and the electric kettle clicked off. "He was at my parents'. Harassing my dad. I wasn't nice about it."

"I don't blame you." I knew he'd had some falling out with his brother years ago, something to do with stolen money, and I wished I could remember more about his family from the times we'd visited when I was a child. Honestly, those recollections just blurred together as childhood memories often did, and I truly couldn't remember his family at all. I just remembered Ramsay and Miles, thick as thieves, and lovely summer days by the loch. "I probably wouldn't have been nice about it either."

"You don't have to excuse my behavior."

"I'm not excusing it. I'm just saying that I might have done the same."

Ramsay nudged me back as he bent to open the under-counter fridge for milk. I gave him the space, moving to sit at a tiny banquet table tucked under a paned window that looked out over a small stand of trees whose branches currently clung to their trunks like my hair plastered against my face after a shower. Calvin appeared at the door and padded across the floor. He hesitated briefly before jumping up on the counter and bumping his head against Ramsay's arm. Ramsay scratched his ears idly, waiting for the kettle to click off.

"He used to be my best friend."

At that I almost went to him, but the way he held himself, rigid against the counter, his eyes trained on the kettle, I suspected he'd reject any advance from me.

"Family's complicated. It's hard to lose someone you care about."

Ramsay's eyes closed briefly.

"Here I am moaning about my brother being a fecking eejit when you've lost a mother."

"It's okay. I barely remember her." I shrugged, not wanting the focus on me when he was the one hurting. "One loss doesn't diminish another, Ramsay. Do you know I looked up the meaning of a willow tree the other day?"

"The meaning?" Ramsay raised an eyebrow at me as he brought the pot of tea over to the table, settling across from me. The table was so small that our knees touched, but I didn't try to move away and neither did he.

"Yeah, like the spiritual meaning, you know? How people look for signs in things. My mother's name was Willow as well. I don't know, I just looked it up. Know what I found out?"

"That the lads used to whip the lassies with pussy willow branches?"

"Wait, what?" Pausing I gave him an incredulous look. "Why would they do that?"

"Anything to torment the lasses, I suppose."

"Ugh, boys are the worst. You and Miles used to take me into the woods and pretend to lose me."

"Did we? God, I'd forgotten that." A ghost of a smile crossed Ramsay's face as he leaned back, his hand at his chin.

"It sucked. I was convinced a troll was going to eat me."

"And yet, here you are. Stronger than ever." Ramsay's stormy eyes met mine. "Tell me about the willow tree."

"Ah, yes. The willow tree. One of the meanings I found was that it's symbolic of a human's ability to withstand hardship and loss."

Ramsay's eyes held mine, and something shifted in his look, a gentling, I guess. He brushed one finger across the back of my hand resting on the table.

"Apt."

"I thought so."

"Thanks for being a friend, Willow. I guess I did need to talk about it."

I blinked at Ramsay a moment, realizing he was done with the conversation. In what world would his three sentences about a fight with his brother, which barely explained anything or scratched the surface of the conflict, count as talking about it? Then, movement outside the window caught my eye.

"Ramsay," I breathed, gripping his hand. "Look."

Calvin leapt up on the windowsill, freezing at the sight that greeted the three of us.

A unicorn had appeared beside the trees.

Just…like, it was there. Just there. Out of nowhere.

It stood, unbothered by the rain, tossing its luxurious mane in the air. It reminded me of a meme I'd seen going around recently.

Unbothered. Moisturized. Happy. Thriving.

This unicorn was all those things.

It glowed lightly in the rain, its pearlescent horn jutting proudly into the air, its eyes seeming to hold all the knowledge of the world. I don't know why it appeared then, when we spoke of family and loss and love, but for a moment I thought of my mother—her warmth, her laughter—and saw the same in the depths of this magickal being's eyes. The unicorn stepped forward, plodding lightly toward the window, sparkling.

Ramsay hooked his fingers through mine, and I held my breath, waiting.

The unicorn bowed its head to us once, as though it was giving us some sort of all-knowing blessing, and then turned and raced into the rain. Jubilation bubbled up inside me, and I wanted to jump up and run after it, to call it to come back, just so I could bask in its presence for longer.

Never had I seen anything so incredible, and I'd seen some pretty incredible things since landing in Loren Brae. Slowly, I turned my eyes from the window and met Ramsay's look.

"Tell me you just saw that."

"Och, aye."

For once, I was at a loss for words, and we just stared at each other until Ramsay realized he was still gripping my hand. He pulled his hand back, and I felt the loss of his warmth immediately.

"That was…I don't know. I feel like I want to strip my clothes off and go dance in the rain and scream and cry with joy and make music and babies and like start fires and end wars and I don't know…" I babbled, flailing my hands in the air. Unable to sit, I jumped up and did a little dance in the kitchen, needing to work through the excitement that coursed through my body.

Ramsay leaned back, arms crossed over his chest, and arched an eyebrow at me.

"Oh, don't give me that look." I waved a finger at him. "I'm not letting you yuck my yum. That was freaking incredible, and you know it."

"Aye, it was, lass. I've never heard of this before. Did you know the unicorn is the national animal of Scotland?"

"It is?" I stopped bouncing for a moment and gawked at him.

"Aye."

"Oh my God. So they are real. I mean, of course they are. We didn't just have a double hallucination. Ramsay, we have to put a unicorn in our designs somewhere."

Ramsay's eyebrows lifted.

"Unicorn kilts?"

"Yes!" I pointed a finger at him. "Yes, yes, yes. Unicorn kilts." I bounced around the kitchen and through to the front room, Calvin scampering with me.

When Ramsay's laughter followed me, I felt a tightness inside me loosen. At the very least, I'd accomplished my mission and restored Ramsay to a better headspace. He was still a grump, but he was my grump.

At that thought, I paused, my eyes wide.

My grumpy friend, I mentally amended.

He'd said it himself, hadn't he?

Thanks for being my friend.

Which was fine. It was fine.

A friendship was probably the least complicated place to be with Ramsay.

Especially because I just saw a freaking unicorn.