Ended up with a jQuery solution. Not my favourite thing to do, but if the boss wants no widows the boss gets no widows.
jQuery:
// link title, no widow
$('#blog .type-link h1 a').each(function() {
var wordArray = $(this).text().split(" ");
wordArray[wordArray.length-2] += ' '+wordArray[wordArray.length-1]+' 
';
wordArray.pop();
$(this).html(wordArray.join(" "));
});SCSS:
#blog article.type-link h1 a {
position: relative;
.link-arrow {
background: $highlight;
display: inline-block;
width: 20px;
height: 20px;
vertical-align: top;
margin-top: 3px;
}
span {
white-space: pre;
}
}