Page 70 of If This is Love

Brennan looked at him attentively. “Yeah, Sarge.”

“I have a sneaking suspicion that Cooper McCormick is banging my baby sister, so if I’m about to get hauled off by the cops for pummeling this maggot, look after my girls while I’m gone.”

Brennan saluted him with one of the purple-ribboned invitations. “Got your six.”

Connor pointed at him. “Call Carson if you don’t hear from me by midnight.” And then he strode out the door, slamming it shut behind him.

“Wait,what?” Liza squawked the second the door clicked shut, leaping off the couch and marching to the door. “B.! You’re on Savannah duty until I get back.”

“Oh,” Brennan said, glancing down at Savannah, who was picking apart one of the purple bows. “I’ve got her, L., she’s right—”

The door slamming cut him off, and he immediately redirected his eyes to Skye. “Baby girl, do you think maybe—”

“One of us needs to go out there with them,yes,” Skye finished for him, standing up from the couch.

She crossed the room in two long leaps and plunked herself down cross-legged in front of him, and then they started going back and forth in hushed tones, pausing intermittently to smooch each other above Savannah’s head for absolutely no fucking reason at all. I couldn’t hear what they were saying and didn’t have any interest watching them halfway make-out, but I was pretty sure an actual pros versus cons list was taking place in between all the smooching. Savannah, on the other hand, appeared to be completely enchanted and probably thought she was watching a real-life reenactment of a Disney movie. Every time they leaned to smooch each other, she reached up to touch their faces, making them pause and coo at her.

With the invitation assembly line on pause, Ruth set down her cards and ribbon and stood up. She entered the kitchen and came straight to me, her hands landing on my back like we belonged to each other, and the poor, neglected bastard downstairs was basically whimpering for her.

“Oh mygosh,” she said with a little squeal in the back of her voice. “These turned out so pretty. And the walkthrough we had at the facility today was breathtaking.” She patted my back. “I feel like there’s a bit of an artist hiding in here.”

I laughed like I only didfor herand shook my head. “I’m just good at following instructions.”

“Nah,” she said, leaning one shapely hip against the counter and hugging herself. “I think when we get to the next phase, you’re really going to blow us away.”

That was fitting in a macabre sort of way, given that in the next phase of this project, I would rebuild the thing that was rubble under my boots during the worst thing I’d ever lived through.

You’re going to blow us away.

I will blow them to itty bitty pieces, and you have five seconds to choose.

I blinked. “I’m going to try.”

She smiled in a way that warmed and loosened all the deep, aching knots in my body and mind. “I know, and I know it’ll be amazing.” She reached for me and wrapped her hands around my bicep, easing up close to me. “The more I learn about these poor women that Emma works with abroad, the more I justachefor them, and it feels like I’m being called to open my heart to them, you know,specifically.” She released one hand from my arm and waved it through the air. “Like, this is just a whole other very specific group inside thewholegroup of women we’re trying to serve. And I feel like they’re so overlooked even though they have one of the more urgent needs. You know what I mean, friend?”

I did know what she meant, and I wholeheartedly agreed. I didn’t agree to do this just because the newlyweds were my friends. I had a very personal connection to it that had nothing to do with Skye and everything to do with the worst thing I’d ever lived through because I hadfailed. I’d failed harder than I’d ever failed at anything, and innocent people died, and every day I lived and they didn’t, I had to do something toearn it. And at this point in my life, earning it meant helping Skye by building her facilities. So yeah, I knew what she meant.

But I wasn’t thinking about any of that at all. All I was thinking about was how if I hadn’t fallen in love with her ten times already, this would’ve been the moment when I did. I loved the way she lit up like a warm, gentle candle when she talked about things that mattered to her. I loved the way she didn’t even seem to notice how affectionate she was, all the while her closeness and gentle touch broke down all my bristly, brambly barriers.

This womanowned me. And she still had no idea.

“Yep,” I replied, twisting a wire on the plank to hold the fairy light cord in place and hidden underneath the centerpiece. “I get it.”

“Okay, you two,” Brennan cut in with that coy, knowing tone of his and appearing out of absolutely fuckingnowhere. He was holding Savannah on his hip, and Skye was standing next to him. “We’ve gone through all the variables, and we think—”

“Gabe and I need to go outside,” Skye finished for him. “Because I can help mediate between Brina and LizaandConnor if need be, and Gabe can back up Connor since—”

“Since I’m on Savannah duty,” he finished for her with an enamored grin, giving Savannah a little bounce and turning his doe eyes down to her. “Andwehave a very important task stuffing envelopes. Don’t we, little sweetheart?”

“Yah!” Savannah chirped, shoving a torn-off invitation corner and slobbery purple ribbon toward his face.

“No,” I grumbled.

Savannah gave me an adorable, toddler-sized scoff, scowling at me through her big, pale blue eyes.

“Nobody needs to go out there,” I said to the newlyweds. “Deneau can deal with him on his own. If McConaugheyreallywants to die on the hill of whatever the fu— uhh…” I glanced at Savannah, who was still scowling at me, but I had that effect on kids, so it was fine. “Y’know,heckhe’s doing with Brina and starts something,Iwill go out there and separate them,butonlyif it sounds like that’s what’s happening.” I stood up taller and pointed at Brennan with a knife hand and glowered at him with myStaff Sergeant Martinelliface. “Now go sit down and finish stuffing envelopes, Riley. Because if I have to finish them for you, I’m going to make yousufferwhile I stuff them, and I will stuff themslowly.”

Brennan threw back his shoulders, but then lifted Savannah’s little hand to her brow and whispered in her ear, “Say yessir, Stassarn’t.”

---