Page 6 of Anything for You
But tonight? Yet again, my habitual lateness had me hustling into a room full of people who’d already been there long enough to circle into natural conversational groups so I had the delight and awkwardness foisted upon me to insert myself into a given bunch.
“Dove! You’re here!”
Elise hugged me, and Liz, Nikki, Winnie, and Jo smiled. Catherine was notably absent tonight, her job running over again. Jess arrived with a glass of champagne she handed me, and something colorful with a little umbrella for her.
“Glad you made it. Drink up and toast to Saint!” she said, raising her drink. “And don’t worry, this is a mocktail Jude made me.” Her smile brightened just saying his name.
Ugh.Those two were adorable. And perfect together. I could honestly say the same for each of them.
I raised my glass, grateful to be surrounded by people I loved and celebrating a company that’d brought so many wonderful, gorgeous people into my life. “To the babes of Saint Security!”
They all laughed but followed suit, clinking glasses and taking sips.
“Looks like a full house,” I said, marveling at the chock-full event space. The old mill building had been converted into one of Silver Ridge Brewery’s properties and it was gorgeous. I could remember a few years back when it wasonly this and the restaurant a pipe dream John Wallace and Liam Morrison shared, and now look.
“So many people from town are here, plus I guess some of the overseas staff came. And hey! Jenna Halter and Jack McKean are here, too.” Elise nodded toward the two A-lister stars.
“A few of our people couldn’t come, but quite a few did. I haven’t seen Hijack in a while, and the Washingtons are back for a minute, too,” Jess said with a big smile.
“Hijack. That’s intense,” I said, looking around for someone who matched the name. “Though I guess Jaws isn’t exactly chill,” I said, winking at Nikki.
“I mean, neither is Beast,” Elise said, eying Jess.
She rolled her eyes in fake exasperation. “Right? But as I’ve been delighted to find out, he’s all bark. Well, and a little bite.” She waggled her brows, then gently patted her growing belly.
Gag. But also, sigh. If someone had told me she and Beast would not only get married but get pregnant before the year was out this time last year, I would’ve called them absolutely insane.
Still, seeing my friend so well-loved by a man who had apparently loved her for years was a treat.
“Doc’s pretty straightforward. And I love Oak—it matches Tristan perfectly,” I said, nodding toward Adam, Jo’s fiancé and one of the medical guys on the staff? I honestly wasn’t clear what his nickname had to do with how he functionednow, but he’d been a medic while in the military, and I enjoyed chatting medical stuff with him. Plus, he was a wonderful partner for Jo. And Oak was Winnie’s quiet, steady husband. Just thinking of how those two got together brought a smile to my face.
Well. Not so much the coercion or threats or kidnapping, but definitely the end result.
“I’m partial to a man with a sweet tooth, so I’m pretty pleased with Cookie,” Elise said, eyes pinned on her boyfriend, who looked ridiculously handsome as he listened to Kenny telling a story.
Our beloved donut shop owner had absolutely ended up with the man for her, even if it’d looked a little messy getting there.
Liz started laughing, her long hair free around her shoulders and her demeanor so much lighter than I would’ve imagined it could be just months ago.
“I can definitely say I never imagined falling for a guy nicknamedBarbie, but I’m not mad about it.”
Gosh, no she wasn’t, and the hearts in her eyes were proof. Any day now, they’d be engaged if the way they were looking at each other was any indication.
“I like Pop the best,” I said, gently nudging Jess with an elbow. Since she, too, was a Saint employee and came from the same fancy Army unit the other guys had, so she also had a nickname. “Pop” nodded to her maiden name and also her love of champagne—and thus our abiding friendship.
“There are more, right? Wilder’s Saint, which is a bit obvious for my taste, and then…”
“Stone.”
The named slipped out in a whisper before I knew I’d opened my mouth right as my gaze landed on the tall, dark figure settled against a wall not far from Kenny and Luc. He stood alone, beard somehow bushier than it had been a week ago, arms crossed right against his chest. The parts of his face I could see were somber, maybe even angry. He looked a little bit like a nightmare and yet…
I shucked the light jacket I’d thrown on. The sun had just started to set in the west, and I’d tossed it on because it always got a little chilly this time of night outside the cabin. Tall trees created shade in the latter half of the day and, well, I didn’t need it now because all of these people had been breathing out their hot air and had effectively set me on fire.
As I struggled against the disturbingly tight cuff of my denim jacket, Elise set a hand on my wrist and helped me escape.
“You okay? I know you said you like your place but…” She trailed off, gaze following mine to the man across the room.
I shivered, then shook off the odd tractor beam pulling me toward him. This wasn’t helped by the fact that my friends knew all about my first meeting with him, B&E and all.
