Page 85 of Anything for You
“Yeah, maybe. But you guys, and Doc, Oak, Bruce…” I shook my head. “I’m grateful.”
Kenny beamed, the little softy’s eyes glittering. “Yeah, well, that’s what family does.”
Jude and Luc agreed, and I did, too. Because that was the reality here. That’s what they’d offered me so stoutly and insistently. My own family had never felt like this. The only child of parents who probably shouldn’t have had kids, I’d hardly spoken to them save birthdays and holidays in the last twenty years. I’d never had hard feelings about that, especially because when I’d needed help, when I’d neededhope, my chosen family had been there.
Whether it was the bonds of war and service that roped us together, or whether it was the grit and engrained stubbornness of us as individuals that did it, I would thank God every day for the rest of my life for these men.
If Dove had shown up in my life five years ago, I wouldn’t have even seen her. Even two years ago, I was struggling through learning life here in Silverton. A year ago, I was improving consistently, but still needed to focuson establishing the pattern of my life in a new phase—out of the military, in the wide world.
That we’d come together now would never cease to be a miracle for me. And as I grinned back at my own personal miracle workers, I couldn’t wait for more chances for Dove to be a part of this family.
To maybe be a part of this larger one, and make a smaller one of our own.
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
Dove
We focused on the book selection of the month for the first hour. Honestly, it was impressive how engrossed in character arcs and settings and meet-cutes everyone was. We usually did a little more chatting before we dove in, but today, I was down to business.
Now that we’d lapsed into the second hour, I was ready. I’d updated them here and there on things with Dorian, but part of me had been waiting for tonight. Our once-a-month book club was a nonnegotiable outing for me, and I’d been counting the minutes until I could see my friends and squeal over my hot, sweet, amazing boyfriend.
I swigged the remaining drops of my prosecco and set the flute down more aggressively than I’d planned.
“Sorry,” I mumbled, eying the small handful of beautiful desserts Dorian had made for our evening that hadn’t been eaten yet.
Once I realized everyone had gone quiet and still, I looked up to find every one of their faces smiling back at me expectantly.
“What?”
“Are you kidding? We thought you’d come in here screaming about your man but you haven’t made a peep. How much longer can we talk about the theme of this freaking book?” Jess said, tossing her paperback behind her with flair.
I laughed, relief and excitement bubbling up instantly. “Okay, I was going to, but you guys were so into the book! Can we please talk about Dorian?!”
Jo clapped, and Catherine grinned. Nikki and Winnie smiled broadly while Liz filled up my glass with more prosecco and Elise gave praise hands to the heavens saying, “Finally!”
And so, I did. I walked them through every sweet thing he’d done and many of the things he’d said. I told them how he’d confessed his feelings so freely, and I’d told him I loved him too, and how I knew it was fast, but it felt so good, and so right.
“I’m so happy for you. I don’t think there always has to be some huge obstacle, you know? You’re not perfect, but it sounds like you’re so well matched. I loved seeing you together at the signing.” Jo looked truly pleased, and I loved her for it.
“It was exciting to make our society debut,” I said, affecting a ridiculous British accent.
“Oh, and did you, in fact, pledge him your maidenhead? He has been feeding you quite a bit, hasn’t he?” Elise batted her eyelashes like she’d asked a normal question.
Everyone paused.
My face burstinto flame.
Everyonesquealed or screamed or laughed or buried their face in their hands from second-hand embarrassment or maybe disbelief. No, I would not be sharing details, but now they knew.
“I don’t want to speak too soon but I can’t imagine not being with him, you know? I’ve always had this inability to see into the future. Not like, my fortune or something, but like… even dreaming up what’s ahead. I know that stems from my childhood and all of that.” I waved away the past. It mattered, but that wasn’t the point I wanted to make. “It’s more like I just didn’t have big dreams. I had this feeling like, maybe if I could figure myself out, and figure out what kind of person I might like to be with, then suddenly, everything would unfold.”
A thrilling, resounding combination of calm and elation filled me as I looked at my friends’ smiling faces. In each of their own ways, they understood this. Nikki’s life had been all but over when she moved to Silverton. Winnie’s was actively in danger and everything she thought she knew had come to a halt. Jo had been hiding who she truly was, Jess had convinced herself she hated the man she’d in some way always loved, and Liz had been so stone-cold focused on her goals, she hadn’t even realized when she lost them. Catherine was still head down, driving toward fulfilling her dreams, but until recently, she hadn’t been able to even let herself pursue them, and Elise… Elise had never dreamed of having what she did now.
None of us could’ve predicted where we ended up. None of us could’ve written a story like this one. Not even our Josie Wade.
“And now?” Elise asked.
I shook my head, the full force of what felt like miraculous clarity hitting me as I whisked a tear from my eye. “Now I see it. I don’t know exactly, but I can see it there. And it’s here with all of you, and it’s with Dorian.”
