He groaned. “Unfair.”
“Turnabout and all that.” She laughed.
The door opened and a petite woman with shiny red curls smiled at them. Her expression was so welcoming, any nerves Whitney might have at meeting the rest of Alex’s friends evaporated.
“Whitney. Good, you’re here. I’m Hannah.” She stepped back. “Come in out of the cold and introduce me to these precious children.”
They entered the great room that held a large dining table and family room with fireplace blazing. Laughter and conversation flowed around the space filled with team members Whitney recognized. Nate was there, too, but wearing casual clothing, and he looked less intimidating. As did all the others. They were relaxed. Smiling.
“You must be Isaiah,” Hannah said as she looked at him. “Gage and I have a son, David, and daughter, Mia. David’s six and Mia’s seven so not too much younger than you.”
Isaiah didn’t respond. Just stood chewing on his lower lip.
“I’m Princess Zoey,” she introduced herself and yanked on her coat. “Off.”
“Yes, you are a little princess. Jackets,” Hannah said. “Let me take them.” She started with Zoey, who immediately wanted to be put down and twirl around in her dress.
Whitney set down her tote, and Alex helped her out of her jacket.
“Ooh, I am so jealous of that dress,” Hannah said.
“Why? Yours is lovely.” Hannah wore a deep green sheath with a lace outer layer that made her gorgeous red hair stand out.
“Thank you, but it’s almost as old as David. I so need to splurge on a day of shopping.”
“I could help you out with that,” Whitney offered.
“Girl, you have a date.” She hung their jackets on hooks by the door and then focused on Isaiah. “David and Mia are in the playroom having dinner. Owen and Bekah are there too, so Zoey could play with them when they finish eating. I’ll introduce you and you can have some dinner.”
“Cool,” Isaiah said, but didn’t really sound overly impressed.
Whitney watched him carefully. Where was the boy who was starving not more than ten minutes ago?
“And we have a dog, Barkley,” Hannah went on. “He’s in his crate because he’s only six months old, and he can get into a lot of things he shouldn’t at a party like this.”
Isaiah nodded, and Whitney expected him to offer that they’d adopted Cocoa, but he didn’t even mention her.
“Would you like me to come with you to eat with the other kids?” Whitney asked.
He didn’t speak for a long moment, and then nodded, the uncertainty that had been present in his life since Vanessa died evident in unfamiliar surroundings. The urge to hug him was so strong, but Whitney didn’t want to draw attention to him and took Zoey’s hand. “C’mon, Zoey. Let’s go meet some new friends.”
They found the other kids in a large playroom filled with toys and arts and crafts supplies. Whitney got Zoey settled with her food but Isaiah hung back, taking his time. She wanted to urge him forward and get him talking to the others, but she stepped back to watch what he decided to do.
“He’ll learn to deal with it better,” Hannah whispered.
“How can you be so sure?”
“David and Mia. David’s my biological child. His father died. And Mia is Gage’s daughter. She lost her mother, too.”
“I’m so sorry for your loss. I had no idea.”
“Thank you.” Hannah squeezed Whitney’s hand. “So you see we’ve been through it, and any advice or help we can offer is yours.”
“I’m glad to take you up on that. I’ll have to get your email and phone number.”
Hannah’s eyebrow rose. “So you’re not staying then?”
“Staying here? Tonight, yes, but we’re going home in the morning.”
“When I saw you looking up at him when I answered the door, I was sure you were in love with him. But you couldn’t work things out, I guess?”
“We haven’t had a chance to talk yet.”
Hannah clamped a hand over her mouth. “Me and my big mouth are going to get me in trouble one of these days.”
“One of these days?” Alex piped up from behind them and chuckled. “It’s more like when aren’t you in trouble?”
She swatted a playful hand at him then shooed them down the hall toward the family room. “Go. Mingle. Make nice and introduce this beautiful woman.”
Alex looked at Whitney. “If you think she’s beautiful on the outside, wait until you get to know her. Now that’s real beauty.”
Heat rushed up Whitney’s neck and flooded her face. The color of her skin must resemble Santa’s red suit.
“Aren’t you two so cute together?”
“Cute?” Alex mimed choking. “Anything but cute.”
“Okay, adorable, then.”
He rolled his eyes. “Me and my big mouth.”
Hannah hugged his arm and looked at Whitney. “You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into with this one, but I promise you, he’s a real catch.”
“My turn to blush.” Alex fanned his face and pretended to be embarrassed.
Whitney had seen him crack some jokes and play around, but never this much in such a short time, and she was baffled by it. Maybe she didn’t know him as well as she thought she did.
Shaking her head, Hannah set off and worked her way through the others, heading toward Gage.
Whitney faced Alex. “You’re different tonight.”
“Different how?”
“Funny. Sarcastic. A real joker.”
“Right. Yeah. Like I told you, I’m kind of known as the team joker. I never did much of that around you, did I?”
She shook her head and worry niggled its way into her brain. “Who are you really?”
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. Should we do it now or go mingle?”
He was worrying her, but she’d come to talk to the team and thank them personally for their support, too, so she would do that first.
Or maybe you’re afraid to find out what he has to say.
“Well, we came for dinner… and I’d like to hand out the gifts. Don’t want anyone to go home and miss them.”
“Dependable, too,” he said and motioned for to her to go first.
She stopped to grab her tote bag then followed Hannah into the room. Hannah went straight for Gage. He slid his arm around her waist and didn’t miss a beat in his conversation with Sam, Eryn, and Trey.
“Would it be possible to get the whole team together so I could say something?” Whitney asked them.
“Sure,” Hannah said. “Let me grab the others.”
“Look at her,” Alex said as Hannah moved through the room. “She’s rounding them up and herding them together like cattle.”
“Well, a lot of us are bullheaded,” Trey joked.
Whitney laughed, though she didn’t know them well enough to know if it was true. But they were all very confident and that had to bring its share of bullheaded moments. She hunted through her bag for Gage’s box and gave it to him.
“What’s this?” he asked, clearly confused.
“Just a small token of my thanks for your work in keeping us safe and apprehending Percy.” She gave Sam, Eryn, and Trey their packages, too.
“That wasn’t necessary,” Gage said. “We were just doing what we’re called to do.”
“It’s necessary to me, so I hope you can accept it.”
“Of course. We’ll wait for the others to join us before opening them,” Gage said, offering a pointed look at his team.
A man she had to assume was Jackson headed their way as he was the only team member she hadn’t met. He held hands with a woman—his wife, Maggie, Whitney assumed—who had golden blond hair pulled back into a bun. Taller than Whitney, she was regal looking in a simple black dress as she almost glided across the room.
She held out slender fingers. “Maggie Tur—Lockhart.” She glanced at Jackson. “I will get the hang of having a dif
ferent name. I promise.”
“Newlyweds,” Gage explained. “What? All of ten, twelve days now.”
“Thirteen, but who’s counting?” A dreamy smile crossed Jackson’s face. This guy was so in love.
Coop arrived, a big smile on his face, and he looked like he had a secret that was about to burst. The woman by his side had russet brown hair to her shoulders in sleek waves and a shy smile.
Alex introduced them and Whitney shook hands.
Last to arrive was Riley and a woman who looked very familiar to Whitney, but she couldn’t place her at first. She was movie-star gorgeous with flowing blond hair and a sparkling dress. Her vivid sapphire eyes sparkled as well.
“You’ve met, Riley,” Alex said. “This is his fiancé Leah—”
“Kent. You’re Leah Kent. Recording artist. Oh, my, it is you.”
“Nice to meet you, Whitney, but I am retiring from that life to marry this big lug of a guy.” She caressed Riley’s arm and beamed up at him.
As Hannah joined them again, Whitney handed Riley’s and Jackson’s boxes to them. She suddenly felt shy. “Just a little something…that I had made for you all—to thank you for your help.”
Everyone stared at her.
“Go ahead.” She waved her hands. “Open them.”
They did and had similar reactions to Alex of silent reverence.
“How lovely,” Hannah exclaimed and gave Whitney a quick hug. “That was so thoughtful.”
Whitney would have to be blind not to see that Hannah took a strong mothering role in this group.
“There’s more on the back,” Alex said, pride in his tone, and he drew her to his side, too.
“This is perfect. Just perfect.” Eryn hugged Whitney. “Please tell me you’re going to marry this guy.”
“Um…well.”
“I haven’t asked…yet.”
“Then why are you here with us? Shoo. Shoo.” Eryn waved her hands.
Whitney blushed. “I…I wanted to hand out the coins, and I’m so glad you like them. It really sums up what I think of what you all do.”
“Trust me, we’re grateful for the coin,” Eryn said. “I will cherish it always. And for your kindness.” Then she winked. “But we’d be even more grateful if you’d marry this guy before he becomes a confirmed bachelor in his old age and is a third wheel all the time.”
Alex gaped at her, and she wrinkled her nose.
Whitney laughed. “Guess we should go have that talk.”
“Stay here and let me grab our jackets.”
Jackets? Why were they going outside?
“Hey, wait a minute, man,” Coop called out. “There’s something I’ve been busting a gut to say all night. Since we’re all standing here, it’s the perfect time.”
Alex growled a frustrated warning low in his throat. “Make it fast.”
Coop drew Kiera in front of him and placed his hand on her belly. “Kiera’s pregnant. Four months along.”
“Oh my stars, that is just the best news.” Hannah charged across the circle and hugged Kiera. “Do you know if it’s a boy or girl?”
She shook her head. “We want to wait or maybe even be surprised. We’re just not sure what we want to do yet.”
The guys were pumping Coop’s hand and slapping him on the back. He beamed like a proud soon-to-be dad, and his gaze landed lovingly on his wife.
Whitney remembered when Vanessa announced her pregnancies. She used cupcake filling to declare the sex of each baby.
Oh, sweetie, I miss you so much.
Tears came and Alex took her hand. “You’re thinking of Vanessa.”
She nodded.
“Then come on. Let’s get our coats and change the subject.”
She nodded, and they stopped on the way out to the back patio to tell Isaiah where they were going and to keep an eye on Zoey.
Alex flipped on a switch and a million sparkling white lights lit up the patio. A table was set with fine white dishes, champagne glasses, and sparkling grape juice filled an ice bucket.
She looked up at him. “You did all of this for me?”
He blushed and nodded. She rushed over to him and hugged him hard.
“I’m feeling kind of insecure about this and thought the ambiance might help.”
“It’s beautiful, and you’re so sweet.”
Another blush and he toed the ground with his shoe. “You asked me before who the real Alex is.”
Her stomach clenched. “Yes.”
“Honestly, I’m not sure, and I’m working on figuring that out. I told you how I started joking around and it stuck with me and then at the resort with you, I didn’t feel that way. At least not most of the time. I thought I could be real with you, you know?”
She nodded. “The connection was there and made it seem like we knew each other for a long time.”
“Yeah…yeah. Like soul mates, if you believe in that kind of thing. But there was more for me, too. I figured out I still had issues with my mom taking her life and leaving me like that. I’ve never met anyone who motivated me to face that pain and come to terms with it. But I want to be with you, and you deserve for me to get my stuff together. So I promise I will.”
He got down on one knee, reached into his coat pocket, and opened a ring box. “I love you, Whitney. So incredibly much. Will you marry me? It doesn’t have to be right away. Give us time to figure everything out. Me with my mom. You heal from losing Vanessa. The kids. But I want my ring on your finger so we both know the commitment we’re prepared to make.”
“Yes,” she said, tears flooding her eyes from happiness. “I love you, too, and yes, I’ll marry you.”
He slid the ring on—a white gold band with a large round diamond in the center, additional diamonds on either side. He got to his feet.
She held out her hand and gawked at her finger. “The ring is breathtaking, Alex. It’s so beautiful.”
He tenderly took her in his arms and held her like a precious jewel. “I haven’t known this kind of peace in my life. Ever. You’re the reason, and I never want to let you go.”
“You will never have to.” She looked up, memorizing everything about the man looking at her with such warmth, she felt it to her toes.
He slid his hand into her hair and lowered his mouth. His lips settled on hers. They were cold, but quickly warmed, and she twined her arms around his neck and got lost in his kiss.
The door burst open, hitting the wall with a bang. Whitney reluctantly drew back to see Zoey charge out after a puppy with giant paws. Isaiah came running after them. Then David and Mia and Bekah. Hannah was hot on their heels. Gage followed.
The kids ran out into the yard.
The adults stopped and stared at Whitney and Alex.
“Well,” Hannah said, not at all shy about breaking into their big moment. “Did she say yes?”
Whitney wiggled her ring finger.
Hannah whooped and came running.
“Just so you know,” Alex said. “This is what you’re in for if you hang around us for long.”
Whitney grinned. “Hey, I come with a ready-made family. You might as well, too. But I warn you, when your family of big grown-up men gets unruly, you’re in charge of disciplining them.”
He laughed and hugged her hard before Hannah swept her out of his arms and into a hug of her own.
“Welcome to the family,” she said and released Whitney.
“Now come on, honey.” Gage took her hand. “We have kids and a dog to round up, and these two obviously want to be alone.”
“Right. The kids.” Hannah brushed a strand of hair out of her face. “Maybe we need a vacation.”
“Or just a good night’s sleep.”
“Yeah, that, too,” she said as they trudged out into the yard.
Alex put his arm around her, and they watched as Isaiah came wandering back from the yard.
He looked up at Whitney. “Are you going to marry him?”
“Would it be okay with you if I did?’
“Yeah. Alex already asked. He’s cool like that.”
Alex offered an exploding fist bump to Isaiah. “I asked if it was okay if he had to move here, but it was only speculation. I’m willing to live wherever you choose.”
“Here,” Isaiah said. “I want to see all the cool stuff you have.”
“It’s not something you’ll get to be involved with on a regular basis,” Alex warned.
“Yeah, I know, but I bet the kids at school wonder what goes on here. I’ll be like a rock star.”
Whitney had to smile at his naive take on life, but he could be right. “I can be a nurse anywhere, but your job is pretty specific.”
“Yeah, like you can’t fly in helicopters and shoot out engines just anywhere,” Isaiah said, sounding impressed. “And you’d be nuts to quit that kind of job. Crazy, you know?”
“Then it looks like we might be moving,” Whitney said. “We’ll all talk about it later and decide.”
Alex jumped in. “We don’t have to live in my cabin. Gage is cool with us not living on the compound.”
“I’m gonna go eat,” Isaiah said. “Unless I have to watch Zoey some more. But I don’t think it’s fair that I have to do that all the time.” He stomped a foot on the concrete and looked up with a dare in his eyes.
“You’re right,” Whitney said with a serious expression when she was rejoicing inside that he was complaining. “I’ve got it from here tonight. Go have fun.”
He looked up at Alex. “We gonna go look at the cool stuff in the morning?”
Alex nodded. “You better believe we are.”
A smile crept onto Isaiah’s mouth, and he headed back inside.
Whitney moved closer to Alex. “It’s looking like everything is going to be just fine with him. I know he has a long way to go, but he’s made a bit of progress. That complaint was just awesome.”
“I’m going to remind you of that when he’s thirteen and sullen. But for now…” He pulled her against his solid body, kissing her forehead and the tip of her nose before settling his mouth to hers, his touch tender and insistent at the same time.
Her emotions exploded. She slid her arms around him and held on for dear life. When the kiss ended, she rested her head against his chest, something she’d been wanting to do since they parted at the resort.
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