She squeezed his hand at the praise. Those two words did something to her inside.
They drove for a short time in silence until Caden slowed. Brooklyn leaned forward peering through the windshield. “There’s a bunch of trucks there.”
“We may be the last ones to arrive,” Caden said.
“What if they don’t like me?” Brooklyn asked.
“That’s not going to happen. You helped save Giana, remember? Who knows what would have happened if you hadn’t driven her away from that jerk.”
“I don’t want people to like me for that,” Brooklyn admitted as he turned around to park in front of a small home.
“Even without that daring rescue move, everyone would love you. Just be yourself.”
“All of the women with your teammates are Littles? I don’t really know how to be little. What if I do something wrong?”
Turning off the car, Caden shifted in his seat to meet her gaze. “I’m sorry you’re worrying so much. You seemed excited to go earlier. Do we need to leave?”
Brooklyn bit her bottom lip as she fretted over what to do. If they took off, everyone would think she didn’t want to meet them. She did, but she was scared. The more she thought about it, the more her fear escalated.
A knock on the window made her shriek and jump. She scrambled to the side, almost scaling the console that separated Brooklyn from her daddy. Caden scooped her into his arms and pulled her the rest of the way onto his lap.
“Sweetheart, you’re okay. It’s Giana. Look,” he reassured her, pointing to Giana, who stood frozen outside.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sneak up on you,” Giana shouted through the glass.
“No, it’s okay. I overreacted,” Brooklyn panted, trying to stop shaking as she pressed herself to Caden’s reassuring warmth. She’d forgotten to focus on her surroundings like she normally did.
“Giana, we’ll come inside in a few minutes. Okay?” Caden called.
Giana nodded and appeared crushed. She jogged back inside. Brooklyn watched her go and suspected Giana was upset. Brooklyn’s heart raced in her chest. She pressed a hand to her chest, trying to stop it.
“I feel horrible. She shouldn’t blame herself for my being nervous. I shouldn’t have panicked. You wouldn’t let someone attack me.”
“I wouldn’t. I should have noticed Giana approaching. It’s okay. We’ll go in and you can talk to her in a couple of minutes. For now, let me hold you. Can you slow down your breathing? Inhale with me, sweetheart. Now, exhale.”
Brooklyn struggled to follow his directions. Fortunately, after a few rounds, she could match her breath to Caden’s. The panicky feelings inside her chest lessened, and she relaxed against him.
“Feeling better, Brookie?”
“Yes, thank you.”
Caden kissed her temple and hugged her close. “Would you like to go inside, or should I call Zale and tell him we needed to go home?”
“We have the dessert. They’ll hate us if we don’t take it in.”
“They won’t hate us, but that’s a good excuse to join everyone. I think Giana would like to see that you’re okay,” Caden told her.
Brooklyn hesitated and then agreed. “You’re right. We need to go inside. If I give you a sign, will you get me out of there?”
“You bet.” Caden popped open his door before she could change her mind. He carried her with him as he stepped out. Setting her feet on the street, he wrapped his arm around Brooklyn’s waist until she was steady. “That’s my girl. Shall I get the dessert and the waffle maker?”
She nodded and stood quietly, scanning the area as he shifted to grab the stuff in the back. When he returned to her side, Brooklyn tucked herself next to him. Caden pressed a hand to her lower back and guided her around the house to the backyard.
“Hi, everybody,” he called.
Greetings came to them from the small groupings. Three men stood by the grill, flipping burgers. Giana sat with two other women on lawn chairs nearby. The final two men played a game with targets and beanbags. Zale headed forward to greet them.
“Hi. I’m glad to see you again, Brooklyn. Welcome!. Please make yourself at home.” A brunette appeared beside him. “Here’s Pippa. She’s my little girl.”
