Three hours later, we stood in the front yard, hugging and saying our goodbyes. There wasn’t a person in the family who hadn’t welcomed me with open arms or who didn’t hug me tightly when saying goodbye.
“Don’t be a stranger,” Gigi said to me before she let me go. “You have my number now. Keep in touch, and the next time you need a tattoo, I’m a quick drive away. You’re always welcome in our home too.”
I smiled as my vision blurred. I wouldn’t cry. I wouldn’t cry because I had to say goodbye to these wonderful people I’d only known for a few short days.
“I’ll call,” I whispered, holding on to her arms for a moment longer than I should have.
“You’ll be back,” she said, winking. “Mark my words.”
I laughed, finally letting her go. “You’re crazy.”
“I know the Moore men better than anyone else in the world, and I’m never wrong.”
“You’re full of shit,” Pike said, throwing his arm around her shoulder. “She’s wrong a lot. Don’t listen to a word she says.”
Gigi craned her neck, glaring up at her man. “So, Austin isn’t crazy for Mak?”
Pike winced. “Okay, so maybe you’re rightsometimes.”
Gigi beamed. “See?” she said, turning back toward me. “I told you.”
“Mak!” Austin yelled from the driveway, where he stood with my father. “Ready?”
“Bye.” I waved to Gigi and Pike, unable to wipe the dumb smile off my face. “Thanks for everything.”
“Take care of that tat,” Gigi said as I walked away, and I waved to the rest of the family as their gazes moved between Austin and me.
“I’ll give you two a moment,” Austin said, stepping away from my father and me.
My father nodded at him, waiting for him to leave us before speaking. He wrapped his big arms around my body, holding me tighter than he had in years. “I won’t see you before deployment.”
“I know,” I muttered into the soft cotton fabric of his T-shirt.
“Be careful out there, and let us know you’re okay when you can.”
“I will.”
He held me tighter. “Maybe you should’ve joined the Air Force.”
“Dad,” I groaned into his chest. “Stop. I’ll be fine.”
“Do you like this man?”
I pulled away slightly, leaning back so I could see my dad’s face. “What?”
“Do you like Austin?”
I blinked, thrown off by the question and quick change of topic. “He’s nice.”
He raised an eyebrow, peering down at me with the fatherly look I’d always hated. “You’re not answering my question.”
“I like him,” I admitted, petrified my dad would warn me away from him.
Austin was older. He was military and not just navy, but a SEAL. My father knew the dangers of such work and the life.
“But,” I added before my dad could say anything else, “we’re only friends.”
“You keep saying that. It’s like you have an answer ready for all things. I’ve known you since you took your first breath, baby. If you like the man, don’t let your stubbornness or the distance get in the way of getting what you want.”
