I knew I was being hypocritical since I had convinced Maggie to wear the white one she had on under that mesh cover-up.
My friend stood between me and the pool. “Why don’t you use all that laser focus on the job at hand? The edges of those burgers are going to burn.” He raised a brow at me and held out his hand. “Unless, you want me to take over?”
“Hands off, Hawkins, or I’ll have security escort you out.” There was no heat in my words as I removed the burgers from the grill and added the hot dogs.
Jason stood closer and shoved his hand in the pockets of his shorts. “He's right though. We want the meat cooked not cremated.”
I rested the tongs next to the grill and gave them both the middle finger. My eyes scanned over the people taking over my back yard. Grace and Owen sat talking to Skylar and Hilton. I looked at Jason and then pointed in their direction.
“Are those two a couple now, or not?”
Jason shrugged his shoulders. “Not as far as they know.”
“So, what?” I was the last one to judge, but I didn’t understand why Grace and Owen couldn’t make it work. “They’re just hooking up when they’re in town?”
Jason looked away from us. A clear indication he was hiding something.
Ryder, who had known Jason almost as long as I had, narrowed his eyes. “What aren’t you telling us? You stayed with her in New York.”
“I know she snuck a man in.” He looked over at Grace and Owen. “A man whose snores sound an awful lot like Owen.”
That made no sense. “Owen’s in the army. What the hell is he doing in New York?”
Before we could think too hard on Owen's secret life that many of us suspected about for a while, laughter drew my attention.
Maggie and Shiloh were laughing at the kids playing in the pool, trying to dunk Tiffany. It was the first time we’d interacted with our friends as a couple. Officially, at least. Maggie had done most of the catering and had no problem putting everything on my card. Something about her being that comfortable settled another bit of the tension inside me.
I watched as she threw her head back in laughter at something Shiloh whispered to her. It had been such a privilege to watch the shadows that had haunted her beautiful brown eyes since Fred was released slowly disappear and morph into unadulterated joy. Even knowing that her ex was still out there, lurking, she’d still managed to find the joy around her.
In the few weeks since we had discussed the future of our careers, we’d both been overwhelmed by the amount of paperwork involved. Not to mention that both Hunter and I would be fully under the Salinger Security umbrella once our current case was over. Nick had also given me the option to buy a share in Salinger Security. It really looked like I could get out of my father’s shadow and lead the life I was meant to.
Much of my future was still a secret, especially my involvement with Salinger Security. The board had not been happy with my decision to sell parts of the company but mylawyers were happy to make sure that I got everything I said I wanted.
Hunter walked up to us and elbowed Jason in the ribs. “They’re like two love sick puppies, the way they’re staring at their women.”
I turned to Ryder to see a very similar look on his face to mine. Not that I was in any way embarrassed. Was I whipped? Absolutely. Was I proud of that fact? Also, yes. I got to do the bidding of the woman of my dreams. Nothing could be better than that. I just needed to say the words.
Watching her eyes roam around the backyard I could tell she was watching our friends, ensuring everyone was okay. I know she’d noticed when Skylar had winced when she was hugged earlier. And the way Tiffany seemed to be off in her head far too many times over the course of the day. Maggie was our glue. The one who kept us together. Our caregiver. And I was privileged enough to say she was mine.
One day soon she would have my ring, and my name. Our kids would have my name, as well. Because make no mistake, those kids were mine. I may have had my head up my ass while their sperm donor took advantage, but he would not get another opportunity. They were in my life and I was not letting go.
As the sun began to dip, and the sky was a simple ombre of purple and orange, the mood shifted. The raucous laughter had died down and was replaced by quiet murmur among our friends. Jaycee had crawled into my lap, not bothering to hang onto what her brother and Ethan were up to.
I lowered my lips to the top of her head and planted a soft kiss. “Don’t go to sleep just yet. You still have to watch the show.”
“I’m not tired.” Her voice was filled with conviction, even if that little yawn betrayed her.
I placed my hand over her mouth. “I’m sure you’re not.” Looking over at Hunter, I gave him a small nod.
He acknowledged me by lifting his chin. “Light show in ten minutes everyone.”
It had been a decision we’d made many years before when Skylar’s dad had been triggered into a panic attack during a particularly loud fireworks display. It only made sense with so many of our friends and family being military or former military to have a spectacle without the bang.
While everyone settled in and made themselves comfortable, I set up the app on my phone while Hunter set up what needed to be done in the yard. Once we were all ready I tapped the go button on my phone and watched the spectacle unfold. An electric hum vibrated through the air, before hundreds of tiny lights lifted into the dark night sky. The kids gasped as the drones ascended and formed a glittering American flag that rippled as if the wind was actually blowing it. The formation shifted, the lights swirling like synchronized fireflies to form a cowboy hat — a nod to my woman — before it morphed into a shield and pom-poms, then a skateboard. The light show was a tribute to each of the people I loved. A police badge for Shiloh, a stick man with a guitar for Ryder, and so on. Finally, the sky lit up with an overflowing volcano and I glanced over at Hayden and shot him a wink. Of course, I could not leave out Jaycee. The last image of the evening was a pink unicorn running around the sky with a rainbow forming behind her.
As we switched the patio lights back on and everyone started to move and stretch their legs, Ryder smiled at me.
“Okay Snow, that was a cool party trick.”
