Two weeks ago, I was sleeping in my car, rationing gas station snacks, checking over my shoulder every thirty seconds. Now I'm in a warm kitchen surrounded by people who act like I belong, wearing borrowed clothes that smell like the man who's currently arguing with Deck about proper steak seasoning.
"You're doing it again." Vivian appears at my elbow, her belly bumping against the counter as she reaches for the olive oil.
"Doing what?"
"That thing where you look around like you're waiting for someone to tell you it's all a dream." She bumps my shoulderwith hers. "It's not a dream, Natalie. This is just what life looks like when you're surrounded by good people."
I focus on the tomato I'm dicing. "I'm not used to it."
"I know." Her voice softens. "When I first came here, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. For Deck to turn out to be like every other man who'd let me down. It took me a while to believe he was real."
"How'd you finally believe it?"
She's quiet for a moment, watching Deck through the kitchen window where he's manning the grill on the back patio. He says something to Cade, and both men laugh, the sound drifting in through the open door.
"He got shot protecting me," Vivian says finally. "Took a bullet to the shoulder." She shakes her head, a smile playing at her lips. "Hard to doubt a man after that."
"That's... extreme."
"These men are extreme." She turns back to me, her dark eyes warm. "They don't do anything halfway. When they decide you're theirs, that's it. They'll burn down the world to keep you safe."
I think about the way Cade held me last night. The way he woke up twice to check the locks, even though we're miles from anywhere. The way he looked at me this morning over coffee, like I was the most precious thing he'd ever seen.
"I'm scared," I admit quietly. "Not of him. Of how much I'm starting to feel. It's too fast."
"There's no timeline for falling in love, Natalie." Vivian squeezes my arm. "Trust me. I tried to fight it too. All it did was make us both miserable."
Before I can respond, Sadie bursts through the back door with Wolfe trailing behind her like a very large, very silent shadow.
"The steaks are almost ready! Vivian, please tell me the garlic bread is done because I'm literally dying of hunger."
"You had three appetizers," Wolfe says. His voice is low and rough, like he doesn't use it often.
"That was an hour ago! I'm a growing girl."
"You're five foot four."
"Horizontally growing. In my stomach region." Sadie pats her flat belly and grins at him. "Feed me, mountain man."
The look Wolfe gives her would be terrifying if it weren't so obviously full of adoration. He crosses to the bread basket without a word and hands her a piece.
"See?" Sadie takes a huge bite. "He loves me."
"Never said I didn't." Wolfe's eyes don't leave her face as she chews.
The domesticity of it makes my chest ache. Two people who clearly adore each other, comfortable in their banter, secure in their relationship. It's everything I never had with Kevin.
Cade appears in the doorway, a platter of steaks in his hands. His eyes find mine immediately, like he can't help it, like I'm a magnet he's drawn to.
"Salad ready?"
"Almost." I gesture at the bowl. "Just need to add the dressing."
He sets down the platter and crosses to me, his hand finding the small of my back. The touch is casual, possessive in a way that doesn't feel threatening. Just... claimed.
"You okay?" he asks quietly.
"Yeah." I lean into him slightly. "Just taking it all in."
