“I know you’ll need time to think it over…” Noah went on.
“I’ll take it,” she said. The words were out before she could think.
Colt glanced at her, surprised. So did Noah. Then both of them smiled.
Noah gave her a nod and patted her arm. “Come by the office in a couple days. I’ll get you squared away.” He turned, already walking, but tossed one last thing over his shoulder. “Welcome back.”
And then he was gone.
Colt stayed by her side after Noah walked off, his hand brushing lightly against hers.
He tilted his head and gave her a look that was both warm and teasing. “What do you say we find some greasy food to celebrate not getting blown up?”
Brenna smiled. “Yes. Absolutely yes.”
They walked toward the SUV, the morning sun rising behind them. The adrenaline had faded, replaced by something steadier. Calmer.
Alive.
Once inside the SUV, Colt leaned over and kissed her. Slower this time. No panic. No tension. Just quiet certainty.
When he pulled back, he looked at her like he was trying to read something behind her eyes. “Didn’t expect you to say yes to the job so fast,” he said. “Figured you’d need some time to think it through.”
Brenna settled into the seat, fingers curled lightly in her lap. “I thought I would too,” she admitted. “But this op… it reminded me how much I miss being part of a team.”
He nodded, watching her carefully. “Is that the only reason?”
She looked at him. This was the time for truth. No more dancing around it.
“No,” she said. “I want to work with you. I want to be with you.” Her voice was steady, but her heart beat hard in her chest. “I’ve spent years trying to forget what I lost. But I don’t want to run from it anymore. From you.”
Colt didn’t speak right away. He just reached over, took her hand, and laced their fingers together.
“You’re not running,” he said. “You’re home.”
And for the first time in a long time, she believed it.
Brenna looked down at their joined hands, her fingers curling tighter around his. The warmth of his touch steadied her, but her heart was pounding again, different this time. Not from fear. From something deeper.
She drew in a breath. “I’m about to take a risk that scares me.”
Colt looked at her, brows lifting. “I just watched you shoot a man’s kneecap without flinching.”
Her lips twitched, but the nerves in her chest tightened. “This is different.”
She forced the words out, each one tugging something loose inside her. “I’m in love with you.” The silence stretched a second too long, and her throat started to close. “I know it’s probably too soon. I just—”
He stopped her with a kiss. Firm, steady, grounding.
When he pulled back, his voice was low, certain. “We’ve known each other for nearly a decade. It’s not too soon.”
Brenna swallowed hard. “The timing sucks.”
He smiled. “We’re alive and celebrating. I’d say the timing’s just right.”
He leaned in and kissed her again, slower this time, like he wanted to memorize everything about this moment.
When he pulled back, his thumb brushed gently over her cheek. “I’m in love with you, too, Brenna.”
