“Yeah?” Joy surges through me. Maybe, just maybe, she’ll get used to being out and about in Stormwatch Landing again. And then, once all of this is over, maybe that future I’ve been dreaming of isn’t too far out of reach.
“Let’s do it. It’s been a long time since I had one of Maddie’s vanilla shakes.”
Chapter 24
Tessa
Stormwatch Landing without Zane feels empty. Kind of like my life did until I found my way back here again. He’s only been gone a handful of hours, but when I look out through the window of Garrison’s apartment, I know he’s not out there.
And that stings more than I thought it would.
Garrison is seated at the kitchen table, his gaze focused intently on the laptop in front of him. He’s been there most of the morning, taking a handful of calls and responding to what looks like some pretty intense emails.
He’s incredibly friendly, and not once has he treated me with anything but kindness. Not that I would expect anything else. I know Zane wouldn’t have left me with him if he weren’t safe.
And there I go, jumping right on in to blindly trusting him all over again. I smile. Zane Knox has my heart in a chokehold, and I hope he never lets go.
Garrison pushes back from the table and stands to stretch. “I could use some coffee. How about you?”
“I can always use coffee,” I reply.
He flashes a smile. “Great.” He moves around the island that separates the kitchen from the dining room and turns on a large machine with way too many buttons for me. “Zane said you like lavender vanilla, right?”
My heart flips in my chest knowing that he thought of me. “I do.”
“Great. Anastasia dropped off some lavender and vanilla syrups yesterday.”
“That was thoughtful of her.”
“She’s like that.” He goes to work prepping the coffee, so I head over toward the open balcony doors. It overlooks the ocean, and I smile as I close my eyes and let the salty sea breeze toy gently with my hair.
Home.
I’ve missed it dearly. And even though the danger hasn’t passed yet, I can’t help the peace that settles over me like a comfortable blanket. No matter what happens, I’m staying in Stormwatch Landing.
Because this is my place.
My home.
“Here you go.” Garrison steps up beside me and offers me the mug.
“Thanks.”
“No problem.” He takes a sip of his coffee. “I’ve been a lot of places, and this is my absolute favorite.”
“Is that why you settled down here?” I ask.
He nods. “After we were discharged from the military, I didn’t really have anywhere else to go. I’d planned to do twenty years and then retire on a beach somewhere to live out the rest of my days.”
“Alone?”
He shrugs. “My aunt raised me, and she passed away right before I enlisted. I didn’t have anyone and didn’t see that changing.”
“Zane told me that he’s the only one Brenda can control. That you guys joined in of your own volition.”
“We did. All of us were there that day. And like we told him, there isn’t a single one of us who would have made a different choice.”
“He told me what happened. I think he’s a hero.”
