1
"What the eff!"
The helicopter blades had stopped whirring, and the sudden silence that followed seven-year-old Evie's outburst made her words ring out crystal clear across the LSIMT hangar. Everyone gathered outside the hangar froze for a split second.
Casper dropped his chin to his chest, trying to hold back the chuckle that escaped despite his best efforts, but as laughter broke out all around him, he gave in to the temptation and laughed along with everyone else.
"Evie!" Lenore tried to scold, but it was hard to sound stern when everyone's laughter was ringing out across the compound. "We don't say words like that!"
"But the puppy won't listen!" Evie protested, pointing at the little black-and-white troublemaker that had wandered away from the group and was now investigating something near the hangar door.
"Stop laughing," Sisco tried to order the group, his stalwart expression even more foreboding as he looked around at his teammates. "Lenore is going to kill me. Or maybe whichever one of you taught my daughter that!"
Casper was sure Evie had probably overheard her dad say more than “eff,” and the chuckles still coming from the group showed they all had the same idea.
"My son is just beginning to talk," Logan groused, shaking his head while Vivian tried to hide her smile behind her hand, their toddler balanced on her hip. "You'd better watch yourselves around him, or Lenore won't be the only mad mama. My Vivian will make Lenore look like an angel."
Noel’s eyes widened as her hand rested on her growing belly, staring at the little girl in surprise. Landon wrapped his arm around his wife, his lips twitching.
"Hey, congratulations on the license, Timothy," Casper called out, trying to redirect the conversation while still grinning. "First official flight as a Keeper. How'd it feel?"
"Like I've been waiting my whole life for this," Timothy replied, his face still flushed with excitement as he pulled off his headset completely. "Thanks for all the lessons, Cole."
"You're a natural." Cole clapped him on the shoulder. "Now that you’re fully licensed, it’ll be nice to have another pilot available for our missions."
As the group continued to congratulate Timothy, Casper looked around at the faces surrounding him. These weren't just coworkers. They were friends. Comrades. Family, really. People who had his back, and he had theirs.
He'd never thought he'd be part of a security team that allowed for family, fun, and friends. But here he was, watching Evie finally corner her wayward puppy while the adults continued their good-natured ribbing. And he realized he'd found something he hadn't even known he was looking for.
The late-afternoon Montana sun was casting longer shadows, and the gathering began to break up. Mia and Devlin said their goodbyes first, hands linked as they walked toward their truck. Sadie and Todd followed, Todd's arm around hiswife's shoulders, as they discussed Todd’s assignment to Mexico the next day.
Dalton and Frazier, two Keepers who were brothers, walked toward an SUV, probably to head to their apartment. For now, since neither brother was coupled with anyone, they were sharing an apartment.
Sisco scooped up Evie while Lenore gathered the puppy supplies, and the little family headed toward their SUV with Evie still chattering about the stubborn puppy. Landon and Noel walked with them, Noel and Lenore discussing pregnancies. Their newest Keeper, Tyler, and his fiancée, Justice, walked arm in arm toward their vehicle.
Mary rolled toward her handicapped-accessible van, with Bert walking alongside, the two deep in discussion. Casper grinned again. If he wasn’t mistaken, Mary was asserting her independence while Bert hovered.
Logan and Vivian headed toward their house on the compound, their toddler babbling happily as the family disappeared around the corner.
Soon, it was just the bunkhouse residents left as Casper, Timothy, Cole, and Cory headed toward the low-slung building they called home. It was far from a typical bunkhouse, with six individual bedrooms, two large bathrooms, and a communal kitchen and living room. And since Logan allowed any Keeper to live there rent-free, it was the smartest choice for Casper.
Hell, the bedroom to himself was a luxury. In the military, he’d always shared a space. And growing up, he and his sister shared a room for years. When things went to shit, and they moved to an even smaller place, his mom and sister shared a room, and he slept on the pull-out sofa. Shoving those thoughts down, he showered, then moved into the kitchen to help fix dinner.
After sharing a meal, the four men grabbed their beers and headed outside, each taking a seat in one of the wooden chairs facing the Montana mountains in the background. Conversation was easy… and so were the silences. Casper had never desired to fill the void of silence with meaningless talk, so he listened as Cole and Timothy discussed upcoming flights.
Cory’s phone rang, and he grinned as he headed back inside to take the call.
Cole stretched his arms overhead as he stood. "Think I’ll call it a night."
"Same here," Timothy added, as he also took to his feet.
One by one, they walked inside until finally Casper was alone on the front porch. He leaned back in his weathered chair with his feet propped up on the railing. The compound was quieter now as the Montana evening settled around him like a blanket.
A familiar ringtone cut through the evening, and Casper smiled before he even looked at the caller ID. His phone showed his sister’s name, and he answered on the second ring.
"Hey, Stephanie, how are you?" The peaceful feeling that always settled over him when talking to his sister or mother spread warmth through his chest.
"Hey, yourself," she replied, her voice bubbling with barely contained excitement. "I haven't heard from you this week, so I thought I'd call to give you the news."
