But, despite their contrasting sartorial choices, the way Tara and Jeff looked at each other made it clear they were very much in love. Yearning for that kind of bond sank its teeth deep into her heart as she congratulated the couple.
Todd turned to Tara and pulled her into a hug. “I’m really happy for you, T.” His voice was warm like sugar. She was clearly someone he cared about.
And Lindsey couldn’t dislike her, no matter how perfect, because she was also incredibly nice. As was everyone at the party. All the new names and friendly faces were enough to make Lindsey’s head spin. Thankfully, Todd held her hand or kept his arm around her waist as they chatted their way through each small cluster of people on the deck.
Cruz would’ve abandoned her immediately.
Stop it. The asshole had done enough damage when they were together. He didn’t deserve space in her head now that she’d moved on.
Todd glanced at her and lifted one brow as if sensing a change. “You good?” he whispered in her ear, punctuating it with a kiss to her neck that made her toes tingle.
How was he so in tune with her? She nodded and smiled. “Yes.” And she meant it one hundred percent.
But as time went on, she was worn down. They spent time talking to Valerie Sanchez-Kramer, who snuggled an adorable baby in a sling. Her husband Scott stood out because he wasn’t tall and broad like the rest of the men, but his “My Chemical Romance” band shirt and cargo shorts revealed that he was ripped as hell.
“Scott was in the Marines, but we don’t hold it against him,” Todd said.
“That’s because he has the biggest gun,” Valerie said, winking.
Lindsey forced a smile at the double entendre. She knew they all carried weapons, but on the heels of her experience in Montana, she found herself a little queasy at the idea, even if it meant they were probably in the safest house this side of the Potomac.
Todd laughed and said to Lindsey, “Literally. He’s a sniper.”
“Oh.” Scott looked more like a laid-back surfer dude than a stone-cold killer. Which was an asinine thought, because what did a killer look like? Case in point: Megan. Except Megan had wanted Lindsey dead for selfish reasons, whereas she assumed Scott’s motive was to protect his teammates and Steele’s clients.
“He’s also the one who hooked us up with Marti.”
“Oh, right,” she said, feeling thickheaded. Apparently, Scott was the one who’d gotten into some kind of trouble as a kid. Her curiosity went into overdrive, but his past was none of her business. “Thank you for getting her involved. She was great.”
“Of course. Happy to help.” Scott looked down at his wife and gestured to the baby, who’d woken and started fussing. “Want me to take Chloe for a minute?”
“Sure.” Valerie loosened the sling and carefully handed the little girl over.
“How old is she?” Lindsey asked.
Valerie smiled. “Seven months. And finally sleeping through the night, thank God.”
“That must be a relief.” Lindsey couldn’t even imagine how much a baby would change a person’s life, but she’d like to find out someday. Todd’s hand tightened around hers. Was he thinking the same thing? “She’s adorable.”
Scott held the dark-haired child so they were nose to nose, his eyes full of love, a huge smile on his face. “Hey there, teacup.”
Chloe squealed and smacked his face.
They all laughed as Scott tucked the baby into the crook of his arm, bouncing her gently.
As the evening passed, Lindsey relaxed, her anxiety over meeting Todd’s friends easing, but by the time they’d corralled the chaos of families for dinner, a headache had formed at the base of her neck. As an introvert—and an only child to boot—she could only handle so much being “on” before her brain and body rebelled.
By the end of dinner, she’d traded her wine for a glass of water, but mostly she needed a break from the noise, and a few minutes out of the spotlight. Not that anyone gawked or purposely overwhelmed her, but she was still the newbie, the odd person out who had no sense of the team’s history, and the one everyone wanted to learn more about.
If she got to see them more regularly, hanging out wouldn’t wear her down so fast.
“Hey,” Todd pushed away his empty plate and slid his arm around her shoulder, leaning close to speak into her ear. “You doing okay?”
She nodded.
His demeanor had changed as the evening progressed, his posture more relaxed, his smiles easier. He was at home here. She wouldn’t ruin that.
“Just a little tired,” she whispered back. “Your friends are great, but there’s a lot of them.”
