She groaned softly, realizing that he was right. “I did, didn’t I?”
He rubbed his hands up and down her arms. “You’re not that little girl anymore,” he continued, eyes steady on hers. “I believe in you,” he said simply. “And those couple of hundred people? They’re not here to judge you. They’re here because of you.”
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug.
She sank into it without thinking, pressing her cheek briefly against his chest. She could smell his cologne, something clean and beachy like. Whatever it was, it smelled good.
“You’re going to do great,” he said against her hair. “You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to be you.”
She leaned back just enough to look at him. “Thank you. For being here.”
“There’s nowhere else I’d be.”
Damn, he’s perfect, she thought to herself. She needed to put some distance between them before she dragged him into one of the conference rooms nearby and devoured him.
She straightened her shoulders and took a step back. She smiled up at him. “Let’s do this.”
He smirked. “Come on, I’ll walk you out.”
She started walking towards the door, and Pierce fell into step beside her, his hand pressed against her lower back.
As she approached the glass double doors, she took a deep breath before pushing them open and walking out.
The crowd was definitely larger than Charley had expected, and she felt her heart begin to beat faster. It looked as if the entire community had come out to support the event. Rows of chairs lined the front lawn of the building, with even more people standing in clusters along the sidewalk. Local media, military families, active-duty service members, and veterans filled the space, their conversations buzzing with anticipation. She even spotted Ray and Jessica, along with her Aunt and Uncle.
Her eyes widened, and she glanced up at Pierce. “You weren’t lying.”
He grinned. “I’d never lie to you.”
Alyvia spotted her first and let out a low whistle. “Look at you!Power Suit Barbie. You’re officially the hottest nonprofit boss in the zip code.”
Charley laughed, trying to ignore the flutter in her stomach. “You’re the one who made me buy this outfit.”
“And I was right. It suits you perfectly,” Alyvia stated, looking like she wanted to give herself a pat on the back. She then leaned closer to Charley, just enough that no one else would hear her.“I’m going to assume the very tall, unfairly good-looking man next to you is Pierce?” she murmured, keeping her expression carefully neutral.
Charley bit back a smile and glanced up at Pierce. Judging from the smirk on his face, he had heard Alyvia.
She did the introductions. “Alyvia, this is Pierce. Pierce, this is Alyvia Jackson.”
As Pierce and Alyvia were shaking hands, Charley spotted a sleek black SUV rolling up to the curb.
As the back passenger door opened, Charley couldn’t stop the huge smile from spreading across her face.
Alex stepped out of the SUV a second later. Even with a baby curled against her chest, she looked every bit like the composed powerhouse she was known to be. Her long brown hair cascaded in soft waves down her back. She wore a sleek navy-blue pantsuit, a perfect complement to Charley’s red ensemble.
Charley quickly made her way over. “Alex!” Charley grinned, pulling her into a hug, careful not to squish the baby between them. “You look incredible. And oh, my goodness, let me see her!”
Alex shifted her sweet baby girl. “This little chunk snacked the whole flight, and now she’s out like a light.”
Charley melted as she peeked at the baby’s round cheeks and sleepy eyes. “She is already a heartbreaker.”
Right behind them, Ace stepped out of the SUV. His easy grin and broad-shouldered presence radiated SEAL through and through, but his eyes were warm as he approached his wife and baby girl.
“Ace,” Charley greeted him with a quick hug. “Thanks for coming. I know your schedule is insane.”
“Wouldn’t miss it,” he said. “Alex’s been buzzing about this trip for weeks.”
Alex turned, taking in the gathered crowd. Her eyes widened. “Wow, Charley. Look at this turnout.”
