“No, we ate at the hotel before coming over,” Calla said.
“Hotel. You don’t live around here?” Willa asked.
“No, we’re closer to the mountains,” Thario said.
“That’s nice.”
Thario nodded. “We like it. It’s close enough we can come down for big days like today.”
“I guess you aren’t in the Navy if you live that far away,” Willa said.
Thario shook his head. “I was, but I’m retired.”
“Oh.”
“I wasn’t a SEAL when Thario got blown up. He’s been nice enough to be a friend.”
“Ha,” Thario said. “You’re nice enough to let me still feel like a part of the group.”
Willa gasped. “You got blown up?”
Thario nodded. “Yeah, put a dent in my plan for being a SEAL.”
“Oh crap. That’s awful.”
Thario took Calla’s hand and pulled her close. “At the time, I couldn’t think of anything worse, but it opened me up to doing different things. I’m happy now. I wouldn’t have met Calla if I was still a SEAL.”
“Thario taught me a lot about life,” Cy said. “He has a good attitude and taught me to see the positives when things aren’t going great.”
“I could use some positivity,” Willa said.
“Oh?” Calla asked.
“Yeah. My ex is skulking around.”
“Um, yeah, about that,” Cy rubbed the back of his neck. “When I first met you, I sent the information about Robert to Thario and Calla. They were the ones who found out about the warrant for his arrest.”
Willa staredat them in surprise. “Thank you for finding that information. His being locked up gave me peace.”
Calla stepped closer and took her hand. “I know he’s out again, but hopefully he’ll be picked up and not given bail next time.”
“Hopefully. I know he won’t be locked up for life, so he’ll eventually be out. But he needs to learn not to bug me.”
“Yeah. That’s hard for people like him to learn. My brother couldn’t let me go. It was an awful situation. With Thario’s help, I escaped. I know it may seem hopeless at times, but with Cy’s help, you can get free.”
Willa’s throat closed with emotion. Meeting Cy by chance might just be the thing that saved her. She hadn’t been lookingfor a relationship at all, but Cy had come into her life and offered her peace, and with that peace, she’d received something special.
While they’d been talking, Thario and Cy stepped into the back yard with both dogs.
Calla shot her a huge smile. “Cy is one of the good ones.”
A small laugh escaped Willa’s lips. “He is. This is all totally unexpected.”
“When Thario found me, he offered me help, but then it grew to so much more. He changed my life. I hope Cy can be everything you need.”
“He’s already so much more than I thought I would ever have.”
“Good.” Calla squeezed her hand again and then stepped back. “Today will be fun. There will be so many people there, so if you feel overwhelmed, just come sit by me. These people are great, and they understand that sometimes crowds can be too much.”
