A slow smile spread across Hank's face. "About damn time."
"You and Colby say that a lot."
"Because it's usually true." Hank clapped him on the shoulder. "Come on. Let's get you cleaned up. Tessa's probably heard the sirens by now and is wondering where you are."
They walked back toward the shop. The crowd was dispersing, and a tow truck arrived to deal with the wrecked vehicles. Life in Copper Moon was returning to normal, or as normal as it got.
Brian's phone buzzed. Tessa.
"I heard sirens. Are you okay?"
He smiled at the worry in her voice. "I'm okay. Car accident near the shop. I helped out."
"Helped out?"
"EMT stuff. I'll tell you about it when I get back." He paused. "I'm going to call Chief Dawson. About volunteering."
Silence on the other end. Then: "Brian. That's..."
"I know."
"I'm proud of you."
The words hit him harder than he expected. His throat tightened. "Thanks. I'll be home soon."
He hung up and looked at Colby. "Home. I called Hank and Bree's place home."
"It is, for now." Hank's voice was quiet. "But you'll get your cottage back. Diaz is going to find Carla Reeves. And when she does, you and Tessa can go back to building whatever it is you're building."
"What are we building?" Brian asked, half to himself.
"A life," Hank said it like it was obvious. "Same thing Bree and I are building. Same thing Colby and Sabrina are building. You find someone who fits, you hold on, you figure out the rest as you go."
Brian thought about Tessa. The way she'd looked at him when he told her about Lily, no pity in her eyes, only understanding. The way she'd stood in Hank's kitchen that morning and declared she wasn't leaving. The way she'd said "I love you" like it was the simplest thing in the world.
"Yeah," he said. "I think that's exactly what we're doing."
They reached the shop. Colby entered first, then turned, a knowing look on his face.
"So you played hero today," Colby said. "You good?"
"Getting there." Brian stepped past him into the shop. The familiar smell of motor oil and old leather wrapped around him like a welcome home. "I'm going to call Dawson. And then I'm going to finish that carburetor we started yesterday. And then I'm going to go back to Hank's and hold my girlfriend and try not to think about the fact that there's still a crazy woman out there who wants to destroy her life."
"Solid plan," Colby said. "Except for the part where you called her your girlfriend. Is that official now?"
"We've said 'I love you.' Pretty sure that makes it official."
Colby let out a low whistle. "Look at you. Rejoining EMS, saying 'I love you,' actually dealing with your shit. Who are you and what have you done with Brian Knight?"
"He got tired of being a coward." Brian said it simply, without self-pity. It was just the truth. "Tessa showed me that running doesn't work. You can't outrun your past. You can only decide whether it controls you or you control it."
"Deep," Colby said.
"Shut up."
"I'm serious. That was very philosophical. I'm impressed."
"I said shut up."
