Dani laughed. “Leave it to you to befriend kids at adult parties.” She said teasingly.
I smiled at the memory. “You should’ve seen Hunter with her. I’ve obviously seen him with the kids, but it was different to see him with her. I could tell it was genuine. He knelt down, tied her shoe, and he even sat there sneaking her cookies. She calls him ‘Uncle Hunt’. ”
Dani fanned herself. “Oh, that’s domestic fantasy fuel right there.”
I laughed, but the sound wavered. “It was nice, though. Seeing him like that. He’s always so… contained. But around them? He was loose. Happy. Confident. It was like seeing a version of him that belonged, and he still kept looking for me across the room — checking that I was okay.”
Her eyes softened. “That’s not casual, Cam.”
“I know,” I whispered.
Silence stretched between us for a beat, comfortable and heavy with meaning. I picked at a loose thread on the pillow, remembering the smell of the bonfire smoke, the way Hunter’s laugh rumbled low in his chest, the teasing between him and his friends that spoke of years of history and loyalty.
“Okay, spill it!” Dani said suddenly, eyes glinting.
I blinked. “What?”
“Come on. That little pause in your voice? That’s the sound of a woman who saw her man go caveman.”
I bit my lip, smiling despite myself. “There was… this guy. Sean. One of Hunter’s friends. Not a bad guy, just—”
“Flirty.”
“Persistent,” I corrected, though Dani’s grin said she knew better. “He was talking to me in the kitchen, leaning a little too close, and before I could even figure out how to sidestep, Hunter was justthere.”
Dani’s eyes widened. “Oh, therethere?”
“Yeah,” I said, heat crawling up my neck at the memory. “He just slid an arm around me, calm as ever, and said, ‘Careful, Sean. You’re talking to my girl.’”
Dani gasped, “My girl?!Oh, my. I need a moment. Do you realize how hot that is?” fanning herself dramatically.
“Dani!”
“Don’t pretend you didn’t like it.”
I tried to fight a smile and failed. “Okay, maybe a little.”
“Maybe? Cam, he basically claimed you in front of a room full of Marines, and you’re telling me you didn’t immediately combust?”
I laughed, face burning. “I might have short-circuited a little.”
She smirked, clearly satisfied. “And did you make him pay for that later?”
I threw the pillow at her. “You’re awful.”
She dodged, giggling. “I’m invested! So what happened next?”
I sighed, softer now. “He leaned down, and he said it wasn’t about jealousy. That I just looked too good for him not to notice when someone else did. And Dani, he meant it. There was this tone in his voice, like he was still half surprised I was even with him. It wasn’t possessive. It was… protective. It made me feel safe. Like I could breathe again.”
Dani’s teasing melted into enthusiasm. “That’s big, Cam. After everything you’ve been through… It’s good to see you letting someone show up for you.”
“Yeah,” I whispered. “It is. He’s different. He’s not scared of the messy parts.”
“Good,” she said, smiling again. “Then maybe you can stop running from the good parts, too.”
I thought about that—the quiet drive home, the way he’d brushed my hair behind my ear before kissing me goodnight, slow and steady like he was afraid to rush something sacred.
I looked at Dani, a small laugh breaking through. “You should’ve seen him at the end of the night. Standing there with his friends, beer in hand, it hit me that I wasn’t seeing the careful, quiet version I usually get. This was his world, and he looked at home in it. But he still looked for me. Every time I moved across the room, his eyes would find mine, like he was checking in, making sure I was okay.”
