Scott grinned. “At your service.” He grasped one by its rim.
While she gestured and he pushed, I grasped Grant’s arm. “May I speak with you in private?”
“Certainly.”
We crossed the gazebo and stood at the railing.
“Grant,” I said and paused at the sudden sting of tears. How would I get out what I wanted to say?
“Sara, I know.” He drew me with such gentleness into his arms. “I, too, have enjoyed your assignment. You’ve already thanked me numerous times, both with words and deeds.”
I nuzzled closer and breathed in his woodsy scent. He’d given me an out with his comments, but there was more that he’d earned the right to hear. “I’ve thanked you for what youdid. Now I wish to thank you for who youare.”
“I’m listening.”
“Good.” Gratitude welled up inside me. This wasn’t a chore at all. It was satisfying. “I love how loyally you stuck by me. Didn’t matter whether it was anger, tears, sarcasm, or immaturity—nothing made you give up. When I shied away from something painful, you urged me back. If I thrashed around for a new direction, you absorbed the blows. And the risk you took for Scott? That was amazing and generous and...”
“Foolhardy.” He was smiling, but there was an edge to his tone.
“I hope not.” My hands clutched at the steel of his arms. “If your League punishes you for that decision, then they don’t deserve you. How could they miss the results? Remembering Sean helped me. Saving Scotthealedme.”
“Thank you, Sara, for this gift. Your words will sustain me through the hardships ahead.” He pressed a kiss to my temple. “You are lovely in every way possible.”
“Hey, guys,” Scott called. “Everything okay over there?”
Grant and I looked toward the entrance to the gazebo. Camarin and Scott waited side by side, framed by tiny white lights.
“We’re good,” I said.
Camarin touched Scott’s shoulder. “Perhaps you would give me a closer inspection of the solar lighting on the trail. I am curious to see its design.”
He dragged his gaze away from me. “Sure.” They strolled toward the woods, his voice fading into the hum of the summer night.
I took a step away from Grant. “Is there anything I can do to helpyou? Write a letter? Plead your case?”
“I suspect they have heard you already.” He chuckled. “Do not worry. The League has been intrigued with my...agility on this case. There will be no lingering damage to my career.”
“What about Camarin?”
He sobered. “She will be fine. My decisions do not affect her.”
“That’s not what I meant. Can youbewith her?”
“I made a proposal that could allow us to complete projects together.” His face took on the bland expression he used to hide the intensity of his feelings. “The League remains unconvinced, and that stance isn’t without merit. There are a finite number of Beings. If we embrace the team approach, we could accept fewer cases. Naturally, I believe the quality of the results would be a worthwhile trade. The League, however, is withholding judgment until there is better justification for multiple Beings on the same assignment.”
“Kimberley and Sean both benefited from you and Camarin.”
“That example does not apply. We were two Beings with two distinct cases.”
“What about me and Scott?”
“The League views your situation as an unsanctioned anomaly.” He turned his back to the river, his gaze locking on Camarin. “I have run low on ideas.”
This was too important for him to give in. “You bent the rules for me. Why can’t you bend them for Camarin?”
“She has a unique qualification that must stay a secret. Were we to function blatantly outside the rules, it might shine a spotlight on her that simply cannot be tolerated.”
I wanted to shake some sense into him, anything to wrench that resigned tone from his voice. “Then seek out a case that won’t succeed without a team.”
