“But she’s not guarded with you?” Jake’s question makes me smile briefly as I shake my head.
“Not at all. She knows I’m her safe space. When we’re here or she’s with me out somewhere she’s completely fine.”
“Yeah, bro, but tell them everything,” Seb says, walking backto the table and slipping into his chair. “You’ve been spending your off evenings at the bar while she works.”
I nod. “Yeah, in case he shows up.” The very idea makes my jaw tighten.
“And if he does?” Kyler asks.
“He won’t make it out on his own two feet, that’s for damn sure.”
Sebastian exhales slowly. “You’re walking a line, bro.”
“I know.”
“Do you?” he presses.
I meet his eyes. “I’m not doing anything stupid. I just…want her to feel safe. She deserves that.”
“That’s not something you can force,” Orry says.
“I’m not trying to force it.”
“Then what are you trying to do?” Jake asks.
“I don’t know. I just want her to feel safe and happy everywhere,” I admit. “Not just when she’s with me. I want her to smile. Like, really fucking smile, not the guarded one I see more often than not.”
Killian’s eyes narrow as he considers my words and then, leaning forward, he says, “Maybe you should do something big that would make her smile.”
I look up from my cards. “What do you mean?”
Jake gasps. “Like, a grand gesture?” He jumps out of his seat, his eyes lighting up. “Something big enough that she can’t help but feel the joy.”
“I’m not proposing, you guys. I don’t think she’s ready for that,” I say quickly.
“No one said proposal,” Boone chimes in. “We all know that’s inevitable at some point, but what about something that shows her she’s not alone. That she’s got more than just you watching her back.”
“Like what?”
Bishop taps his fingers thoughtfully on the table. “What makes her happiest? When have you seen her most relaxed?”
“Actually, when we’re all together,” I realize aloud. “The few times you guys have been around her all at once, she seems…lighter. Like she feels safe in numbers. I think she kind of sees you all as her family.”
“She’s one of us, so of course, she’s family,” Orry says. “So use that. Use us.”
I set my cards down, suddenly not caring about the game anymore. “I’m listening.”
“What if,” Boone says slowly, “we did something during Monday night’s game? Something that lets her know she’s got an entire team behind her?”
“You mean like a message on the jumbotron kind of thing?” I ask.
Kyler shakes his head. “Nah, that’s not creative enough.”
Killian leans forward, eyes lighting up. “How far are you willing to go?”
I don’t even blink. “Whatever it takes.”
Boone whistles. “That’s dangerous.”
