"Okay, Papa!"
Noelle opened her door and stepped out, only to have McCrae drag her into his embrace. Once he had a hold of both of them, he'd kiss both of their faces over and over.
It made Ciela laugh with full gut shaking laughs and it melted Noelle's heart over and over again.
The gruff man who'd literally stepped between her and a bullet was as loving a man as she'd ever seen or hoped to fall for.
"Let's go..."
The park area that they were visiting that morning was normally one that McCrae would avoid as much as possible.
He loved playing with Ciela, but he preferred more... quiet places.
He wasn't fond of places that his sister called 'peopley.'
Noelle closed her door and looked at the park. "We didn't bring Ciela's bag."
The bag meaning a repurposed diaper bag that carried everything from snacks to sunscreen, from toys to insect repellant.
"It's covered, Baby. Let's go."
It only took a few minutes of walking before Noelle realized that it was, indeed, covered.
There was a whole party set up near the Toddler Play Area that was full of fold-out tables, food, and fun.
The entire group of S.W.A.T. team members and her family were there.
Finola and Katie rushed up to meet them and Ciela was suddenly gone from McCrae's arms.
"Grammie King!"
A banner unfurled at that moment, and Ciela cheered when the words‘Feliz Cumpleaños, Ciela’ were visible on the rainbow-colored banner.
McCrae pulled her close against his side and nuzzled a kiss against her temple. "The guys wanted to surprise her. They didn't even tell me until last night."
Noelle turned to look at him. "Why last night?"
"Well," McCrae turned and leaned her back up against one of the trees, "they thought I couldn't keep a damn secret."
He sounded put out.
Noelle reached out her hand and put it on his chest, soothing him. "Could you?"
He sighed. "Usually. But yeah, I probably would have blurted it out."
She shook her head at how disappointed he looked.
Leaning in against him, she rose up on the toes of her sandals and pressed a kiss on his chin and then his jaw before she nipped the lobe of his ear. "Just think about how much they care," she lifted up a hand and turned his face toward hers. "How much we love you, McCrae King."
He leaned in for a kiss, and she loved how he could make her melt with just a touch of his lips on hers.
"Damn it, 'Elle... I fucking love you."
"Excuse me?"
Startled, Noelle turned and saw a woman approaching her.
In size and stature, she reminded Noelle of her grandmother.
