Page 123 of Wild Bliss

Sawyer sent her a look. Yeah, there probably wasn’t a lot ofmoving her dad. Beets were his love language. And alien hunting. Sawyer andWyatt probably had some training in their futures.

The futures she would share with them.

“I think River is bringing us breakfast, but we’re happy tohave some nice snacks, Dad,” she said, hugging him, too.

“Damn, did he already bring the beets?” Her sister strode indressed in civies and carrying a couple of bags with her. “I thought you mightget a day or two.”

Mel winked Elisa’s way. “You know aliens like to plant theirseeds when a man is at his most vulnerable, daughter.”

Sawyer frowned. “I think I’ll take those beets now.”

Wyatt stood by his partner. “Yeah, I don’t want any seedsplanted in me. I’ll eat the beet chips. Maybe they’ll go with the breakfastburritos River’s picking up.” He looked down at Sawyer. “I mean not for you,buddy. You’re on a hospital diet for a couple of days.”

“What?” Sawyer put a hand to his chest. “I should havekilled your brother. What a fucking asshole.”

It did not surprise her he was more pissed off about theloss of breakfast burritos than nearly dying. She turned to her sister. “Hey.How are you this morning?”

Elisa hugged Cassidy and then joined Sabrina. “I’m good.Henry is scary, by the way. Like do not piss him off. I went in thinking Iwould have to protect him. Nope. The CIA did a good job. He might not havekilled a son of a bitch recently, but he definitely remembers how. I drove bythe bar this morning. Lark and the others are already working to save what theycan. It’s going to be a long haul, but it’s salvageable.”

She wasn’t afraid of some hard work. “And the school? Ididn’t even think about it. I didn’t call and make arrangements.”

“You were going through some things,” Cassidy said. “There’snothing for you to worry about, sweet girl. Del is stepping up. Rachel and Jenand Callie are helping today, and Laura, Nell, and Holly will take care oftomorrow. They hope you’ll feel like you can come back later in the week. AndStef was so freaked out you might leave after nearly getting murdered that he’sgiving you a blank check for the library and promises he won’t make a singlesuggestion. I could have told him our girl is made of stronger stuff, but Ithought you would appreciate the check. Maybe if you cry, he’ll throw in a gym.Your dad and I have been discussing how to train the next generation.”

Oh, she hadn’t even thought about the fact that her adoptiveparents would view alien hunting as something to teach in public schools. Shewas going to have to find a way to turn it into a fun PE class. The idea ofPaige Harper learning how to use various weapons scared her. “I’ll see what Ican do.”

The next few years would be all about building. Rebuildingthe bar. Building the school system.

Building her family.

The good news? She wouldn’t be doing it alone. Not evenclose.

Cassidy started to explain how she made the beet chips toWyatt and Sawyer, while Mel nodded and agreed with her, looking on with all thelove in the world on his face.

And Sabrina’s world went watery. “How did we get here? Weshouldn’t be here.”

Her sister’s hand slid into hers. “Because of history? Sure,maybe our history set us up to be too afraid to ever take a chance. Maybe thewoman who raised us wanted us to never leave home, to stay stuck in the lifeshe chose for herself, but she made a mistake.”

“She met your bio dad,” Sabrina said quietly. “And it gaveyou the courage to completely change your life. And you gave me the courage tochange mine.”

Elisa’s head shook. “No. You gave me that gift, little sis.You’re rewriting history. You found Mel. You tracked him down. You did itbecause I was failing. I’d beaten cancer but I didn’t care. I did it because Ihad to. Because I couldn’t leave you. Today, I would do it because I don’t wantto leave any of this. Because I love this life you led us to. I might have beenbrave enough to follow the thread you passed to me, but don’t ever think Idon’t know what it could have cost you. We’ve never talked about this. Were youafraid?”

“Was I afraid you would come out here, find a new family,and I would lose you?” Sabrina asked. “Yeah. I was terrified, but I knew Icould also lose you to Mom’s never-ending darkness. I think if we’d stayed inthat house, we wouldn’t have left again. We would have lived out our livesthere like she thought we should. Instead, you came here and you found Van andHale.”

Elisa’s eyes were bright with tears as she leaned againstSabrina. “And you found Wyatt and a big, gorgeous asshole.”

“I heard that,” Sawyer said from across the room. And thenhe grinned. “It’s accurate. Proceed.”

Sabrina realized everyone was watching them.

Wyatt sniffled a little. “I’m glad you got out, baby. AndI’m glad I did, too. I’m glad somehow, someway we all found our way to thistown.”

“I was born here,” Sawyer added needlessly. “I didn’t haveto like take a journey.”

“Well, I was born here, too, son,” Mel said. “But then I wastaken to the planet Araxia, and that was quite a journey.”

“I was born in Del Norte,” Cassidy offered. “But I was happyto find Bliss, too. And so happy to share a beautiful family with the man Ilove. I don’t think you should be so hard on your momma. I think maybe she hada disease she couldn’t deal with. I choose to believe she’s somewhere better,somewhere happier, and no one is prouder of her girls than she is.”

The tears flowed freely now, and she found herself wrappedin a hug from her sister. Then Wyatt joined, putting his head against hers andwhispering that he loved her. Mel and Cassidy worked their way into the bestbear hug she’d ever received. Only one thing was missing.

---