Page 67 of Shea's Hero

She beams at me. “I can’t wait.”

“Wow, there are alotof people here.”

Shea glances around Cash’s expansive living room, filled with at least fifty people milling around chatting and snacking on hors d’oeuvres. The space is fully decked out in casino-themed decor, from hundreds of black and gold balloons, thousands of twinkling lights strung across the ceiling, and even a giant lit sign over the fireplace that says,Welcome to Fabulous Sleepy Hollowin the classic Vegas style.

I release Shea’s hand to wrap my arm around her waist, then press a quick kiss to the top of her head. “Well, we have firefighters from Stations one, two, three, and four, and the guys from the Ambulance Corps. Plus, most of the police department employees who aren’t on duty. That’s not even taking into account the other locals who came.”

Across the room, a silver-haired woman in a sequined purple dress spots us and waves enthusiastically. “And that’s Mrs. Plimpton,” I tell Shea. “I’m sure she’ll be over to talk to you soon.”

“The woman who thought her neighbor was burying a body in his yard?”

“Yes. That’s her.” Smiling, I wave back at Mrs. Plimpton. “Like I said, she’s quirky. But she means well.”

Shea presses against me. “And everyone here—” She stops. “Nevermind. We already talked about it.”

“It’s okay to go over it again,” I reassure her. “The entire perimeter fence is the same kind Blade and Arrow has. The house itself has cameras and alarms all over, and Cash hired a full security team for tonight to keep an eye on things. That’s not counting all the off-duty police in attendance.”

She gives me a sheepish smile. “I know it’s silly to be worrying.”

“It’s not. But you know I wouldn’t bring you anywhere if I wasn’t confident it’s safe. Right?”

“Yes.” Her expression relaxes as the worry drains out of it. “I know. Sorry to keep asking.”

“Shea, love.” I move to face her. “You can ask me as many times as you want. I don’t mind.”

After a moment’s pause, her eyes go soft. “I?—”

“Kingston!” Cash strides towards us, his smile warm and welcoming. By his side is his wife, Ari, her smile even brighter than his. Once they reach us, Cash puts out his hand and says, “So glad you could come. Can you believe this place? I finally agreed to hire someone to do the decorations, and I think they went a bit crazy. Have you seen the rest of the house yet?”

I clasp his outstretched hand. “Not yet. We just got here. But thanks for having this. I know it’s a hassle, giving up your house for the night and all?—”

“He doesn’t mind,” Ari interjects, looking up at her husband with an affectionate gaze. “Anything to benefit the first responders, you know.” Then she turns her attention to Shea. “Hi. You must be Shea. I’m so thrilled to meet you.”

“Same,” Cash echoes. He nods at Shea and offers his hand. “Sorry to hear about everything. But we’re all here to help. You need anything…”

“Thanks.” Shea shakes his hand, then Ari’s. “Your house is beautiful. And thanks for having me.”

“Of course.” Ari makes a littleit’s nothinggesture. “The decorationsarea little over the top, but it is casino night, so… You’ll have to check out the solarium. That’s where all the games are. Poker, slots, roulette…”

“Obviously, just for charity,” Cash adds. “And the silent auction items are in the dining room. We’ve got some good ones this year.”

“Oh, did you see the spa weekend at the Four Seasons?” Another couple joins us, my friend Ben, and his wife, Thea. Thea continues with an enthusiastic smile, “I’m not usually a spa kind of person, but if we win, I could take Laila for a girls’ weekend.”

Turning to Shea, she says, “Hi. I’m Thea Lewis, and this is my husband, Ben. I know you’re Shea, and it’s so nice to meet you. Laila is my step-daughter, and she loves mani-pedis and all that girly stuff. So she’d be thrilled with a fancy spa weekend in the city.”

“It sounds nice,” Shea agrees. “I definitely want to take a look.” Glancing at me, she asks, “Maybe we could bid on a trip. For after all this is over?”

“Absolutely.” Hugging her to my side, I lift my chin at Ben, then smile at Thea. “How’s it going? No kids tonight?”

“For casino night?” Thea laughs. “No way. Laila would want to play all the games. And Elias is in hiscrying about everythingstage.”

“My mom’s taking care of them,” Ben explains. “She loves babysitting, and it gives us a night out. So everyone wins.”

Ari nods. “Same. Now that my mom moved to Tarrytown, she wants to babysit Winnie all the time. She’s always calling, asking if Cash and I want to go out.”

“Oh, that reminds me.” Thea turns to Shea. “Ari and I have a weekly reality TV and junk food night. We’ll either watchThe Bachelor,Bachelorette, orBachelor in Paradise, depending on the time of year. We know they’re kind of cheesy, but fun to watch. Would you like to join us sometime?”

“Yes, please.” Ari brightens. “The new season ofThe Bacheloretteis starting soon. It’ll be great. It’s me, Thea, our friend, Rose, and sometimes Thea’s friend, Penny, comes, too. We make little bets on how often the people say things like”—she makes quotes with her fingers—“not there for the right reasonsorhe makes me feel seen.”

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