Page 88 of Guarded from Treachery

All his teammates have been by the apartment to check on me at least once since we got back from the store yesterday. Niall and Xavier came over with Jade and Lucy, Dante stopped by with Sarah, and I saw Rhiannon last night and first thing this morning.

It’s been really nice, actually. After years of taking care of myself, now I know what it feels like to have a family to look after me. And not just everyone here at Blade and Arrow, but the extended family, too. Cole’s wife, Maya, called yesterday evening to introduce herself and offer her support. Then a few of the other Sleepy Hollow B and A women jumped on the call—Leo’s wife, Georgia, and Rylan’s wife, Charlie.

They were so lovely, and echoed Matt’s idea about coming to visit. “We can’t wait to meet your little one,” Georgia told me kindly. “And I’ve already started knitting a swaddling blanket for her.”

Charlie jumped in. “Or him. Remember, Isla’s waiting to find out.” She paused before adding in an almost disbelieving tone, “I’m not far enough along yet. We could have done testing when we went through IVF, but we want to be surprised, too.”

“It’ll be so great,” enthused Maya. “All the Sleepy Hollow babies can meet up. Clara, Lily, my best friend Scarlett’s twins, Delia and Jack, our friend Ari’s daughter, Winnie, Thea’s stepdaughter and son…”

Charlie laughed. “There are a lot of babies in the Blade and Arrow family. And now with you and Jade expecting, we’re adding even more.”

I love how they talk about me like I’m part of the family. Even though Matt and I aren’t quite there yet—there’s been no talk of living together or an engagement or marriage—I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hoping.

Yes, I know he said we’ll make it work wherever I decide to live. But I don’t want to go back to Dallas, to a city with acquaintances but no real friends. Back to an apartment that’ll never feel safe again. And I really, really don’t want to live hours away from Matt.

After seeing him every day, and now spending every night with him, how could I ever go back to being on my own again?

Icould. Would it be hard? Yes. But I could.

But I don’t want to. I want to stay here with Matt.

Not just that, I want more of the life I’ve gotten a taste of here. Movie nights with Jade and Lucy and Sarah. Binging home improvement shows with Rhiannon. Yoga with Erik. Gatherings in the barn with whoever’s around to play foosball and cornhole and giant Jenga.

And once this is all settled, I want to go into San Antonio to spend more time with Blythe, Milena, and Hope. I want to meet their families. Get to know some of the other first responders they’re friends with.

After more than a decade of living on my own, of thinking that independence was the best option, I’ve found I like relying on other people, too.

I like letting Matt take care of things sometimes. Not because I can’t do them, but because he wants to. Because it makes him feel good to look out for me.

So while Mattisbeing a bit on the overprotective side, I’m letting it go. I could put my foot down and insist I’m perfectly capable of doing some basic administrative work from the comfort of the couch. But judging from the worry etched into his features, I think he needs this more than I do.

Not that I’m feeling awesome about what happened yesterday. Far from it. But I’m really determined to focus on the positive instead of letting the terrible memories get to me.

Was I terrified? Absolutely. But something Sarah mentioned this morning really resonated with me. She said, “When everything happened to me, I couldn’t understand it. I didn’t know what I could have done to deserve something so terrible. But then I realized something. I was actually really lucky. I had help. Support. A safe place to stay. And at the end of it, I ended up with Dante.”

At that point, Rambo put his paw on my knee and gave me a soulfulplease pet melook. Sarah chuckled as she scratched his head. “And Rambo, too.” Glancing at me, she added, “It was serendipity. Finding something magical amid the chaos. And as hard as it was, I wouldn’t change a thing.”

I love that.

Serendipity. A shimmering silver lining. A treasure at the end of the rainbow after the storm settles.

That’s Matt. And little Dove. Or Eagle, if Matt ends up being right. A family in the most unexpected of places.

Like Sarah, I think I’d go through it all again if it brought me here.

Climbing onto Matt’s lap, I stroke his cheek. Then I press a kiss to his lips, lingering long enough to taste the sweet tang of apple cider—thanks to Lucy, we have enough to supply a small army—and that unique flavor that’s uniquely his. “I won’t do any more work for a while,” I concede. “I’ll stay on the couch and watch mindless TV. But only if you sit here with me.”

Matt’s shoulders sag. Some of the tension drains from his features. A smile lifts his lips. “I can do that.”

“Good.” I snuggle into his chest and rest my cheek on his shoulder. “We have all the food Sarah and Dante brought over, so there are lots of choices. Tacos, lasagna, enchiladas…”

Matt’s stomach makes an approving rumble. “Sounds perfect.”

As he reaches for the remote, my phone buzzes. I start to reach for it, but Matt leans forward to grab it. Then he deposits into my hand.

I glance down at the screen to see a message from Rory.

How are you feeling today? Is cute Matt taking great care of you? I think I found someone to watch the dogs in a couple of weeks so I can come visit. Do you think you’ll still be in San Antonio or back in Dallas?

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