Page 97 of Protecting Bree
When he chuckled, Bree actually relaxed. She loved being able to make this man laugh. He didn’t do it enough so when it happened, it felt like a major victory.
She didn’t have any more time to stress about what was to come because Smiley was opening the door.
For a moment, silence greeted them when they walked in—but then it felt as if the entire room exploded in greeting.
It was overwhelming, but a warm feeling filled Bree’s heart at all the people who’d come to Aces. Who were there forher.
Remi was the first person to get to her, and she hugged Bree hard. Then she was passed from person to person, as everyone wanted to make sure she knew how much she’d been missed and how worried they’d been.
Surprisingly, the mood of the room was celebratory instead of solemn, which was a relief. The last thing shewanted was to have to recount what she’d been through, or for people to feel sorry for her. She was alive, and she was well aware that many women who’d been in her same situation hadn’t been so lucky.
Then the moment she’d both been dreading and looking forward to happened. Julie and Fiona approached, both looking as nervous as Bree felt.
To cover up her unsteady emotions, Bree said, “You two look like someone stole your last Christmas Tree Cake or something.”
They looked startled for a moment—then they both lunged at her at the same time.
Bree went back on a foot to keep her balance. Thankful Smiley hadn’t left her side, and he braced her with a hand on her back.
Then all she could think of was how close she, Fiona, and Julie had come to never seeing each other again.
All three burst into tears. For Bree, the emotional release was a combination of relief, delayed fear, and pride that she could call these women friends.
Fiona was the first to pull back, but she didn’t remove her arms from around Julie and Bree. “Don’t you ever do that again!” she practically yelled in Bree’s face.
“Yeah, that wasn’t cool at all,” Julie agreed.
To her amazement, Bree found herself smiling. “You would’ve preferred that I sat back and did nothing as we were all shipped away?”
“You could’vedied!” Fiona snapped.
“And you were hurt because of us!” Julie added.
Bree sobered, looked from Julie to Fiona, then said, “If I could go back and do it all over again, I wouldn’t change a damn thing. You two were there because of me. TherewasnowayI was going to allow you two to go through the worst experience of your lifeagain.”
“We weren’t there because of you,” Julie insisted. “We were there because of an asshole who thought he had the right to take away our freedom.”
“If something happened to you, if you had disappeared, or had to go through what we did…” Fiona’s voice cracked but she forced herself to continue. “I think that would’ve been worse than what happened all those years ago.”
Bree was appalled. “Fiona, no.”
“Yes,” she insisted. “That was one of the most unselfish things I’ve ever seen in my life, and I can’t decide if I want to hit you or hug you again.”
“I choose hugs,” Bree told her.
And then the three women were once again huddled in a three-way embrace.
“If I may,” a deep voice said from behind Fiona.
She pulled back, and Bree looked into Cookie’s eyes.
His lips were pressed together as he stared down at her. Then he said, “I’d like to give you a hug too…if that’s okay. If it won’t cause you any angst.”
Bree practically threw herself at the older man, her nose buried in his chest as she hugged him. His tight hug hurt her ribs, but she didn’t complain. One of his hands rested on the back of her head, and he lowered his lips to her ear and said, “Thank you.”
It was just two words, but they settled deep in Bree’s soul.
“My turn,” another deep voice said.
