Page 23 of Protecting Bree
He needed her. It was that simple.
“Smiley? I’m serious. I admit that I want to meet your friends, especially since I’ve heard so much about them, but not if it makes you uncomfortable.”
“I’m fine. And yeah, if I want to go, I’ll let you know.”
“Good. Should we have a code word? Oh! I know, how about a signal? Tugging on our ear? No, that’s too obvious.Maybe I can, I don’t know, blow my nose or something?”
Smiley chuckled. “How about you just tell me, or I’ll tell you.”
She wrinkled her nose. “That would be rude.”
“Trust me, Bree, the men and women you’re about to meet won’t think it’s rude. They’d appreciate you coming out and saying what you feel.”
She looked doubtful, but she nodded. “All right. Deal. Then I’m thinking we should probably get inside and stop standing out here like a couple of psychos.”
Her words snapped Smiley back to reality. He was an idiot. Castillo’s men were out there somewhere, probably watching and waiting. Maybe even the man himself—and he had Bree standing out in the open as if they didn’t have a care in the world.
To his surprise, Bree went up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “If I forget to tell you later, thank you for this. For introducing me to Fiona and Julie. For letting me meet your friends. Being on the inside, instead of the outside looking in, is a gift.”
“Anything you want or need, I’ll do my best to give it to you,” he vowed.
She gave him a grin, then turned toward the house.
He was forced to drop his hand from her hair, but he kept his other arm around her waist as they walked toward the door. It opened before they got there, and then Caroline was beaming at them.
“It’s about time!” she said happily. “I thought you were going to stand on my lawn forever. Then I thought you were going to bolt. For the record, this wasn’t my idea. Fiona told me about meeting you, and I suggested thatmaybe it would be more comfortable for you to talk here at the house instead of Julie’s store. One thing led to another, and everyone wanted in on the action, and here we are! If you want to run, I don’t blame you, but I promise we’re all harmless. Oh, sorry. I’m Caroline,” she said belatedly, holding out her hand.
Bree shook it and gave her a genuine smile. “I’m happy to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“I’m sure you have. Not all of it good.” She grinned as she said it, then stepped back and gestured inside with her arm. “Come in. Please. I’ve got plenty of appetizers and snacks. Do you want something to drink?”
“I’m good, thanks,” Bree told her.
Smiley walked behind the women as they headed toward the living room. The second they entered the crowded space, Bree was surrounded. Everyone was very eager to meet the woman who’d been the talk of the SEAL gossip network for months now.
Keeping a close eye on her, Smiley backed up and let Caroline do her thing. From what he understood, she’d come a long way from the shy, nerdy woman Wolf had met all those years ago, when they were on a plane together and shit went south. She’d survived some pretty horrific stuff and had blossomed throughout the years. She was the one all the others looked up to, the unofficial leader of the wives.
“Sorry about this,” Cookie said as he came up beside Smiley and leaned against the wall, watching the women welcome Bree into their fold.
“Are you?” he couldn’t help but ask.
Cookie grinned. “Not really. You know this had to happen sooner or later. Might as well get it over with inone fell swoop. Besides, we’re all going to be at Aces at Kevlar and Blink’s wedding reception soon, it’ll be more comfortable for everyone to meet now rather than then.”
He wasn’t wrong. But Smiley was still perturbed that he hadn’t warned him everyone would be here for this little meet and greet.
“Come on, man. Lighten up. This is a good thing. Look, they’re already all getting along so well!” Cookie said, gesturing to the women with his head.
They were. Bree was sitting on the couch between Fiona and Jessyka, and the others had pulled up chairs Caroline had strategically placed around the room, so everyone could have a seat. They were all laughing and talking exuberantly. He wasn’t surprised Bree was fitting in so seamlessly.
“Hey,” Wolf said as he approached, with the rest of his team following.
The men in this room really were legendary. Smiley hadn’t lied when he’d told Bree that he looked up to them. The missions they’d been on, the things they’d survived against all odds, would make current Hollywood movies seem tame. And yet they were all down-to-earth and dismissive of what they’d done. And now that they were retired, their entire worlds were their families. Smiley had always been a little envious of what they had.
But now, maybe he was on the cusp of having the same thing.
With Bree.
He hoped.
