Page 24 of Protecting Bree
Most would consider it a ridiculous idea, considering he’d known the woman for two-point-three seconds. How could he be thinking about a long-term relationship? Buthe was. He knew in his bones that she wasitfor him. His one chance to have what his friends had found. What all the men standing around Caroline’s living room had found.
And he was scared shitless that he’d fuck it up.
“How’s she holding up?” Benny asked.
“We’ve heard whoever’s looking for her has been able to hide his tracks from Tex so far,” Abe said.
“You need anything, we’re here,” Mozart added.
All of a sudden, Smiley felt the intense weight of the information he was keeping from these men. That Mateo Castillo might be involved in what had happened to Fiona and Julie all those years ago. They’d want to know…but he’d agreed to give Tex a little more time to be sure.
“I appreciate it,” he told the others.
“For the record, I think this is a good thing,” Patrick Hurt said. He was older than Wolf and the others, that team’s previous commander. But he still looked younger than his years, and the silver in his hair gave him a distinguished vibe rather than an “old man” appearance. “Julie’s been looking forward to talking with Bree.”
Smiley nodded, but inside, he was having second thoughts. Suddenly, he wasn’t sure what Fiona or Julie could tell Bree that wouldn’t completely scare the shit out of her.
“Trust them,” Cookie said, as if he could read Smiley’s mind. “They aren’t going to freak her out. They’ll follow her lead and only talk about the things she’s open to discussing.”
“Caroline figured we could all mingle for a while first, let Bree get comfortable, meet all of us, then the others will head out, letting Fiona and Julie talk with her for a bit,” Wolf told him.
“And I’m sure you probably have questions for me,” Cookie told him. “I was there. I saw the condition they were both in. The compound. How they were being restrained. I thought you and I could talk while our women are getting acquainted.”
Smiley looked at the older man. “You’re okay with that? Talking about it?”
“Honestly? No. I hate eventhinkingabout that day. About how I found Fee. How freaked out Julie was. It doesn’t bring back good memories. But I figured it might help you to hear a firsthand account of their rescue from those scumbags.”
It took all his legendary SEAL control not to blurt out that Cookie’s info might come in handy even more than he thought. But he was able to keep his mouth shut.
Cookie and Hurt were going to lose their shit if Tex confirmed the man who’d bought Bree was also part of the organization that had held their women hostage years ago. He didn’t want to be anywhere near them if that little tidbit of information was dropped into their laps.
“I appreciate it,” Smiley managed to say.
Caroline called Wolf over then, and the other men eventually trailed after him, waiting their turn to be officially introduced to Bree.
Smiley kept a close watch on her and, to his relief, she seemed perfectly at ease with the other women and the former SEALs. Her manners were impeccable, she was charming and funny, and it was as if everyone in the room was drawn to her like a fly to honey.
And Bree seemed to blossom in front of his eyes. It was obvious she needed to be around other people. To be social. It struck Smiley not only how hard it must havebeen for her, living in her vehicle for months, no contact with anyone…but also how much his life was about to change. He wasn’t too upset about it. Seeing Bree in her element made him forget about everything else.
It was surprising how fast the time went. Before he knew it, most of the group was saying their goodbyes to Bree and telling her they’d see her at Aces for the wedding reception. Soon, there were only Fiona, Julie, their husbands, Wolf and Caroline, and he and Bree left.
“I poured you all a glass of wine. Thought we could head out to the patio to talk,” Caroline told the women.
“Thank you.”
“I could use some for sure.”
Bree stayed silent, but she followed the others into the kitchen for one of the glasses of wine Caroline had poured.
Smiley intercepted her as she was on her way to the backyard. “You good?”
“Yeah. You?”
“I’m good as long as you’re good,” he told her honestly.
Bree rolled her eyes. “Smiley, I don’t want you staying if you’re miserable.”
“I’m not miserable. Not in the least,” he reassured her. “Seeing you making friends, smiling, being a part of this close-knit group of people…it makes me happy.”
