Page 93 of Crowe
I motioned towards the arrangement in front of me. “That’s what I’m working on right now.”
He set the bag from Goldie’s down, came around behind me, pressed a kiss to the back of my neck, and looked over my shoulder at what I was working on.
“Peonies,” he said.
“Yes, they’re perfect for a June wedding. I’m going with ranunculus and some sweet peas, as well.” I set the last stem and stepped back to look at it. “What do you think?”
He wasn’t a flower expert, but he’d learned a lot over the last six months. “It looks like a bouquet someone really put some thought into,” he said.
“That’s the goal.”
He handed me a sandwich.
I took it and leaned against the worktable, unwrapping my sandwich. Brie and bacon, my favorite.
“So did you get your time off submitted for Thanksgiving?” I asked before taking a bite.
“I did, and Caden was thrilled. Said it was about time he didn’t have to force me to take time off.”
“I can’t wait. I think your cabin was made for holidays, and I can’t wait to see Wyatt.”
“Me either, and I know he’s more than ready to get back to Texas for Thanksgiving. They’ve already had their first snowfall in Ohio, nothing that stuck yet, but it won’t be long.”
“I can’t even imagine. You know, Christmas is like one of the busiest times for a flower shop. All those deliveries.” I shook my head. “Can you imagine having to make those in the snow and ice? I think I’ll stay put right here in Vesper.”
“Good thing, since this is where our home is,” Jackson said with a grin.
I looked out at my shop, then at the man standing next to me. Some days, I couldn’t believe this was my life. That this was the way things had turned out. I let out a little sigh.
“What?” he asked.
“I was just thinking.”
“About what?”
“About how right I was when I gave that speech in Houston for the Freedom Foundation. That the after is hard, but if you do the work and are lucky enough to find the right people, you don’t have to just survive, you can actually create a life.”
“I’m so proud of you, baby boy,” he said, moving to stand behind me and wrapping his arms around me. I smiled and let my body sink back against his.
We stood there for a minute like that, and I watched outside the shop window. A woman stopped and looked at the display. She smiled at something she saw there before moving on her way.
Things weren’t perfect. I had video appointments with Doctor Reyes every other week. I still had nightmares sometimes, and there were some mornings when I woke up in a panic and had to do my inventory to regulate my nervous system.
But through it all, I had my friends, and most importantly, I had Jackson, and that wasn’t just enough.
It was exactly what it was supposed to be.
Crowe and Noah's story was a ride! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I loved writing it! But we aren't done yet, there is more Three Bears Tactical to come. You can preorder Wolfe and Caden's story here: Wolfe
For years, everyone at Three Bears Tactical has joked that Caden belongs to Wolfe.
They're wrong.
Caden is Wolfe's assistant. That's all.
The fact that he knows Wolfe's coffee order, anticipates his needs before he asks, and somehow keeps the entire company running is completely irrelevant.
At least that's what Wolfe keeps telling himself.
