Embracing Juliette (Texas Heroes: Station 9 #1)

Epilogue

EPILOGUE

Six months later

Juliette

“ D o we have to go? I like it right here,” I said as I snuggled closer.

“We’re already late and the restaurant is a bit of a drive. We needed to go ten minutes ago.”

“You can’t blame me for being late this time. You were the one who followed me into the shower.”

“It was worth every second. I’ll follow you wherever you go, baby.”

“Especially if I’m wet and naked?”

Dylan grabbed me around the waist and pulled me in for a hard but short kiss. “Don’t tempt me or we’ll never make it out of the house.” He shifted his grasp to hold my hand and gently pulled me to the door.

It had been six months since that day at the fire station when we reconnected, and it felt like we’d been touching each other in some way every possible moment since.

Dylan had gone in for another surgery, this time to repair a partial tear of his bicep from when he jumped to the tree. The surgery was optional, but necessary for him to return to work. It was an emotional day for both of us when the cardiologist and pulmonologist cleared him for surgery with cautious optimism that he would eventually be cleared to return to work.

I put my OT skills to good use on my most important patient and helped him through all of his rehab. It felt really good to be able to take care of him. Dylan was not the most obedient of his limitations, but I wouldn’t have expected anything else from him.

Everything was looking good for us. Last week Dylan received full clearance from all his doctors, and yesterday he passed the firefighter’s physical fitness exam, which we celebrated with ice cream sundaes at home. That led to licking ice cream off places I’d never imagined before. It was sexy and messy and ended with us laughing at ourselves in a moment that I wanted to freeze and keep forever. We were naked and trying new things. Enthusiasm and love and carefreeness and pure happiness filled us so completely that it was bursting out of us. Absolute perfection.

Beth had tracked Leo to New York City where he seemed to be living, working, gambling, and blending into the crowd of the city, so we were optimistic that he had no reason to come back.

Kayla pled guilty, so we didn’t have to go through a trial. Dylan may never be able to forgive her, and I knew he’d never be okay with what happened to me, but he finally accepted that Kayla had more going on than he’d ever realized, and that her issues went far beyond anything to do with him. He was starting to forgive himself, which was all that really mattered.

With relief that all the threats were behind us, we were heading out to meet our friends to celebrate Dylan’s return to work tomorrow. I was sad to leave the bubble we’d wrapped ourselves up in these past months, but also happy to get back to normal, and Dylan was excited to return to work.

As we drove to the restaurant, our intertwined hands resting on my thigh, I asked, “Why did you choose a new restaurant instead of Nolan’s or one of the other usuals?”

“I read a few reviews and if it’s everything they say, I think it might become one of our new usuals.”

“Wow, that’s big praise. What did the reviews say?”

“Some reviews were good, said the food was good. But most were bad. So bad that it’s perfect.”

“What?” I laughed. “That makes no sense.”

Dylan glanced over at me. “One review complained that it was too quiet with no music for ambience. Another one said that they ruined her family’s dinner because there were only booths. She wanted a big table for her whole family to sit together. She was livid that not only did they have no big tables, they didn’t even have little tables to push together, and her family had to split up into small booths.”

“You found me a restaurant that’s quiet with small booths?”

“I told you, baby, I’ll do everything in my power to make you comfortable and happy.”

“My caveman, always taking care of me.”

“Even though you don’t need it.”

“I love you, Dylan.”

“I love you so much, Juls.”

We pulled up to find a ton of men and women waiting in front of the restaurant. I couldn’t believe that Dylan had so many friends here to support him.

“Dylan, look at Jenna and Liam!”

They were standing amidst a group of the firefighters and cops with Liam’s arm around Jenna’s shoulders, holding her closer than I’d ever seen her with anyone, and they were looking at one another as though no one else existed.

“Yeah, I see it.”

“They look so happy!”

Last week, Liam called Jenna and offered to drive her to this dinner, and it had been the push they’d needed to move their friendship to something more—thus giving Dylan and me bragging rights for getting them together. This was my first time seeing them together since then, and I absolutely loved what I saw. They’d gone out this afternoon, and from the looks of things, it went well.

I hurried over to Jenna, loving the way she grinned at me with joy radiating from her. I pulled her into a hug with a screech, unable to contain my happiness. She deserved a good guy like Liam.

“Shh,” she shushed me.

“I knew it! He’s perfect for you,” I whispered.

“It’s barely been a week. Chill.”

“You know I’m right.”

“Go celebrate your man,” she said, ignoring my comment and pushing me toward Dylan who was talking to Liam and the others.

Dylan took my hand, and we made our way around to greet Nicky, Ryan, Brady, Cole, Ethan, and also Chief, Squirrel, Moose, Taco, Driftwood, Crash, Sledge, Sophie, Blythe, Penelope, Koren, and Quinn. Even Beth was here. I gave her an extra big hug and thank you, knowing how much it meant for her to come out for us. There were a few people I hadn’t met yet that Dylan introduced as friends from law enforcement. I finally met Dax and his wife, Mack, who was as bubbly and talkative as everyone said she’d be, and I met Quint’s wife, Corrie, who I loved immediately.

There was an overwhelming number of people. Dylan had my back, though. If it was too loud with everyone there, he’d order for me. If there was too much going on, he’d be okay with me being more of an observer than a participant. And I’d be happy to accept his support and help.

After the past few months of brutally open, honest, and often difficult conversations, we’d reached a level of love where there was so much awareness and acceptance of every part of one another, and we were working on having the same grace and love for ourselves. It was amazing and scary and awesome to be so fully open to another person, to give and receive unconditional love and also unconditional acceptance, which we’d learned are two separate and equally important things.

After a few more minutes of mingling, I returned to Jenna and Nicky and we headed in with Dylan, Liam, and Ryan. Sure enough, the restaurant was filled with two rows of booths, the brown tufted leather benches dividing each modest table. The room was decorated with banners that read “Congratulations” and “Welcome Back” and, thank goodness, there were no life-sized pictures of half-nude firefighters as Nicky had threatened.

In our quiet little booth with my two best friends, the love of my life, and his two best friends, the conversation flowed easily around me. I chimed in often, grateful for their easy acceptance. Nicky, Jenna, and I discussed ideas for the addition of a sensory room to the children’s library. I had a lot of thoughts to share about that, and I was even more grateful for this amazing group in which I felt comfortable saying everything I wanted to. Sure, I stumbled over my words a couple of times, but no one at the table seemed fazed. Looking around the restaurant, taking in so many more of our friends, I felt the love in that room fill my heart and soul. I squeezed Dylan’s hand and the smile we shared told me that he was feeling it too.

But then that peace was shattered as too many phones suddenly went off at once. Messages were read and written, phone calls were quickly made, curses were said. Some of the guys jogged out to their cars. A few clapped Dylan on the back as they passed, giving him both congratulations and apologies.

I tried to hide the surge of relief when I realized it was the cops leaving, not the firefighters. I was happy Dylan was returning to work, but I wasn’t ready to leap back into the literal and proverbial fire tonight.

The easy friendliness of earlier was gone, but I still appreciated the camaraderie between everyone. Every man and woman in this room had one another’s back. I felt that support like a warm blanket on a cold night.

But that warmth was soon replaced by a chill as the story came out. A woman had just been assaulted at the same park that Jenna and Liam had been in earlier.

I tried to catch Jenna’s eye, but she shook her head and looked away. Liam and Nicky were watching her with the same worry I felt. With her history and that proximity, she was not okay with this. Liam tried to comfort her, but she held back from him as well. Dammit.

Ryan just about lost it when Nicky joked that the guy sounded psychotic enough to be her client’s dad. Not the best way to take the focus off Jenna, although it was effective. Nicky was barely able to backpedal enough to convince Ryan that she was exaggerating, that he didn’t need to force her to quit, follow her around all day, or keep her handcuffed to his bed to protect her from her reckless disregard for her personal safety. But then Nicky conceded that maybe she was in fact a danger to herself and might need to be handcuffed to his bed…just for her safety, of course. Damn, the sexual tension between the two of them nearly superseded the rest of the tension in the room.

The kidding ended when Jenna, who’d been quietly shredding her napkin to pieces, said, “Do you think you can get me a description of the guy? The library has so many visitors. I can’t look at all of them as potential rapists.”

“Don’t you already do that?” Nicky said, garnering a glare from Liam.

“Yeah, but now it could be for real.”

“I’ll get you all the info I can.” I think Liam tried to say it soothingly, but with his jaw clenched so hard he was in danger of cracking teeth, it came out with a bark to it. Jenna jumped at the sound.

“It’ll be okay,” he said more gently, his arm around her shoulder. “I promise I’ll do everything I can to keep you safe.”

Jenna finally looked at Liam and I had to blink away tears. I felt like a voyeur, unable to look away from the moment they were sharing.

Ryan broke the tension. “You girls should come to one of my self-defense classes. We’ve been trying to get you to go for months. It’s time for you to do it now.”

We agreed and made plans to go to his next class, then luckily, we were able to move on to easier conversations as we ate, even though it all felt a little forced and Jenna stayed quieter than usual.

As soon as we finished eating, Dylan tried to hand some money to Ryan, but he refused to take it. “Excuse us,” Dylan said, “but we only have fourteen hours until I need to go to work, and I have big plans to show Juliette how much I love her for every minute of that time.”

I giggled and blushed and hugged everyone goodbye, squeezing Jenna extra tight and promising to talk to her later. Dylan hugged Jenna and Nicky and gave man hugs to Liam and Ryan, then he took my hand and led me around the restaurant, eloquently and effortlessly saying goodbye to everyone. Within minutes we were in his car, heading home for a celebration of our own.

“I could never do that. I get stuck in conversations trying to leave all the time.”

“Good thing you’ll have me by your side. I’ll be your voice anytime you need.”

“I fully accept that now. I’m sorry I fought it earlier, but now I get it. I do feel stronger with you by my side, and the stronger I feel, the better I am. And part of that is knowing I have you there for backup.”

Dylan lifted our intertwined hands and sweetly kissed my knuckles. “You are incredible and strong as fuck all on your own, baby. But together, we’re both better and stronger than either of us alone.”

He brushed his lips over the back of my hand, then drew my finger into his mouth and sucked hard. I gasped as my entire body lit on fire. I felt that pull down to my core. “I can’t wait to get you home to show you exactly how much I love you.”

Home. Love.

My entire body shivered with excitement.

He chuckled sexily. “Excited, baby?”

“I’m so happy. So in love. So excited to see exactly what you have planned for the next fourteen hours. So happy to have everything with you.”

“Everything, Juls. You’re my everything, and always will be.”

*** The End ***

When danger hits too close to home, Liam is determined to be the protector Jenna’s always needed. Read Jenna and Liam’s story in Embracing Jenna.