Chapter 19 #2
“You absolutely did not,” he said. “I don’t train here. It’s down the road a ways. Do you want to come inside? Ty brought lunch, and more importantly, he has sides,” he teased, attempting to calm the mood between them.
“Will you and Brody stay close to me?” she whispered.
“You don’t even have to ask,” he assured her. “By the way, I’m damn proud of you.”
Hannah grinned as he held out his hand. She unbuckled her seatbelt and placed her hand in his. Brody flanked her opposite side as the women walked around them, ensuring she still felt the security they promised.
Leo met them at the entrance and allowed them inside. He kissed Catherine as she stepped into his arms.
When Cole brought Hannah forward, Leo smiled. “Hello, Hannah. I’m Leo.”
She nodded politely as Cole’s hand slipped to her back, letting her feel his support. Brody moved closer to her thigh as they followed everyone to the kitchen.
When she saw the big, bulky men sitting around the kitchen table, she stopped. Cole heard her sharp intake of breath.
“They’re my teammates and help keep the mountain secure,” he whispered.
“They’re very large,” she said, trembling.
“Why don’t I introduce you?” he said, his arm curled around her side, making her feel secure with his body.
Tess walked into Taco’s outstretched arms, and the others approached their spouses, making them seem less scary as the men’s expressions changed upon seeing their wives.
Whiskey entered the kitchen and smiled at her as he kissed Samantha. “Sorry, I’m late,” Whiskey said, sounding harassed. “I called the sock company and they said you agreed to a six-month auto delivery. What will we do with thirty thousand socks?”
Leo groaned as he wiped his hand over his face. “I’ll take care of it later. Did you interview anyone today for the position?”
“There’s no one interested, Boss. Not even the veterans want to deal with ‘sock gate,’” Whiskey explained.
“Welcome to the chaos, Hannah. Ty has graciously brought us lunch. Since you’re our guest of honor, why don’t you and Cole go first? I’m sorry, Kit Kat, I have to try to deal with this situation,” he said tiredly.
Catherine put her arm around him. “Why don’t I fix you a plate, and I’ll join you in your office?”
“I can’t think of anything better,” Leo said, kissing her forehead.
Hannah watched the gentle gesture from the giant of a man, determining Leo seemed safe.
Cole handed Hannah a plate. “When’s the last time you got to pick out your own food?”
She paused. “I haven’t done it in over two years.”
Cole grinned. “Let’s rectify that, shall we?” They went down the mini buffet line, and Cole saw her hesitation. “You can have as much or as little as you like. Then, we’ll sit in the corner where you can see everyone,” he said softly. “If you’re unsure, try it.”
She nodded and picked up a serving spoon, dipping it into the mac and cheese. “Did you tell them to make this?”
“I might’ve hinted,” he said, placing a significant portion of salad on his plate. “If you mix the grilled chicken with the pasta, it’s outstanding.”
She took the tongs and picked two pieces of meat, mulling over his suggestion. She added a small salad and bypassed the bread.
“Do you want a roll?” he asked.
She shook her head and visibly shuddered. “No. I don’t like it.”
Sensing she held something back, he didn’t push as they sat at the table. Taco brought over three pitchers of water, two iced teas and Saint set an assortment of sodas on the table.
The women all sat down beside their spouses, except for Catherine, who took two plates down the hallway.
“What’s wrong with your boss?” she whispered.
“He accidentally ordered a crapload of socks. They’ve sent two shipments and we have them everywhere.
As you heard, he signed up for an auto-shipment.
Whiskey’s overloaded with hiring the new guys and setting up another team in Texas.
It’s turned into a thorn in his butt,” Cole explained.
“How do you feel? I thought Scarlett planned a meeting with us. I didn’t realize she planned to ambush you. ”
“They surprised me. Scarlett told me about what these women went through and they survived. I did, too,” she said, watching the group.
“Anytime you feel overwhelmed, I want you to call me,” Cole said as he signaled Brody to lie down between him and Hannah.
Hannah’s gaze fell on the man beside Victoria. “Is he the Russian?”
“Yes, he’s Victoria’s husband, Ivan. He’s pretty cool,” Cole said, mixing his chicken with the mac and cheese.
“Victoria said she kicked you in…” She blushed and mimicked his actions, stirring the meat and pasta together.
Cole smiled sheepishly. “Yeah, she did. All of these women, including Sparky, have learned self-defense. You might want to think about it. It’ll make you feel more in control of your surroundings.”
“Hannah,” Samantha spoke up. “When you feel up to it, you can come down to the spa, or I can bring my bag to the hospital, and I can trim your hair. Kassie mentioned it to me and we never got any further with it.”
“Thank you,” she murmured. “Can I let you know?”
“Of course,” Samantha agreed.
“If you come on Tuesday, you can try Tess’ tacos. You haven’t lived until you’ve tried them,” Taco spoke up. “She’s the best cook ever.”
Sparky cleared her throat. “Excuse me, I believe Ty and Tess must be tied. They each have their own specialty. Let’s not forget Bryanna. You’ll have to try her cronuts. It’s a cross between a donut and a croissant.”
“Don’t forget her snickerdoodle cookies,” Saint reminded the group.
“Oh, they’re amazing,” Kassie chimed in. “Especially with the tea she serves with them and Bear’s honey.
“Speaking of Bear, how’s he and Julie doing?” Cole asked.
“We’ve taken a month’s worth of food over, and we’re taking turns checking on them. Bear’s over the moon about his little girl. Julie surprised him with the name, and he beams every time he says it,” Kassie said, smiling.
“What did they name her?” Cole asked.
“Julie named her Melissa. It means honey bee in ancient Greek. Bear leans over and coos to her, asking, ‘How’s my little honey bee?’ It’s absolutely adorable,” Samantha explained.
“Shadow and I plan on taking Tommy tomorrow night to the movies with Deni. Lizzy and Michael plan to bring their boys, too. Julie and Bear appreciate us not all dropping in at once. Tommy’s adjusting to his new sister and having us all there might overwhelm him.
Where are Michael and Lizzy?” Avie asked.
“Faith fell and hit her head on the coffee table. She needed a few stitches. When Lizzy picked her up, she cried herself to sleep. Michael took them home and we’re picking the boys up at school this afternoon,” Doc informed them.
“Do they need anything else?” Ragu asked. “Annabelle and I plan on making a grocery run and picking up a pizza. We can drop one off to them,” Ragu offered.
“I’m sure they’ll appreciate it,” Kassie assured him.
“Poor Lizzy,” Gabby exclaimed. “I’d freak out if it happened to Marcus.”
“It’s not an if,” Patch advised. “I swear all kids have a homing beacon for coffee table edges. It’s usually one of the first injuries.”
“Don’t jinx us,” Knight demanded. “Marcus is trying to pull himself up on the furniture.”
“Remind me to purchase the kid a helmet. With your genes, it won’t take him long,” Patch goaded.
“He’s teasing,” Gabby said, punching Knight in the shoulder. “I swear we won’t need to worry about our kids fighting. We already have these two to separate.”
“Amen,” Claire agreed. “It’s bad enough hearing Knight singing. Then Patch copies him in his sleep. I bought a roll of duct tape for the next time. Do you want to borrow some?”
Patch growled and tickled Claire, making her giggle. Hannah watched as the women trusted these men. In turn, the men seemed as enamored with their spouses.
“What’s for dessert?” Shadow asked.
“I brought an apple pie and Edie sent along her pecan. We also have some brownies and an assortment of cookies,” Bryanna went down the list.
“Do you want a tour?” Cole asked her quietly, not wanting the others to overhear. “Brody and I can show you around.”
“Won’t it seem rude? They came because of me,” she said, seeming uncertain.
“They’re happy you’re here. Plus, they’ve already seen the place,” Cole joked.
“Yes. I want to see where you work,” she agreed. Cole and Brody stood to escort her.
“I’m gonna show Hannah around,” Cole told the group as Hannah rose and took his hand.
“Stay to the approved rooms,” Shadow reminded him.
They walked down the hall, and he showed her the pool area.
“Everyone brings the kids to expend some of their energy. It’s complete chaos, but it’s nice to see how the adults work together.
They’re like one huge family. It reminds me of mine,” he said, walking through the glass doors toward the gym.
They stopped as she gazed at the indoor track, sparring area and workout area.
“There’s another one outside,” he informed her.
“Where did Scarlett kick your ass?” she asked, grinning.
He pointed to the sparring area. “Right over there, smarty pants,” he said sarcastically.
“On the opposite end, we have the women’s locker room and ours,” he said, moving to the staircase.
“We have a gun range indoors and out, and down here we have decompression rooms. If a team needs downtime or prepping for a mission, they can come here. We’ll follow the protocol set up by Leo.
” He went outdoors and showed her a picnic table set up and a large fenced-in area where the dogs played.
“Where’s Nine?” she asked.
“She’s at my training facility,” he said, turning toward the elevator.
“Oh,” she said, disappointedly. “You really need to change her name. It’s not right she doesn’t have her own identity. It hurts her feelings.”
“I haven’t found one to fit her,” Cole admitted.
“Yeah, she probably needs a strong name since she’s training for missions,” she said thoughtfully, still holding his hand.
“Technically, it’ll be a while before she’s ready. She’s the only puppy I purchased this round,” Cole said, leading her to the left, away from the group.
“Why did you get her then?” she asked, glancing toward the kitchen.
“I don’t know. I saw her, she ran up to me and then turned those teddy bear eyes toward me. She has a purpose. I haven’t figured out what yet,” he told her as Brody stuck to Hannah’s side.
“What about this guy?” she asked.
“He lost his handler in an accident. John and I trained Brody together. They brought him in after the attack. He shook from fear, shrapnel embedded in his side, and blood everywhere.” Cole relived the scene as he described it. “I knew I couldn’t leave him.”
“You have a huge heart,” Hannah said quietly. “I appreciate you taking pity on me. I imagine if anyone explained the pain of having a one-way conversation with me, you might’ve decided to stop visiting me.”
“Nope,” he said, stopping to stare at her. “You captivated me the first day we met, thanks to Brody.”
She rolled her eyes. “I didn’t even answer you.”
“Don’t women always like to have a bit of mystery around them? It made me more determined to see you,” he said conspiratorially.
She giggled. “You’re insane. Brody found me.”
“He’s my wingman. Women can never turn down a dog,” he teased. “See, it worked. You probably count the hours until I bring him and Nine over to visit.”
Hannah grinned and shrugged, making his mouth drop. Her eyes twinkled as laughter bubbled to the surface.
“You amaze me,” he whispered, brushing the hair from her face. “One day, you’re sitting in a tiny room and staring out the window. In the next, you’re talking about mac and cheese. Today, you’re here, making fun of me.”
“I’m not laughing at you,” she said. “You broke up my day. Brody made me feel,” she stammered.
“It doesn’t matter how you got here, Hannah. Only if you promise to stay. I don’t think I can handle seeing you in the hospital room by yourself one more day,” he admitted.
“I don’t know how long I’ll be here. My dad wanted to put me in a nursing home. Kassie will need the room for someone else. After all, I’ve occupied it over the last eighteen months,” she said, her mind racing.
“Don’t overthink it. I’m sure you’re bound to have feelings and they’ll want to keep an eye on you,” he reassured her. “Each of the original team has a bunk here to decompress. Team Hawk can use any of the empty rooms as needed.”
“How many women work here?” she asked.
“Sparky’s the only one so far. Leo’s an equal opportunity employer. As long as you possess the skills, and he believes you’re a good fit for the team, then you have a shot,” he said as he leaned against the doorway to the bunks.
“What brought you here?”
Cole stared at her and smiled. “One day, I’ll let you know.”