Chapter 23
Emma
“Inever thought I’d say this,” Brock said to me several days later. “But Marshall is so different that I almost don’t recognize him as the same guy I’ve known for years.”
It was the day before Wren was due to arrive home, and we were having a barbecue at Colin’s rental home.
Sara was working, but the guys had all managed to make it here for dinner.
The place might be within walking distance of my cottage, but the two houses were vastly different.
The rental home had a ton of space with four bedrooms.
It also boasted a sizable back yard with a large patio and a pool.
I watched Colin as he joked around about how to barbecue the steaks with Nate, Gage, and Seth in the distance.
I was lounging with Brock in large patio chairs underneath the umbrella for shade.
Colin and I had taken advantage of every moment we’d spent together.
I had to admit we’d spent our fair share of time together burning up the sheets, but we’d always spent some quality time together after work just being together.
I’d shown Colin more of Cherry Cove so he was completely familiar with the town.
We’d also spent some time exploring different things in Traverse City, the biggest city in Northern Michigan.
Granted, it wasn’t a big city by national standards, but it was close to Cherry Cove and the place that most of us went to when we wanted more amenities.
I finally shot Brock a questioning gaze. “How has he changed?”
“He just laughed,” he said like that was a miracle. “And he actually smiles, Emma. That’s some crazy shit for Marshall. He seems almost…human.”
“He cares more than anyone realizes,” I told him. “I don’t think any of you ever looked deep enough to recognize it.”
Sometimes it seriously pissed me off that no one seemed to look deep enough to see the real Colin.
Brock held up a hand. “In our defense, I don’t think any of us were brave enough to push him.
Everyone who knows him has the highest level of respect for Marshall, but he’s also intimidating.
I think we just assumed that all he thought about was business and problem solving.
It’s pretty hard to see that he actually has a sense of humor. ”
“It’s not that hard,” I said in an astonished voice.
Okay, Colin acted like he was emotionless at times, but I could always see through that facade as his way of protecting himself.
Brock lifted a brow. “Maybe it isn’t for you, but he doesn’t let his guard down for people in general.
He was a SEAL commander. Now he’s the founder of Last Hope.
I guess I should have realized that he had to care to take on those responsibilities, but I never did until you came back into his life.
I think he’s actually learned how to relax. ”
“He’s always known how to relax,” I explained.
“He wasn’t always all business when we met.
There’s a whole other side of him that very few people know.
He may not be good in social situations sometimes, but he cares more than anyone I know.
Maybe too much sometimes. He takes the responsibility of the whole world onto his shoulders sometimes. ”
Brock nodded. “I can agree with that. He’s saved a lot of lives, but he never wants credit or accolades for that.”
“I could say the same about you, Nate, Gage, and Seth,” I reminded him.
Brock shrugged that off. “We have the skills. It’s the right thing to do.”
Sometimes it drove me crazy that none of the men in my life saw themselves as special even though they risked their lives and gave their free time regularly to help people who were in danger.
“Has it ever occurred to you that the four of you are a little intimidating to some people, too?” I questioned.
“No,” Brock replied. “We’re just four normal guys who have a different kind of hobby.”
I snorted. All of them were far from normal. They were all gruff and physically intimidating. The few people who really knew them didn’t see them that way, but most people gave the four men their space.
“A hobby that no one knows about because it’s highly secretive and dangerous,” I said.
“We were Delta, Emma. We’ve always kept secrets.”
“Is Last Hope the reason why none of you have ever had a serious relationship?” I asked curiously.
“Nope,” Brock told me. “I think being solo is just a way of life for all of us. There’s probably not a woman in the world who would want to put up with any of us.”
I knew that wasn’t true.
Any woman would be lucky to hook up with my friends.
They might seem intimidating to some people, but there weren’t any kinder or more caring men than these four guys.
It was more likely that they’d just never found women who could see beyond their bullshit.
I also suspected that they’d never met anyone more important to them than Last Hope.
I hadn’t known exactly what they were doing when they disappeared before I knew about Last Hope, but I did know that they dropped everything when they needed to take off at a moment’s notice.
“I think Marshall is nervous about meeting Wren,” Brock observed.
I knew he was, but he didn’t need to be. “I had a long talk with her and my mother earlier. I told them both about the kidnapping, and she’s ecstatic that she’s finally going to get to meet her father.”
“He’ll be good to her,” Brock said. “He might be nervous, but he’s just as excited to meet his daughter. As long as I’ve known him, he’s never been the kind of guy to let anyone down. He’s the most reliable person I know. He might be intimidating, but we’ve always trusted him with our lives.”
“I trust him, too,” I said confidently.
“You’re crazy about him,” he accused.
“Guilty,” I answered happily.
Brock frowned. “I know he feels the same way. Exactly how is that going to work with you here in Michigan and him in California?”
I shook my head slowly. “We haven’t really discussed the future. It’s too early for that. He hasn’t even met his daughter yet, and he’s only been back in my life for a short time.”
“He can’t exactly move his headquarters, and even if he could, his partners’ lives are in California. And your life is here with Wren.”
“We aren’t going to just dump each other after the summer is over,” I said stubbornly.
Brock grinned. “I’m not saying that has to happen. It’s just geography. I’m just saying that it’s reality that you have separate lives in different states that are across the country from each other.”
“I’m a mature woman,” I informed him. “I realize that. I know it’s not going to be easy when he has to go back to California.”
Like it or not, Colin and I were going to have to deal with another separation.
It wasn’t like he could just stay here and not deal with his life in California.
“We’ll all be here for you when that has to happen,” Brock said solemnly.
I swallowed a lump in my throat.
My four male friends had always been there for me when I’d had ups and downs in my life.
“Have I ever thanked you for being a protective friend?” I asked softly.
His grin widened. “Nope. As I recall, you have called me a pain in your ass once in a while.”
“I never meant that,” I blurted out. “Making me check in with you every day from Lania probably saved my life. You worrying about me probably saved my life, too.”
If my friends hadn’t been overprotective, I would have died before I’d had a chance to get rescued.
“You’ve always been there for us, too, Emma,” Brock said seriously.
“You befriended all of us without a second thought when we first got to Cherry Cove, and you’ve been there for us ever since.
If we were sick, you were there. If we got injured, you were there.
If you just thought we needed a friend, you were there.
Worrying about you comes natural to us.”
“I’ve always worried about the four of you, too,” I told him honestly. “You scared the hell out of me when you just disappeared. I never really got used to that, but I knew that I couldn’t force you to tell me what you were doing.”
“Do you think we liked it?” Brock asked gruffly.
“I felt guilty every time I saw the relieved look on your face when we got back. We wanted to tell you the truth, but we couldn’t.
When we signed up with Last Hope, we gave our word that we wouldn’t tell anyone for the good of the organization.
It’s a huge relief for us that you know the truth now. ”
“I’m not sure that I’ll worry less now that I know exactly what you’re doing,” I warned him.
I’d probably be more concerned now that I knew that they were going into dangerous situations to rescue hostages.
“At least you’ll know exactly where we are and what we’re doing,” Brock answered. “We can tell you when we have to leave, and Marshall can let you know when we’re coming home.”
I’d always known that Brock, Nate, Gage, and Seth were incredible men, but I had to wonder if they really knew just how special they were for dedicating a large part of their lives to helping other people.
It wasn’t their job or their duty to rescue hostages anymore, but they still took those responsibilities seriously.
I smiled at Brock. “I think I’m pretty lucky to call every one of you my friends.”
“You’re stuck with us,” Brock said jokingly.
“We might be a pain in your ass sometimes, but we’ve always been loyal pains in the asses.
We care about you and Wren, but I have a feeling we’re about to become secondary protectors now that Marshall is in the picture.
He looks at you like he’d destroy anyone who tried to hurt you.
I have a feeling he’s going to feel the same way about his daughter. ”
I had to admit that Colin was protective.
“I think it’s kind of sweet,” I said with a sigh.
“Sweet?” Brock answered. “It’s not sweet. It’s fucking scary.”
“Not to me,” I informed him. “There isn’t a single thing about Colin that scares me.”
“I have to admit that it’s kind of amusing to see one small woman handle a guy like Marshall the way you do,” Brock replied.
I didn’t manage Colin.
The stubborn man was completely unmanageable at times.
But he cared about me.
He listened to me.
He respected me.
“We’re different,” I admitted. “But for some reason, we’re perfect for each other.”
“You make him happy, Emma,” Brock told me. “And I think he makes you happy, too. It doesn’t matter how different you are. Hell, I think Marshall needs a woman like you in his life.”
I wanted to tell him that all Colin needed was a woman who loved him and accepted him exactly the way he was.
I knew that because I craved exactly the same thing.
I stayed quiet as we rose to go join the rest of the group.
When and if Colin was ready, he was going to be the first one to know exactly how I felt.