CHAPTER EIGHTEEN #2
As Pierce and Alyvia were shaking hands, Charley spotted a sleek black SUV rolling up to the curb.
As the back passenger door opened, Charley couldn’t stop the huge smile from spreading across her face.
Alex stepped out of the SUV a second later.
Even with a baby curled against her chest, she looked every bit like the composed powerhouse she was known to be.
Her long brown hair cascaded in soft waves down her back.
She wore a sleek navy-blue pantsuit, a perfect complement to Charley’s red ensemble.
Charley quickly made her way over. “Alex!” Charley grinned, pulling her into a hug, careful not to squish the baby between them. “You look incredible. And oh, my goodness, let me see her!”
Alex shifted her sweet baby girl. “This little chunk snacked the whole flight, and now she’s out like a light.”
Charley melted as she peeked at the baby’s round cheeks and sleepy eyes. “She is already a heartbreaker.”
Right behind them, Ace stepped out of the SUV. His easy grin and broad-shouldered presence radiated SEAL through and through, but his eyes were warm as he approached his wife and baby girl.
“Ace,” Charley greeted him with a quick hug. “Thanks for coming. I know your schedule is insane.”
“Wouldn’t miss it,” he said. “Alex’s been buzzing about this trip for weeks.”
Alex turned, taking in the gathered crowd. Her eyes widened. “Wow, Charley. Look at this turnout.”
“I know,” Charley said, glancing at the small sea of people chatting with each other. “I was just hoping for a decent local showing, but it looks like we made the front page of the community calendar.”
“Word gets out fast when something like this opens its doors,” Alex said, pride clear in her voice. “You’ve done a hell of a job.”
Charley was about to thank Alex for the compliment when she felt a presence at her back. She didn’t need to look to know who it was. She recognized the warmth of his touch as soon as his hand pressed gently against her lower back.
She leaned into his touch and looked up, her eyes locking with Pierce’s. She smiled, and he shot her with that smile of his that brought out his dimple.
Turning back to Ace and Alex, Charley went to introduce Pierce when Ace cut in, stepping forward with a grin.
“Pierce Hutchinson!”
Pierce’s mouth curved as he clasped Ace’s hand. “Ace! Good to see you again, man.”
The handshake between the two SEALs turned into one of those solid, shoulder-gripping back slaps that men seemed to understand instinctively.
Charley stood there, her eyes darting between the two men. “Wait, you two know each other?”
Ace grinned. “Know him? This guy was in my BUD/s class. We froze together, nearly drowned together, and somehow managed to graduate together.”
Charley looked at Pierce, stunned. “You didn’t tell me you knew Alex and Ace.”
Pierce just shrugged with that easy confidence of his. “Didn’t want to name-drop too early. I was trying to impress you on my own merit.”
Charley rolled her eyes, heart still thudding, and tried to ignore the way her pulse jumped every time he smiled like that.
Pierce stepped back and slid his arm back around Charley’s waist, pulling her in just a little closer this time, and she had to resist leaning into him fully.
When she finally tore her attention away from him, she found Alex watching them. Her gaze went to Pierce’s hand at Charley’s waist, then up to Charley’s face. She quirked one of her eyebrows as her lips twitched upward. The message was clear as day: We are absolutely talking later.
Charley felt her cheeks warm and tried to school her expression, but she knew she failed.
“Oh! I hope you don’t mind, but we picked up a few hitchhikers on the way here,” Alex said, her eyes full of excitement like she couldn’t wait to unveil a surprise.
Charley scrunched her eyebrows together, but before she could even ask, the back door to the SUV opened again, and Sienna’s head popped out.
“Aunt Charley!!!” Sienna shouted as she slid out of the big SUV and barreled into Charley.
For half a second, Charley just stood there in stunned disbelief as a blur of curls and hot pink launched at her. She bent down just in time to catch Sienna before the impact knocked them both on their asses. Charley laughed as she scooped the little girl up into her arms.
“Sienna,” she gasped, squeezing her tight. “What are you doing here?”
Sienna wrapped her arms around Charley’s neck like she had no intention of ever letting go. “Surprise attack,” she announced proudly, and everyone laughed.
Charley pressed her face into Sienna’s hair, breathing in the familiar scent of sunscreen and strawberry shampoo. Her heart felt too full all at once.
Charley looked over Sienna’s head and saw Irish and Bailey step out of the SUV next. Irish gave her that sheepish grin of his, and Bailey smiled as she watched her daughter cling to Charley.
“I thought you guys were camping,” Charley stated.
Bailey laughed and walked closer. “We were.”
Irish shrugged. “Technically.”
Charley narrowed her eyes. “Technically?”
Bailey pointed a thumb toward Alex and Ace. “These two masterminds stopped by yesterday and convinced us to cut the trip short.”
Ace lifted both hands. “We prefer the term strategic extraction.”
Alex grinned. “Don’t listen to them. It was all planned. We weren’t letting you do this without your full cheer squad.”
Charley’s throat tightened.
She looked from Alex to Ace, then to Bailey and Irish, then down at Sienna, who was still clinging to her like a koala. Charley felt her emotions start to spiral and her eyes get a little teary.
“You guys,” she said softly. “You didn’t have to—”
“We wanted to,” Bailey cut in gently. “There’s a difference.”
Irish nodded. “You think we’re missing this? Not a chance.”
Charley swallowed, blinking fast as she hugged Sienna again. “I can’t believe you’re here.”
“The rest of the crew wanted to come too. But they were tied up with some family stuff,” Alex told her.
Charley wiped her eyes before any stray tears fell. Just knowing that the others wanted to be here mattered so much to her.
Sienna leaned back in Charley’s arms and studied her face like she was conducting an inspection. “You look fancy,” she declared.
Charley laughed. “Thank you.”
Then Sienna’s gaze shifted, her eyes landing on Pierce.
He was still standing right beside Charley, one hand resting lightly at the small of her back. He looked like he was trying very hard not to laugh at being assessed by a six-year-old.
Sienna squinted at him and then looked back at Charley.
“Who’s that?” Sienna whispered.
Charley adjusted Sienna on her hip. “Oh. That’s—” She paused, glancing at Pierce.
Well, shit. What exactly was he to her? Was he her boyfriend now?
He definitely had graduated from “friend” status, especially after that kiss on the beach the other night.
But what could she tell the inquisitive little girl staring at her like she was getting impatient?
She also didn’t miss how both Alex and Bailey leaned in as if waiting to hear her answer. Then a thought hit her.
“That’s Pierce,” she said. “He’s my special friend.”
Pierce’s lips twitched. And Charley could’ve sworn that she heard a snort of laughter come from Alex. She just chose to ignore it. She would deal with her later.
Sienna looked between them slowly. “Special friend,” she repeated.
“Yep,” Charley said firmly.
Sienna leaned toward Pierce, still in Charley’s arms, and narrowed her eyes. “Are you nice?”
“I try to be,” Pierce replied, smiling and putting his dimple on display.
Sienna studied him as if she were preparing for an interrogation.
“Do you like Legos?”
“Yes.”
“Do you like animals?”
“Yes.”
“Do you eat vegetables?”
“Most of them,” Pierce said, his grin growing with every question she asked him.
She considered him for another second, then looked at Charley.
“He passed. He can be your friend.”
The group burst into laughter.
Pierce smiled and placed a hand over his heart. “I appreciate the approval.”
Sienna pointed at Pierce. “But if you make Aunt Charley sad, I won’t like you.”
Pierce laughed. “I promise you that I only want to make your Aunt Charley happy.”
Sienna leaned back toward Charley and whispered loudly, “He’s tall. He looks strong.”
Charley smirked. “I noticed.”
Charley could tell that Pierce was trying not to laugh.
Bailey shook her head. “Sienna…”
Sienna’s head snapped toward her mom. “What?” she asked, acting all innocent.
Charley pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh. She lowered Sienna back to the ground, who then launched herself into her dad’s arms and started talking about a new rabbit that she wanted. Charley made a mental note to Bailey about that later.
“Well, it looks like it is time,” Alex announced.
Charley scanned the growing crowd as they settled in. She closed her eyes for a quick second, took a deep breath, then exhaled. When she opened her eyes, she met Pierce’s brown eyes staring down at her.
“You got this,” he told her, giving her that dazzling smile.
She smiled back at him. “Thank you.”
Following Alex’s lead, she lifted her chin, squared her shoulders, and turned toward the stage. She had people behind her, beside her, and one very tall “special friend” steady at her back as they stepped forward to kick off the ceremony.
◆◆◆
Two hours later, Charley stood just outside the foundation’s entrance, watching as the crowd from the celebration mingled across the lawn.
Behind her, the glass doors were like a revolving door, with people stepping inside to tour the building, and some even making appointments.