Chapter Twelve
When Willow slipped into the security office, the team was already gathered around the conference table, coffee cups and notepads scattered across the polished surface.
Decker sat at the far end, tracking her movement with an intensity that made heat crawl up her neck.
“Sorry I’m late. The new rescue horse, Apple, has a bellyache.
The veterinarian recommended a special diet to help her, so I had to order it from the feed store.
” She was a little breathless as she settled into her usual chair and opened her laptop.
“First on the agenda, the merger I mentioned in California is on hold now. We could still end up going, but for now, it’s on the backburner.
Second order of business—a basic protection case came in yesterday.
A woman in Colorado has been receiving threats from her husband.
They’re in the middle of a dirty divorce, and he has a history of violence.
He broke the restraining order but was released on bail.
Client wants around-the-clock security for as long as it takes to settle everything. ”
Carson leaned back in his chair, already shaking his head. “Can’t be me. Not with Layne in her third trimester. I’m not leaving her for that long.”
“Think it’s my turn, and I don’t mind going.” Gray glanced around the table. “Honor will enjoy some extra time with Felicity anyway. She’s been worried about her since the bookstore’s been struggling so much.”
Willow made a note on her pad to invite Felicity for a girls’ night.
Carson dipped his head toward Gray. “That works. Team’s getting smaller with you and Denver both out, but it’s not a huge problem. Denver will be back from his honeymoon in ten days.”
“Speaking of coverage,” Willow continued, pulling up her color-coded schedule, “we need to talk about the most important job while Denver and Rhae are gone—watching Navy.”
Several nights ago, she’d created a rotation schedule that would ensure the toddler was never without supervision while still allowing everyone to maintain their other responsibilities.
“I’ve got everyone on shifts, and we’ll take turns taking Gray’s shift.
” She started passing around the printouts she made with the calendar split into hourly blocks.
“Carson, I gave Layne shorter shifts since she needs her rest. Third trimester is exhausting enough without chasing a one-year-old around.”
Willow held out a sheet to Decker. Even though their hands never touched, she swore she felt energy jolt between them. Quickly, she tugged her gaze away from his ruggedly handsome face.
Oaks studied the schedule, then set it aside. “We need to discuss the therapy program too.”
Decker straightened in his seat at the mention of the program as Oaks continued.
“We’re getting more applicants than we can handle. Willow mentioned that someone called the other day, but she couldn’t reach them to place them on the waiting list. We’re going to need more space for residents soon.”
“A new building?” Theo asked.
“That’s in the back of my mind, but that would take months to cut through the red tape of permits. And breaking ground before spring thaw is out of the question. The program’s growing faster than we anticipated.”
“How about doubling up on some of the resident rooms? Surely some won’t mind a roommate,” Willow suggested.
Oaks’s crooked grin had her on instant defense.
“I have a suggestion about freeing up one room. Decker could share a room with someone here in the house.” Oaks looked directly at Willow, his expression far too innocent.
“Then she won’t have to do the walk of shame every morning when she thinks no one sees her. ”
Decker stilled.
Embarrassment flamed across Willow’s cheeks. “I do not do a walk of—”
“You absolutely do,” Theo interrupted, chuckling. “Yesterday morning, you were wearing Decker’s shirt while trying to sneak in.”
Decker groaned, and Willow buried her face in her hands, mortified. But as the teasing continued around the table, she realized something strange was happening. Her brothers weren’t angry or protective or threatening. They were…happy for her.
She looked up at them. “You all actually like him. You love Decker.”
“He’s good for you,” Carson said simply. “We can see it.”
“You could’ve had this all along if you’d been interested in decent guys,” Oaks pointed out. “Instead of those pretty-boy losers who couldn’t change a tire, let alone protect our sister.”
“There will be no other guys in the future.” Decker’s quiet statement carried a certainty that made Willow’s stomach flip. The possessive edge in his tone sent awareness spiraling through her.
She closed her laptop and looked around the table. Despite her brothers’ teasing, she felt as if she was finally finding some balance. Now she had a partner to share her burdens with.
Whatever challenges lay ahead, they’d face them together.
* * * * *
The cold Wyoming air bit at Decker’s face as they left the warmth of the security office. Their breath formed small clouds that dissipated quickly in the morning.
Willow walked beside him in silence, her hands shoved deep in the pockets of the oversized flannel that did nothing to diminish how beautiful she looked.
When they reached the barn entrance, she stopped and faced him, studying him with those gray eyes that always seemed to see too much.
She got right to the point. “Well? What do you think about what my brother said? About you moving into the house with me?”
The question hung between them, weighted with implications that went far beyond just sharing a bedroom. This was about commitment, about declaring to her family—and each other—that this wasn’t temporary or casual.
For a man who had spent months not uttering a word, he knew how powerful they could be. So he chose them carefully. “The more important question is what do you think.”
She stepped into the barn, silent for a long moment. He could practically see her working through her thoughts, weighing considerations he couldn’t begin to guess at.
He took her hands in his, the cold bite of her fingers making him want to pull her closer and warm her up. He turned her fully to face him, needing her to see the truth in his eyes when he spoke.
“I’ve never had anything like this before. This kind of relationship, this level of…openness. It’s new territory for me.”
“For me too,” she whispered.
The admission made his chest tight. Willow, who seemed so confident in every other area of her life, was just as uncertain about this as he was. The thought was both terrifying and comforting.
“I want it to be perfect,” he continued. “I don’t want to mess things up by moving too fast or pushing too hard. If you need more time, I can get a place in town. I’m sure there’s something for rent—an apartment or a house. Give us both some breathing room to figure this out.”
She looked up at him then, and the intensity in her expression made his breath catch.
“I don’t want that.” Her statement came out with a firmness that he recognized as the steel that made up Willow.
“If we’re apart for half an hour, I’m thinking about you.
Aching for you. I don’t want to be separated from you, Decker.
Not by a few buildings, and definitely not by the miles between the Black Heart and Willowbrook. ”
The honesty in her words hit him like a physical blow. This was Willow at her most vulnerable, admitting needs she probably rarely acknowledged even to herself.
“It’s a big step.” He needed to make sure she understood what she was signing up for. He was ready—God, he was so ready to build a life with her.
But he didn’t want to freak her out or push her into something she’d regret. “Living together, sharing space every day…it changes things.”
“I know.” She squeezed his hands. “I’ll start looking for boxes this afternoon. You have a ton of books. We can pack up your room this weekend, maybe get Theo to help move another dresser into my bedroom for you—”
“Stop.” He cut her off gently, then pulled her closer. When she searched his eyes in that direct way, his heart rate doubled, and his gut clenched with need.
“Love, this is important, so listen to me.” He curled his fingers around her braid and let the soft length slip through his palm.
“I see how you take care of everyone, how you show love by doing things for people. But you don’t need to do all of that for me to know you love me, Willow.
I’ve got this. I’ll pack. You can handle the other stuff—making space in your closet, clearing out drawers, whatever you need to do to get ready.
But the physical labor? That’s mine to handle. ”
She stared at him, and he watched emotions flicker across her face—surprise, resistance, and then something that looked like wonder.
“I’m still so surprised that you know so much about me. We’ve been friends for a long time, but we never talked about any of this.”
“Wasn’t hard to spot. You’ve been taking care of this entire ranch since you were old enough to reach the coffeepot.” He swept a strand of hair away from her face. “Everyone appreciates the things you do for others. But you don’t have to earn my affection by doing things for me.”
“Then what’s your love language?” Her voice was soft with curiosity, the tone mingling with the shifting of a few horses dozing in their stalls.
He shrugged, the question more complicated than he was ready to share. “Guess you’ll find out.”
But she was watching him too carefully now, reading between the lines like she always did. “You’re not sure, are you?”
He pressed his lips together. The words came out with more difficulty than he expected. “How I got here…”
She stilled, listening.
“I really loved someone. And when she died in the line of duty, I couldn’t show it in any way.
Whatever I wanted to do for her, I couldn’t.
I had to keep it hidden. I guess I’m still figuring it out.
” He paused, making sure she understood.
“I never got to be openly in love with someone. I never got to be openly in love with you—not in the beginning, when I was still just a resident of the program. Now I get to figure out how to love you without hiding it.”
His heart felt too full. One more tender exchange with Willow and it would overflow.
They were shedding so much—old defense mechanisms, old wounds, old versions of themselves that didn’t fit anymore. They were becoming their truest selves so they could be their best versions for each other.
“I’m genuinely happy.” His admission felt like a revelation. “I never knew life could be like this.”
She nodded, her eyes bright with unshed tears. “I know. I dreamed about it. Saw it in movies and read about it in books. But I never believed it could be mine. Never thought I’d find someone who saw me—really saw me—and loved me anyway.”
The words seemed to unlock something in her, like she’d been holding back forever and finally felt safe enough to release her emotions. This relationship was freeing for both of them in ways he was only beginning to understand.
He closed the gap between their bodies. She kissed him, rising up on her toes to press her lips against his. It was soft and sweet and full of promise, and when she pulled back, she was smiling through her tears.
“Move in with me,” she said. “Not because it’s practical or because my brothers suggested it, but because I want to wake up next to you every morning.
I want to argue about who hogs the covers and who leaves their socks on the floor.
I want all the boring, mundane, beautiful parts of building a life together. ”
A grin spread across his face and through his heart. “Then that’s what we’ll do.”
They stood there in the barn entrance for another moment, holding each other against the cold, committed to their forever.
He only wished his instincts weren’t telling him that a storm was coming. And it was coming soon.