Chapter 39
Two Months Later
Cole stood at the grill on his back deck, flipping burgers while keeping one eye on Janice inside the house. She was laughing at something Vivian had said, her head thrown back, completely at ease, surrounded by the people who'd become his family.
It had been two months since she'd moved to Montana. Two months of watching her settle into this life, into this place, into them. And every day, he fell a little more in love with her.
"Stop staring at your girlfriend like a lovesick puppy," Frazier said, appearing beside him with a beer. "It's embarrassing for the rest of us single guys."
"Jealousy doesn't look good on you," Cole shot back, but he was grinning.
"Not jealous. Just pointing out that you've got it bad." Frazier grabbed a burger off the grill. "Though I'll admit, she's pretty great. Smart, brave, doesn't take your crap. You lucked out." He winked before heading inside.
Cole couldn't argue with that assessment. He had lucked out, in ways he was still trying to wrap his head around.
Inside, the house was full of noise and laughter.
Logan and Vivian's son, almost eighteen months old, was toddling around, laughing at Evie’s antics as Lenore and Sisco supervised.
Noel sat with her hand on her growing belly, Landon hovering nearby with that protective expression he'd worn since they'd announced the pregnancy.
Mia and Devlin were deep in conversation with Janice and Vivian about something that had them all animated.
Tyler and Justice had claimed the couch, Justice's head on Tyler's shoulder in that comfortable way couples had when they'd been together long enough to stop worrying about public displays of affection.
Todd and Sadie were arguing good-naturedly about something related to a recent mission.
Bert sat close to Mary, his hand linked with hers.
They were watching the organized chaos with fond amusement.
Casper and Willow stood near the fireplace, Casper's hand resting on the small of Willow's back.
And now the single guys, Timothy, Dalton, Cory, and Frazier, were clustered near the kitchen, probably giving each other grief about something.
This was his life now. This team, this family, this home he'd built in Montana. And now, Janice was a part of it too.
"Burgers are ready," Cole called out, carrying the platter inside.
Everyone converged on the food with the enthusiasm of people who spent their days doing physically demanding work.
Cole made sure Janice had what she needed before filling his own plate and settling beside her in the living room, where everyone sat wherever they could find a seat… sofa, chairs, or the floor.
"So, Janice," Vivian said once everyone was eating, "how's the new job going? Mia said you're loving it."
Janice's face lit up in that way it always did when she talked about her work. "It's amazing. Three days a week at the clinic on the Blackfoot reservation, two days at the practice in town. I get to work with everything from cats and dogs to the occasional wildlife rescue."
"She brought home an injured fox last week," Cole added. "Treated it in our spare room, then released it back on the reservation once it healed."
“I love that you were able to find just the kind of job you wanted when you came here,” Lenore said.
Mia leaned forward, her expression warm. "I'm just glad I could help connect you with Dr. Whitehorse at the reservation clinic. When you mentioned wanting to work with underserved communities, I knew he'd be perfect. He's been looking for someone with your wildlife expertise for years."
"You changed my life with that introduction," Janice said seriously. "The work there is exactly what I needed. Challenging, meaningful, making a real difference for people and animals who don't always have access to quality veterinary care."
"And the town practice keeps you connected to the community here," Mary added. "Best of both worlds."
The conversation flowed easily, moving from Janice's work to upcoming LSIMT missions to Timothy's recent helicopter certification to speculation about whether Noel was having a boy or a girl. Logan and Vivian’s little boy was falling asleep, and Janice immediately offered to hold him.
Cole watched her cradle the little boy, swaying gently as she spoke to Vivian.
Something in his chest tightened at the sight.
He wasn't ready to think about kids yet.
They were still figuring out how to live together, but seeing Janice with the toddler made it impossible not to imagine a future where that could be their reality.
"You've got that look again," Timothy said quietly from his other side.
"What look?"
"The one that says you're thinking about rings and forever." Timothy grinned. "It's the same look Logan had right before he proposed to Vivian."
"I'm not—" Cole started, then stopped. Because he was. Not immediately, not tomorrow, but eventually. Janice was it for him. The woman he wanted to build a life with, grow old with, and come home to every night.
"It's okay to admit it," Timothy said. "Love makes fools of us all eventually. Some of us just embrace it faster than others."
Eventually, people started drifting toward the door.
Lenore collected a sleepy Evie, promising they'd see everyone at the compound tomorrow.
Noel and Landon left with warnings about Noel not overdoing it.
Logan and Vivian packed up their son and all his equipment, which somehow required multiple bags despite the kid being less than two years old.
The single guys were the last to leave, Dalton giving Cole a knowing look on his way out. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."
"That leaves a pretty wide range," Cole shot back.
"Exactly." Dalton grinned and headed for his truck.
And then it was just the two of them. Cole and Janice, standing in their kitchen surrounded by dirty dishes and leftover food and the warm aftermath of an evening with friends.
"That was fun," Janice said, starting to gather plates. "Your team is wonderful."
"They love you." Cole caught her hand, stopping her from cleaning. "The dishes can wait. Come here."
He led her out to the back deck, where the Montana sky was putting on a show. Stars scattered across the darkness like someone had flung diamonds, and the mountains rose black against the horizon. The air was cold, but Janice pressed against his side, sharing warmth.
"I love it here," she said softly. "I never expected to love it this much. Montana, your team, this life. It's all I ever wanted."
Cole's chest felt too full. "You make it sound like I did something special. I just love you, Janice. All of you. The veterinarian, the scientist, the woman who picks up injured foxes, the person who's brave enough to stand up to corruption even when it's dangerous. You are everything."
"That's what I mean." Her voice was thick with emotion. "You see all of me and just accept it all."
"Because I love it all." Cole turned to face her properly, his hands framing her face. "I love that you fit into my life like you were always meant to be here."
"Cole—" Her voice broke.
"I love you, Janice Lynch. Every day more than the day before." He kissed her forehead, her cheeks, the tip of her nose. "And I'm going to keep loving you for the rest of my life if you'll let me."
"Yes," she whispered against his mouth. "Yes to all of it. Because I love you too. So much it scares me sometimes. But it's the good kind of scared. The kind that means something real and important and worth protecting."
He kissed her then, properly, thoroughly, pouring months of love, gratitude, and wonder into it. She kissed him back with equal fervor, her arms wrapping around his neck, her body pressed against his like she was trying to get as close as possible.
When they finally broke apart, both breathing hard, Janice's smile was luminous. "Let’s go inside, Cole. Inside our home.”
"Our home," he repeated, meaning it with every fiber of his being. "You've been my home since the moment I found you in that forest."
They went inside together, leaving the stars and the mountains and the vast Montana night behind. The dishes could wait until morning. Right now, all that mattered was the two of them, together, building a life that honored both their independence and their love.
Cole had spent twenty years flying, searching for where he belonged. He'd found good work with LSI, found brothers in his team, found a home in Montana's mountains.
But he'd found his heart in a woman who'd needed rescuing and then turned around and saved him right back.
Later, lying in bed with Janice curled against his side, her breathing deep and even with sleep, Cole stared at the ceiling and felt gratitude wash over him. Life had brought them together through danger and fear and circumstances neither of them could have predicted.
But they'd chosen each other. Chosen to be brave, to be vulnerable, to build something real together.
Outside, the Montana wind whispered through the trees, and somewhere in the distance, a wolf howled at the moon. Wild things thriving in their natural habitat, free and fierce and exactly as they should be.
Just like Janice. Just like the love they'd built together.
Don’t miss the next Keeper in LSIMT!
Frazier