Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
JETT
My wife was my medicine.
On Saturday when we’d gotten home, Dusty retreated to one condo, and I stayed with Patience as planned. Fuck if I wasn’t scared to death I would have nightmares and hurt my wife, but she didn’t seem worried at all.
Both exhausted, we got ready to go to sleep, and she took my hand, leading me to her bed. I’d tried to convince her I could sleep in the spare room, but she wasn’t having it.
There was no talk of sex, no attempt at all to persuade me even. It wasn’t that it hadn’t crossed my mind; of course it did. I wanted Patience with an intensity that was almost alarming. But I needed something else more in that moment.
My best friend.
She slid into bed beside me, her soft body pressing up against mine tight. Patience wrapped one arm across my stomach, a silky, smooth leg over my thigh, and she rested her head on my bare chest.
We both sighed simultaneously in contentment, and within minutes, I was out.
When I awoke Sunday morning to her smiling face, and nightmare free, I knew I wanted that for the rest of my life. It was the perfect start to another amazing day.
Dusty knocked on the door around eight, we went to pick up Griffin and ate breakfast with my family. Later that afternoon, we went out for pizza with some of our friends—those who could make it—and then that night I found myself back in bed with my wife.
Griffin had been over the moon that I was there with them, and it took a bit to calm him down so he could fall asleep.
Before I knew it, Monday rolled around. The usual routine kicked in with Patience heading off to work, only before she left, there was one slight change.
I kissed her senseless, something I’d done many times over the previous few days.
But that was as far as it had gone as we tried settling into the new development of me sleeping beside her each night.
After taking Griffin to school as I’d been doing more and more lately, I found myself alone with Dusty for the first time since she arrived. It was also the first time in days that tension had settled inside me again.
We were headed to grab coffee, and I knew there was a chance that Dusty, while needing to get away from her hometown for a bit, also wanted to talk about what happened all those months ago.
I wasn’t sure I could do it.
After that, we were headed to No Surrender. I’d promised to take Dusty there after she’d heard so much about it from the guys at the barbecue. She was thinking we should visit the shooting range together. Neither of us had picked up a gun since being captured. She’d thought it might be therapeutic.
Again, it was another thing I wasn’t so sure about, but I planned to attempt it because the guys also wanted to officially talk to me about taking the job. I needed to be okay with a range, the gun, and being around that atmosphere if I was serious about joining them.
To my surprise, Dusty had told me during coffee that she knew I wasn’t quite ready to talk about what went down, but when I was, she would be there. God, I was grateful for her spectacular perception and understanding.
After that, I just had to get through our time at No Surrender.
But when my wife buzzed us in and my eyes met hers, I was damn happy I was there. No matter what came next, it was all worth it just to see her.
I quickly made my way to the front desk, rounded it, and gave her a kiss. It was clear that I was addicted to her lips—not that she seemed to mind.
Dusty groaned. “I’m happy for you both, but you two are getting really sappy.”
“Just wait until you find a man,” Patience told her as we pulled away from one another.
Dusty shook her head. “Nope. Not even on my radar right now.”
I could tell by the look in my wife’s eyes that she was thinking hard. If Dusty had lived by us, I had no doubt she’d alert the ladies, and they would be on another one of their matchmaking crusades.
Braxton and Lyric chose that moment to walk into the front lobby, so that conversation was shut down, which I could tell Dusty was grateful for.
“How about a tour for the two of you?” Brax said, motioning to Dusty and me. “Then we can talk before you do some shooting or whatever else floats your boat.”
Dusty clapped her hands excitedly. I didn’t know how she was so calm compared to me about the guns or why she seemed more at ease after everything that happened. My therapist said that everyone handled things differently, and we each had our own experience.
Maybe that was it? Or maybe she was just better at hiding her feelings than I was. I just hoped one day it didn’t sneak up on her all at once. If it did, I’d be there for her just like I knew she’d always be there for me.
Patience touched my back, drawing me back to the moment and out of my thoughts. I’d done it again, blanked on the question that had been asked, getting caught up with everything swirling around in my head.
“Tour sounds good,” I told the guys.
“Sounds good,” Lyric said, a big smile on his face.
I knew my brother-in-law was eager for me to start working with him. All the guys had, in fact, expressed that one time or another on Saturday night, and it felt damn good.
Braxton motioned toward the hallway leading to the left. “Let’s head this way first.”
He and Lyric began walking that way, Dusty right behind them, while I stalled for a second, needing one last taste of my wife.
Our lips met, and my soul settled.
She was definitely my medicine.
Nerves pricked my skin as I held the gun in my hand.
With my earmuffs already on, I slid my safety glasses over my eyes as I inhaled a significantly big, deep breath. Muscle memory and training kicked in, and I fired multiple rounds.
I yanked my earmuffs and glasses off, watching as the target retrieval system moved the silhouette paper target toward me.
A smile stretched across my face when I saw my marks.
I still have it.
I’d always taken pride in doing my best in every aspect of my military training; shooting had always been something I excelled at.
“Damn.” Lyric’s voice behind me caught my attention, and I turned to see I had an audience. “Little brother has some skills.”
Standing with Lyric were Braxton, Gyth, and Kace. Their brows were raised in pleasant surprise. Dusty moved in next to them with a huge smile on her face.
“Jett has always been the best shot I’ve seen.”
The pride in my friend's voice made me feel good. But the looks of approval on the men’s faces that I had looked up to for so many years sent deep satisfaction through my whole body.
“I’ve seen you shoot a few times when you came home, but you’ve gotten even better,” Braxton told me. “You could give us all a run for our money.”
“Could,” I scoffed. “Sounds like a challenge.”
The men all chuckled, Dusty joining in. “You’re going to fit in perfectly,” Gyth said.
After the tour, they once again presented me with the job offer.
Previously I’d told them that if I could still shoot, I’d take it.
I’d been worried I wouldn’t be able to hold a gun again, and I knew sometimes they took on jobs where they had to protect people.
If I couldn’t do anything they asked of me, I felt like I wasn’t worthy of accepting.
“Looks like I’ll take the job.”
Kace walked closer and slapped me on the back. “Glad to have you.”
Then the craziest thing happened. Braxton turned to Dusty and said, “If you ever want a change of scenery and a job, come talk to us.”
I’d never seen Dusty as speechless as she was at that moment. She looked like she was waiting to catch flies when her mouth dropped open. But it was the wistful look in her eyes that had my heart going out to her. I could see that she was struggling more than she led on.
She inhaled, her head falling back and eyes closing for a moment before she opened them again and refocused on Braxton. “Fuck if that doesn’t sound like one of the best things I’ve heard in months, but I can’t right now.”
Everyone waited, sensing she wasn’t done, but letting her get her bearings.
Looking down at her leg, she remained quiet for a minute before glancing back up once again. “Thank you. This place is amazing. What you all have done here is remarkable. And you guys are pretty damn cool.”
The guys looked pleased at that comment.
She sighed. “I’m just not there yet. Not enough to be worth it to anyone, and I need to make sure my parents are okay too.”
Braxton nodded. “I understand.” He moved closer to her and touched her shoulder. “If things change, you know where to find us,” he said as he dropped his hand.
Dusty gave him a smile then, one that didn’t quite reach her eyes, but it was there at least. “I sure do.”
All the guys said their goodbyes since Dusty and I would be heading out. We needed to go pick up Griffin, and I wanted to pick up something for dinner so Patience didn’t have to worry about it.
Once they were out of sight, I looked my friend in the eye.
“You could do this job in your sleep.” I could see the doubt in her gaze, and I understood it all too well, but I hated that she felt that way at all.
“Nothing that happened in that hellhole, or the physical aspect of your injury defines you any differently than what you truly are. You’re a badass and fucking amazing. ”
Dusty placed a hand on one hip and pointed her cane at me with the other. Her eyes misted, but she had shit to throw at me. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t be good-old Dusty. “Don’t make me cry or I’ll hurt you. And when the hell are you going to take your own advice?”
I grinned at her. “Touché.”
She just rolled her eyes at me.
“Okay, let’s go say goodbye to my wife and then get my son from school.”
Now she was smirking. She didn’t have to say anything for me to know that she’d caught on to my choice of wording: my wife and my son.
Once we made our way back to the front desk, I somehow ended up alone in the car on my way to get Griffin. Patience wanted to take Dusty to go by Capri’s bakery and Brinley’s bookstore before meeting up at home.
So, I stole another kiss from my wife.
And my wife stole Dusty.