Chapter 12
MELISSA
“We’d talked about having a big wedding, but once the idea of eloping came up, we just knew we didn’t want to wait.”
Webb hugs Noelle closer to his side and kisses the top of her head before confiding, “Afterwards, I was worried my mom might be upset, being left out of the ceremony.”
“But she wasn’t,” Noelle chimes in. “She’s so thrilled to see her son finally married, she said we could have had the ceremony on the moon and it would have been fine.”
Stone—aka Jack, one of Webb’s Night Stalker friends from New Mexico—laughs. “She’d probably given up hope. Resigned herself to her younger son staying single forever.”
Stone’s wife, Maisy, gives him a sharp elbow to the ribs. “Jack. I’m sure all she cared about was Webb being happy.”
“True,” Webb agrees. “But every time I’d call”—he glances at Noelle with an affectionate smile—“my mom would find a way to drop the idea of dating into the conversation. Just think about it, she’d tell me. The years I spent with your father were the happiest of my life. And he gave me you...”
“Oh, boy.” Owl—aka Callum, another of Webb’s friends from New Mexico—chuckles. “Has she moved on to grandkids now?”
“Not yet,” Noelle replies. “At least, not that I’ve heard.” She gives Webb a questioning look. “She didn’t bring it up when we visited last week. Unless she said something to you?”
Webb shakes his head. “Not yet. She’ll give us a few months at least. Then I fully expect to start hearing the comments whenever I call.”
“You mean the you’re not getting any younger comments?” Indy asks. “The little offhand remarks about how it’s harder to keep up with kids the older you get?”
Bea turns to Indy in surprise. “Your mom’s been saying that?”
Indy shrugs. “A few times. But only after Amanda was born.” He glances across the deck at his little sister, who’s sitting on one of the outdoor loveseats feeding Amanda a bottle.
As usual, Rafe is right beside them, his attention split between watching his wife and daughter and scanning their surroundings.
“Anyway,” Indy adds, “she’s plenty happy having one grandchild to spoil. So there’s no rush for us.”
But judging from the loaded glance Indy and Bea exchange, I get the feeling that having a baby is already on the table. And that it might be happening sooner than later.
As soon as the thought strikes me, I brace myself for the inevitable sting that comes whenever the topic of having babies comes up. But it doesn’t come like it usually does.
Tyler gives my hand a little squeeze, drawing my attention to him.
His eyes search out mine, silently checking in with me, just as he’s been doing since Noelle and Webb’s post-elopement celebration began a couple of hours ago.
While I’ve been staying at B and A with Tyler for the last couple of weeks, settling in and enjoying our time together, some of the other couples took advantage of their time off and spent it traveling, which led to Webb and Noelle’s impromptu wedding in the Caribbean.
I smile at Tyler and nod. A beat later, he smiles back at me. Then he releases my hand and wraps his arm around my waist, hugging me against him.
“Have you decided where you’re going to go for your honeymoon?” Owl’s wife, Lara, asks.
“Well,” Noelle replies, “we kind of had our honeymoon already, since we got married while we were in the Caribbean.”
“We’re still going to have an official honeymoon,” Webb interjects. He lifts Noelle’s hand and kisses the back of it. “It won’t be right away, since we’ve got some jobs coming up. But my wife deserves a big, fancy trip. And I’m going to make sure she gets it.”
“What about the Adirondacks?” Erik asks. “There are some really nice places to stay out there.” Erik is from the Bravo team branch, and he came out here with his wife, Tatum, to help celebrate.
“Oh, yes,” Tatum enthuses. “The resort on Saranac Lake. You came to visit us there, Webb. So you saw how nice it was.”
Webb nods. “It was really nice. And it’s something to consider. But—” His gaze slides to Noelle’s. “Someone’s been wanting to experience London theater. So that might have to be on the itinerary.”
“Oh, we went there,” Stone’s wife, Maisy, pipes up. “It was amazing. We spent a week in London, and then we headed to Ireland for a few days. I’d love to go back.”
“We can,” Stone tells her quickly. “Anytime you want. Just give me the word.”
My heart softens at his obvious eagerness to please her. Just like the other couples in attendance, Maisy and Stone are very much in love. Six months ago, it might have bothered me to be around so many happy couples. But now…
Now I feel like I’m one of them.
Not that Tyler and I are at the same stage in our relationship—we’ve been dating for less than a month, after all, and talk of love isn’t on the table yet—but if things keep going as well as they’ve been, I could see us getting there one day.
How crazy is that? After six years alone, absolutely certain I’d spend the rest of my life that way, I’m suddenly contemplating a future with someone.
No, I amend silently. Not just contemplating. Hoping. Because this thing with Tyler is special. And I don’t want it to end.
As the conversation hits a lull, Rafe’s voice rises loud enough for all the guests to hear him. “If I could have everyone’s attention,” he says. “I’d just like to make a quick toast.”
All across the back deck, chatter diminishes and heads swivel towards him. “I’ll keep it quick,” Rafe adds. “Not like Cole and his speeches.”
Apparently, there’s a running joke among the Blade and Arrow family that their founder, Cole, tends to ramble whenever he gets up to talk.
And according to Tyler, Cole’s daughter, Clara, has taken to calling him out on it.
“Last time I was visiting the New York branch,” Tyler told me the other day, “Clara told Cole to hurry up so they could have dessert. We were all thinking it. But she’s got Cole wrapped around her little finger, so she got away with it. ”
“Get on with it, then,” Indy teases.
“I’m trying to,” Rafe shoots back. “So.” He turns his attention to Webb and Noelle. “I just want to say how happy I am for you guys.” He smirks. “Even if you did go off and get married in Antigua without inviting us.”
“We didn’t plan to,” Noelle insists. “But once we saw the beaches and the sunsets… we couldn’t wait.”
Webb kisses Noelle before adding with a laugh, “Once Noelle agreed to marry me right there and then, I wasn’t giving her a chance to change her mind.”
“As if I would,” she retorts. “I love you, Webb Anders. And I couldn’t wait to be your wife.”
Webb beams with pride. “My wife,” he announces, lifting Noelle’s hand above her head and giving her a little spin. “The most amazing woman in the world.”
“Aww,” Bea says. “You two are so perfect for each other.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Tyler adds. He lifts his glass. “To Webb and Noelle.”
A chorus of To Webb and Noelles follows. Glasses raise into the air.
“To Webb and Noelle,” Rafe repeats. He flashes a warm smile at the two of them. “I’m so honored to call both of you family. Congratulations.”
Congratulations ripple across the room as glasses clink together. Webb kisses Noelle and dips her dramatically while she giggles.
Tyler turns to me and taps his beer mug against my goblet of water. His gaze seeks out mine. As the conversation around us shifts to a comparison between the weather in Oregon, Texas, and New Mexico, Tyler pulls me to the side and asks me quietly, “How are you doing?”
I take a sip of my water while I collect my thoughts. “I’m good,” I reply, realizing I truly mean it. “Really good.”
His eyebrows arch up. “Are you sure? Because you can tell me if you’ve had enough.”
“I’m sure.” I set my glass on the table nearby and take his hand. “I was a little nervous at first. But once I talked to everyone, I didn’t feel nervous anymore.”
Tyler frowns. “You should have told me, Mel. We didn’t have to come.”
“Not come to your friends’ wedding party?” I shake my head. “There’s no way I would have asked you to miss it.”
Tyler sets his beer down. He catches Webb’s eye and gives him a tiny chin lift.
Then he leads me towards the stairs that lead from the enormous wooden deck at the rear of the Blade and Arrow house and down to the yard below.
Once we reach the grass, Tyler turns me to face him.
The setting sun casts shadows across his strong features, and his eyes are dark with concern.
“I don’t want you feeling uncomfortable,” he says solemnly. “I’m sorry if you felt pressured into going to this party. I should have thought. Of course it would be hard for you, meeting new people, and with Owl and Stone here—”
“But I wanted to meet your friends,” I interrupt. “Yes, I was nervous about it. Especially with Owl and Stone being former Night Stalkers, too. I know they didn’t work with Vince, but they knew him. So…” I shrug. “I was a little nervous about what they’d think of me.”
Owl and Stone weren’t based out of Fort Campbell, like Webb and Vince, but they’d met during trainings and missions overseas.
So when I found out they were coming for the party, I’ll admit, I was scared.
What if they knew what I did and were angry at me for it?
What if they didn’t want to bring their wives to Blade and Arrow because I was here?
But how could I not come to the party when I was invited?
Especially when I’ve gotten to know Tyler’s friends as well as I have in the two weeks I’ve been here?
We’ve played games together—including the much talked about extreme Jenga, which was as fun as I’d thought it would be.
Before leaving for their trip, Noelle took me on a tour of her theater in Williston.
Webb taught me how to play his favorite game, World of Warcraft.
Yara showed me the workshop she uses to build her inventions, including some of her top-secret projects.
I baked with Bea. Watched documentaries with Eden while Amanda napped.