Chapter 15 Kira
KIRA
Dr. Navarro leads me out after I get dressed, even though the building is nowhere near as big and maze-like as the medical centers down in the city.
Grizz is sitting in an empty lobby, the chair dwarfed under his frame.
“Did you scare off my other patients, Boyd?” the doctor asks him with a fond smile.
He shrugs, pretending to be guilty. “Must have been something I said.”
She huffs out a laugh. “Jennifer, call me if you need anything. Boyd, take good care of her.”
“Of course.” Grizz looks at me, his eyes softening in a way that squeezes my heart.
As soon as the doctor leaves, his expression changes to concern. “How did it go?”
Because I’m suddenly overflowing with emotion and can’t speak, I hold out the picture that’s still clutched tightly in my fingers. Grizz looks back and forth between the sonogram image and me, in awe, unable to speak.
“It’s a girl,” I whisper.
“A girl!” The next thing I know, my feet are dangling several inches from the ground, and Grizz is spinning me around.
I’m pressed against his hard chest, secure in his strong arms, surrounded by the clean, masculine scent of him.
Too quickly, he sets me down and smooths my wig and clothing, looking stricken. “Sorry! Are you okay? Did I hurt you?”
I’m laughing, happy to share my excitement with someone, though I can’t help but wish I were still in his embrace. “I’m fine. And the doctor said the baby and I are both doing well.”
“That’s great news. Excellent!” He’s nearly giddy—as giddy as a six-foot-five former Marine tough guy gets.
We spend another joyful moment before I tuck the picture into my bag, along with the prenatal vitamins and the card that contains the doctor’s contact information.
As soon as we step out onto the street, Grizz switches into patrol mode, his eyes scanning the environment in a way Viper would appreciate.
The cold mountain air bites at my cheeks, but I barely feel it. I’m so wrapped up in my thoughts, I also don’t see the blur of movement until it’s about to collide with me.
Grizz is faster. “Whoa, buddy!”
Right before the child crashes into my leg, my guardian grabs him by the shoulders, bringing him safely to a halt.
A small boy, maybe eight years old, stares up at us, wide-eyed. “Sorry! I wasn’t watching—”
“T.J.!” a woman’s voice calls. “Slow down, son!”
She jogs up, slightly out of breath when she reaches us. The woman looks maybe a few years older than me, with long dark hair pulled back in a thick ponytail, jeans, worn boots, and a navy blue jacket.
She looks between her son, me in my wig and glasses, and the big man holding us both. “Are you okay?” she asks me first. Her voice is warm and concerned, and there doesn’t seem to be anything suspicious about her or the incident.
“I’m fine,” I say. “He just took me by surprise.” Grizz’s hand is unwavering at the small of my back.
“T.J., apologize properly,” the woman prompts.
“I’m really sorry,” the boy says solemnly. “I was racing to the corner and didn’t see you.”
I give him a smile. “It’s okay. No harm done.”
The woman extends her hand. “I’m Elena. Elena Ramirez.”
After hesitating a fraction of a second, I shake her hand. Though I can’t imagine this woman is in any way dangerous, I stick to my alias. “Jennifer Smith.”
“Nice to meet you, Jennifer. Are you new in town?”
“Just visiting for a while,” I hedge.
She offers me a smile. “Well, welcome to Moon Ridge, Jennifer. I hope I’ll see you around.”
Something twists inside me. I want to say yes, I hope so, too. As Kira. As someone who could have friends again.
The men are good company, but living with them isn’t the same as spending time with a woman friend.
“Maybe,” I say instead, wishing I could explain.
Grizz clears his throat and taps my shoulder. “We should get moving, Jennifer.”
“Right.” I smile at Elena again and wave at her son. “It was nice to meet you both.”
“You too!” the boy chirps before turning his attention to the clinic door. “Mom, if I’m good, can we get hot chocolate after?”
“We’ll see,” she says. Then to me, “Take care.”
“You too,” I say, then let Grizz lead me down the sidewalk.
Moon Ridge’s general store seems to be trying to be everything to everyone in town. A one-stop shop for groceries, hardware, sporting goods, clothing, and even craft supplies, with its shelves and displays crowded with items, somehow fitting everything in a relatively small space.
Atlas and Viper are there, a basket between them, moving with the determined efficiency of men on a supply run. I imagine them following an orderly mental shopping list, and I’ll bet neither of them ever caves to an impulse item.
Viper clocks our arrival the second we walk in, his gaze flicking to me, then Grizz. A quick scan. No threat, no problem.
“All okay?” Atlas asks.
I give him a thumbs-up. The men often communicate with hand signals, and I seem to be picking up their habits.
“All except for a kid with no brakes,” Grizz says, earning a curious look from Atlas.
“A boy almost ran into me when we were coming out of the clinic,” I explain, “but Grizz’s reflexes prevented an accident.”
Atlas nods before looking to Grizz for confirmation that there was no threat. After silent communication passes between the two men, Atlas nods again.
“We’re restocking basics,” Atlas says. “Anything you want, speak up.”
I shake my head. “You’ve already bought me enough.”
“We bought you what you needed. Today, get what you want.”
I don’t bother arguing, because it won’t do any good. Instead, I follow along as they move through the aisles, watching Grizz get into a passionate debate with Viper about canned chili versus stew. I drift slightly behind, fascinated by the store’s selection and by the men I’m with.
The three of them fit in perfectly with the rough and rugged environment at the compound.
Here in town, they stand out. They’re all so masculine and handsome, they draw the eye without trying.
The shop’s narrow aisles accentuate how tall and broad the three are, and their competence is made plain in the purposeful way they move through the store.
Of course, I already knew they were exceptional men, but seeing them in a different environment makes it even more obvious.
When we turn into the next aisle, I spot yarn. A decent-sized section of it, tucked between cleaning products and school supplies. Skeins in every color, from dusty pinks and sunshiney yellows to bright blues and mossy greens.
As soon as I slow to look, the men come to a stop as a unit.
“Do you knit?” Atlas asks.
“Crochet. My mom taught me when I was young. After she passed, I used to make things when I was sad or stressed.”
He looks at the yarn selection, then back at me. “Want to get some?”
“I shouldn’t.” I bite my lip. “I don’t really need it.”
Viper’s voice is low but resolute. “Mental health is a priority. Get some.”
Grizz picks up a pastel pink yarn. “This one will be perfect.”
The other two men notice the special smile on my face and move in close, forming a huddle around me. “Are you saying—?” Atlas asks.
“I found out I’m having a girl.” I pull out the sonogram picture and show it to them.
Their reactions are similar to Grizz’s, minus the part where he picked me up and twirled me around. Their big, strong, handsome faces, with the hard lines and serious expressions, temporarily turn into sweet puddles of goo.
“Congratulations.” Atlas pulls me into an embrace that’s every bit as enjoyable as Grizz’s, and also far too brief.
For a moment, Viper looks like he might hug me, too, but instead, he nods. I can tell he’s happy for me, but his smile doesn’t seem to come easy.
I don’t have much time to wonder about his reaction, though, because Atlas redirects my attention to the yarn. “Can you make a baby blanket? How many of these do you need?”
When I admire a variegated pastel colorway, Atlas insists I get it.
“Maybe just one,” I say.
“You must need more for a whole blanket.” His gaze drifts to my belly. “No matter how tiny she is.”
I tell him three skeins will be plenty, and he tosses them into the basket. “What other colors would you like? You need a hook, too, right?”
A set of three basic hooks doesn’t cost much, and as I put that in the basket, my eye catches on a particular shade of grayish-blue yarn that reminds me of Atlas’s eyes.
After all they’ve done for me, it would be really nice to be able to make something for them, even if it does unfortunately require them to buy the supplies.
I end up selecting the blue, along with a forest green, and a warm heathered charcoal. As the men take the skeins from me and add them to their basket, I say, “I promise I’m not trying to bankrupt you.”
“You’d have to try harder,” Viper says.
In fact, they try to buy more things for me before we’re done shopping, and I have to be careful not to look at any one item for too long, so they don’t put it in the basket. Despite my protests, they insist on getting me a soft flannel shirt and a notebook with mountain artwork on the cover.
When Grizz eyes me as he picks up a candle that smells like flowers, I put my foot down. “Nothing else today. You’ve already gotten me more than enough.”
He sighs dramatically, teasing me. “You’re no fun.”
I direct his attention to the peanut butter, something I recall him mentioning, and he puts three jars of it on top of the nearly-full basket. “For emergencies,” he explains.
As we wait to check out, Atlas steps close enough so no one outside of our little group can hear him. “How’re you holding up?”
“I’m fine.”
He tips his head toward the door. “There’s a good lunch spot down the street, if you’re up for it.”
My wig is a little itchy, but I’m mostly used to it. The excitement of seeing my baby made it easy to ignore my disguise. “I’m good with that, if you think it’s okay.”
“Haven’t seen anything that concerns me,” Atlas says.
Viper’s gaze locks on mine. “If anyone looks twice at you, we’ll be on them.”
Comfort and danger, all wrapped in one calm statement.
“Lunch sounds good,” I tell them.