I gesture for her to turn, then start re-braiding her hair.
“What are you doing?”
“Making sure none of this lovely hair gets singed.”
“Oh.” She makes a small, pleased sound, and leans into my touch.
My chest expands. I get to be the one to do this for her.
“Are you happy, Katie?”
Her eyes are shut, her face tipped toward the warmth of the fire.
“So happy. I don’t think I’ve ever been happier.”
I carefully braid the ends of her hair, making sure the elastic is tight, silently vowing that I’ll keep her safe, that I’ll always keep her safe.
When she smiles at me and raises her sprayer like a petite general going off to war, I know—she’s here to stay. Forever.
Aiden comes up beside me as Katie tromps over to the next barrel, her boots swallowing her up to her knees.
“She loves it like we do, Tris. She’s one of us.”
“I know.”
We both watch her peer carefully into one wet barrel, and then move to the next, taking this just as seriously as I do, cherishing it because it’s important to me, but also because she’s adopted our whole family as her own.
“You know, Aiden. I always felt like we took her in. But sometimes it feels like she took us in too.”
He laughs softly. “Yeah. Like she’s the fierce little mother bear and we’re her cubs.”
I laugh too. “Like a nature documentary. Someone gets too close and she starts to snap her teeth.”
“You make her happy. She’ll do anything to protect us. Loyalty is part of who she is.”
“I know.” My pulse stumbles. “I always worried that I couldn’t make her as happy as someone else could.” At my brother’s sound of protest, I cut him a glance. “She’d threaten me with bodily harm if I said that out loud to her. But I realized, even if another man could make her happy, no one will try as hard as I will. No one will cherish her like I do.” My voice cracks, and I clear my throat.
Aiden’s hand lands on my shoulder, squeezing firmly. “Proud of you, Tristan.”
My hand shakes as it dips into my pocket to check that Katie’s gift is there. Hopefully, she likes it.
Hopefully, she feels like I do.
66
EPILOGUE
KATIE
“Thirty-two.” I drop onto the blanket next to Tristan. “Thirty-two.” I wipe sweat off my face, surely leaving a streak of soot, but I don’t care. I feel loose and relaxed and happy. I feel part of something bigger than myself.
Tristan is grinning at me, his real grin that shows his dimples and sets his eyes to glinting in the light of the bonfire. His jaw is gilded and the firelight picks out the golden streaks in his hair. He’s so handsome that my stomach does a small jump. Just six months ago, I would have looked away and pretended not to notice. Now, he’smine.
He bumps me with his shoulder. “Great job, killer.” He raises a mug toward Aiden. “I think Aiden’s just happy someone else is doing the work. His old back can’t take it anymore.”
Aiden snorts and Emory says something into his ear that makes him shout with laughter and then grip her tightly around the waist.
Tristan is smiling at them.
