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Grinning, Dani rolled her eyes. “There’ll be time for that later.”
“Promise?” he asked.
She laughed. “Do I ever tease you about sex?”
“All the fuckin’ time, woman,” he said, kissing her soundly.
When they finally broke apart, she laced her arms around his neck. “What are you guys gonna do today?”
“Lunch at Ben’s Chili Bowl and then shopping for a birthday gift for his little brother.” Sean shrugged. “After that, I’m not sure. Whatever he wants is fine by me.”
“That sounds nice,” Dani said, loving how much Sean was enjoying being a Big Brother. The week after the 4th of July, he’d received his match with a ten-year-old boy named Tyson Marvin and they were thick as thieves already. Of course, it didn’t hurt that the boy loved comic books and Sean basically had the sense of humor of a ten-year-old. Dani just adored how good Sean was with Tyson. The way he mentored and looked out for that boy made her love Sean Riddick even more.
When had she ever been able to resist good-guy Sean? Clearly the answer was never.
Sean kissed her cheek, then grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. “Maybe tonight if you’re up to it we can begin our X-Men marathon.”
She laughed. They’d finished the Marvels Avengers marathon during the summer. There’d been more than twenty movies! And she enjoyed the heck out of them all. “How many movies are in this universe?”
“Woman,” he said, surprising her when he scooped her up and sat her on the counter. “Just go along for the ride here, would ya?”
She smirked. “Another robust universe?”
“Something like that.” He planted a quick kiss on her lips. “Gotta go. I’ll text you and let you know what time I’ll be home.”
“Sounds good,” she said, appreciating the view as she watched him leave. Damn that man did all kinds of justice to a pair of jeans. Smiling, she sat right where he’d placed her for a long moment and thought about what he’d said.
Home.
That word didn’t just sound good to her, it felt true.
She was home. For the first time in so long. Really, she felt that way whenever she was with Sean. That was her new truth.
Dani picked up her phone and texted Tara. Hey, the boys are off playing so I am free for maid of honor duties all day long!
Tara responded right away. Oh, I am totally taking you up on that!
Smiling as they made a plan, Dani realized how far she’d come these past few months. Her happiness for her friend was genuine and easy now. The pain she’d carried for so long was gone. It wasn’t that she never missed Anthony, but it was different now. The happy memories had become comforting to remember. And she could talk about Anthony in a way she hadn’t for years. It was like finding a part of herself again.
To that end, she’d emailed the Kiowa tribe’s enrollment office which kept records related to all its members to see if it had any genealogical information about Granny’s family. These days, she was all about nurturing the roots of the life she’d become determined to have. One with love and family and connection and meaning. And happiness—just like Anthony had wished for her.
It was all due to Sean Riddick, her biggest champion, her fighter, her hero, her best friend.
The man who helped her find the strength to fight again.
After so long, Dani could truly and finally say she had everything she needed and so much that she wanted. Now, she was going to fill her days with love and laughter and make sure to appreciate the amazing ways her life had changed every damn day—to the very end and beyond.
