Page 44 of Protecting Gina

She wrapped one arm around his waist. “And I like you.”

“Good. That works out well for both of us.”

Cass came over, looking exhausted and breathing hard. “Okay, those dogs wore me out. I’m ready to go.”

“Did you have fun?”

“I had a blast. I love this place. Thank you for letting me move here.”

Wave gave her a quick hug. “I’m glad you’re here.”

As they headed home, Gina realized she already thought of this place as home. Her car would be here soon, and then she would have a job. She had friends here already. It seemed like everything was falling into place for her.

Cass showered, then took a nap while she and Wave headed to the store to buy stuff for the party. They were taking care of the meat, and the other guys on his team were bringing the other food and drinks.

Excitement skittered through her. She really was building a life here. Getting to know Wave’s friends was important for their future. She hoped they liked her. So far, everyone he’d introduced her to had been nice. But now they would know she was in a relationship with him, and that might change how they felt about her. She hoped it didn’t make any of them hate her. Based on what she knew of Wave, she didn’t think they would be mad at her for getting with him so quickly, but sometimes people surprised her.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Friday evening, Gina was filled with excitement. Wave’s friends showed up at six. She held back while Wave introduced Cass. Everyone was nice to Wave’s sister, which didn’t surprise her at all. Cass was really a nice person.

Then Wave introduced her, and she wondered if any of the women would be snarky to her, but none of them were. They all seemed very nice.

“Foster told me you’re a nurse,” Pen said.

She nodded. “Yes.”

“Oh, I looked into nursing,” Blakely said. “But I’m still unsure.”

Now that she wasn’t rushed, she got a good look at Blakely and realized she was younger. Maybe mid-twenties at the oldest. She smiled easily and seemed to have a love of life.

“Nursing can be very rewarding. And you’re young. You have time to decide,” Gina said.

Blakely nodded. “Foster keeps telling me the same thing. I just know I couldn’t work at a bar or in retail. Too many people.”

Willa laughed. “I love working at the bar.”

Pen shook her head. “Yes, but you’re good at it.”

“It helps that I like it,” Willa said.

“Yes, it does.”

“I like being a nurse, but I know it’s not for everyone. You’re up close and personal with people, and not everyone smells great.”

Blakely wrinkled her nose. “Oh, no. That would be hard.”

“People at the bar can stink, too,” Willa said.

Blakely shook her head. “Yeah, I couldn’t do that.”

Cass came over, her smile huge. “I don’t know what I want to study either.”

Blakely nodded. “It’s hard to decide.”

“Right? I think I’ll finish my basic classes, then take a break and work. Then go back to it. Maybe. Though I have a scholarship, I’m not sure how they will feel about that. Maybe I’ll just take off a semester. I want to do something I like, but I have no idea what I’ll like.”

Gina nodded. “When I first started out, I wasn’t aiming to be a nurse. I wanted to be a biologist, but then I took a nursing class and ended up getting a job in a nursing home. I liked it.”