Page 108 of Knox

“What is that?” Archer asked, the moment I returned to the porch.

“I hope you’re set on that business name you seemed so excited about before.”

Knox crossed his arms. “I hope so too, because I ordered shirts.”

“Good.” I opened the box to retrieve the carved wood sign I’d commissioned from a local artist.

Then, I spun the gift to face them. “Ta da!”

I’d had the piece outfitted with S hooks to attach it to the bottom of the larger, Island Adventures sign. “Carolina Security is open for business.”

“Hey,” Colton called. “That’s all right!”

The men exchanged fist bumps and back claps.

“Whose number is that?” Knox asked, lifting his chin toward the sign.

“Yours.” I dug into the box and retrieved three small boxes. “As congratulations gifts to you, and your first official business write offs, I bought you all cell phones. You can pay me back when you make some money.”

Archer took the stack and passed them out. “Sweet.”

“I’m really proud of you guys,” I said. “And I have a good feeling about this. I think you’re going to help a lot of people.”

Colton looked more emotional than I’d seen him. “We were talking on the drive over, and we wanted to thank you both for giving us a reason to stay. And for helping us figure out what came after the Corps.”

“You’re helping us,” Knox countered. “Making this place safer and giving people peace of mind is priceless. I couldn’t do it without you. I wouldn’t even have tried.”

Archer clasped the other men on their shoulders. “Brothers look out for each other.”

Watching these men who’d served together and survived together, now building a business and future together, made my chest ache with gratitude. Knox had found his place. His purpose. His family.

And somehow, miraculously, I’d become part of it.

Archer and Colton went inside the shop to get started on the security system installation, and Knox took my hand.

“Walk with me?”

We followed a nearby trail toward the dock out back. White twinkle lights were draped along a wooden fence leading around the building.

Wind whipped off the water, and I burrowed deep into my hooded jacket. Knox held me against his side.

“Are you finally going to show me what you were working on all morning?” I asked. “Tell me you didn’t paint the dock bright orange.”

“I did not,” he said, leading me past a series of tall bushy grasses and sand piled high in dunes.

Then, around the corner, I saw it.

He’d alternated vases of flowers and white pillar candles along each side of the dock, all the way to the end, where a plaid woolen blanket was spread out with a picnic basket.

“You did all this while I was painting?”

“I had a little help,” Knox said, leading me between the candles and flowers. He knelt beside the basket and tugged me down to him, then lifted the lid and produced two steamy to-go mugs of something smelling delightfully like hot chocolate.

I laughed.

“Cheers.” Knox tapped his cup to mine and waited while I got comfortable, feet dangling over the edge.

“Who helped?” I hadn’t seen anyone come or go.