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Sara cocked a brow. “You say that now but just wait. It can be a pain in the ass. We’ll show up out of nowhere when you need us and when you don’t need us at all.”

I smiled. “I’ll let you all know if it gets annoying. I’m not sure it will for me. I’ve never had anyone who really cared.”

“You’ve had men in your life,” she reminded me. “I know you’ve only had one real boyfriend, but you’ve dated a few others.”

“I only let them get so close,” I told her with a sigh. “I’m a little defective in the romance department.”

Sara waved her hand, dismissing my comment. “Then you’ve never had the right guy. You’ll let Brock in completely as soon as you realize that you trust him and that he’ll never hurt you.”

I thought I’d probably already passed that point.

I cocked my head. “What makes you so sure of that?”

“Because I know Brock,” she confided. “He’s stubborn as hell and he’s crazy about you, Jenna. He’ll chip away at your distrust until it doesn’t exist anymore. You’ll never find a better guy out there.”

“Except Nate?” I teased.

“Except Nate,” she agreed with a long sigh.

I desperately wanted to question her more about her relationship with Nate, but I didn’t.

I could tell it wasn’t something she was ready to talk about in detail.

“I’m excited about leaving for our road trip tomorrow,” I admitted. “But I’ve never been on a motorcycle.”

“You’ll love it,” Jenna assured me. “I didn’t ride a bike until I met the guys. Now I’d actually get one of my own if I could afford it. I ride with Nate all the time. There’s a sense of freedom and escape that I can’t quite explain. It makes me feel more connected with the world around me. You’ll see. It’s hard on your butt in the beginning, but Brock will stop for breathers. You’re actually not traveling that far. All you need is a sense of balance and trust in your driver. Brock will teach you what you need to know. I guarantee that he’ll make sure you have all the safety gear.”

“It going to be an adventure for me,” I told her. “I don’t really do adventures. The one exception is the trip to Mexico, and that got me kidnapped.”

Sara laughed. “You’re not going to get kidnapped with Brock around.”

I knew that, which was probably why I always felt safe when he was with me.

My anxiety was improving with help from the trauma counselor, but I was still going to miss feeling absolutely protected with Brock.

I was a liberated female, but I was also honest with myself.

I was used to fending for myself in Los Angeles, but that sense of security and the feeling that I could let my guard down with Brock was slightly addictive and alluring.

“I’m used to being on my toes all the time,” I said to Sara. “If you’re a woman alone in Los Angeles, you learn to be on the defensive almost constantly.”

“I get that,” she agreed. “But it’s not like that here. We haven’t had a murder or rape in Cherry Cove in decades. Traverse City is the largest city in Northern Michigan, and violent crime there is low. I came from the big city, too, and it takes a while to relax, but violent crime isn’t a big worry in this part of the world.”

“I’ve lived in Southern California my entire life, so I have no idea what it’s like to not worry about violent crime. It’s just a way of life there.”

“You’ll get used to it if you stay here long enough,” she commented. “And I really hope that you do. It’s been so nice to have another woman to talk to. The guys are great, but sometimes you just need a female friend.”

“You miss Emma,” I stated softly. “I totally understand that. My best friend moved to Australia. I miss her horribly. It’s been nice for me to have a female friend again, too.”

“Australia!” Sara said in an appalled tone. “I thought it was bad when Emma moved to San Diego. I can’t imagine having her across the world from me.”

“We talk and we text,” I replied. “But it’s not the same as spending time together.”

Sara sighed. “Maybe it doesn’t matter how far away your friends are. It might as well be across the world when you can’t spend time together anymore. Things change. Emma has Marshall now, and we don’t talk as much as we used to. We’ll always be close, but we’re not front and center in each other’s lives anymore.”

I nodded. “It hurts, but life moves on.”

Sara smiled. “You find new friends.”