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“Better than dealing with parking,” he replied as Dale opened the door for her to get in.
As they began to head out of the airport her cell phone rang. She glanced down and saw that it was Gunny.
“I held off telling them when your flight arrived as you asked, but word traveled pretty damn fast considering your case made the news. I’m surprised that they aren’t here.”
“I’m afraid of their reaction, Teddy. I’ve only known them for a short period of time. We haven’t even gone out on a date or anything. When they called, I was so exhausted and had those pain killers in me. I don’t even remember what I babbled on about.”
“They adore you and think of you as their woman. Who needs dates and shit like that. You need them, Gia. They’re good men and they can take care of you and protect you. I won’t lie to you though. They’re pissed off, especially Garrett.”
“I didn’t want them to worry.”
“Well don’t be surprised if the three of them are waiting at your apartment. They were upset since they heard the news. It was difficult to talk them out of flying out there to meet you. Talking to them and letting them hear your voice helped them.”
“Don’t you like them, Gia? They’re great guys and very cool. Everyone looks up to them, literally,” Dale said with a smile. She glanced over the seat at him and cringed from the movement. She smiled.
“I do care about them. This is just different for me, Dale. I had a bad relationship back in New York,” she said and her heart ached. She couldn’t stop thinking about Antonio and how she had gotten away before things got really out of hand. There was no doubt in her mind that he would have beaten her if he caught her perhaps even killed her. She saw how he’d beaten that man to near death with his bare hands. How many chances in life did a woman get to find real love and real men who didn’t hit or hurt? Is the third time the charm? Does the fact that the McCallisters come in three mean something? She felt so confused, yet she missed them and thought about them, too. Her life was a fucking mess again.
“I know. I heard the dads talking to mom about it,” Dale said, indicating that he knew about New York. She looked at Teddy and he shrugged his shoulders. Now he was being funny. She hoped that he didn’t tell Gunner, Garrett, and Wes. That was her past, her secret, and something she didn’t want to face again.
“You didn’t tell them, did you?”
“Shit no. The kid eavesdrops and he shouldn’t,” Teddy stated then gave an apologetic look at Gia. She shook her head at Teddy as if saying no big deal.
“You were hurt once before, Gia? Back in New York and you don’t want the McCallisters to know?” Dale asked. She felt guilty. Of course the high school kid had to make her feel like she was cheating or doing something wrong. Dale had both his fathers’ values and respect for women. He would make a great boyfriend and even better husband one day. She released a long breath.
“It was bad, Dale. So bad that I really have a hard time trusting people and especially men.”
“Well, throw in that asshole at work who attacked you and that’s understandable,” Dale replied and she chuckled.
“I’ve also just learned about ménage relationships since moving out here to Houston. I knew about Teddy, Jim, and your mom, but not how common it is. Just imagine trying to get used to the fact that relationships like this exist and they work and then add in my fear of men. Now times that fear by three. And three very big, muscular, dominating, ex-military commandoes like Wes, Gunny, and Garrett.”
“Geesh, Gia, I get it now. Don’t feel pressured. They were so worried about you. Dad is right. He really had a hard time telling them about what happened. They adore you already. Who wouldn’t? You’re the best.” He squeezed her shoulder.
She smiled as the tears hit her eyes. This was her family and she needed them, too. Gia straightened back into her seat and closed her eyes. She released a sigh. She wanted to see them. She thought about them constantly but then came the concern over relying on them. If she gave them her heart and allowed them to care for her, then things didn’t work out, she would be brokenhearted and destroyed once again.
* * * *
“She’s on her way here. She just texted me,” Gunny said as he placed his cell phone back into the holder on his hip. Garrett was standing near the window and Wes was leaning against the counter. He should have been at school, but when he saw that Dale wasn’t there either he knew they were going to pick Gia up at the airport.
“The whole team is worried about her. The players want to see her,” Wes said then ran his fingers through his hair.
“We should have flown out there ourselves. She’s our woman and she shouldn’t have had to travel on her own after being attacked like that,” Garrett stated then banged his hand on the table.
“You need to calm down. The last thing she needs is us acting like a bunch of barbaric assholes. We’re all upset, Garrett, but as soon as we see her and hold her in our arms, we’ll feel better.”
“Wes is right, Garrett.”
Wes’s cell phone beeped and he glanced down at the screen.
“She’s here. They just pulled up. That was Dale.”
The waiting was killing them and then they heard the voices by the door. Wes pulled it opened. His mouth dropped and anger filled his gut. “Son of a bitch, baby.”
Garrett and Gunny made similar comments as Wes pulled her into his arms and held her.
“I’m okay. Just watch my shoulder. It’s bruised pretty good,” she whispered. She sounded so sad and tired. But the feel of her in his arms seemed to calm his anxiety.
Dale and Teddy walked in behind her and they shook hands with Gunny and Garrett.
