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Forty-Seven
DAKOTA
“Well it’s been fun and all, but we should probably get back,” said Aurelius, propping himself up on one elbow. “The house awaits.”
I was still flat on my back, staring up at the sky. Enjoying the first real warmth of such a beautiful spring day, surrounded by the men I loved.
“Leave now?” I asked. “Why?”
“Well for one, the beer’s all gone,” the Navy SEAL replied. “Wine also.”
“And two,” said Merrick, “we’re getting hungry.”
Our little picnic had gone on for a few hours now, out in the field of clover beyond where the foundation for the stable was being poured. I’d never imagined I’d be the type of girl to ride horses, much less own one. But that’s exactly what the guys’ plans were, when it came to developing the property.
“I packed snacks,” I countered, still trying to eek out another few minutes on our little blanket in the middle of nowhere. “Why don’t you just eat some more of—”
“The snacks are long gone,” Jace interjected. “Besides, we’re men. We need actualfood.”
I watched as he rose, extending one hand downward in my direction. After a few last seconds of relaxation, I eventually sighed and took it.
“Pizza?” Aurelius offered.
“No, not that again,” Merrick grumbled.
Three months — that’s how long it’d been since I left Minnesota. To me it felt more like three glorious years, probably because every second of my time here had been so amazing. I’d been busier with work than ever before. Happier, too.
And the guys… well, they’d been even busier.
“Wecouldgo out,” Jace offered. “It is the weekend, after all.”
“Out for Italian?” inquired Aurelius.
“What, so you could get pizza?”
“No,” he shrugged. “Not necessarily.”
In those three months the guys had established a field office, acquired a few new hires, and brought in a good number of clientele. It required long hours, though. One or more of them was usually in Denver at any given time, plus Merrick still ran shuttle flights for the base at Peterson, according to his contract. As a result, getting all of us together for a few hours was a rarity these days. So when it did happen, we took full advantage of it.
“I think we should go out,” I declared. “If for no other reason than to take a ride.”
Aurelius bumped me playfully with his hip. “We could stay in if you wanted to ride,” he countered.
“True,” I chuckled. “But you boys would be even more hungry after that.”
Jace walked ahead, while I reached out to clasp Merrick and Aurelius by the hand. Our fingers interlaced, as our arms swung happily with me in the middle.
“And by then, the restaurants might be—”
My sentence ended abruptly as I bumped into Jace. For some reason he’d stopped walking.
“Hey,” said Merrick. “Watch where you’re…”
Everything stopped. All conversation died. The last time something like this happened, it was because a bear had wandered onto the property.
“Jace?”
The voice came from up ahead, at the foot of our stretch of private driveway. I recognized the voice instantly. Under any other circumstance, it would’ve made me thrilled and excited.
