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“She’s got a point,” Noah said. “And I don’t want to know. So you went back to wherever you were stationed after that?”
“I did,” he said. “I finished my tour and moved here after getting hired as a trooper.”
“We saw each other again at Blossoms’s Christmas party,” she said. “He went into the academy and it’s hard to avoid each other in this town. We crossed paths a few times.”
Heather wasn’t lying, but she was omitting some of the finer details and that was probably smart.
“We did,” he said.
“Then I had the car accident and you both know all about that. Luke came to see me the next day and from that point on we’ve been talking and dating. Whatever word you want to put to it.”
Her brothers started to laugh. “Talking and dating, huh?” Gavin asked. “Is that what it’s called?”
“What your sister and I have is private,” Luke said. “Do you say everything that you do with women you’re with?”
Gavin stopped laughing, Noah smirked. “Hell no.”
“Exactly,” he said.
The brothers seemed to settle down a bit. He wasn’t sure if it had to do with him being assertive and not giving details or the dirty looks that Heather was giving the three of them in the room. He’d even shrunk back once when she’d done it to Gavin. Damn, he hadn’t known she had it in her.
He was actually proud she could stand up this way and that he got to witness it.
Hours later though, at the restaurant, he realized she had a harder time doing it with her parents.
The broken record holding the songs about Heather's career choices was playing nonstop.
Gavin and Noah both jumped in to stick up for their sister, but it didn’t seem to matter.
“I find what Heather is doing wonderful,” Luke said. “How many of us can say we love going to our job every single day of our lives? I’m doing what I know how to do and what I’m good at, but I can tell you right now, going home at night isn’t always that great. The things we see and do. What we are subjected to. More negative than positive.”
“You’re right,” Gavin said.
“You don’t have to tell me,” Noah said. “The smell of burning flesh will never leave my mind.”
“That’s right,” he said. “Heather doesn’t have that burden. She doesn’t need to take it to bed with her when her head hits the pillow. She doesn’t need to wake up with it either. She goes to work and literally...smells the roses. What could be more perfect than that?”
Heather’s hand moved under the table and found his, their fingers entwining. There were tears in her eyes when she looked at him and he wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing. He was too new at this shit and figured he’d put his foot in his mouth again.
“Thank you, Luke.”
“You couldn’t have said that any better,” Max said. Heather’s father hadn’t been saying much at the table. He got the feeling Jill was the one that made most of the decisions and comments.
When dinner was done, Luke was getting ready to drive Heather home when Gavin and Noah motioned him aside. He didn’t know what this was about but walked to Gavin’s car.
“Don’t hurt her,” Gavin said.
“I don’t want to ever hurt your sister,” Luke said. He wasn’t lying when he said that.
“We’ve given men in her life a hard time. It’s what we do,” Noah said.
“You didn’t seem that bad to me,” he said.
“Because it’s different. They weren’t worthy of her. You are. What you said back there and her reaction said it all,” Gavin said. “And as a guy in your shoes, I’ll tell you she’s as tough as they come. She didn’t always show it, but it was there. She found her own and took a stand. Don’t ever think otherwise.”
Her brothers got in Gavin’s car and all he could think was: Heather was right. He was tough enough to handle it, but he didn’t expect it to be the acceptance he figured he’d never receive that hit him the hardest.
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