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Winnie chuckled. “Of course you do.”
“My first suggestion would be by the front door so it’s the first thing they see as they come in and the last thing before they leave.”
Winnie sniffed again. He wiped a stray tear sliding down her cheek. “No tears. This is a happy day. It’s time for my sunbeam to do what she does best and spread her light.”
Winnie nodded and brushed a kiss across his cheek above his beard. “Love you.”
“Love you, too. Now get a move on and get changed. You can’t be late to your own party.”
Winnie shook people’shands and kept a smile on her face despite her cheeks aching. She and her sisters had hung her plaque by the front door. All her sisters had loved the plaque but Sarah had understood the underlying meaning. If she knew more about where Bear’s head was at, she might be willing to go public. She didn’t have that comfort level yet that he wouldn’t push her away if something happened to threaten them again.
“Hey, War, I heard you’re going to help celebrate the new gym by getting in the ring with Remi again.” Cannon’s voice carried through the gym.
War rolled his eyes. “Tease all you want. I believe I’m the one with a gorgeous girlfriend, and where’s your date tonight?”
“Way to deflect, brother. Are you scared to get in the ring with her?” Flick was always up for teasing.
“War and I don’t need to get in the ring. We both know we’re evenly matched and I would have had my work cut out for me if he hadn’t been incapacitated.”
Winnie listened to the banter and knew she’d made the right decision. The teasing was all good and well but not want she wanted Bear to deal with right now.
They were working through being together as a couple and Bear was starting to share more with her, but she knew her man. They were one crisis away from him going to that dark place where he couldn’t see any way to keep her safe besides removing himself from her presence.
She wanted it all with him. The beautiful life she’d always imagined. The love she’d watched her parents and Baron and Regina live as an example. When she imagined her fairy tale, she didn’t believe it would only be without pain. But life wasn’t about not dealing with pain, it was having the person that completed you holding you tight when the storms hit.
“Winchester, you’ve done good.” Locks’ arm slipped around her shoulder and he squeezed her into his side. He’d always been there for her and his arm around her shoulder and the smell of gunpowder and wind had gotten her through many a heartbreak during high school. There wasn’t a day that her dad didn’t shoot his gun either for training or for fun.
“Your mom would love what you’ve done and how you girls are helping people.”
She sniffed and leaned her head against his shoulder. He handed her a handkerchief and then pulled one out for himself, wiping his nose.
“If Mom was here, she’d tell us we could have our moment but then we needed to move on. The world was waiting for us to help make it better.”
“Yep. Crying was all well and good but then she’d tell you girls to rub some dirt in it and get back up again.”
Her mom had been practical and always reminded them there were things you couldn’t change. Take the time to cry over them. If you couldn’t change it, then take the first step to change what you could.
“I guess Jesse took her literally since there’s rarely a time she doesn’t have dirt rubbed somewhere.”
Locks’ body shook against her as he laughed. “Too true. Each of you girls have some amazing gift. Jesse’s is with machines and doing it all while wearing her pink overalls.”
Winnie giggled. “Did you hear about the guy that stopped in yesterday because he thought the building was a garage open to the public?”
“No. Unfortunately, I’ve been banned from your group text.”
“Dad, trust me, you should be thankful. We would scar you for life.”
Beth walked up, raised Locks’ other arm and snuggled in. “What would scar him for life?”
“Our group text.”
Beth’s pale complexion reddened. “Umm, yeah—just no.”
“So tell me about this guy that stopped at the garage. Do I need to visit someone?”
Beth giggled. “Dad doesn’t know yet?”
“Girls,” Locks growled.
