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“Where to?” the driver asked.
“Airport, please,” Kyle said and sat back.
It was time to go home. Back to the farm and his family. At last.
14
“Here’s to Nick Matthews, the best brother, friend, son, and teammate anyone could ever ask for!”
Natalie peeked around a dark corner into the private upstairs banquet room of the Ocean View Pub in time to see Nick’s closest friends and family raise their glasses in a toast to him. She hovered in the shadows, unsure about entering, unsure about leaving—caught in between. When she’d received Kyle’s invitation, she’d hesitated. Most of these people she hadn’t seen since before Nick’s death, and she wasn’t sure how they’d react to her presence. The pain she’d expected to feel, though, was outweighed by an overwhelming sense of affection. She’d spent the past week processing a lot of emotions about Nick—sorrow, regret, fondness, love—and somewhere during that time, she’d finally started to put her memories of him to rest, enough that her heart felt lighter and more open to new things. Including the possibility of new love with one man in particular.
“Cheers!” Kyle said, clinking his beer bottle against the others. It had been a week since she’d last seen him, and he looked tired. There were dark smudges beneath his eyes, and his tanned skin looked a bit sallow. Her heart ached at the thought that he might miss her too.
She hadn’t been sleeping well, not without him close.
Odd how she’d grown so attached to him so quickly. Not surprising, though, given that Kyle had been in her thoughts since the first day they’d met.
Now, as she watched him with his family—his mom and dad and his older brother, Elijah—she knew she’d made the right decision coming here tonight. Didn’t make going in any easier, but still. Sharing in this tribute to her late husband seemed fitting.
After a deep breath for courage, Natalie closed her eyes and stepped out from the darkness into the light of the room. A hush fell over the group as people spotted her.
Kyle’s back was to her, so Scotty was the first to comment. “Well, look who showed up!”
Kyle turned slowly, his warm hazel gaze narrowed. He stared at her a moment, his expression unreadable.
Her courage faltered. Maybe she’d misread him back at the airstrip and the compound. Maybe that night they’d spent together hadn’t been quite so unforgettable for him. She shoved her trembling hands into the pockets of her black jacket.
“Hey,” Kyle finally said, his tone deep and slightly husky. She felt that rasp all the way to her core.
“Hey.” Natalie tucked her hair behind her ear. “Um, I hope I’m not intruding.”
“Of course not, dear.” Nick’s mother came over and put her arm around Natalie, leading her to the table. Nick had inherited his mom’s dark hair and kind smile. So had Kyle. Their eyes, however, came from their father. Mr. Matthews cleared his throat and said a gruff hello to Natalie, stepping aside to allow her into their circle between him and Kyle. His silver hair glinted beneath the overhead lighting.
“It’s always a pleasure to see you, Natalie,” Mrs. Matthews said after handing her a beer. Nick’s parents had always treated her so kindly, welcoming her into their family with open arms. “Kyle told us about what the two of you went through together. Some of it was quite surprising—I never would have guessed I had a CIA agent as a daughter-in-law!”
Natalie flushed. “I…I’m sorry that I kept so much from you. I—”
“Oh, nonsense, dear,” Mrs. Matthews insisted. “There’s no need to apologize.” She reached over and gave Natalie a hug. “Just like my boys, you chose a path to protect our country. And when those terrible men took our Nick away, you put your safety on the line to get justice for him. You should be nothing but proud of that.”
Those words of praise from the only mother figure she’d had in her life for a long, long time helped soothe Natalie’s anxiety, but it only ratcheted up again at the woman’s next words.
“And from the rest of what Kyle told us…well, it seems the two of you have some unfinished business to discuss, am I right?”
“I…um…” Natalie stammered, stomach sinking. Would Mrs. Matthews disapprove? Would she think Natalie was moving on too quickly from Nick?
Mrs. Matthews reached out and framed Natalie’s face in her hands. “You should do what makes you happy, dear. Youdeserveto be happy. Never doubt that, okay?”
“O-okay,” Natalie agreed shakily.
Kyle cleared his throat and stood. “Could we talk, um, privately for a minute, Natalie?” he asked.
Her heart pounding, she nodded and took his outstretched hand. He led her a few steps away into a quiet corner.
She had no idea what to say. Thankfully, he broke the silence. “I guess things have been busy around the Agency, taking care of the virus?”
“Oh, I… Well, I wouldn’t know,” she replied.
“They fired you?” he asked, his tone incredulous. “I can’t believe it. You did everything you promised, and they still fired you?”
