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“Thank you.” Gabe nodded. And I did owe Gabe the truth, not some half-baked excuse for why I was traveling, but not being able to ask Atlas his opinion on telling Gabe sucked. I’d been more adamant than him about staying secretive, but he deserved a choice in who we told and when. I could only hope he’d understand.
“I’ll turn that warning right back on you though.” I stared Gabe down. “Don’t hurt Atlas. Your friendship is everything to him. He’s not out. Might not want to be out. And he might not feel the same way as I do about the future. If that’s the case, it’ll be awkward, but I’m not gonna let either of you trash your friendship over something silly.”
“You are not something silly. You matter, Zeb,” Gabe said firmly. “And he’d be an idiot not to return your feelings.”
“Thanks, bro.” Sighing, I gazed down at Plum snoozing away. “But if he doesn’t, at least I will have tried. And either way, you don’t get to give him shit about any of this.”
“Look at you. All cocky. All grown up.” Gabe laughed softly, then sobered. “I’m sorry I didn’t see your maturity sooner.”
“It’s okay.” I shrugged because what mattered was that Gabe was trying now, not harboring resentments over the past.
“When are you leaving?”
“After this visit.” Heat rose up my cheeks. I had a plan, but that didn’t mean it was sane. “Weather is finally clear. I don’t know how long Atlas will be deployed, but I want to be there when he gets back, whenever that is. It’s important. I worked out a deal on housing with a gamer contact. And I’m blessed that I can work from anywhere. I can afford to be patient.”
“You can.” Gabe opened his mouth like he had a lot of warnings to issue, but surprisingly, all he did was swallow hard before giving me a small smile. “Go get your man, Zeb.”
“I’m sure going to try.” I smiled back, trying not to tear up at how hard Gabe was trying. “I’ll be back though. Promise.” I gazed down at my precious bundle one more time, taking in Plum’s little rosebud mouth and button nose. “Uncle Zeb is going to be around a ton, no matter what.”
“Uncle Zeb is always going to have a place here.” Gabe made his voice Atlas-level stern. “Atlas will too. Promise.” He chuckled. “Still not sure how I missed you two…”
“You were a little distracted.” I joined his laughter.
“Just a little.” He patted Pine’s little back as the baby stirred. “Be safe? Text when you get there.”
“I will.” I had no idea what was coming next, but I knew where I had to go. I was the master of winging it, famous for last-ditch efforts and crazy schemes. I had to at least give this a shot.
Thirty-One
ATLAS
NEW YEAR’S EVE
If I couldn’t get a midnight New Year’s Eve kiss of my own, at least I arrived stateside in time to complete my mission for Rooster.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come in for a snack or some cocoa or something?” Canaan and his grandfather were the nicest people. They’d answered the door late on New Year’s Eve. After I’d delivered Rooster’s package, they’d also invited me in and tried to get me to join in the New Year’s Eve appetizer party they were hosting with some neighbors without making me feel like an imposition.
“Nah. I’ve got a ride waiting.” Not only did I not want to intrude on their plans, but I was also utterly exhausted. I’d slept like crap on the long flight back. But I’d made Rooster a promise, so I hadn’t even stopped by my quarters in the barracks. I’d used my ride-share app to go directly from base to this small Virginia neighborhood full of older homes. Further, as usual, the navy didn’t care tomorrow was New Year’s Day, and I had an early meeting with mission ops. My thrilling New Year’s Eve plans included microwaving something easy from the convenience store and collapsing in my bunk after I managed to reach Zeb. “I didn’t mean to crash your party, but I wanted to get you Rooster—Renzo’s message before midnight.”
“Thank you.” Canaan clutched the envelope to his chest. “You have no idea how much this means.”
“I think I might.” I managed a tired smile. Seeing Canaan and Rooster and their enviable bond gave me hope. Some military families did make it work, lengthy separations and all. And if they got happy endings, maybe I might be worthy of that too.
“What’s that?” Canaan grinned back. “Did the eternal bachelor find someone on leave?”
“Think so.” Felt weird but good to admit it aloud at last. “Not sure the person in question knows it yet. We need to talk, but I battled a dead phone the whole trip back to the States. Soon as I get back to base, I’m tracking down a charger for my phone.”
