Sadie smiled, despite the pain. “Your timing could use some work.”
Dale’s chuckle rumbled through her, and everyone laughed, even Cas.
“Come on, brother,” Cooper said, cupping Caspian’s shoulder. “Let me buy you a drink and really catch you up to speed.”
One by one, the men drifted out to give Gabe their statements, leaving the two of them alone in the kitchen.
“Thought they’d never leave,” he said, dipping down to tenderly kiss her nose. “I’m perfect, now.”
“So am I,” she whispered, reaching up to touch his face while tears returned to burn her eyes. “You saved me.”
Dale gently cupped her face and stared with such adoration in his eyes, those tears spilled over. “I’ll always save you, Sadie. Always.”
He kissed her forehead, then cradled her close, and the commotion around them instantly disappeared. The nightmare was over, but Sadie knew that the bond between her and Dale had only just begun. Together, they’d faced the darkestof challenges, and together, they would face the brightest of futures.
Rainbow bright.
Epilogue
Dale stood in the backyard of his father’s house, the late afternoon sun filtering through the trees, casting a gentle warmth over the gathering. Laughter and chatter filled the air, along with the delicious smell of barbeque, with Gabe manning the grill.
Most of the ESI guys were there too, along with their families. Carter and Tyler were back at headquarters using schematics they’d somehow gotten their hands on of the device Ricardo used to bypass their security. The duo took it as an insult and a challenge to figure out how it worked, then create an update to foolproof their systems.
He gazed around at friends and family mingling throughout both backyards. It was a relief to see everyone relaxed after the whirlwind of events that had taken place over the last few weeks. His dad was finally home, recovering well from his injuries, and obviously involved with CeCe. Dale suspected the pretty woman had a lot to do with the recovery, as she was pretty much by his father’s side, night and day. That left Dale free to stay with Sadie, who’d offered him her key the night the barn had burned down.
He’d taken her up on it immediately. He wasn’t stupid.
A great many things had come to light that night, and not wanting to spend life without Sadie had topped his enlightenment.
Dale glanced over to where the beauty was chatting with Lori, Loni, and the other girls in her backyard where the party had spilled over. Her sweet laughter rang out clearly over the low hum of conversation, sending warmth seeping through his chest.
Despite everything they had been through, she seemed more at ease now, her smile as radiant as ever. After he and a few ofthe guys had helped her relocate her craft room to inside a spare bedroom in the house two weeks ago, she’d used setting up a new space as content for her channel, and already had several episodes out.
His chest swelled. He was so damn proud of her and how she was bouncing back from her ordeal. She had a nightmare here and there, but he was right there to help her through them and always would be. Dale was the luckiest man in the world, and still couldn’t believe Sadie still wanted to be with him after he’d let her down.
After he’d allowed her to get hurt.
His stomach clenched, and a lingering rage flashed through him. Not today. Exhaling, he straightened his spine, determined to focus on the good surrounding him.
“Thinking deep thoughts, bro?” Caspian’s voice broke through Dale’s reverie.
He turned to find Cas standing beside him, two beers in hand, offering one to him. “Just enjoying the view,” Dale replied, nodding toward Sadie.
Cas followed his gaze and smirked. “Yeah, she’s a keeper. Not bad for a guy who used to think girls had cooties.”
Dale chuckled, accepting the beer. “I was six, Cas. And you were the one who convinced me girls were evil.”
“Only because you wouldn’t stop hanging around when I was trying to impress them,” Cas shot back, grinning. “But I’ll admit, you did all right with this one.”
“Yes, I did.” Sadie was the best.
He took a swig of his beer, letting the easy banter wash over him. It felt good, normal. Something they’d both missed for more than a decade now. He was quite surprised by the change in Cas in such a short period of time. His jaw and posture weren’t as stiff, and his voice was even less…hard.
Four days.
Four days ago, Caspian had returned after finishing up his duties with the Navy. It was a relief to see his brother back where he belonged, though Cas still had that restless energy about him, like he wasn’t quite sure where he fit now.
Dale could relate. All hell had broken loose when he’d first arrived home, so there hadn’t been time to dwell on it. But once arrests were made, Dale contemplated his two job offers.
