“I know.” He chuckles. “But as Leo says, we don’t want to chance leaving a hole in our security. If someone does get into the building… this way, we can find them anywhere.”
We walk down the basement hallway to another door, but this one is wide open. Beyond it, Nora and Zane are trying to maneuver a giant treadmill that looks to weigh at least five hundred pounds.
As we walk into the gym, Zane grumbles good-naturedly, “Do we have to move itagain? I thought the last spot was fine.”
Nora puffs at a strand of hair hanging loose from her braid, ineffectually trying to get it out of her face. “Yes, Zane. The other spot would have been too close to the elliptical. I showed you the diagram I made. This way, everything is perfectly symmetrical.”
Rather than greet them right away, I hang by the doorway to watch for a few seconds.
There’s a lightness in Zane’s posture that wasn’t there the last time I saw him; several months ago when he flew out for a visit. His features aren’t shadowed like they were before, and there’s a sparkle in his eyes that’s been missing since that fateful day in Afghanistan.
He looks happy.
And Nora.
She almost looks like her old self again. Not frail like she was when she got back from New Mexico, but toned, with her muscles nearly back to our Army days. Her cheeks are pink and dusted with freckles, a welcome contrast to her pallor the last time I saw her.
Nora’s the one I’ve been most worried about, and to see her healthy, smiling, bantering with Zane…
My throat goes thick for a moment.
This could be a good thing. For all of us.
Cole glances at me, then his eyes jump to Nora. In a low tone, so only I can hear him, he says, “She’s been good. Happy. Being here… I think it’s what she needs.”
“I think it’s what we all need,” I reply, gritting my jaw against the wave of emotion sweeping over me. “It’s good to be here.”
Cole claps my shoulder as he meets my gaze. “It’s good to have you here, Ry.”
“Rylan!” Zane nearly shouts my name, and he drops his end of the rowing machine with a heavy clunk. Bounding over to me, he gives me a quick hug. “Glad you made it. Maybe you can tell Nora to stop making me move each piece of equipment at least ten times?” He smirks as he throws Nora a mock-glare. “I think she’s doing it on purpose.”
Nora smiles as she comes towards me. “Ry. I’ve been waiting for you to get here.” She glances at Zane, and her lips twitch. “Zane. Would I do something like that on purpose?”
I almost hug her, but stop myself at the last second. Instead I grin as I say, “Yes. I could see you doing that, if it meant messing with Zane.”
Nora laughs, a light, happy sound, and my heart lifts along with it. “Fine. Maybe I’ve been messing with him a little bit. But it’s good conditioning.”
Zane shakes his head, but he’s still smiling. “Do you see what I’ve had to put up with?”
Cole chuckles. “Nora’s right. It’s good exercise. But since the four of us are here, we can all help move this gigantic thing.”
As we gather around the very large rowing machine, I ask, “When is Finn getting here?”
“Two more days,” Nora replies. “He had to finish out his two weeks at his old job. But he’s really excited to get here.”
A warm feeling fills my chest. “Then it’ll be the six of us again.”
“It’ll be nice,” Zane adds. “Being a team again.”
While we maneuver the machine into the perfect spot, I find myself admitting, “I almost chickened out. Even in the driveway. I was—Iam—worried I won’t be able to hack it anymore.”
Nora looks at me and says softly, “I almost did, too.”
“But you’re here.” Cole’s gaze moves from Zane, then Nora, and finally to me. “Maybe we’re not the same as before. But that doesn’t have to be a bad thing.”
“Right.” Nora lifts her chin at Cole. “Sometimes, going through something hard just makes us stronger.”
Maybe it does.
