“I love you, Dylan.”
“I love you so much, Juls.”
We pulled up to find a ton of men and women waiting in front of the restaurant. I couldn’t believe that Dylan had so many friends here to support him.
“Dylan, look at Jenna and Liam!”
They were standing amidst a group of the firefighters and cops with Liam’s arm around Jenna’s shoulders, holding her closer than I’d ever seen her with anyone, and they were looking at one another as though no one else existed.
“Yeah, I see it.”
“They look so happy!”
Last week, Liam called Jenna and offered to drive her to this dinner, and it had been the push they’d needed to move their friendship to something more—thus giving Dylan and me bragging rights for getting them together. This was my first time seeing them together since then, and I absolutely loved what I saw. They’d gone out this afternoon, and from the looks of things, it went well.
I hurried over to Jenna, loving the way she grinned at me with joy radiating from her. I pulled her into a hug with a screech, unable to contain my happiness. She deserved a good guy like Liam.
“Shh,” she shushed me.
“I knew it! He’s perfect for you,” I whispered.
“It’s barely been a week. Chill.”
“You know I’m right.”
“Go celebrate your man,” she said, ignoring my comment and pushing me toward Dylan who was talking to Liam and the others.
Dylan took my hand, and we made our way around to greet Nicky, Ryan, Brady, Cole, Ethan, and also Chief, Squirrel, Moose, Taco, Driftwood, Crash, Sledge, Sophie, Blythe, Penelope, Koren, and Quinn. Even Beth was here. I gave her an extra big hug and thank you, knowing how much it meant for her to come out for us. There were a few people I hadn’t met yet that Dylan introduced as friends from law enforcement. I finally met Dax and his wife, Mack, who was as bubbly and talkativeas everyone said she’d be, and I met Quint’s wife, Corrie, who I loved immediately.
There was an overwhelming number of people. Dylan had my back, though. If it was too loud with everyone there, he’d order for me. If there was too much going on, he’d be okay with me being more of an observer than a participant. And I’d be happy to accept his support and help.
After the past few months of brutally open, honest, and often difficult conversations, we’d reached a level of love where there was so much awareness and acceptance of every part of one another, and we were working on having the same grace and love for ourselves. It was amazing and scary and awesome to be so fully open to another person, to give and receive unconditional love and also unconditional acceptance, which we’d learned are two separate and equally important things.
After a few more minutes of mingling, I returned to Jenna and Nicky and we headed in with Dylan, Liam, and Ryan. Sure enough, the restaurant was filled with two rows of booths, the brown tufted leather benches dividing each modest table. The room was decorated with banners that read “Congratulations” and “Welcome Back” and, thank goodness, there were no life-sized pictures of half-nude firefighters as Nicky had threatened.
In our quiet little booth with my two best friends, the love of my life, and his two best friends, the conversation flowed easily around me. I chimed in often, grateful for their easy acceptance. Nicky, Jenna, and I discussed ideas for the addition of a sensory room to the children’s library. I had a lot of thoughts to share about that, and I was even more grateful for this amazing group in which I felt comfortable saying everything I wanted to. Sure, I stumbled over my words a couple of times, but no one at the table seemed fazed. Looking around the restaurant, taking in so many more of our friends, I felt the love in that room fill myheart and soul. I squeezed Dylan’s hand and the smile we shared told me that he was feeling it too.
But then that peace was shattered as too many phones suddenly went off at once. Messages were read and written, phone calls were quickly made, curses were said. Some of the guys jogged out to their cars. A few clapped Dylan on the back as they passed, giving him both congratulations and apologies.
I tried to hide the surge of relief when I realized it was the cops leaving, not the firefighters. I was happy Dylan was returning to work, but I wasn’t ready to leap back into the literal and proverbial fire tonight.
The easy friendliness of earlier was gone, but I still appreciated the camaraderie between everyone. Every man and woman in this room had one another’s back. I felt that support like a warm blanket on a cold night.
But that warmth was soon replaced by a chill as the story came out. A woman had just been assaulted at the same park that Jenna and Liam had been in earlier.
I tried to catch Jenna’s eye, but she shook her head and looked away. Liam and Nicky were watching her with the same worry I felt. With her history and that proximity, she was not okay with this. Liam tried to comfort her, but she held back from him as well. Dammit.
Ryan just about lost it when Nicky joked that the guy sounded psychotic enough to be her client’s dad. Not the best way to take the focus off Jenna, although it was effective. Nicky was barely able to backpedal enough to convince Ryan that she was exaggerating, that he didn’t need to force her to quit, follow her around all day, or keep her handcuffed to his bed to protect her from her reckless disregard for her personal safety. But then Nicky conceded that maybe she was in fact a danger to herself and might need to be handcuffed to his bed…just for her safety,of course. Damn, the sexual tension between the two of them nearly superseded the rest of the tension in the room.
The kidding ended when Jenna, who’d been quietly shredding her napkin to pieces, said, “Do you think you can get me a description of the guy? The library has so many visitors. I can’t look at all of them as potential rapists.”
“Don’t you already do that?” Nicky said, garnering a glare from Liam.
“Yeah, but now it could be for real.”
“I’ll get you all the info I can.” I think Liam tried to say it soothingly, but with his jaw clenched so hard he was in danger of cracking teeth, it came out with a bark to it. Jenna jumped at the sound.
“It’ll be okay,” he said more gently, his arm around her shoulder. “I promise I’ll do everything I can to keep you safe.”