“Left or right?” I asked.
Thor, who’d led us the short distance from Jenna’s car to the fork, trotted confidently to the right.
“No, baby, we’re trying something new today.” Jenna said, gently pulling him back and turning to the left. “We always go to the right,” she explained.
A prickle of unease ran down my spine, but I tried to keep my tone neutral. “How often do you walk here?”
“Most Sunday afternoons, as long as the weather’s nice. Thor and I both enjoy it, and he’s calmer for days afterwards.”
Dammit. “And that path you usually take, is it just a loop through the park?” She’d mentioned a loop back to her car yesterday, but it hit differently now that I understood her routine and saw the park firsthand. Anyone paying the slightest bit of attention would know exactly when and where to find her alone.
How could I say this without scaring her? I wanted her to be safe, but the last thing I wanted was to be the cause of her feeling more vulnerable. She already had too damn much of that. Before I could come up with the right words, she made it even worse.
“Yeah. We usually do a few laps around. This is one of the best parts about having Thor. I never would’ve come myself without him. He makes me feel safer.”
Fuck. She’d told me she never feels safe, and now she’s happily telling me that she feels safe here. How do I tell her she’s not? Normally, I wouldn’t hesitate to put caution before feelings, but after last night, I’d move heaven and earth to make her feel safe.
I’d tell her at a better time, I decided. Before she came back next Sunday. But not today. After the strength and vulnerability she’d shown ripping open all those old wounds, I just wanted her to enjoy the day with me, and later to enjoy the party with our friends.
“Alright then, let’s explore,” I said cheerfully, even though I felt more like screaming. Or beating the ever-living shit out of Brian. I was not okay after last night, but I wouldn’t let that fucker steal another second of happiness from Jenna.
I took her hand and followed her to the left, loving the way she smiled up at me. I wanted to wrap her up and protect her, but what she really needed was to be given the strength and confidence to fly on her own. I laughed at the visual that popped into my head. It was like releasing a firefly from a jar to let its light shine free.
“What’s so funny?” she asked.
“Nothing. Just happy.”
“Me too.” She grinned, looking so carefree and different from the wrecked version she’d been last night. Although, I hadn’t even minded her tears—not nearly as much as when she’d gonestill, like she was being haunted by the memories. “Who’s going to Dylan’s party later?” she asked.
Damn, if she could stay in the moment, so could I. “Everyone. It started out as just the guys from our station, then Juliette invited the guys from Station 7 and their wives and girlfriends. Once the women got involved, it became a huge party. Now it’s most of the firefighters from both stations, except for the crews that are on duty, of course, and a lot of the law enforcement guys that we’re friends with.”
“That’s so nice.”
“Yeah, it’s a good reason to celebrate. It’s part of the job, knowing that injuries can happen, but it sucks when they do. It hasn’t been the same without Dylan. His absence has been loud, a constant reminder that a friend was missing. It’ll be really nice to have him back where he belongs.”
Jenna blinked rapidly, and I caught the shine of tears in her eyes before she looked away.
“What’s wrong?”
She looked back up at me, her blue eyes bright with wetness. “Don’t get hurt, okay?”
Warmth surged through my chest. She was worried about me. “Aw, Firefly. Dylan did something really reckless, and he’s still okay. We’re careful, we’re well trained, and we’re a great team. And now I have even more of a reason to make sure I come home safely.”
Jenna wrapped her arms around me and leaned into my side. I draped my arm over her shoulder, and we walked that way for a few minutes until Thor started zigzagging across the path, following the scent of a squirrel or something. We laughed and separated, holding hands instead before he tripped us. Actually, she held just my ring finger and pinky, and it was adorable.
“Speaking of being a great team, guess where Brady and Cole are right now?”
“I don’t know. A training?”
“Nope, they’re at my house working on the backyard.”
“Why would you make them do that?”
“I didn’t make them. I had plenty of time after I got back home last night, so instead of getting myself in trouble, I ordered a few things I needed and picked them up early this morning. They came over and we worked on it until I had to leave. They volunteered to stay and finish.”
Worry filled her beautiful eyes. “Can you spell that out for me?”
“I couldn’t sleep, so instead of hunting down Brian, I worked on my backyard, and I added a few surprises for you.”