Karla sat on the other side of Myla, rubbing her back. “It’s going to be okay. We’re all in thistogether.”
“I just don’t get who would want to threaten Myla after you all have been together for so long. Usually this shit happens right when a player gets a new girl or is wifed up, not a year after he’s taken off the market.” It was very apparent that Brayden was not handling the news well. “Should we tellCoach?”
Gavin stopped his pacing midstride. “We are not telling my father about this. He’s already pissed enough that I married your sister—let’s not give either of my parents more reason to be jerks. As far as I am concerned, all of this shit is on a need to know basis. This stays between the six of us and whoever knows at the police station. Once this is handled, we are never going to speak of it again. Is everyone all right withthat?”
Brayden handed a napkin to his sister. “You’re snotting and it’s gross,” he whispered before looking over to his brother-in-law. “If that’s how you want this handled, you gotit.”
We all agreed that it was for the best to follow Gavin’splan.
Chapter 14
Whistler
“Hey, Myla.”I closed the patio door behind me as I joined Myla out on the desk. She was leaning on the wood railing watching Seven sniff around theyard.
I handed her a cup of tea as she looked up at me. “Thanks.”
“How’re you holding up?” Iasked.
She shrugged. “You know, after my mom died and I finally got over the injuries from the accident, I thought that was the worth shit I would ever have to deal with in my life. This is just fucking with me more than I expected itto.”
I had never talked to Myla about her accident. I never wanted to dredge up those shitty memories for either of us. “I never told you this and I probably should have, but I was one of the responders that night. It was my first really badaccident.”
Myla’s eye grew ten times as she set the steamy mug down onto the wood ledge. “What? How come you never saidanything?”
“I didn’t know how to bring it up and it is all kind of crazy how small of a world it is. After that night, I never thought I would see youagain.”
“Was it as bad as I think it was?” Her voice was barelyaudible.
“It was pretty bad, but your mom didn’t suffer,” I lied. I needed to. I didn’t know how to tell her what I hadwitnessed.
“Did you talk to her?” Myla’s fingers gripped my forearm as her eyeswatered.
“She asked me to make sure that you were all right,” I responded. “With her last breath she was making sure that you were taken care of. Myla, I promised her then that you’d be all right and I am keeping that promise for as long as I am alive. I will always do everything in my power to keep yousafe.”
Myla wrapped her arms around my waist, squeezing me with all of her might. “Thank you somuch.”
* * *
After runningto get the squad car and dealing with a few of Myla’s freak-out moments, I finally was able to sneak away and get Jess alone for a fewminutes.
“Hey babe.” I walked out onto the back porch where Jess wassitting.
She smiled up at me, reaching her hand out for mine. “Hey you. I could get used to the sound ofthat.”
“Babe?” I asked, leaning over to kiss the top of herhead.
“Yep.”
“We never got to have that talk this morning.” I sank down onto the chair next to Jess, pulling hers over so we were face to face. I wrapped her cold hands in mine, looking into her bright sapphireeyes.
She sighed, staring down at our interlocked fingers. “Do we really need to talk itout?”
Her question took me by surprise. “It was your idea to doso.”
Leaning back in her chair, she relaxed her shoulders. “This is how I see it: we’re together. That ship sailed when you kissed me the other night. We’ll be as professional as possible, and when it gets to the point that we have to let the captain know, we will. I don’t want to stress. I don’t want drama. I just wantyou.”
Relief washed over me as I kissed the back of her hand. “How did I get thislucky?”