Grover didn’t hesitate, meeting her halfway.
“I’m happy,” Sierra told him once more. She hadn’t missed how his face had gone soft when she’d said those words the other night. If that was all it took to make him look content and satisfied, then she’d say it every day for the rest of their lives.
“Me too. Now scoot. Go forth and bond with our tribe.”
Sierra was still smiling as she made her way to the door. The second she opened it and stepped outside, a little girl yelled, “Cookies!” and made a beeline for her.
All Sierra could do was keep on grinning as she was accosted by the cookie monster she’d just been warned about.
Grover was sitting with Sierra on his lap when Trigger’s phone rang. He stiffened, as did the other men around him. Riley, Oz, Aspen, and Brain had all gone home already with their kids, as it was past their bedtimes. There was no reason to think that someone calling Trigger was related to their job, but they’d all been conditioned to think the worst when they got phone calls outside their normal working hours.
“Trigger,” his teammate said as he answered.
He was quiet for a long moment as he listened to whoever was on the other end of the line. Then he said, “I understand, Sir. We’ll be there first thing in the morning. Yes, Sir. See you then.” He hung up.
Grover braced for whatever his team leader was about to say.
“That was Commander Robinson,” Trigger said. “We’re on permanent front gate duty until the damn Strong Foot Militia decides to move on.”
“Can’t they kick them out or something?” Gillian asked.
“They aren’t breaking any laws. They’re on public property,” Lefty answered.
“But they’re harassing people,” Devyn grumbled. “That has to be against the law.”
“It’s a fine line,” Doc said. “And I’m guessing no one wants to rile this particular group. They’ve got connections to other militia groups in Texas, and the last thing anyone wants is for Fort Hood to become the epicenter of a massive gathering.”
“So you guys have to what, guard the gates?” Sierra asked.
“Pretty much, yeah. We’ve done so occasionally since this started. But the post commander wants to reassure the contractors, civilians, and military personnel that they’re safe coming in and out of the gates,” Trigger explained.
“It’s not a big deal,” Grover said, trying to soothe Sierra and the other women.
“Yeah, and think of it this way, with us on permanent gate duty for the foreseeable future, that means we won’t be deployed,” Doc said with a smile.
“Ooooh, really? That’s great,” Ember said. “You can help me with the mini fencing match we’re having next weekend then.”
Doc mock groaned, and Ember smacked him in the arm.
Everyone laughed, and Grover felt Sierra relax against him once more. She’d straightened when Trigger had started speaking into his phone. He ran his hand down her arm and intertwined his fingers with hers. It was amazing how something so small made him feel so much better.
“What’d you think of The Refuge?” Doc asked Sierra.
“It was amazing. So beautiful and peaceful. The guys who run it have literally thought of everything. The food was as good as any five-star restaurant, but nowhere near as fancy. And we could do as much or as little as we wanted while we were there. The therapist who we visited was also really good. She put me at ease immediately, and even in the group sessions, I didn’t feel as if anyone was in a competition to see whose experiences were the worst…if that makes sense.”
“It does,” Doc agreed.
“How were the cabins? Were they rustic or modern?” Gillian asked.
“Ours were modern. But they also had some that were more sparse. Honestly, they have something for everyone. Oh! And Melba the cow was a highlight!” Sierra said excitedly.
“They had a cow?” Kinley asked.
“Yup. And goats. And a dog and cats. We got into a routine of going to see them after breakfast each day. I miss Melba.”
“Well, Grover does have a barn,” Lucky said with a chuckle.
“Yes! Please, Fred! You need a cow or two! And maybe some of those fainting goats. Oh! And some chickens!” his sister said.
“No,” Grover said as firmly as he could, despite knowing he could totally be talked into getting farm animals if Sierra asked.
Devyn pouted, and Grover merely rolled his eyes at her.
He felt Sierra chuckling in his lap and was glad she wasn’t the one who’d been lobbying for a ton of farm animals. He wouldn’t be able to say no to her. But his sister, he could definitely refuse.
After a bit more ribbing, talk turned to other things. Ember enthusiastically spoke about the increase in enrollment at her gym and how happy she was that she and her parents were talking again. They’d had a tough go of it for a while, after Ember had decided to change her lifestyle completely and move to Texas.
Devyn talked about a few of the cases at the vet clinic, and Kinley went into a long tirade about how inconsiderate some people were. As an executive assistant, she was in charge of her boss’s schedule, and it seemed a lot of people weren’t very nice when they had to go through her to talk to her boss.
As Gillian told them the details of an upcoming party she was planning, Grover leaned down to Sierra. “You good?” he asked. He’d been checking in on her every hour or so, wanting to be sure she wasn’t staying to be polite. It was more than obvious to him, and hopefully to Sierra, that the other women genuinely enjoyed her company. If she wanted or needed to leave, no one would think badly of her.
“Yeah,” she said. She was sitting sideways on his lap, resting her head on his shoulder. Despite her reply, she sighed heavily.
“You’re tired,” Grover said.
“A little.”
“We’re gonna get going,” Grover announced when there was a lull in the conversation.
“Yeah, it’s getting late,” Trigger agreed.
“We still working out in the morning?” Doc asked their team leader. “I’m only asking because I’m not sure what time our shifts at the front gate will be starting.”
“Yeah,” Trigger said. “At least for tomorrow. I’ll get with Commander Robinson and see what our rotations will be. But he didn’t say anything about coming in early, so we’re business as usual until we find out otherwise.”
“Are we running or doing the obstacle course?” Ember asked.
“I know you were cleared by your doctor, but I still don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be doing the obstacles,” Doc told her.
“Running,” Trigger said, ending any argument between the lovers before it could start.
“Cool. I’ve missed it, and I know I’m out of shape,” Ember said.
Kinley leaned forward and mock whispered to Sierra, “She’s a little crazy. She actually likes working out.”
Sierra laughed. “Well, I guess there’s a reason she’s an Olympian and we aren’t.”
“Very true,” Kinley replied with a smile.
“Come on, guys, working out isn’t so bad,” Ember cajoled.