Page 38 of Emeric

We finished dinner, then Sylvan suggested we go for a walk along the property to the stream out back. I hadn’t been anywhere but the inside of the house. Once we cleaned up, we headed out back to start our lazy stroll.

Oleander closed his eyes and sucked in a deep breath before opening them again. “This isn’t city air. This is the kind of air you want to infiltrate every part of your body so it can settle in. It’s the same at my parents’ house. Don’t get me wrong. I love the city, but this is better.”

“You stay for your job,” I said.

“Yeah, I love what I do, even if I want to throw things at times. It’s not easy, but the people I work with are amazing. I enjoy protecting Vail. When I was first put on his detail, I wasn’t sure how I would like it. Of course, I’ve never said that out loud before, and if either of you repeats it, I’ll deny I ever said it. But something changed over the course of the job. It became more. I saw the man Vail was and his vulnerabilities. He didn’t deserve what was happening to him.”

“And Jordan softened,” Sylvan added with a smile.

“Don’t let him hear you say that. He did though. He continues to. Those two men showed him what it was like to be loved as he should be. Not the kind with limitations or stipulations. A love without hidden agendas. He would die for them, as would those of us who protect them.”

Sylvan shoved his hands in his pockets. “I understand what your job is, but I’d rather not hear about the death part. Yes, it can happen. Listening to you talk about it makes it real.”

I put my arm around his shoulders and pulled him close. “Would you be comfortable with him talking to us about what has happened, if he’s able to, and not what could happen?”

He nodded. “Part of being in a relationship is talking about our days, right? I wouldn’t want either of you to have to buffer your words or hide what happened to you. I just… I’d rather know you’re safe and alive than wondering where you are every day.”

“I understand that,” Oleander said. “I see it with Shel and Forest. Forest can’t be there when Shel goes out, but he has also seen us in action, witnessed what we’re capable of. Not that I’d want anything like that to happen to you. It’s helped ease his mind a little.”

“Let’s talk about our days today,” I suggested. We were together, happy; nothing bad occurred. Better to start it on a positive note.

“My day was boring.” Oleander shrugged. “I went with Vail while he ran errands, then worked out when we were back, showered, and now we’re here.”

“I met with a vendor today,” I began. “Nothing exciting, then had a couple other meetings where I wanted to bang my head against the table and wished I was anywhere but there. I couldn’t wait to get here tonight. It’s been the highlight of my day.”

Sylvan leaned against me. “It’s been mine too. I cleaned and cooked. I did get an email from a new bookstore in West Dremest. They said they’re featuring local authors and asked if I wanted to come in for a signing next weekend. She apologized for the short notice but explained that they’re trying to create buzz for their new store. I was their first choice.”

“Are you going to do it?”

“I’m still thinking about it. I haven’t done a signing since I met Jordan. That one didn’t go well. I’ve been nervous to do it again.”

“Your reader base is much bigger now,” Oleander said. “There’s no reason to think no one will be there.”

“I’m not sure I want to be out there, visible and open. It’s safer behind my computer.”

“Understandable.”

It was interesting listening to Sylvan talk about writing and meeting people. His career was so much different than mine.

“If you decide to do it, I’ll go with you,” I offered.

Stopping our walk, his eyes met mine. “You’d do that?”

“Of course. I’d love to support both of you, although I don’t think Jordan would welcome me on one of his operations. I’d probably get thrown out for saying or doing something I shouldn’t.”

“Do you know how to shoot?” Oleander asked.

“No, and I don’t want to. I’m good with others having guns. I don’t need one.”

“You’d never be able to go out with us.” He laughed. “Jordan would call you a liability and tell you to get the fuck out of there.”

“He’d probably ask if I’d lost my fucking mind and what the fuck was I doing there and how the fuck did I think he’d handle things if I was fucking there. There would be a lot of cursing.”

“And yelling,” Oleander added.

“Growling too,” Sylvan supplied.

We had very different professions, but there was a common thread—Jordan. We all worked for him. It was a thread that helped pull us together and gave us something to talk about. A way to ease into things without feeling like we couldn’t manage it all. Our lives were busy before we factored each other in.