“We could have lived anywhere.” Zoe shot him a disgruntled look and slid lower in the seat. She still wasn’t sure she’d be welcome. But Harrison had been adamant on that point. They entered through the large double gate. “Looks like a military compound.”
He laughed. “It’s not that bad.”
“It’s even worse.”
Saul was in the back seat. Dakota, still moving damn slow at times, beside him. He said, “Okay, enough already, you two.”
Harrison chuckled. “She’s been so worried about coming here.” Then he pointed out something—just to her.
She frowned as they passed two adult-size swings hung from an A-frame. Beside it was a bike rack, with two adult bikes nestled inside.
Harrison leaned over, gave her a kiss and whispered, “I’ll teach you…once your leg is healed.”
She quietly sniffled, held back the tears, afraid the two guys behind her would know. Afraid Harrison would. She couldn’t look at him yet, so she simply reached out, grabbed his hand and squeezed. Maybe she would be welcome here after all.
Saul broke into her moment without even knowing it. “We’re actually pretty excited about this move.”
“Good.” Zoe smirked, recovering. “So then you’re next on the list.”
Saul glanced at her and frowned. “What are you talking about? What list?”
“This is the love compound, you know? Everybody here is a hero.” When Harrison stopped the vehicle, she opened her door and slowly exited the car, grabbing her crutch. A dozen men and women flew toward them. She froze. “A lot of people here,” she whispered under her breath.
A large male, obviously in charge, walked over to Harrison—already at Zoe’s side—patted him on the back and turned to Zoe. He smiled, reached out a hand and said, “Welcome, Zoe.”
Recognition dawned as she beamed up at him and said, “Thank you, Levi. For everything. And especially for sending Harrison to look after me. It was nice to have my own personal hero.”
Harrison snorted.
Levi winced.
Snickers and welcoming smiles came from the women alongside the vehicle. Zoe studied them intently. Ice she recognized from the picture she’d seen on the Internet. A stunningly beautiful woman. And she had a big smile on her face.
“Sorry if that term offends you, but I like it. It fits my world, like Harrison does,” she announced as she hobbled closer to Harrison who instinctively opened his arms. She wrapped an arm around his back. She smiled shyly at the women surrounding them. They all grinned at her.
Ice stepped forward and said, “Levi doesn’t like the term hero. But honestly, all of us have found ours here. So, you’re certainly welcome to call Harrison one.” As she walked toward Levi, she added, “In fact, the first nickname for our company was Heroes for Hire, but there are more.”
Saul laughed at that. “I love that. How fitting.”
Another woman stepped forward and said, “Heroes for the Heart.”
A third chuckled and said, “I chose Heroes from Heaven.”
Ice smiled again and said, “Anna coined Flynn as her Hero for the Homeless.”
“Which is perfect, considering she’s got the animal shelter and he stepped up to save them all,” the third woman added.
Harrison whispered against Zoe’s ear, “Actually you’re my hero. You saved me from being alone.”
She smiled at him, reached up and kissed his cheek, murmuring, “I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything sweeter.”
Levi said, “Come on inside. Welcome to your new home.”
Moving carefully, her leg still not as good as it should be, she kept pace with the others as they made their way into the massive building. “I think I will love being here,” she said. “Particularly because I don’t have to go to court in California.”
“No guarantee of that,” Levi said. “But considering Lawrence and the other two are talking like crazy, the general won’t escape either.”
She nodded. “I’ll wait and see.” She stopped at the threshold and turned to look at the mountains and hills in the vast landscape around them. “It’s really beautiful.”
Harrison held her close and said, “Are you sure you’ll be okay here?”
She turned to look at him and whispered, “It’ll be heaven.” Then she burst into laughter.
The others turned to look at her.
Her laughter eased, and she said with a beaming smile, “I know—you’re Harrison the Hero. Just for me.”
“Oh, no, you don’t,” Harrison said. “No labels for me. No way,” he snapped, heading off into the kitchen.
But the others had heard already, setting the tone for her arrival at the compound and the rest of her life.
And it was perfect.