Malik doesn’t look convinced, and I let my hand fall away. I get his worry, though. Marrying the woman who lost her husband during a mission you were also on could raise some eyebrows in certain circles.
But not the Jameson circle. I’ve been able to tell since starting here that everyone at this company is part of a very close-knit circle. It feels like family, and no one would stand in the way of Malik and Anna’s happiness.
“You know you’re not disrespecting Jim’s memory at all,” Cage adds. “If anything, I know damn well he’s happy knowing Anna is taken care of. Avery, too, for that matter.”
Malik’s eyes go soft at the mention of Avery. Anna and Jim’s daughter just turned one last week, and she is the apple of Malik’s eye. He may not have given her DNA, but he’s been a father to her in every way.
His expression focuses, eyes moving back and forth between me and Cage. “I love Anna with the entirety of my being. I want to officially adopt Avery. I want her legally recognized as my daughter, but I know the first step is to marry her mother.”
Frowning, a thought strikes me. “Are you worried Anna will say no?”
A quick shake of his head. “She’ll say yes.”
“Then what in the fuck are you waiting for?” Cage exclaims.
“Maybe I was waiting for some reassurance. That I’m not treading on anyone’s memory by doing so.”
It’s a brave and bold proclamation. An admission of vulnerability, which men aren’t keen on doing. I admire him for it.
“I suggest sooner rather than later.” I grab my beer and hold it up to him.
“I echo that sentiment,” Cage says and pushes his beer toward mine.
Malik grins, knocks the neck of his bottle against ours, and we drink. While Cage and I lower our beers after a sip, Malik keeps his head tipped back and he downs the rest of his bottle.
He smacks his lips, eyes twinkling, and slides the empty bottle away from him. “I’m out of here. I’ve got an important question to ask Anna.”
My jaw drops as Malik gets off the stool. “Like, right now? You’re going to propose to her right now?”
Malik digs into his pocket for his keys. “Like Cage says… what in the fuck am I waiting for?”
“A ring, for one,” I point out.
His grin is sly. “Already bought it.”
Laughing, I point toward the door. “Then get out of here. You have something far more important to do than drink another beer with us.”
“That I do,” Malik says, and then he’s gone.
Cage and I share a moment, reveling in happiness for our friend. He glances down at my bottle. “Want another?”
“Nah, man.” I laugh. “Got the love of my life waiting for me at home.”
“Bubba is the love of your life?” Cage asks dryly.
“That he is. Jealous?”
“Hardly.” Cage finishes his beer, and we both rise from our stools. “Got a hot wife waiting at home who always knows how to welcome me back in just the right way.”
“TMI, dude,” I chastise with a laugh as we head out of the bar.
CHAPTER 2
Kellen
When I left Adriana behind in California, I also left behind the house I’d owned for almost five years. In between deployments, I was stationed at Camp Pendleton and liked the area very much. San Diego has the perfect weather year-round, and I thought it would be a good place to put down roots once I got out of the Corps.
Luckily, the house sold after only two days on the market, and with the proceeds, I purchased a house in Washington, Pennsylvania, just south of Pittsburgh. I’m not a city boy, having been raised in the dairy-farm hills of upstate New York, and I couldn’t see myself staying among the glass, concrete, and steel of downtown. I don’t mind the commute and love that my little neighborhood sits off a winding, two-lane road with beautiful views of the mountains and rolling hills.
The house isn’t huge—just an average split-level that could use some updating. My first project will be redoing the kitchen because I like to cook and spend a lot of time in that room. This house stood out more, though, for its fenced-in backyard for Bubba and a small work shed at the back for my tools. I’ve got quite the collection and can fix most household failures as well as do minor carpentry.
I turn onto the driveway and pull into the carport attached to the house. I’d like to remove it at some point and add an actual garage, but that’s after the interior renovations, which could take a while.
My ears perk up as I exit, pulling my travel duffel out and slinging it over my shoulder. Usually, I’d hear Bubba barking at the sound of my car, but it’s eerily silent. I enter the house through the side door that leads into the kitchen, and my chest clenches slightly that my dog isn’t there to greet me.