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Just the thought of feeling free enough to go a few places made my heart soar.

“Yes!” I squeaked excitedly. “Are we going shopping? There are so many things I’d like to get. I’m crocheting some things for your baby, but I really want to see the yarn in person, so I know it’s exactly what I need.”

I’d missed shopping in person, and I hadn’t been able to do that in a very long time.

“We’re absolutely shopping at the mall,” Hannah said mischievously. “And eating. And gossiping. And getting a good massage. There’s an expert in gentle massage for pregnant women at the spa. We always have so much fun on our days in Billings. I’m ecstatic that you can come with us. I’ll be at Devon’s place early on Sunday morning.”

“Thank you, Hannah,” I said as I forced back the tears that were threatening to fall. “This means a lot to me.”

I’d felt confined for so long, and I wanted to do something that felt normal with the friends that I cared about.

“Don’t expect Devon to be as thrilled as you are,” Hannah warned. “He doesn’t seem to want to let you out of his sight.”

“I’ll handle him,” I said with a sigh. “I’d love to get him something in Billings because he snagged this beautiful necklace for me, but what do you get a billionaire who has everything?”

He probably wouldn’t be happy about the outing, but he was going to have to realize that he couldn’t protect me every minute of the day.

She winked at me. “If anyone can handle him, it’s you. And I have the same problem getting things for Tanner. We’ll stop at Crumbl Cookies before we go back to Crystal Fork. All three of our guys have a weakness for those cookies. Anna and I always bring a box home so our men stop sulking over us leaving for the day.” She lifted a hand before I could speak. “And don’t tell me that Devon isn’t your guy. He is. You just don’t realize it yet.”

I gave up on that argument. Hannah was convinced that Devon cared about me in a girlfriend sort of way, and I wasn’t going to convince her otherwise. “I was hoping for something a little nicer than cookies. He won’t tell me how much he paid for the necklace, and he definitely won’t take the money, but I’m sure it was pricey.”

“When your man is a billionaire, it’s the little things that mean a lot to them,” Hannah explained. “Thoughtful things. Get some yarn and crochet him something he can use or something he can put on his wall. He’ll like that more than you spending a bunch of money on him.”

She was probably right. Money meant nothing to any of the Remington men because they had more of it than they could possibly spend in several lifetimes. Maybe that was why Devon had been so surprised and happy when I’d made him that hummingbird cake. He always seemed to appreciate things that I’d spent time to make for him.

Finished with lunch, Hannah and I dumped our containers and got back to work.

For the rest of the day, I racked my brain to try to think about something I could give Devon to make him feel special.

After all the things he’d done for me, he deserved it.

He’d made me feel safe.

He’d made me feel cared for and happy.

Those were all gifts that I wasn’t quite sure how to repay.

Devon

“Idon’t like it,” I grumbled later that evening. “At all.”

Then again, I didn’t like anything that was going to put Reese at risk in any way.

I knew she wanted to explore Billings and other areas of Montana, and I wanted that for her, but my first instinct was to make sure she was safe.

“If Hannah can disguise my appearance, it’s not the least bit risky,” she said in a voice meant to make me a little more rational as she put our dinner in the oven.

“I still don’t like it,” I said unreasonably. “If you have to go, I’d rather you were going with me.”

“Do you really want to shop and get a massage?” she teased.

I had an assistant who did my shopping because I hated doing it myself most of the time, and the only massage I wanted would have to be performed by the woman I was looking at right now.

“No,” I said honestly. “I want you safe.”

Reese walked over to where I was leaning against the kitchen counter. “I’ll be perfectly safe.”

“With three women, one of them pregnant?” I questioned. “None of you even carry a weapon.”