Page 57 of Anything for You (Veterans of Silver Ridge #7)

Saint Security 10-Year Anniversary Celebration

I took the stage after a quick kiss from Nik, the spotlight shining down on me and making the audience disappear .

For the ten-year anniversary of Saint Security’s founding, we’d decided to do a big fundraiser celebration and invite anyone who’d ever worked for Saint plus all the “friends of Saint,” as we liked to call them.

As a company deeply invested in the community, we shouldn’t have been surprised by how many people had bought tickets, but seeing the grand ballroom at the Silver Ridge Resort packed to the gills made the nerves for tonight increase a touch.

Standing at this podium like I was some superstar where I couldn’t see the people listening? No.

“Could we drop the spotlight, please? I feel like Bri up here, and that’s not going to work.”

Everyone chuckled as the spot dropped away. Many glanced around to find where Bri Williamson, still as handsome as ever and world-famous, sat with his wife and Saint mainstay, Eddie. Bri waved gamely.

I relaxed now that I could see Nik sitting at head the table with Wilder and Sarah, Oak and Winnie, Doc and Jo, and Barbie and Elizabeth. The table next to them held Beast and Pop, Cookie and Elise, Stone and Dove, Eddie and Bri, Hijack and his husband, Joseph.

We had two more tables of local Silverton office Saint employees and four more for the other stateside offices. The expansion we’d undergone in ten years was mind-boggling when I saw it laid out like this.

We had tables full of Silverton PD, and Sheriff Ryan and his wife had come from Juniper View.

The Washingtons hosted a table for our Europe office, and everyone in the community, from our original investor, Julian Grenier, to the local celebrities like the Morrison family, to the actual celebrities like Calla Rice-Saint, Maddie Reynolds, and Jenna Halter, dotted the room .

Then there was the military support, some of whom had retired since this all started, and a handful who were still active. The Cardinals had all showed with their spouses, and Wave had come with his wife. Our old JAG pal Justice came, and so many others it was hard to name.

It was overwhelming, standing here, and a surge of emotion hit me as I took it all in.

“Speech!” Kenny shouted, because of course he did.

The chuckles filled the space and it was enough to help me get a grip.

“He’s right, time to get on with it, huh?

” I smiled, and everyone laughed generously.

I fiddled with the notecards I’d sketched my remarks on, then dove in.

After thanking everyone for being there on my behalf and cracking a joke about also doing the speech for Wilder, because everyone knew he wasn’t about to get up in front of the room and give a speech—killed, by the way—I launched into the heart of it.

“When we left active duty, I think most of us experienced something similar. There’s some freedom, a great deal of relief, and there’s also this rather daunting wide-open future.

No one’s telling you what to do. No one’s telling you where to live, or when to show up to work, or even what clothes to wear.

When you spend most or all of twenty years or more of your formative years adhering to military principles and demands and expectations, and you have a job you can easily convince yourself matters not only to yourself because of the paycheck, but to your neighbors and family and even the nation, because of the mission?

That’s different than leaving some other things, I dare say.

And when you leave that? Well, first there’s this moment of, ‘thank God!’ And then, not long after that, you think, ‘now what?’”

Light laughter rippled through the audience. They were with me, and I hoped most especially my fellow Saint staff were.

“Wilder and I had a vision and we were incredibly lucky, or blessed, or mathematically likely” —I paused and grinned at Nikki, who gave me a regal and sexy little nod while people who knew her chuckled— “to find people who saw something in it. And we couldn’t have set up in a better town.”

I led the applause for Silverton and made a point to make eye contact with the mayor and city council members, then the police chief and anyone else I could. Might as well grease the wheels, even now, especially since it was true.

“But the magic of Saint isn’t in the fact that we hire the best of the best from the most elite units and agencies the world over, and do top-tier work with incredible resources in less time than any of our competitors in cities ten times as large,” I said, a grin on my face as people whistled and applauded.

“Okay, well maybe it’s not just that.” I laughed along with everyone else, relieved they were playing along and letting me have breaks so I didn’t speed-talk through this too quickly.

“In truth, the magic is in our bond. Some of us arrived here having forged a bond in battle. Some of us developed it working together. And I know I speak for Wilder, too, when I say it’s the thing we’re most proud of. We’re a company who values its people first.”

I could feel the moment getting the better of me, the reflection on years past and plans ahead, and I wanted to get through this so we could get on to the main events.

“We’ve got chances to see what’s in store for Saint Security going forward, but I want to say this: thank you.

Thank you to every person who put their faith in Saint and made the leap of moving to this small town to work for us.

Thank you for letting us pave the way to the next part of your life.

Thank you to the family and friends who’ve supported them as they’ve made that transition from other realms to this one, and thank you to those who’ve hired us, because without you, we wouldn’t get to do what we do. ”

I flipped to the last card.

“In ten years, we’ve accomplished more than I could’ve imagined when we set out—and I’ll admit it, once I got out of the overwhelm when I first moved here, I started dreaming big.

I never imagined we’d have two international divisions, two other city-level expansions, and so many offerings here in Silverton.

” Applause followed so I waited for it to die down.

“I wouldn’t have imagined we’d have so many amazing people finding their partners and settling into a life where they love their work and they have time to love their families and live their lives.

Where they have struck a balance and pursue what they want to.

Where they can grow and change, and maybe that means stepping back”—I looked at Dorian—“or maybe it means stepping up.” I winked at Kiley, who rolled her eyes but beamed back at me.

“This is too long already, so let me just say, with every bit of me, thank you. Thank you for letting this dream come alive and become a home to so many amazing people and thank you for the brilliant things you’ll all do in the days and years to come.

” With one last nod, I slipped off the stage to the sound of raucous applause and, embarrassingly, a standing ovation.

In the minutes that followed, each of the team greeted me with hugs and thanks. Some had tears and some just smiled, and all of it gave me so much joy.

I’d arrived in Silverton the guardian of my little sister with no hope of really living my life until she left high school. I’d figured I’d work hard and wait it out. Nikki taught me I didn’t have to delay my life and it was probably the most valuable lesson I could’ve learned.

It helped me realize I needed to be encouraging each of my people to do the same. In many cases, like me, they’d waited until the end of their military career to pursue their own interests or even their own happiness.

Shaking hands and hugging each of these people, so many of whom had found their partners and started families… there was nothing better.

“To Saint Security,” Kenny said, voice rising above the din and raising a glass of champagne higher.

“To Saint Security.” The voices of hundreds of people, the wonderful people of this community and the surrounding area that had become our home, rose around us.

I’d always wanted a place that felt like mine. It was the story of so many of us who’d been transient for years, or who’d been all too aware that our military careers would only last so long.

Now?

I’ve proudly and emphatically found home in Silver Ridge.

Thank you so much for reading Dove and Dorian’s story, and if you’ve been through it all with the team, the entire Veterans of Silver Ridge Series !

If you haven’t read from the start, get to know Bruce’s story in Made For You.

If you’re wondering about Sheriff Ryan, well… he’s getting his own book, fear not. Get to know him and his small town of Juniper View.