Page 17 of Protection for Asher (Safeguarded By The SEAL #4)

Asher enjoyed Danika’s company and was glad Nichole came over in the afternoon.

The three of them chatted about fun things to do in San Diego and where they liked to park when they went to the beach.

The San Diego area seemed like a fun place to live.

Once she felt more acclimated she was sure she would go out and do some of the stuff.

“I was talking to Squat last night, and he suggested I go back to school.”

“What were you thinking of studying?” Nichole asked.

“Something in nursing. I like helping people.”

Danika nodded. “That sounds great. I think it would be good for you. Plus, you have Squat's support. That helps a lot.”

She shook her head. “I really don’t know why he wants to help me.”

Nichole chuckled. “He's a good man, and you're a good person.”

Insecurity wove through her thoughts. She’d been through hell and had changed to the point she didn’t know what kind of person she was. “I don’t know that I’m that good of a person.”

Danika threw back her head, laughter spilling out. “From what I've seen, you're really nice. You're a good person, and I'm glad you're here. I think we'll end up being friends.”

Danika sounded sincere. Everything that she’d gone through had done a number on her. She wanted to believe in herself, but it was hard. “Thank you. It’s hard to have faith in myself.”

Both Danika and Nichole hugged her. She clung to them, thankful someone cared about her.

She missed Grace, but doubted she would ever find out what happened to her.

Having friends here in California would make this transition easier.

She knew she needed to find a therapist and work on her mental health, but having people to chat with and hang out with would help so much.

After a moment, she stepped back and wiped her eyes. “I think we'll be good friends. You've all been so nice.”

Nichole squeezed her arm. “I’m happy we get a chance to get to know you.”

Danika made some tea and they sat in the den, sipping hot tea and she listened to them talk about their lives. It was nice to hear normal talk, even if her life was still messed up.

Close to three, the women left. She told them it was okay for them to go, but being alone was weird.

She kept watch out the front window, stepping into the shadows when cars drove past. She feared the unknown and starting classes at a university was a huge unknown.

In Squat's house, she felt safe, but she couldn't stay locked inside forever.

Would she be safe out there, going to school?

Panic rose at the thought of leaving the house, even if it was just to go to classes.

She drew in a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

No one was after her in California. She had to keep reminding herself that no one knew she'd flown out here. The people who had abducted her were states away, and none of them knew where she was. She hadn’t contacted anyone back home.

The only person she wanted to contact was Grace, but she wasn’t there.

She heard Squat's car pull up and forced the excitement down. Being happy he was home was normal, but being too happy would only set her up for disappointment. They weren’t in a relationship, and nothing was developing between them.

Squat was excited to be home for the entire weekend. It was doubtful that he would be called out for a mission. Other teams were in the rotation and he would be free to spend the weekend with Asher.

“Hey, how was today?” Squat asked as he stepped in.

“Good. Danika and Nichole came over.”

“That’s great.”

“They’re both so nice.”

He nodded as he stored his equipment. “They are. When we get together for picnics in the park, they are always nice.”

“Picnics?”

“Yeah. None of us have really big houses, and the six of us take up all the air in the room if we spend too much time inside. Parks, the beach, pools and stuff like that makes it easier for us to hang out.”

“That’s cool. They were all with you when you saved me, right?”

“They were.”

“I’d like to meet them and thank them.”

“Maybe we can get together this weekend. I know they’re happy we rescued you.”

She drew in a deep breath and shook her head as she let it go. “I never thought I would really be free. I thought I would die before I could escape.”

“I’m glad we found you.”

Her eyes looked glassy with moisture and he pulled her into a hug. “You’re safe now. It might have been luck that we found you, but you’re safe.”

Having Asher in his arms felt right. She had been through so much. He wanted to help her heal and that meant he had to hold back. He couldn’t rush this.

Asher closed her eyes and breathed in slowly as Squat held her. He was being so nice. She loved how good his arms felt around her. Though she was attracted to him, she didn’t need to force the issue. He was just being nice, nothing more. They weren’t a couple, just good friends.

She stepped back and wiped away the tears. “You're such a good friend. I really appreciate you helping me with this. Having a place to stay while I recover is great. I can get back on my feet, and everything will be okay.”

He squeezed her shoulder. “Exactly. Now then, how about dinner? What would you like? We can do chicken or burgers.”

A smile spread over her face. “Burgers.”

“Sounds great. Let me change, and I'll get the meat ready for the grill.”

“I can chop up some vegetables and sauté them.”

“Awesome. I think I have some fries in the freezer, we can heat those up to round out the meal.”

“Yum. I’m looking forward to it.”

Asher pulled out the vegetables and found the chopping block. Squat was back in the kitchen preparing the meat as she started chopping.

“I sent a text to the gang. On Sunday we can have a picnic. It will be very low-key and relaxed. We're not bringing anything. The other guys will take care of the food and stuff we need.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to show up empty-handed.”

“Next time, you can show your skills. This time, they just want to meet you.”

She wasn’t sure how she felt about being basically useless. “I feel like I should do something.”

“Hey, you’ve been through a lot. You don’t need the pressure of having to cook something.”

She nodded. “I get that. I just feel useless. I know I need to see someone. I need to find out about classes. I need a job. There just seems like a lot I need to do, but I don't like showing up without something.”

He squeezed her shoulder. “I get that you feel like it's too much. But you don't have to do any of that stuff right away. It can wait, and the guys want you to heal. We can buy a few bags of chips if you feel you need to bring something, but no pressure.”

She let go a sigh. “Okay. No cooking anything. Thank you.”

“How about after we eat, we go for a walk at the beach and then watch a movie later?”

“Sure. That would be great. Being with you and doing normal stuff helps. I feel like I'm kind of normal when I spend time with you.”

“I’m glad it makes you feel better. You know, life can be hard in the best of times so make sure you give yourself a break.”

Squat finished making the burgers, and she chopped the vegetables before she put the fries in the oven. She got the vegetables ready just minutes before Squat came in with the burgers.

“Those vegetables look good.”

“Well, those burgers smell great. I’m ready for some food.”

“Let’s eat.”

They sat at his kitchen table and dug in. She took a bite of the burger, thinking it was amazing. Next, she tried the vegetables, and they tasted fine, but the fries tasted wrong. She couldn't swallow the bite and spit it out in a napkin.

“Something wrong?” Squat asked.

“The burger and vegetables are great, but the fries are wrong.”

“Let me try one.” Squat put a fry into his mouth and bit down but spit it out quickly. “Oh, those are freezer burned. They must be very old. I’m so sorry. I didn’t think they were that bad but that is awful.”

Asher chuckled. “It’s okay. We have plenty with the burger and vegetables.”

He nodded. “I need to clean out that freezer. Who knows what else is in there that has gone bad.”

She laughed again. It felt good to laugh with him. After they cleaned up the dishes, they headed to the beach. The sun was setting, so it wasn't too hot as they walked along the water's edge. After they'd gone a few hundred yards, she stopped, and Squat stopped, too.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah. I was just thinking that everything is weird and I want life to be better. I know it will take time, but I want to be back to myself. I mean, sometimes I’m okay, but other times I feel like I’m going to crack open.”

“PTSD is a bitch. It can come at you hard.”

“Do you think that’s what’s wrong with me?”

He squeezed her hand. “If you didn’t have PTSD, I’d be worried. What you went through was terrible. Give it time. We’ll make sure you get in with a therapist this next week.”

“They are so expensive.”

“Not necessarily. There are programs that will help you afford the therapist. It will all work out.”

Her heart squeezed as hope started to seep in. “Thank you. I don’t know what I would do without you and your friends.”

“We’re happy to help you. That’s what friends are for.”

She should be happy, but his words chiseled a hole in her soul. They really were just friends. She shouldn’t expect more from him. He was just being nice and supportive like friends were.

Luckily, a whale breached right at that moment, distracting them both.

The last thing she wanted was for Squat to think she was disappointed with him.

His helping her was amazing, and she needed to act that way.

They hadn’t been in a relationship in years, and she shouldn’t expect anything from him.

Being able to start over here in San Diego with a ready-made friend circle was wonderful.

If she'd gone anywhere else in the world, she would have been totally alone.

Appreciating what she had was something the first therapist had said when she'd still been in a military hospital overseas before they'd shipped her home.

Life had changed, and some things would never be the same again, but that didn't mean she wouldn't have things to appreciate.

The ocean being so close that she could drive down here and see whales and dolphins was amazing.

The weather was a little warmer than she was used to, but it was nice.

The people were great, and she would be able to find a therapist and not have to pay too much money.

She could do this, and she had friends. It would be easy to recover and live here. She just needed to give it time.