Page 8 of Rescuing Aria

“We still want you in our lives.” We separate, and Brett’s hands linger on my shoulders, his eyes searching mine. “Different than before, but no less important.”

“This wasn’t how any of us planned things would go.” Charlie steps closer, her hand finding mine. “But just because we’re not sharing a bed doesn’t mean we’re not still connected.” Her gaze drifts past me to where Aria stands with the others. A small smile plays at her lips. “She seems nice. And you seem—lighter around her.”

“Took you long enough to make a move, though.” Brett follows her gaze. “We had a betting pool going, you know.”

“You did not.” Despite everything, a laugh escapes me.

“We absolutely did,” Charlie grins. “No one won, though. You waited way longer than any of us predicted.”

“Even Mac bet you’d kiss her after the debrief from the Santa Barbara extraction,” Brett adds. “That was two months ago.”

“You were betting on my love life?” Heat rises to my face.

“Someone had to take an interest.” Charlie squeezes my hand. “You weren’t exactly rushing things along.”

Something about Aria feels right in a way I can’t fully articulate. A possibility I’m not yet ready to name, but I also can’t ignore it.

“Are you happy?” Brett asks, his voice dropping to that register that always made me tell him the truth, even when I didn’t want to.

“Getting there,” I admit. “And you two? I can’t believe you’re starting a family.”

“Yes.” Charlie’s hand drifts to her stomach again. “We want this, but we also want our child to know their Uncle Jon, to have you in their life. As family.”

“Always,” I promise, and mean it with everything in me.

When we rejoin the group, Aria’s eyes find mine immediately. Questions, but no jealousy, no insecurity. Just patience and understanding. She makes my heart swell. I slide beside her, my arm finding its place around her waist. Her body leans into mine, a silent acknowledgment of connection.

“Everything okay?” Her warm breath against my ear sends shivers down my spine.

“Better than okay.” I press my lips to her temple.

The night deepens around us, and the deck is alive with laughter and conversation. Jenny and Mac trade stories from missions past, embellishing details to make Ember and Aria laugh.

“Food’s ready,” Blaze announces, piling juicy burgers onto a platter. “Come and get it before I feed it all to Jon. Man’s been eyeing these burgers like they’re intel packets.”

“Occupational hazard,” I call back. “Always hungry.”

“For more than just food,” Charlie quips with a meaningful glance toward Aria, who blushes beautifully.

The teasing, the way everyone has accepted Aria and Ember into our circle, fills me with warmth that has nothing to do with the lingering heat of the day. Delta team has always been family, but seeing how seamlessly they’ve embraced the newcomers makes me realize how much I want this to work. How much I want Aria to feel she belongs here, with us.

With me.

I hope I’m not moving too fast, but she feels like an inevitability, as if she’s already a part of me.

“To ‘The Little Matchstick Girl,’” Jenny raises her glass, her smile radiant in the golden light. “Ember and Aria, may you enjoy unlimited success.”

“And to Ryn’s fire-born art,” Blaze adds, nodding toward the candles that illuminate our gathering. “Turning broken things into treasure.”

Our glasses clink together, and the sound carries out over the ocean. I watch Aria’s face in the flickering light, memorizing the way joy transforms her features. Just hours ago, in the shop, I finally found the courage to kiss her—a moment I’ve imagined countless times but never thought would ever happen.

I’m glad I took the chance.

The evening flows around us in waves of conversation and laughter.

CJ leans back in his chair, the fading light catching the silver threading through his dark hair at the temples. Our former Delta team commander still carries that unmistakable air of command. His promotion to head Guardian operations left a hole in our team dynamic that Jenny filled seamlessly, but having him here tonight makes our circle feel complete.

“Like old times.” CJ’s gaze sweeps over all of us. “The whole team is back together.”