Page 23 of Silver Sanctuary (The Silver Springs #3)

Fourteen

“ H ey! Look at you!” Lily’s laugh filtered into Petals as Lacy finished wrapping a small bouquet for Dolly. “Back at it and looking better than ever.”

Lacy held back the wince that bubbled up as she raised her hand to wave hi to her friend. Her side was feeling so much better after Nash basically forced her to stay in bed and rest for days. She was going stir-crazy by the time he agreed it was okay for her to start back for a few hours at Petals.

“With the friend’s discount, it’s going to be twenty-five dollars.”

“Honey, I’m happy we’re friends, but you keep that discount. In fact, you keep the change.” Dolly slid two twenty-dollar bills across the counter and smiled.

“Oh, no. That’s not necessary.”

“It is. What happened to you… we’re not all assholes here. Some of us are plenty happy that you’re back and giving new life to this old shop. I’ll be here every Monday and Thursday to get new flowers for the diner.”

“That means the world to me. Thank you.”

“It’s the least I could be doing, sugar.

Thanks for these.” Dolly turned toward Lily and Sloane, who Lacy didn’t even realize was there.

“You girls keep that one in line, you hear.” She nodded to Hawk, who was standing near the front window.

Nash was insistent that one of the guys be with her at all times when he had to work.

“Trust me, Doll, you’re the only one who stands a chance of keeping me in check.” Hawk laughed as he threw a wink her way.

“Oh lord, get me outta here before I have to go home and jump on my husband. He’s already had one heart attack, and I don’t feel like giving him another today!”

Lacy reached over to grab a small box of ribbon, her side immediately flaring with pain.

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?” Hawk jogged over to take the box from her, setting it back on the counter. “I told you, I have marching orders today. You’re not supposed to be picking up anything.”

“Sorry,” she winced.

“You need me to call Nash? Maybe you should sit and Stone can come check on you?” Lily offered, looking worried.

“I’m fine. It’s all part of the healing process. You guys should have warned me that all these men are worrywarts, though.” She winked at Hawk.

“We only worry about the valuable things in our lives. You three are at the top of that list.”

“Awww,” Lily cooed.

“Very smooth there, Romeo,” Sloane teased.

“I really hate to break it to you, Lacy, but that gorgeous ring on your finger—which I still can’t get over how beautiful it is—means that these guys are going to make sure you’re safe, no matter how annoying it is to have them around all the time.

” Lily held her hand out, doing “gimme” fingers like Embrie had when she was a toddler.

“Sloane hasn’t seen the ring yet, you have to show it off! ”

“Oh, of course.” Lacy held her hand out, and the women immediately took a step closer to look at it.

“Wow. It’s beautiful. Seems like Nash really thought the design through. Very botanical.”

Hawk snorted. “That’s Mr. Botanical for you. Who knew he’d found such a passion for flowers?”

“Behave, Hawk,” Lily scolded, but there was no fire in her words.

“I have no idea how he was able to get such a beautiful ring in a day. He literally proposed to me the first night Embrie and I agreed to stay there.”

“That’s a custom ring.” Sloane said it with such clarity, but Lacy knew she had to have heard her wrong. A custom ring?

“What?” Lacy and Lily both looked at Sloane.

“Can I see the inside of the band?”

Lacy slid the ring off her finger and handed it over to Sloane, who immediately nodded.

“Yup. Like I said. Custom.”

“How do you know that?”

“Gage and I have been looking…”

“At engagement rings!” Hawk blurted out. When the women all turned to look at him, the poor guy’s cheeks flushed red. “Oh, fuck. Am I not supposed to be a part of this girl talk?”

Lacy couldn’t hold in her laughter, and she wasn’t the only one.

“No.” Sloane smiled. “You can be a part of it—we aren’t trying to keep it a secret.

Gage knows I’m particular about things, and we want it to be something sentimental for the both of us.

So, we’re designing rings together. When he’ll ask…

” She shrugged her shoulders. “That part he wants to keep a surprise. I’m still working through so much stuff in therapy—trying to decide how to move on with my fa mily, getting to know his…

But that’s how I know this designer’s initials.

It’s the same jeweler we’re working with in Rogersville. He only does custom designs.”

Sloane handed the ring back to Lacy, the weight of it doubling as she slid it back into place.

He’d had a custom ring made for her. That wasn’t something that could be done in just a few hours.

There were options to go over. Choices to be made and materials to be ordered. How long had he been planning?—

“Well, now that Lacy has that full love-struck look on her face.” Lily laughed. “I guess we can break the bad news to her.”

“Bad news?” Her stomach sank.

“Everything’s fine. I just meant, we have marching orders from that sweet fiancé of yours.”

“Oh?”

“Yep. He said to make sure you closed up by lunchtime. We’re to take you to Dolly’s and then swinging by the department store.”

“For what?”

Sloane fidgeted with her bracelet. “Nash told us you guys were going to redo Embrie’s room? That we should help you pick out all the things she needs to make it feel like her space.”

“That sounds so nice, but I have a delivery to make?—”

“To the ladies’ home, and that delivery is actually mine. I’m going to drop off the arrangements on my way out to The Trident.” Hawk crossed his arms and gave her a stare that said she shouldn't even try to argue with him about it.

“Why do I feel like everyone is conspiring behind my back?”

“Not conspiring, trying to make things easier.” Lily rested her hand on Lacy’s arm. “Besides, Nash left his credit card with me this morning and told me not to let you look at any prices! Isn’t that exciting? We have a responsibility to make him sweat over that decision.”

Lacy nodded, holding back a laugh as Lily bounced on her toes. “Okay, shopping it is. But I’m looking at prices. And we’re only going to make him sweat a little…”

Wifey:

Thank you for watching out for me, even when you aren’t here.

I wish I was. I’m stuck in the control room with Gunner and he’s being a real dickhead today. I’d rather be at Petals… I might not get as much work done as I’d like though.

Wifey:

Oh? You think I’d be a distraction?

I know you would be. Because the only thing I’d be thinking about would be how desperate I am to have you spread out on that counter with your thighs wrapped around my head.

Three dots popped up and disappeared. Nash held his breath. There had been more and more flirtatious moments as Lacy healed, but nothing materialized into more than a few kisses here or there.

The three dots popped up again, this time staying for a few seconds before her message came through.

Wifey:

Don’t make promises you don’t intend to keep.

Well... Damn.

Why don’t I show you tonight just how well I keep my promises.

Wifey:

It’s a date.

“Are we going to talk about the elephant in the room?” Gunner grumbled, interrupting Nash’s thoughts.

“Which is?” He sighed, sliding his phone onto the table in front of him.

“Your whole ‘I’m getting married tomorrow’ speech last week turning into a ‘We’re engaged you better fucking act like you like it’ text that night? Just… no wedding?”

“Yet. No wedding… yet .”

“You really want to take that step with her?”

“You need to put in the trigger for the smoke.” Nash turned the page in the simulator script binder, finding the trigger code for the smoke. “Charlie six thirteen.”

“Copy, charlie six thirteen,” Gunner repeated as he clicked through the menu options.

“Correct.”

“Don’t think this crew being here is getting you out of talking,” Gunner pushed.

“Since when did you become such a chatterbox? I swear, the only time I normally hear you speak is when you’re chewing one of us out for screwing something up out here, or Lily and Sage are around.”

“Yeah, well, this concerns all of us, doesn’t it?”

“Wings, start recording cameras five through twelve.” Gage’s command came through the headset. He clicked over to the screen with the computer commands and pressed record.

“Tracker, cameras five through twelve are recording. We’re ready in the booth for you to start the scenario,” he replied.

“Copy that.”

“So?” Gunner pressed again. What the fuck was his problem?

“In what way does my marriage concern you?” Nash snapped. Gunner’s constant push back was really starting to piss him off. “Didn’t I already survive your fucking third degree the other day when I told you I was marrying her?”

“It concerns all of us. She’s becoming our family.”

“Reap, you’re going to want to be very careful about what you say next, because if you are about to insinuate in any way, shape, or form that Lacy is anything other than a goddamn gem and adding her to our group is anything other than a fucking blessing, I’m going to knock you on your ass.”

“I’d like to see you try,” Gunner grumbled as he picked up his coffee cup. “Look, I’m not saying those things. I think Lacy is nice, I just… where’s your head at? Is this because of what happened with Sloane and Gage?”

Fuck. “No.”

“It has to be, even just a little. So, cut the crap and level with me. We’ve worked together long enough that I know you think that night was a failure on your part.”

The night Sloane and Gage were taken. Yeah, he’d give Gunner that. He had failed to keep his friends safe.

“Is that what she is to you? A way to redeem yourself?”

Gunner just would not quit.