Page 24 of Silver Sanctuary (The Silver Springs #3)

“Fuck. Yeah, you know what? In a way, she is,” he finally admitted.

“But it’s so much more than that, Reap. They have no one.

Nothing. You were there when we went to see the trailer.

You saw the look in her eyes. The way the only thing that seemed to keep her tethered to the earth was holding on to me.

I can’t… I fucking hate seeing her like that.

She’s it for me. I know it. That first time I went into Petals, fuck, even then she was being harassed.

But whatever lit up inside me wasn’t just about protecting her.

I’ve found my person; I’ve found my family.

These issues she’s having are going to be a distant memory soon, but you know what?

After all is said and done, I’ll still be by her side. ”

Gunner nodded, his eyes laser focused on Nash. “I’m happy for you, man. We’re all… we’re all happy for you.”

Gunner turned to the monitors and silence fell in the control room, except for the infrequent call out of simulator command codes that needed to be manually started in the training scenario they were running.

His mind wandered to what Lacy was getting up to with the girls. If she was having fun shopping with them. God, he hoped so.

And just when he was about to lose his fucking mind and check in with her, a message from Lacy finally popped up on his phone.

Wifey:

Apologies in advance.

Are you okay? Did you get stuff for Embrie’s room? Don’t hold back, Lace. I want her to love it.

Wifey:

Yes. We picked out some really cute things, and I only looked at the price tag half of the time.

Naughty girl. I’m going to have to punish you for that. I made Lily promise that she wouldn’t let you look at any.

Wifey:

Sounds like you need to punish Lily.

There’s only one woman I want to put over my knee, and I think we both know she’s the one I’m engaged to.

Wifey:

Nash, doesn’t your bride-to-be look incredible? Tell her she should buy this, because she won’t listen to us. -Lily

*PICTURE OF LACY IN DRESSING ROOM*

Nash coughed, his coffee sloshing over the side of the mug as he slammed it down on the desk.

“Whoa! You okay?” Gunner looked up from the simulator binder. “There’s only ten minutes left in this scenario, don’t die yet.”

“Funny.”

“Why are you all red?”

“Lily’s my new favorite person, after Lace and Embrie, of course.”

“What? Why? Did she text you something? Let me see!” Gunner reached for his phone.

“Absolutely not.”

“If my wife is texting you?—”

“She sent me a revealing pic of Lacy. I’m not showing it to you, so sit the fuck back down. Apparently the girls are shopping for unmentionables. ”

“Okay, Gramps.” Gunner smiled as he picked up his phone. The dopey look on his face told Nash everything he needed to know.

“Why don’t you show me what you got over there?” he teased.

“I would, but you’d be dead two seconds later.”

Nash finally turned his phone back over to face him, making sure he spun his chair so Gunner wouldn’t accidentally see what he was looking at because, holy fuck, it was definitely meant for his eyes only.

Wifey:

You okay there, sailor? I told Lily it was a bad idea to send it. I know you’re at work. We can just forget it…

Well, I almost just choked to death on my coffee. But holy fuck, Lace. Buy that outfit and every other one in the store just like it. I mean it. There better be twenty of them in our closet when I get home tonight. And after we get Embrie to bed, you’re going to model them for me.

“I’m just saying, that was a very distracting thing to send to me in the middle of the workday.

” Nash laughed as Lacy’s cheeks turned the most delicious shade of red.

They were all gathered around a table at Dolly’s.

Well, two tables pushed together, because they had rather quickly grown out of using just one.

“And honestly, extra cruel for the rest of us, who had to watch him check his phone seven thousand more times before the end of the day. I mean, I’m happy for you guys, but it’s just mean to rub that in our faces, especially when some of us don’t have spicy wifey photo privileges with someone.

Am I right?” Hawk elbowed Stone in the side.

“Speak for yourself, big guy.”

Every eye in the room flew toward Stone, who clearly realized a little too late what he’d said.

“Wait. What? Who the fuck are you seeing? How did I miss this?”

Stone’s face went white as snow and Mae started coughing, Lily pounding on her back while the rest of the friend group clearly didn’t know where to look or what to say.

“Lily.” Mae laughed. “You can’t whisper things like that to me.”

Lily looked like a deer caught in headlights, but she played right along with Mae.

“Sorry. Hey, did you guys know Sage started saying ‘hockey’ the other day?”

Smooth transition, Lily. Nash laughed to himself as Lacy’s hand settled on his leg.

“These family dinners are wild,” she leaned over to whisper.

“And only bound to get even more crazy every time someone new joins the group.”

“It’s fun though. I’ve never really had… this. I always wanted Embrie to grow up with lots of family around.”

“And now she will.”

Lacy nodded. “And now she will.”

It was his turn to lean over. “So,” he whispered. “How many of those little outfits did you end up buying?”

“You’ll just have to get me home to find out.”

Nash stood up so fast his chair legs scratched across the linoleum loudly. “Well, this dinner was great, but I think we’re done here. Lace, Pepper Jack, let’s go.”

“I wanted a slice of pie!” Embrie whined.

“Jessie! We need a slice of pie, to go.”

Nash pulled his shirt over his head just as a sharp inhale hit his ears.

“Lacy?” She was sitting with her back so straight he wasn’t sure if she was breathing. “Hey. You feeling okay?”

Her wide eyes dropped from his face down to his chest. The heat of her gaze blazed over each and every line in his ornate tattoos, traveling up and down his torso until her eyes landed right between his hips. When she pulled her bottom lip into her mouth and groaned, Nash laughed.

“Like what you see, baby?”

“My side is just starting to feel better. Is that why you decided to kill me with all”—she wagged her finger out in front of her body—“that.”

“Why would me taking my shirt off kill you?”

“Have you seen your body ? I can’t… I’m never getting dressed around you again.”

“That’s fine. I prefer my wife naked, anyway.”

Her eyes narrowed. “I’m not your wife yet.”

“Mm, yet.”

“Besides, that’s not what I meant, and you know it.” She might have sounded shy, but he saw the way her eyes sparkled.

“Lacy,” he growled, his feet padding over to the bed.

She brought her legs up onto the mattress, sitting with them crossed in front of her.

“We’re engaged now. My literal dream woman, the one I’ve had a raging crush on since I walked into her flower shop all those months ago, is marrying me.

If you think for one second I’m not attracted to every inch of you…

damn. I’m going to have fun showing you just how much every curve on your body drives me wild. ”

He picked up her hand and placed it over his heart. From the way her eyes went wide, and her breath hitched, he knew she felt it. The racing, erratic beat that always seemed to pick up whenever he was near her.

“Just getting to hold your hand. Just thinking about kissing you again… Fuck, Lace, I want you so bad. But we’re not doing anything until you’re one hundred percent better. I can’t risk it.”

“Do I need to see Jake and ask him to write me a permission slip?”

“No,” Nash grumbled. “But as much as I want to do very naughty things to you in one of those outfits you brought home with you tonight, I’m going to be a very good boy and resist the temptation.”

“Nash…” she whimpered. “You promised.”

“It’s killing me too, Lace. But I swear… the second I know you’re healed…”

She crossed her arms and stuck her bottom lip out. “Promises, promises.”

“Oh, baby. I know this is one promise you’re going to be so happy I keep.”