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R hae tilted her face toward the office window, soaking in the sunlight streaming in. The glow from dinner still clung to her too, just as warm.

She sat at her desk, a file open before her. A pen rested between her fingers, paused for too long as she let distractions intrude on updating patient notes.

Her mind kept drifting back to the previous evening, how she’d been sitting on the edge of her bed, shaking, her bags packed. Ready to run.

And how Denver had stopped her with nothing more than his unwavering certainty that he—and the rest of the team—would keep her safe.

Now the fear she’d carried like a deadweight for so long had eased. It wasn’t gone entirely, but Denver made it more manageable by dulling it with his mere presence.

Navy giggled on the floor nearby, smacking squishy blocks around. A smile tugged at Rhae’s lips in reaction. One thing about babies was they were trusting and without any burdens.

Her mind drifted again. The dinner had been more than she ever expected. She’d only driven through the nearby town of Willowbrook on her way to the Black Heart Ranch. She’d been so focused on arriving that she didn’t take the time to really see her surroundings.

This time, Denver pointed out the few small sights. She was surprised to learn that he didn’t grow up in the area—the Malones grew up in Texas. The Wyoming ranch had been their summer home until their father died.

She laughed when he told her the story of how his sister Willow believed the town was named after her when she was little, and showed her the jewelry shop perched on the quaintest corner in town that Honor owned and ran when she wasn’t busy helping the ranch veterans with art therapy.

Then Denver surprised her by bypassing the restaurant parking lot and ushering her through the kitchen entrance. He told her they were dining at the chef’s table, like it was no big deal.

“Oaks told me about it,” he told her, staring into her eyes. “He said it was worth every damn second.”

He wasn’t wrong.

They were seated at a small table right in the kitchen, with the chef moving around the space like a maestro.

The food was art, the conversation easy, the wine flowing.

The quiet intimacy of the atmosphere continued to cling to her.

She could almost feel Denver’s fingers interlocked with hers like they’d never been apart.

The flicker of the candlelight in his eyes, the way his voice dipped low when he told her, This is just the beginning of your birthday , had settled something deep inside her.

She didn’t remember the last time she’d felt safe enough to enjoy something so simple.

A knock interrupted the memory.

“Come in,” she called.

Navy stopped playing to look up at the door, her hands waving in excitement. And no wonder—every time the door opened, she had a new playmate.

Willow pushed open the door with a gentle smile, a young man trailing behind her.

Rhae stood to greet them. “Hello.”

“Rhae Rivers, meet Justin.”

They shared a nod, and she smiled but didn’t expect one in return from him. She dealt with enough vets that she understood their need to ease in, to warm up in their own time.

“I’m showing Justin around,” Willow said. Her gaze lit on the baby, who crawled to her aunt with lightning speed. “Hi, Navy! How’s my favorite baby?”

Willow squealed in answer.

“Is it me or is she crawling faster than ever?”

Rhae bobbed her head. “Oh, she’s faster. Believe me. I’m going to need to invest in a good pair of running shoes very soon.”

They shared a smile.

Rhae looked to the young man. “Navy is my daughter. She’s in the office a lot.”

He was broad-shouldered, twitchy in a way like he was trying to act casual. “You’re the one I’m supposed to talk to, right?”

“I’m the therapist, yes. Or one of them. Bella is one of the other therapists on the ranch. Her office is right down the hall.”

“One of the guys said you’re good. How do I get on your schedule?” he asked without preamble.

She offered a gentle nod. “We don’t really do appointments here. It’s an open-door policy, meaning my door is always open. If someone is already in here, then the guys come back later on. It makes for a less rigid experience.”

Justin nodded, satisfied. “Cool. I’ll be back.”

He turned for the door. Willow tossed a shrug at Rhae and followed him out.

Rhae frowned at the abruptness of the interaction but chalked it up to Justin’s nerves. Most of the new arrivals were coiled tight when they came to the Black Heart.

She stacked up some blocks for Navy, who crawled back over just to knock them down. Chuckling, Rhae returned to her notes, scribbling a few on one of her earlier sessions that morning.

Another knock came at the door, softer this time. She could almost guarantee by that knock who would open the door.

And she was right. Kyle poked his head in, a shy smile on his lips. “Hey, I saw the time. It’s almost Navy’s naptime.”

“Yup.” She waved. “Come in.”

He went straight to pick up the baby, who was already crawling toward him. “Hey, peanut. How are you today?” he asked her with a gentle smile on his face. He immediately moved to the sofa and Rhae went to fetch her bottle.

While he fed her, he patted Navy’s back. Rhae’s heart always melted whenever she watched one of the big tough guys fall over the nine-month-old.

Pat, pat, pat. His hand thumped in a light rhythm. “She always falls asleep when I pat her.”

“That’s because you’re so good at it.”

As usual, Kyle began to talk in a low voice, telling Navy about his day…and more. The telling of a battle and a friend lost brought tears to Rhae’s eyes. She ducked her head so he couldn’t see, busy taking notes.

The baby slumped in his hold, her lips slowing around the bottle nipple.

The door creaked open, and a low voice rippled through the space. “I didn’t know you had someone scheduled. It wasn’t on your calendar.” Denver stood there, his stare locked on Kyle and Navy.

Rhae looked up, brows raising. He checked her calendar for times to pop in and see her?

“I didn’t. Kyle’s helping with naptime. We don’t really do appointments here. Sometimes the guys stop by to chat. Or hold the baby.”

Kyle looked down at the sleeping Navy, and he smiled. “Therapy baby.”

Denver pushed off the doorframe, his expression snapping closed like a vise. “Okay. I’ll see you at dinner.” Without another word, he left.

Silence trailed in his wake.

Navy started sucking again, and Kyle returned to talking about his past. Calm and comfortable.

Rhae stared at the door, a distant portion of her mind on Denver’s reaction.

Kyle shifted, settling Navy more deeply into his chest. “Is he the one?”

Rhae blinked at his sudden question. “What?”

He grinned. “You’ve got that look. Like the world’s a little less heavy today.”

She didn’t answer. The warmth in her chest said enough.

Kyle’s voice softened. “I used to have someone like that.”

Rhae remained quiet, letting him talk.

“She didn’t wait. When I deployed, she thought I wouldn’t come back. I did, but I wasn’t the same. I wasn’t mad at her. Just…sad, I guess.”

“I’m sorry,” Rhae said gently.

He shrugged. “That’s life, right? But Navy…” He looked down at the sleeping baby, brushing a finger along her cheek. “She helps.”

Rhae smiled, touched in places she hadn’t realized were still raw.

He stayed a while longer, then gently passed Navy back to Rhae and slipped out, leaving her with a quiet office and a full heart.

She looked down at her daughter, sleeping so peacefully in her arms, and whispered, “You’ve got a whole army behind you, baby girl.”

Then she glanced at the clock. Dinner was in an hour, and she had things to say to Denver.

* * * * *

Denver leaned back in the desk chair in the Black Heart Security office, glaring at digital tracking maps on the monitor. Stress ground in his shoulders like overworn gears.

Ravencroft had fucking reversed the changes Denver made to the trust, switching the name of the trustee back to his own.

He pushed away from the desk and strode to the door, prepared to go find Carson, when his brother appeared in the doorway.

“Just the guy I was looking for.” He cut his fingers through his hair.

Carson eyed him. “What’s the matter?”

“Close the door.”

His brother did as he instructed, and Denver turned the computer monitor for Carson to see. “Take a look at this shit.”

Carson came to lean over the desk, peering at the screen for only a beat before he straightened. “Ravencroft switched the name on the trust back?”

“Yeah. It’s a standoff. First the flowers, now this.”

“He’s escalating.”

They shared a look. Both of them knew what that meant in their world of threats and counterstrikes.

“He’s trying to push her. To get into her head. He knows she’s scared of him, and he’s using it to back her into a corner.”

Carson’s expression darkened by the minute. “I feel awful that she didn’t come to us when she first came to the ranch. We would have put a stop to it.”

“I appreciate you saying that. It means a lot to me.” Denver wiped a hand down his face, trying to regroup. “I hate to tell her this after we had the best damn night on her birthday.”

Carson moved to sit in the chair across the desk, leaving the big leather chair to Denver, a move that wasn’t lost on Denver. Not that he thought Carson was placing him in charge, but on this case involving Rhae, he took point.

“Prairie Ember is always the best place to take the ladies. Guarantees you’re getting some action afterward.”

His bold statement made Denver laugh, and some of the tension eased between them.

“The chef’s table was the best decision. The place was unreal, the chef and waitstaff doted on us. The wine pairings were superb.”

“Since when do you drink wine?”

He shrugged. “Rhae likes it. I’m still a bourbon man.” He issued a slow trickle of a sigh. “It’s the first time we just got to… breathe together.”

Carson nodded. “Sounds like it was high time.”

“It was. I’ve got a dozen other things planned too. Not just for Rhae, but for all three of us.” Navy’s adorable face loomed in his mind’s eye. Seeing her in another man’s arms in Rhae’s office sat wrong with him, but now wasn’t the time to address the matter.

“What kind of things do you have planned?”

Denver cocked a brow at his brother. “You looking for some pointers for date nights with Layne?”

Carson scrubbed a knuckle over his upper lip. “Maybe.”

“Picnics. Trips to the river. Dumb family photos with hay bales in flannel shirts.”

“You’ve gotten full-on soft, brother.”

“I don’t feel like I can do those things until Ravencroft is brought to justice.”

Carson’s smile faded. “We’ll double down on the guard surrounding Rhae and Navy.”

Denver’s gut blazed like flash in the pan. “Ravencroft isn’t a threat to Navy. He urged Rhae to end the pregnancy.”

“Jesus.” Carson’s hands curled into fists.

“He showed up at her OB appointment and tried to convince her to start a family with him instead.” His jaw clenched so hard his teeth hurt. “But I still want a heavy watch on Navy. We can’t let anything happen to…my daughter .”

They paused a beat at the spoken words.

Denver ground his molars again. “If Ravencroft comes within a hundred miles of me, I’ll fucking kill him just for proposing an abortion. Then I’ll bring him back and torture him for scaring Rhae.”

“I don’t blame you.” Carson looked about to kill for him. “Layne went through some shit too. Things I had to put an end to.”

“Obsessed men are no fucking joke.”

“You can say that again.” Carson sat back in his chair. Slowly, the heavy moment passed. Then he cleared his throat. “Enough fire and brimstone. Let’s talk wedding. You got your tux?”

“Hanging in my closet.” Denver smirked. “I’m ready when you are, boss.”

Carson gave him a mock scowl. “You own a tuxedo?”

He shrugged. “I grew up in Texas, not the wilderness of Wyoming. I know how to dress up.”

“Speaking of the wedding,” Denver added, “Layne’s okay with us brothers planning something pre-wedding, right? We were thinking bonfire night. Just family. Rhae and I will bring Navy, keep it mellow. S’mores, drinks, maybe cornhole.”

“Do not bring a cornhole set to my pre-wedding party,” Carson deadpanned.

“Too late. Already bought the boards.” Denver stood with a grin.

They shared a chuckle as they left the office. But Denver’s humor faded fast as he checked his watch. Time to pick up the girls.

His girls.

He crossed the gravel lot, boots crunching as he made his way toward the big rustic-looking lodge that housed the therapy program. A cool, fall wind raised dust. Soon snowflakes would be dancing in the air and they could bundle Navy up and take her out to play in the snow.

He was still thinking about Rhae’s trust fund, about Robert, and all the ways this could spiral. Then he started thinking about Kyle holding his daughter, feeding her a bottle, putting her to sleep.

Things Denver had never done.

It bothered the hell out of him, but he was still trying to figure out how to express that to Rhae when he reached her quarters.

He knocked on the door, and she was ready for him, baby in arms. His heart squeezed at the sight of their faces. Having Rhae in his life was so damn unexpected that it ripped the breath out of his lungs.

But having a child? There weren’t words.

He leaned in to brush his lips over Rhae’s and then held out his arms for the baby. She passed Navy into his care, and the three of them walked over to the house again.

When they reached the kitchen, he spotted the high chair set up at the corner of the long table, and his heart melted even more at the sight.

Dinner with his whole family was loud and chaotic, exactly what Denver hadn’t realized his soul needed. They gathered around a long wooden table set with platters of grilled chicken, roasted vegetables and cornbread, passing the food from hand to hand.

Navy sat in her high chair, banging her plastic spoon like a warrior queen, grinning each time someone gave her attention. Rhae laughed beside him, her smile warmer than he’d ever seen it.

She needs this too. A family.

“You gotta try this peach cobbler.” Layne slid a dish toward him.

Denver accepted it. “Looks dangerous.”

“Dangerously good.” Rhae brought a bite to her lips.

He caught her eye. Under the table, her fingers brushed his. The touch and the look in her eyes were a subtle thank-you he felt down to his bones.

At the head of the table, Carson raised a bottle of beer toward him. “Good to have you back from the dead, man.”

“Good to be here.” Denver lifted his bottle too.

For the first time in a long time, he had something to fight for that wasn’t just about honor or duty. It was about a woman who’d carried herself through hell. About a baby who giggled in her high chair like nothing bad could touch them here.

He was going to make damn sure that was true.

Robert Ravencroft had no idea the kind of war he’d just walked into.