Page 3 of Embattled Ever After
Alex looked up at the big man and it took every bit of her professional experience not to flinch at the man’s massive facial scarring. Damn. This guy had been through a lot in his lifetime. “Thank you very much, Zeke. And thank you for having the party. Not sure how it will go over but we’ll see, huh?”
He nodded and turned as the swinging door to the kitchen opened at the far end of the bar. A dark-haired woman walked out carrying a tray of snacks and set them on a table in the middle of the room. She smiled when she saw the group and walked over to tuck herself beneath the giant’s arm. “And this is Ember. She and h-h-her dad own the F-f-frog Dog.”
Ember skipped the handshake altogether and leaned in for a quick hug. “Welcome, welcome. Can I get you something to eat or drink after your trip?”
Alex shook her head, but she found herself with a bottle of water in her hand and a plate of appetizers at her elbow as they settled her to a table. The women all gathered around as the men returned to doing whatever they’d been doing before she arrived. Flynn rolled her suitcase down the hallway to the left.
“Flynn,” Shannon called. “When will Willow be here?”
“Any time,” he called back. “I’ll send her a text. She might have had an emergency come in late.”
The women very subtly peppered Alex with questions about her background. The military brat status gained her huge points and she told them about the extensive traveling she’d done in her childhood.
Another dark-haired woman entered the bar, stomping her boots free of snow. She pulled the toboggan off her head and shrugged out of her big winter coat. Before she could even say hello, though, Flynn had materialized out of nowhere and dragged her into his arms for a welcome kiss. Willow sagged into him, obviously very happy to be there. One of Flynn’s hands drifted down to her rounded belly and Alex realized the woman was about halfway through a pregnancy, if not more.
The women at the table looked at the couple, smiling. Shannon leaned over conspiratorially. “Flynn was pretty stubborn but we knew he had someone in his life. He didn’t tell us about her for a while.”
Alex smiled, loving that all of these people seemed supportive of one another. The dog, Maya, wandered around the bar accepting attention. The Christmas lights glittered gaily and the atmosphere was warm and welcoming. She could feel her tension easing as they drifted through the conversation.
They talked about everything under the sun for an hour and a half before somebody hissed that Duncan was on his way. Alex’s stomach bottomed out and she didn’t know if she wanted to run or throw up. Maybe both. Chad crooked his finger at her and guided her back to the office. “I hope you don’t mind waiting just a bit. We want to get the Santa bit over and all that. There are some big presents being exchanged tonight, and you’re one of them.”
Alex lifted a brow and eyed the puppy in the crate in the corner. The dog snored lightly. “Okay…”
Settling into the office chair behind the desk she pulled her phone from her purse and started checking email, trying to find something mundane to do to ease her nerves. She hadn’t been this shaky since she’d gone in for her medical boards to complete her residency.
The tension and the travel of the day settled onto her shoulders and her eyelids began to droop. She didn’t know when she fell asleep, only that it seemed like seconds later and Chad was gently shaking her awake. “I’m taking Shannon’s big present out now, then it’ll be your turn. Are you okay?”
Alex nodded, reaching for her purse. “Yup. Give me a minute to spruce up and I’ll be ready to go.”
“No rush. You’ve got a few minutes. If you want to step outside the office door, you should still be hidden from where Duncan is sitting, but you’ll be able to see Shannon get her present. It’s going to be something. Zeke just proposed to Ember.”
Alex gasped. “Really? Oh, that’s wonderful! I wish I had seen that.”
And she did wish she had seen it. Though significant relationships in her own life were few and far between, she definitely believed in love.
Chad put the sleepy puppy in a box, then inside another big silver box with a red bow. Then he pushed it out of the office and down the hallway.
Alex swiped on some lipstick and fluffed her hair, then carefully stepped out into the hallway. It was tempting to take a few steps just to see where Duncan sat, but she curbed the urge. She would see him soon enough.
The entire group stood around watching Shannon. She was just taking the top off the silver box, frowning. Then she took the lid off the second box and the puppy tumbled out. Alex was too far away to hear the words but Shannon looked stunned, then pissed, even as she cuddled the dog to her chest. Then John murmured something and Shannon ducked her head to look at the dog’s collar. Alex wasn’t sure what she found there until Shannon set the puppy down and lifted the ring between her fingers. John took the ring and slipped it on the appropriate finger, then they collapsed into an embrace. The puppy tumbled away to get attention somewhere else.
Alex’s heart was beating hard with shared joy. It was obvious that the two of them were very much in love.
***
Duncan watched the interplaybetween John and Shannon. Most of the group watched the kids play with the puppy, but the interaction between his second-in-command and his new fiancée was much more interesting. There had been a lot of tension in that little corner of the room and he was tickled he got to see the shocked look on John’s face before he buried it in Shannon’s neck. Palmer didn’t show emotion like that very often. Duncan smiled to himself. He had an idea what they were talking about.
Now to wait for the confirmation.
For the first time in a long time he thought about Melanie. A few years ago he’d checked up on her. She’d married the guy she’d cheated on him with and they lived back in Ohio somewhere. It had been almost eight years ago now that he’d come back after being blown up, hurting, afraid he’d never walk again, only to have her abandon him in the hospital.
Damn. Nine years was a long time to be alone.
Duncan jerked when little Drew slammed into him, laughing. When he looked up, most of the group had crowded around him. He grinned, embarrassed to be caught woolgathering. He adjusted his glasses on his nose. “What?”
Chad stepped forward to speak for the group, his arm looped around Lora’s narrow shoulders. “Well, we wanted to get you something special for Christmas, but you kind of have everything you need. Except one thing.”
The crowd parted to reveal the hallway across the room. There, with the shine of the multi-colored Christmas lights glinting off her dark auburn hair, stood Dr. Alex Hartfield. Square, narrow black glasses framed laughing eyes and her lips were pursed in a mischievous smile as she watched his reaction. Unable to help himself, Duncan glanced down her frame. A gray sweater hugged her chest and rested lightly on her tight, jean-clad hips. When he looked up a spark had entered her vibrant green eyes, her lips had spread into a broad smile and she started to walk toward him.