It started the way it always did—with an explosion.
Out of nowhere, a chip sailed over his menu and hit him in the face.
“What the shit?” he said, flinching. Jud’s laughter marked him as the culprit. Sean flipped him off even as his ears tuned back into his surroundings, making him realize that someone had been saying his name. A frowning Dani tapped his arm, which was when he saw the waiter standing behind him ready to take his order. “Oh, hell, sorry. The steak fajitas and a Coke, please.”
“What happened to the chimichangas?” Dani asked when he was done ordering.
Shoving away the thoughts that had gotten him all tangled inside his head—again, damnit all to hell—he found himself seriously appreciating the topic change, especially when Dani’s frown made it clear she knew something was up. “It rocks that you understand my ‘Deadpool’ references now.” Those references, her texts all day, her saving a seat for him—as if Dani hadn’t already appealed to him…
She shrugged. “I suppose it is mildly amusing.”
Sean did a double take and then gave her a cut-the-bullshit look. “You take that back right now, woman. You might feel mildly towards me, but I heard you laughing. Maybe you forget that I was there. Ain’t no fucking way you feel mildly about ‘Deadpool’ so go sell that bridge somewhere else.”
The side of her mouth quirked. Just a little. And Sean knew he had her.
“You seem very serious about your appreciation for ‘Deadpool’,” Tara said from across the table.
He arched a single eyebrow. “Have you seen it?” When she shook her head, that began a rowdy conversation that lasted through much of the meal and covered everything from movies to comics to books. But not fighting, not work, not Sean’s fuckin’ injuries. Thank you very much.
That was until Mo said, “So, I’ve got an announcement to make.” When the table quieted down and the big guy had everyone’s attention, he continued. “Billy and I are going into business together.”
Sitting across the table from each other, the two men were both grinning as Mo spilled the beans that Sean had been privy to a few days earlier.
“We’re calling it the Griffin Security Consulting Group. Personal security, security consulting, private investigation, that sorta thing. With a priority on hiring vets.”
Exclamations rose up all around. “No shit,” Noah said, smiling and clapping Billy on the back. He reached across the table and shook hands with Mo. “Congratulations.”
“Wow,” Dani said, sitting between Sean and Mo. She twisted in her seat to give Mo a hug. “I’m so happy for you. I know you’ve been wanting to find a new mission and now you have.”
“Amen to that,” Mo said in his deep voice.
Sean raised his glass. “To Mo and Billy kicking ass and taking names!”
“Here, here!” everyone said, following suit.
Raucous conversation followed until, finally, Jesse rose and said, “Hey everyone, I have an announcement, too.” When the table quieted down, he smiled down at Tara. “Actually, we have an announcement.”
The look Tara gave Jesse nearly sucker punched Sean, because in his entire sorry life, no one had ever looked at him with that kind of utter soul-deep, unconditional love. And had Sean ever seen more peace and contentment on that guy’s face? He’d only known Jesse for about six months, but he didn’t think so.
Jesse urged Tara to stand up next to him. “I asked Tara to marry me, and she said yes.”
Tara held up her hand and showed off her ring. “We’re getting married!”
“Holy shit!” Jud said, standing up next to Jesse to shake his hand. They exchanged a one-armed hug. “Huge fucking congrats.” Next, Jud went around to sweep Tara into his arms. “Happy for you, Tara.”
When Dani rose beside him, Sean blinked out of his thoughts. He followed her and joined just about everyone else who’d gotten up to shake hands and give hugs. Waiting to get up closer to Jesse and Tara, Sean noticed for the first time that Dani was wearing a short black denim skirt and a pair of black Converse, and his hands fucking ached with the desire to touch all that gorgeous exposed skin. Finally, he made it to Tara. “Congratulations, T. You deserve this.”
She beamed up at him. “Thanks, Sean.”
He switched places with Dani and shook hands with Jesse next. “New job. Getting married. Damn, Jesse. You’re killing it, man.”
Jesse laughed as he returned the shake. “Somehow I got really fucking lucky, is all.”
Sean turned to make room for Dani to get to Tara and just caught Dani’s expression—for a split second, she looked utterly wrecked. And then she smiled and hugged Tara tight.
“Wow, I’m so happy for you guys. Now how long have you two been keeping this from us?” Dani teased Tara.
Tara gave a coy grin. “I know. I’m sorry. We were going to share after WFC last week, but then the accident happened.”