“I think you’re going to love it here, Val,” she said and then grabbed her arm. “Come on, we’ve got work to do.”

“Do you need any help?” Beck asked. One look over her shoulder and Val could see the shock on Ridge’s face when his brother asked that question.

“No, thank you. We’ll be fine. We don’t have much, but thanks,” Val said, and then they unlocked the door and Lois and Kenny followed them inside.

* * * *

“So, what do you think?” Helena asked Valentina when they were finished cleaning up and organizing the kitchen. Lois was settling Kenny down for a nap. The kid was exhausted.

“The place is perfect for us. I was worried about not knowing the area, but a few drives around the place and I’m sure I’ll get my bearings.”

Helena gave her shoulder a nudge. “That’s great, but I meant about my cousins,” she said and winked.

Valentina placed her hands on her hips and gave her friend a sideways glance.

“What about them?”

“Oh, come on,” she said and wiped out the inside of a glass before putting it into the top cabinet. They were almost finished setting up the kitchen.

“I saw them eating you up with their eyes. They couldn’t take their eyes off of you, and you were practically drooling,” Helena said to her friend. She started laughing when Valentina’s mouth gaped open then snapped closed. She kept a straight expression. She didn’t deny it, and Helena couldn’t help but be excited. Perhaps her cousins would finally find real interest in a woman and settling down. She thought about Jace. He was really suffering from his anxiety and the effects of the war. He had disappeared this week and no one knew where he was. She hoped that he was okay.

“They’re very attractive men,” Val said and looked at Helena, who wiggled her eyebrows up and down.

“There have been a lot of attractive men around here. In fact, what exactly do you people put in the water around here?”

Helena chuckled.

“Honey, I think they were thinking the same thing about you, Miss New York.”

“Oh, stop that,” she replied.

Helena smiled. Valentina had been in a beauty pageant when she was seventeen and won Miss New York in a statewide competition. She won not only because of her beauty but also because of her personality and her goal to be a police officer one day. She’d achieved her dreams and was outstanding in her profession. Helena worried about her, though. Her friend was still recovering from gunshot injuries after the attack on her, Lois, and Kenny. She hoped she would be able to go back to police work. She would be an asset to any department. Hopefully working in the special victims recovery unit with the Texas Rangers would encourage her to get back out on the streets. Helena wasn’t sure.

“So, this Gunny guy sounds pretty intense. Was he really honest about the specifications for the part-time job or what?” Valentina asked her.

“Gunny is a straight shooter. He tells it the way it is. I’m good friends with his wife. She’s the one that just had the baby. It’s their second.”

“Her and Gunny?”

“Well, and Wes and Garrett, his brothers.”

“God, I need to get used to this whole ménage thing you all have going out here. I thought you were lying to me when you warned me about them.”

“Nope, they exist and you’re living in an area where multiple towns accept it and encourage it. I mentioned when you called me months ago about seeking a safer, more secure, and calmer location to move to—Salvation has its advantages.”

“You did, but from what I’ve seen so far it has the quaint town, the friendly people, and the peace and quiet.”

“You all are safe here. Women are extra protected around Salvation, as well as some of the surrounding towns. It’s something I’ll need to explain to you and to Lois.”

“What do you mean?” Lois asked, joining them.

Helena looked at Lois. She hadn’t seen her in years, but she knew she was an attractive woman and shared similar features with Valentina—like her blue eyes and the blonde hair, but Lois’s hair was a darker blonde. She looked so withdrawn and fragile. Valentina had told Helena some of the details of their attack, but Helena also knew that Valentina had a knack for counseling and helping talk people through things. If anyone could help Lois get through this, it would be Valentina.

“Well, the first thing you should know is that any day now the sheriff will come by to visit you.”

“The sheriff? Why?” Lois asked, taking a seat by the island in the kitchen where they were unwrapping glasses, wiping them, and putting them away in the cherrywood cabinets.

“Well, the old sheriff, Morgan, retired a couple of years back and now Ford Brazos, one of my other cousins, is the new sheriff. He and his brothers live in the house right next door on the other side.”

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