Protecting What's Mine(122)

“This isn’t the police department, Sheriff Numb Nuts,” Linc pointed out. The cruiser rolled up in front of the fire station. Ty gave the sirens a chirp, and the middle garage door rolled up.

“Oh. My. God,” Mack said, sitting up straighter.

“Looks like you’re getting a Thanksgiving after all,” Linc observed.

“I swear to God, if someone so much as pops a bottle of champagne, I am out,” she whispered to him as they slid out of the back seat.

They were all there. Dottie, Win, and Violet. Linc’s sisters and their families. The firefighters and EMS crews and their families. Harper and Luke. Gloria and Aldo. Sophie and all of the kids. So many kids. Mrs. Moretta and her football boyfriend were chatting it up with Gloria’s mother and Claire and Charlie Garrison. Russell and Denise were there with Skyler. Freida and her husband. Tuesday and her boyfriend. Joni was there, too, with half of the Ladies’ Night ladies.

Sunshine, looking spiffy in a turkey and pumpkin neckerchief, sprinted over to them. Someone had given her a bath.

“Hey, sweet girl! You were so brave,” Mack said, burying her face in the dog’s fur.

The station smelled like home cooking and happiness.

Someone had wheeled a big screen into the garage, and a football game was on.

“Imagine that. We finally used that extension cord,” Linc said.

Tables were set up and covered with tarps. Stacks of paper plates and cups and utensils sat ready to be put into service.

The Nguyens practically tackled her and didn’t back off until Mack winced when a hug got too tight. She was passed around, more carefully, until someone yelled, “Time to eat!”

Ellen and her father-in-law wheeled in a rolling mechanic’s rack with trays of turkey meat, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and all the sides. The gravy boat was a repurposed oil drip pan. “Who’s ready for a little Thanksgiving?”

“This is amazing. I don’t know what to say,” Mack said, finding Linc’s hand and holding on tight.

He brought her knuckles to his lips and kissed them lightly. “We’re going to have to invite all these people to the wedding.”

“We’re going to need a bigger barn,” she predicted.

“Linc, Mom and Dad are FaceTiming,” Christa said, holding up her phone.

“Go,” Mack said, nudging him toward his family.

“Yoo-hoo, Dr. Mack!” Freida wiggled her fingers in Mack’s face and giggled.

“We got you a little something. Since you’re sticking around,” Russell said with a wink. He looked dapper as always in a charcoal button-down. But his tie had cartoon turkeys on it. He gestured toward the tarp-covered mound behind him.

With a flourish, Tuesday yanked the tarp away to reveal a new desk chair in sleek white leather.

“You guys,” Mack said, pressing her fingers to her mouth.

“Glad you decided to stay. We’re going to do good work here,” Russell predicted.

“Yes, we are.”

She sat in her new chair and ate a full Thanksgiving meal, slipping Sunshine bits of turkey under the table. She caught up on all the news with the Nguyens and made plans for a visit in the spring.

Linc’s hand stayed on her knee under the table.

“This is the best Thanksgiving ever.”

“You got shot, and your house burned down,” he reminded her.

“Well, you’ve met my sister. The bar wasn’t set very high.”

“Dreamy, I promise you, there are more good times ahead. More love. More laughs. More of all of this. And way fewer fires and GSWs.”

She believed him. She trusted him to deliver on that promise.

“You showed up for me when I needed you. I’ll never take that for granted.”

“And I’ll always be there for you, Dreamy.”





Epilogue





It was one of those crisp, cold nights that made sure everyone knew it was winter. The Christmas lights seemed to sparkle extra bright in the cold, reflecting off the two inches of snow Benevolence had gotten earlier that day. Not enough to snarl traffic or ruin holiday travel plans. But just enough for a real, white Christmas.

“Okay, people. It’s on to the next house,” Mack said through the bullhorn she’d borrowed from Linc. The Christmas Light Walking Tour was the first official event of the Benevolence Wellness Club.

She hadn’t been sure what kind of a turnout to expect and had been overjoyed when seventy-five people, bundled up in winter gear, showed up at the fire station.

“This is pretty great, Dreamy,” Linc said, holding her hand as they led the way down the sidewalk toward the glowing spectacle on the next block.

Everything had been pretty great since Thanksgiving.

Bruises healed. Bullet wounds, too. Though maybe a bit more slowly. Mack sat behind her desk in her office on her new desk chair. And every evening, she met Linc at home. Moving in together had been a necessity, but one they both adapted to quickly. Sunshine—who was currently chewing on her reindeer antlers—was happy to finally come from a two-parent household.

Wellness Club members started to ooh and aah the closer they got to the Garrisons.

“Damn,” Mack said. “You did good, Hotshot. It was nice of you to help Luke.”

Linc grinned. “Yeah. I did it to learn all his secrets. Next year, I’m gonna kick his ass in decorating. He won’t know what hit him.”