The Long Way Home (Corps Security #6)(29)

“You always give me that much to digest, kid?”

“What is digest?”

We laugh, and she squints at me.

“I’ll be there early today,” Drew starts with a gruff grumble, drawing her attention back to him. She doesn’t speak again, content with the fact she got what she wanted, and that’s that. I, however, hear what he isn’t saying. Something is on his mind, and it’s clear as day.

The walk to her school is silent after that. Not uncomfortable, just the three of us being comfortable enough to afford that silence. The world keeps moving, traffic and sounds of people enjoying the weather whips around us with the gentle breeze.

“I see my school,” Riley says, interrupting the silence. “My giant, did you know I didn’t like my school at first? I like it now. Even though I want to be at work with Livi and Ella more. It’s not more fun at school than work, but at least I get to do both.”

“Gotta have balance, bean,” he says.

“What’s balance?”

He lifts her off his shoulders when we reach the edge of her school’s property, just before the gate. When her legs clear his head, he gives a little push from his hold, and she’s spinning in the air before he catches her—this time, facing him. He holds her out and away from his body and keeps her face level. She smiles, wonky and toothy full of love for him. He takes it in with a deep breath. The two of them just look at each other, and her little legs start swinging.

“Balance is knowing how to have what you love while doing what you have to do.”

“Do you?”

“Do I what?”

“Do you get to do what you love, too?” she asks, so much innocence in her question. She doesn’t realize her aunt is close to hyperventilating.

He looks over at me, just a beat, then back at her. “Hadn’t for a real long time, bean. Hadn’t until recently.”

“Do you love what you have to do?”

“Not at all.” This time, his answer is immediate. Not even a sliver of a second seemed to pass.

“Then you should probably stop doing what you have to do and fix your balance.”

He grunts out a laugh, no humor in it at all.

“I’ll have to look into that, little girl.”

“You do that, giant.”

He bends to place her gently on her feet and stands back one step, letting me know silently that he’ll wait for me to walk her in.

“Ready?” I ask her, still looking in his eyes.

“Can my giant walk me up today, Auntie?” she asks, drawing my attention back just when the shock reaches his eyes.

“Of course, sweet girl. If it’s okay with him, of course.”

She leaps up in the air a little and claps her hand and reaches to my side, toward where he’s standing. I hear him clear his throat before his hand enters my line of sight, and I watch his big mitt envelop her small hand. She turns around once on their short walk and blows me a kiss, which I catch before blowing one back for her to catch. She turns around right at the edge of the opening gate, where all the moms stand and let their little ones run the rest of the way. There is never a break to their ranks, and no mom from that group ever goes farther—almost like some sort of forcefield keeps them from walking the rest of the way.

This special treatment could be an issue when there’s no longer any need for him to stick close to Riley and me. Riley will still be just as attached when that overprotective bear inside him can be soothed. It would worry me had I not seen how much he cares for her with my own eyes. It meant a lot to me that he was honest and told me what he could, enough information to settle my nerves. The person he was investigating was in proximity to us. It’s only natural that it’s made his already protective nature more primal. And I would be lying if I said I didn’t like knowing he was close, and so was the safety that being near him gives me.

He’s different than I expected. He might not be the type of man who would ever wear his heart on his sleeves, and honestly, sometimes I have no idea what he’s thinking, but he’s shown me in no time that I don’t need all that to know he would do anything to protect those he cares about.

And there’s no doubt that he cares for Riley and me.

I should be worried that when this threat he’s investigating is gone, we won’t share the same connection we do now. Or that it may not be what I think it is. The old me would have thought that, but now? I don’t know how to explain it other than a feeling I have about him. He’s been hurt, that’s clear as day, but one thing he’s never hidden from me behind that stoic mask he wears is his heart. It used to be that I could hardly see it shining. Whatever haunts him rides him so hard that it can’t shine past the darkness. In the past few weeks, though, I’ve seen it and basked in that glow’s glory. He might be rusty at this whole letting people in thing, but I have no doubt he’s been loved and has loved right back. When he lets me see that side of him, I always see the wonderment that takes over him. Almost like he can’t believe this is real, either.

I shift to see past the hoard of moms, no doubt not watching their children now that Drew’s perfect self has walked into their sight. I have to get on my toes to get a clear view, and when I do, my heart melts at the two of them.

He’s stopped just shy of the doorway and taken a knee directly in front of Riley. She’s got the biggest smile as they move their hands in the space between their bodies. Pinkies linking, fingers dancing a tango together in this new secret handshake they made up a few weeks back. I can’t hear them, but when their lips start moving, I know they’re saying the little chant that goes with it. Riley always goes off on her own solo during that part, giving some more hand slaps before ending with something about a UFO.