The row of picnic tables was piled high with burgers and dogs, beer and soda, chips and salads. It was his parents’ annual Labor Day party, and Noah was right in the middle of it.

Better yet, he had his girl at his side and his new friends from WFC and his art class all around him—Mo, Mack, Jarvis, Riddick, and about a half dozen others from the club.

Well, they didn’t feel new anymore, not when they’d collectively been responsible for saving Noah’s life. With some people, it was like that. You might not have known them long, but their impact was immediate, fundamental, and lasting.

Sitting on his good side, Kristina leaned in with a smile. “How you doing?”

He nuzzled her cheek, finding the solace in her company that he always did. Always had, even before he realized everything she meant to him. “Never better. At least, not in a long damn time.”

“Yeah?” she whispered, heat slipping into her eyes. “Well maybe I could make you feel just a little better?”

“Mmm, tell me more,” he said with a chuckle. For a moment, he got lost in their sweet words and stolen touches until the madness around them all but faded away.

Something hit him in the head. “What the hell?” Noah said, startling as a hot dog bun rolled into his lap. The whole table erupted into laughter.

Mo sat there grinning like an idiot. “You weren’t hearing me, son. Had to get your attention somehow.”

Laughing, Noah gestured to his left side. “Deaf over here, remember?”

With a smirk, Mo shook his head. “You have two damn ears, remember? The real problem is that other organs are stealing all the blood meant for your brain.” He winked at Kristina, who started chuckling, especially as the peanut gallery’s commentary flew around the table. Damn lovable assholes.

“You too, baby? You’re supposed to be on my side.” He leaned toward her as she laughed, his mouth zeroing in on her neck. He knew attacking that spot on her had the power to make her very agreeable to his desires. A discovery he loved using to his advantage. Again and again.

Really, though, Noah didn’t mind their friends’ teasing. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed the camaraderie of the military until he hadn’t had it anymore. Warrior Fight Club had given that back to him, along with so much else.

Kristina chuckled and squirmed. “Of course, I’m on your side. But that doesn’t make the look on your face when that roll hit you any less funny.”

“See, I knew I liked this girl,” Mo said.

Noah scowled at the big guy. “You know I’m gonna take your ass down next time we’re in the cage.”

Mo looked totally unconcerned. “You can always try. Anyway, your dad was calling you.”

Noah had just started to search for his father in the crowd when a hand settled on his shoulder. He looked up to find his father staring down at him. “Your friend Billy just arrived. He had to take a call, though, so he’s using my office. Seemed like…I don’t know, maybe he was a little upset.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Noah said, already rising. He gave Kristina’s hand a squeeze. “Be right back. I’m gonna go check on him.” He and Billy hadn’t spent a lot of time together outside of Full Contact, in part because Billy’s private investigation work meant he often kept odd hours, but they were frequent sparring partners because they were pretty evenly matched in skill and speed.

Elias nodded, his gaze full of pride and contentment as he took in the big, rowdy group of Noah’s friends. It was the first time since he’d come home from war that Noah had brought people around. “Can I bring anyone anything else?” his dad asked.

As he rounded the table, Noah couldn’t help but think how different his parents’ Labor Day party was for him. Almost four months ago, he’d stood at the edge of their Memorial Day cookout. More observer than participant. More ghost than real.

No more. Now he had friends, a community, a closer relationship with his family than ever before. He had a new job starting in a few weeks working for the Transportation Security Administration as a bomb appraisal officer at Reagan National Airport. He had his health, which was getting better everyday.

And he had his girl. His Kristina. And some plans for her of the forever kind.

“Coming with you,” Mo said, joining Noah as he made his way into the house. “Something’s been bothering Parrish lately.”

They found Billy sitting on the couch in Elias’s study, his head in his hands. Noah and Mo exchanged a glance, and Noah closed the door behind them.

“Hey, man. Everything okay?” Noah asked.

Billy gave a shake of his head, then met their gazes for just a moment before he looked away. The man’s eyes were glassy, and dread settled into Noah’s gut. “Got some bad news.”

Noah sat beside him, while Mo settled into the desk chair off to the side. “What’s going on?” Mo asked in that deep, soft voice he had.

“Buddy of mine got hurt in an op two weeks ago. Didn’t look good.” Billy shook his head, his gaze trained out the window. “Just found out he didn’t make it.”

“Aw, hell, B,” Mo said. A rock slid into Noah’s gut. There wasn’t a day that went by that he didn’t think of the friends he’d lost.

Johnson. Kendrick. Martinez. Fender. Smythe. Khan. Stein…

And Noah knew how each and every loss took a little piece of you with it. They all did.

“I’m sorry to hear it, Billy. Someone you served with?” Noah asked.

Billy nodded. “Yeah. Came up through West Point together. A real smart-ass motherfucker.” The chuckle he gave was full of memories and pain. “Do anything for anyone though, you know? Fuck.”

Mo crossed the room to the other man and clasped him on the shoulder. “Come on. Won’t do you no good being alone right now. Get some eats or at least a drink. Plus, Kristina’s friend Kate is here and she’s a cutie.”

Making a visible effort to square himself away, Billy rose. “Yeah, well, I’m not sure how many cuties are in my immediate future, since on that call my asshole of a best friend also asked me to take in his baby sister for a few weeks ‘til she finds a place of her own. And it’s not like I can say no to one of my brothers, you know?”

“Dude, you definitely need a drink, then,” Mo said.

“Maybe she’ll be a cutie, too,” Noah said, trying to help the guy out.

“Bite your tongue, Cortez. That girl has got to be, like, a hundred years younger than me and ten kinds of off limits,” Billy said, humor starting to return to his voice. They laughed.

“Then Mo’s right. Alcohol, stat,” Noah said.

They headed out and rejoined the others. Food and beer and conversation flowed for hours, until the hanging lanterns came on and the sun set over the big back yard.

Boom. Poppoppop. Boom!

Noah flinched, caught off guard even though he’d known there would be fireworks tonight.

His heart beat triple-time as Kristina squeezed his hand. “Sure you want to stay?” she asked.

He heaved a breath and swallowed down the knee-jerk anxiety that tried to climb up his throat. Noise-canceling headphones had gotten him through the Fourth of July, but tonight, he’d wanted to try. He’d gained a shit-ton of insight into the way his mind worked now, and he’d come a million miles over the past few months. But he was still on the journey, and maybe always would be.

So instead of leaving, he focused on his breathing, on keeping himself grounded in the real world, on remaining in the here and now. With all these people who cared about him, and about whom he cared in return. “I think I’ve got this.”

“I know you do,” Kristina said, kissing him.

Everyone shifted in their seats to get good views of the bursts of color lighting up the September night.

Noah settled between Kristina’s legs and rested his back against her front. She wrapped her arms around him, her firm embrace helping to hold him together when he couldn’t quite manage it himself.

And that was the moment he knew the truth down into his very soul. “I want to stay right here,” he said, peering up at her. “In your arms. Because this is right where I’m supposed to be.”