Lily anxiously bit her lower lip as she watched Noah. He’d been sitting there, still and silent as he held the baseball, for the longest time. And she couldn’t help but worry that giving him the box had been a bad idea.

Maybe she should have waited longer. Given it more time. It seemed like they’d made such huge strides, and she thought the time was right. He’d even said that he wouldn’t mind if she wore Brandon’s wedding ring around her neck, and she could tell he was being completely sincere. She felt no desire to keep wearing it now—as much as she still loved Brandon and would always miss him, that time in her life was over, and she was beginning a new chapter.

But the fact that Noah said he wouldn’t mind if she did—that meant the absolute world to her.

They had made huge strides, but still, maybe it was too soon. Maybe the guilt he was setting aside was still too fresh, and the contents of the box were going to dredge up old memories and feelings he might not be able to get past.

He’d come so far from the man overwhelmed with so much guilt—for being the one who lived, and for being a shifter who was able to live through the blast. And for being attracted to her. He’d been eaten up with it, and he’d come so far. She didn’t want to set him back.

She didn’t want to set them back.

Clearing his throat, he looked up at her, his glowing green eyes just a little bit shiny. “This is amazing, Lil. Thank you so much for this.”

Relief washed over her, because his words meant the box was a good thing, and she smiled shakily. “Of course.”

She blew out a breath, trying to release some of her nerves. Maybe it was going to be okay, although she wasn’t sure what the letter said. She hadn’t even been tempted to open it. She couldn’t imagine it being anything bad, but still, she wouldn’t breathe easier until he’d looked through everything.

Noah sat the baseball aside and she smiled as she looked at it. Brandon had such a good time the weekend he and Noah went to that game, and he’d been proud as hell of catching that ball. She’d heard him rub it into Noah’s face many times, teasing him about being too slow and missing out.

She’d found the letter with the baseball and knew he’d wanted Noah to have it. She was glad she’d finally gone through Brandon’s things. She’d donated a lot of it to charity, but she’d set some things aside to keep. The letter had been tucked under the baseball.

She hadn’t even known he’d left one for his best friend, although she should have guessed. After all, he gave her an obvious clue. He’d told her on the phone, right after he deployed, to check the baseball if something happened to him, but she’d forgotten all about it after she was notified of his death.

Finding that letter was what finally gave her the push to find Noah. She’d been thinking about looking for him more and more the past year, but it wasn’t until she saw it that she set her mind to tracking him down. That was part of why she said she felt like Brandon gave her the nudge to find Noah. If it wasn’t for the letter, she might have put it off indefinitely.

Noah pulled other things out of the box—pictures, tickets to ballgames and fights, other keepsakes—and he looked at each of them thoroughly before glancing up at her with a smile. “I had no idea Brandon kept all this.”

Smiling in remembrance, she shrugged her shoulders. “He was a packrat, especially when it came to stuff that had meaning to him.”

“I’m seeing that,” he replied quietly.

Reaching into the box, he pulled out the last thing left, and her breath caught as he stilled. He glanced at her as he held up the letter, his green gaze questioning, and she inhaled as she clenched her fingers together.

“I found it with the baseball a few months ago. That was when I started looking for you in earnest. I haven’t read it, so I don’t know what it says.”

He took a deep breath and opened the envelope, pulling out two sheets of paper. She watched his eyes move as he read, and then they widened and raced up to meet hers.

“What?” she asked, just barely stopping herself from inching forward so she could read over his shoulder.

Shaking his head, he went back to the letter, flipping it over to read the back. A few moments later, he turned it over and lowered the pages to his lap without looking at the second sheet, as long, never ending minutes ticked by in silence.

Well, it was probably more like one minute went by, but to her frayed nerves, it felt like much longer. He finally looked at her and held the letter out. She started to reach for it and then hesitated, meeting his eyes again.

“Are you sure?”

He nodded mutely, and she took a deep breath, reaching for the pages. She didn’t read it right away, just looked into Noah’s eyes, nervous about why he hadn’t spoken yet. He nodded to the letter and she blew out a breath, finally looking down.

Noah,

If you’re reading this, I didn’t make it home, and you did. I’m pretty sure you make it your mission to make sure I get back home safe every time we deploy—you’re always putting yourself in danger to make sure I don’t get hurt. And if I know you—and I do—you’re feeling guilty for living and for not keeping that stupid promise you made to yourself.

I appreciate the thought, but it’s war, man. Bloodshed and violence are everywhere, and we’ve deployed together enough that I know you know that. Nothing you could have done to change the outcome of whatever happened. I don’t have a crystal ball, so I can’t know that for sure. But I do know you, and I know you would have stopped it if you could have.

So, let me get this out of the way first—it wasn’t your fault.

I also wanted to tell your dumbass to stop feeling guilty about Lily. I know you’re attracted to her. I’ve known it from the beginning, and I also know you’ve got some bullshit about being a shitty friend running through your thick head.

That’s stupid, man. I never cared, because I know you well enough to know you won’t act on it. If you would have said something to me about it, I would have fucked with you about being the poor loser who didn’t get to go home to her. I almost said it anyway, a thousand times probably, but I didn’t know if it would make you feel worse, so I kept my mouth shut.

Now’s my chance to tell you to get the fuck over it. You did nothing wrong.

I also know she thinks you’re hot, too. She’s never said anything, but I can always tell when she thinks another man’s good looking.

Speaking of Lily… I worry about her. She loves so fiercely and I know she had to have taken my death hard. Side note, it’s really fucking weird to talk about my death as I sit here and write this, still very much alive. Anyway, it probably took her a long time to find this. I’m going to mention looking under the baseball to her, but if you haven’t figured this out yet—Lily’s brilliant, but when her emotions take over, she’s the most forgetful person you’ll ever meet.

Knowing her, she’s probably pushing you, and everyone else, away. Don’t let her, okay? Give her space if she needs it, but don’t let her give up on life. The only thing I want is for her to be happy and to live. I’m trusting you to make sure she gives herself the chance.

And, if something develops between you two… Don’t be a dumbass and fight it because of an idiotic, misplaced sense of guilt. If there were ever two people who deserve to be happy, it’s you two. I want her to move on, to find happiness and love again.

There’s no one I’d rather see her find it with than you. I know you, Noah. You’re a good man, and I know you’ll treat her well, and give her the life she deserves. I think, given enough time, she’ll be ready to let the past go, and if she’s ready, I think she’ll allow herself to find a life with you.

So, it’s not her I’m worried about. It’s you and your impossibly high sense of honor. It’s okay to love her, Noah. I want you to. So don’t let me hold you back. And don’t let her slip through your fingers.

Spend time with her again. Get to know her like you never really let yourself when I was alive. And don’t let my ghost stand between you.

Give her the life she deserves, man. I’m counting on you for that. I know I’m assuming a lot here, but, like I said, I see the way you two look at each other. It doesn’t bother me, because I know right now, she loves me, not you. And I know you would never act on your attraction to her. I trust you both. Now trust me when I say, if you two want to move on together—I’m more than okay with that.

Take care of yourself, too. And, if you can get past your hang ups, let Lily take care of you. She does it so well. This letter makes me sound like a saint, but at the risk of ruining that image, I’m not gonna lie. I feel a little jealous that you might get to experience that, and I might not ever again, but the truth is, you’re just as deserving of happiness as she is. Remember that.

If you and Lily get together like I hope you do, give her the second page of this, and remember you both have my love.

Saint Brandon.

Lily inhaled deeply, blinking hard as tears slipped down her cheeks. Moving the first page out of the way, she took a few more bracing breaths and quickly read the sentences on the second page.

Lily flower,

If you’re reading this, Noah decided to stop being a dumbass, and you two are beginning a life together. You have to know I’d never let you go if I had a choice, but if you have this letter, then the choice was made for me. So, if that’s the case, there’s nothing I want more than for my two favorite people to be together. Let him love you, and love him in return. Just as much as you loved me. It’s what I want, and you guys have my blessing.

And you’re welcome for bringing him into our lives. It felt weirdly fated at the time, but I didn’t understand why. If I’m gone and you two are together, well… this might be it. Maybe the fates, God, whoever, knew the future and knew you needed someone like Noah in your life. Find your happiness again with him. Love well. Have kids. Live a long, full life with him. Just so long as you live.

All my love,

Brandon.

P.S. Noah might get to have you, but he doesn’t get my amazingly awesome nickname for you. Tell him to find his own.

Laughing, she blew out a breath and handed the letter back to Noah, leaving the note to her on the top. He took them from her and read her note quickly, chuckling huskily when he read the post script.

After he put the letters back in the envelope, he stood and walked to her, taking her into his arms and hugging her tightly. “Are you okay?”

“That was my line.”

His brow was furrowed when he pulled back and met her eyes. “I’m not the one who’s crying.”

“They’re not sad tears. Well, mostly they’re not. Reading that did make me miss him. But they were—”

“Happy tears,” he finished with a small smile. “Do you do that a lot? I’m going to have to start figuring out the difference if you do.”

“I don’t know if I do it often, but sometimes I do. You never answered my question, though.”

“You were right. About all of it. How Brandon would feel if he knew we were together. I know you thought he’d be okay with it, but I wasn’t sold. You even called the fact that he would have teased me if he knew how I felt for you back then.”

She shrugged, unable to keep a tiny hint of smugness out her smile. “I knew him well. Since I was twelve, remember? I didn’t know what he’d written, but I’m glad he covered that stuff. He said he didn’t have a crystal ball, but it was like he knew what was going to happen. It was uncanny. And now, I have to ask… do you think maybe you can let go of the last bit of guilt you feel?”

“He gave us his blessing. I think that basically washed it all away. Besides, he was right. I’d be a dumbass if I let anything get between us. I think that guilt counts.”

“It definitely counts. I’m so glad I found that letter. I’ve been feeling like he gave me the nudge I needed to track you down, but that kind of confirms it.” She paused, wetting her lips and taking a deep breath. “I know you said to take some time, but I don’t need it. I don’t want to go home, Noah. I want to stay here, with you.

“And one day, when we’re both ready, I want you to claim me. I don’t mind being a shifter. And I can’t think of anything I want more than to be claimed by you. To feel our bond strengthen even more. To have us belong to each other irrevocably. I want that more than anything.”

“Then you’ll have it when you’re ready,” he said softly, his eyes searching hers. “There’s nothing I want more than to be with you forever, Lil. Nothing.”

She smiled, running her fingers over his beard before leaning up to kiss him. It quickly turned from gentle to passionate, but she broke it off before it could go further. She had one more important thing to tell him. Something he already knew, but she’d continue saying it often.

“I love you, Noah.”

Reaching up, he brushed the backs of his fingers down her cheek as he smiled. “I love you too, tesoro.”

He leaned down to kiss her again, but she put her hand on his chest to stop him. “Tesoro? What’s that?”

“Your new nickname, if you like it. When we were first briefed on Fernandez, I started brushing up on my Spanish in case I needed to use it. Tesoro means treasure in Spanish. That’s what you are to me. My treasure. I figure it’s better than the generic baby, but I can think of something else if you don’t like it.”

Tears pressed against her eyelids and she quickly shook her head. “No, don’t. I love it.”

“And I love you,” he whispered, kissing her ever so softly before pulling her in for a hug.

Heart bursting with warmth and love for him, she closed her eyes, snuggling in closer. So much had happened since she arrived at B&B Bar and Grill. So much was still happening. Her head was spinning, and it might continue to for a while, because there was a lot still up in the air.

The dragon case with the kidnapped women was still unfinished. But like she sensed before, she thought Blake was right in thinking it might take a while to wrap up. She wasn’t going to stop searching the files for clues, though. Not until all seven women—eight, including Damara—were safely away from Fernandez. And she knew the other Enforcers were going to be working just as hard.

And then there was the mystery of Noah’s twin brother, Chance. She had no idea what the time frame was on that one, since it rested in Chance’s hands. But she would personally track him down and hurt him if he made Noah wait any longer than necessary.

Noah had already endured so much in his life. So much pain, darkness, despair. The last thing he needed was to feel even more of it, and at the hands of the brother he’d missed so fiercely for over twenty years. He might not have known it was Chance he was missing, but it didn’t change the fact that he and his lion yearned for him for so long.

Yeah, too much was still up in the air. It wasn’t a neat and tidy beginning of a life together—it was full throttle, messy, and real. Real life wasn’t a fairytale where a person felt nothing but happiness, surrounded by sunshine and roses. And they were beginning their life surrounded by love, people, messiness and craziness.

It might not make sense to many people, but that reassured her more than anything else could have. If it was too perfect, she would have worried. Perfect never lasted. But this—this was real. And it might not be perfect, but it was perfect for her.

Opening her eyes, she slanted a look up at heaven, hoping Brandon was watching. Thank you for this. For Noah. I’ll take care of him and I know he’ll take care of me. We’ll be happy.

Closing her eyes again, she tightened her arms around Noah’s waist as she snuggled back in. Back where she belonged. Pressed up against the man she loved, who had his arms wrapped tightly around her, loving her just as much as she loved him.

Everything might have happened quickly after she got to Nevada, but it had been a long, hard road to get to where she was in that moment. But as painful as that road had been, it was worth it to get to where she was. She’d always miss Brandon—they both would—but she had her future in her arms, and she wasn’t looking back again. Ever.

Goodbye painful past, hello beautiful future.