The gentle whisper of water lapping onto the shore blended seamlessly with the soft calls of birds swooping overhead. Miley leaned back, letting the sun bathe her face with warmth as she stretched in the chair. A twinge in her shoulder reminded her she should be more careful, but she pushed it to the back of her mind. Considering everything else that was on her plate at the moment, a little shoulder discomfort was low on the list. Forcing her mind away from her troubles, she relaxed into the lounger and let the late October California sun comfort her.

"Hey, Miley."

She opened one eye and glanced up at the woman standing next to her chair with a bottle of beer in her hand. Annabeth was the girlfriend of one of Alcide's team members. She thought it was either Hick or Finch - she kept getting the two names mixed up. Either way, she liked the woman's outgoing personality. "Hey." Miley motioned to the chair sitting next to her. "Have a seat."

Annabeth dropped into the chair and started to hand her the beer but stopped. "You aren't on any pain medications are you?"

Miley shook her head and plucked the drink from her hand. "Not me. I never take them if I can help it." She raised the bottle in a salute before taking a swallow.

On the other side, Olivia yawned and stretched her arms over her head. "It's nice to get to the beach. Between working at the coffee shop and taking classes full time, I barely have time to think these days. The only thing missing is Joselyn."

Joselyn Chambers, author of several bestselling novels, was the wife of an ex-team member and Annabeth's best friend. Though she lived on the other side of the country, Miley could tell the three women were close.

Annabeth snorted. "She's still baby baking. River won't let her do much more than go to the bathroom alone. According to her, even that takes an act of Congress. He's painted the nursery twice, put together all the new furniture, and I doubt there's a diaper left unpurchased for three states. He's already looking at college funds and little league schedules. Bless his heart, he's plumb ate up with New-Daddy-itis. I suspect it's terminal."

Miley laughed. Annabeth's deep Southern drawl and strange turn of phrases kept Miley entertained and helped ease some of the discomfort from leaving home. When Alcide first talked to her about coming to California with him, she refused. With gentle persuasion from him, Rissa, Pop-pop and Jessie, they finally convinced her it was a good time to take a trip. The deal closer was Alcide reminding her how close to the Pacific he lived. After a year being land-locked in Wyoming, she was burned out and desperately needed a recharge. What better way to do it than to spend a couple of weeks in her beloved California?

"When is she due? Does she know what she's having?" Olivia asked as Miley laid back and closed her eyes.

"December 27 and no. They want to be surprised. It's so stinking cute how they argue back and forth. He wants a girl; she says a boy. It doesn't matter either way. That kid will be spoilt rotten. Both families are over the moon."

"And you?" Olivia raised her head and looked at Annabeth.

"I may or may not have a big box full of stuff I'm gathering for the baby. I found the most adorable onesie in a Colorado boutique that says 'If mommy says no, my Godmother will say yes.' I've never been one before. A godmother, that is, so I suspect I'll be as bad as they are. I made Hick promise to take me to Mississippi after Christmas so that I can be there for the birth." She raised her voice and turned to where the men were sitting in a group talking together a few feet away. "Right, honey?"

"Whatever you say, Georgia," her fiancé replied.

A grin split Annabeth's face. "Putty in my hands," she smirked.

Miley wrinkled her brow. "Georgia? I thought your name was Annabeth."

"It is," she confirmed. "Georgia is Hick's little nickname for me on account I'm originally from Atlanta. We met at Joselyn's wedding and had a long distance relationship for about a year before I finally moved out here. It was absolutely precious how he would sing Georgia on My Mind when we talked." Her eyes took on a dreamy look. "To this day, I hear it and just get all sappy."

The men stood and joined the women. Annabeth rose up to let Hick slip in behind her before leaning back against his chest. The smile on her face spoke of her feelings regarding the big man.

To her left, Olivia squealed as Bruiser scooped her up in his arms and flipped her around. Dropping into her chair, he lowered her to his lap and kissed her soundly. The other men wolf whistled as Olivia's caramel skin reddened in a blush that spread from her hairline to her chest. "Hush," she grumbled then settled into her man's embrace.

Miley felt a bit uncomfortable at the blatant displays of affection and looked away. That is, until Cowboy tapped on her shoulder. She looked up to see one of his eyebrows raised in question as he gestured for her to lean forward. Her heart jumped in her chest. Did he want to sit with her? Did she want that?

"Oh, I ah..."

"If you aren't moving, I can pick you up as Bruise did. I was concerned about pulling your stitches. But, if I must..." he bent over as if he were going to pick her up.

Embarrassment flooded her face as she scrambled down the lounger. She felt him slide his leg behind her back and settle into the seat. "You can lean back now," he told her. As she did so, she felt his heat from her hips to her neck. When he settled his arms around her waist, she almost jumped out of her skin.

"Watch out, Cowboy. I think your woman is about to bolt. Or maybe throw up," Toad laughed.

"I'm fine," Miley glared at him.

"That you are," Alcide replied softly as his finger slowly traced circles along her arm.

Despite everything, Miley felt her body relax. Marginally. She nodded. She was fine, at the moment, though the burden of all she had been through in the past few weeks weighed heavily on her mind. She was a thousand miles from home, surrounded by people who seemed to be nice but were, at heart, still strangers. She had left her job, her family, and her life behind her in Wyoming to stay with a man she barely knew. True, he was her best friend's brother and he had been nothing but supportive and protective from the beginning, but it still felt uncomfortable. Even staying at his house, in his extra bedroom was unsettling, but she understood this was probably for the best. Rissa urged Miley to trust Alcide to keep her safe and she was trying to do that. But, reconciling it deep inside where it truly counted was much more difficult.

Miley looked over her shoulder at him as he laughed easily with his friends. Since the morning he had stormed into her hospital room, he had barely left her side. He seemed to take great pleasure in brushing his fingers over her skin, touching her hand at every chance. She told herself it was only his protective instinct coming out. However, this was different. He hadn't shown any displays of affection around others before now, not even when they arrived in San Diego yesterday morning. It confused her. She was still on her anti-dating train, wasn't she? Her thoughts hadn't altered about a relationship, had they? Her feelings about her friend's brother hadn't changed, right?

She was interrupted from her mental tug of war by Toad standing. "Well, I'd love to stick around and be a third wheel, but I have a date tonight."

"Of course you do. Who's the unlucky victim?" Hick asked.

A smug grin graced his face as he answered. "Holly. You don't know her; we met at the grocery store this morning. I helped her get a package of double stuffed Oreos down from the top shelf." Toad dusted the sand off his legs and put on a pair of jeans over his shorts. Stuffing his feet into a pair of boots, he saluted with two fingers. "I'll see you guys tomorrow at PT." He climbed to the parking lot and threw his leg over the saddle of his motorcycle. Fastening his helmet on his head, he kick-started the beast and tore out of the lot.

"Man slut," Olivia laughed. "One of these days, the right girl is going to come along."

"Way ahead of you, Livy." Railroad chuckled. "It's going to be fun watching him flounder."

"What about you, Rail?" Bruiser grinned. "Rarely see you in the company of a lady. You got someone hidden away?"

"Nah. I'm too busy to date much. I have a show coming up in a few weeks."

"A show?" Miley asked in surprise. "What kind of show?"

"Rail makes furniture in his spare time," Alcide answered. "You know those bedside tables in your room? He made them."

The two tables were spectacular. The irregularly shaped tops were made of wood with a layer of colorful resin stripes and large smoky crystals surrounding a clear hole in the center. They looked like giant geode slices.

"Really? Wow, you're so talented, Railroad! Where did you get the idea?"

He shrugged. "My mom saw one in a magazine. It was all she talked about for weeks, so I looked it up. Those things are expensive as hell, and I figured I could make a decent enough one since I like to putter with woodworking. It took a few weeks, but I figured it out. Next thing I know, she's posted it all over social media, and I get an email from a dude who owns an art gallery. He asked me to put together a display for a show he's doing on furniture as art next year."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Hick asked.

"Didn't seem important," Railroad answered. "We've been a little busy the last few months."

"The only reason I knew is because he needed help unloading some wood. I saw the two tables sitting on the porch. He said they didn't turn out like he envisioned so was going to try to sell them on the side. I bought them both on the spot," Alcide added. "Probably paid a lot less for them than they are worth, but I didn't balk at the buddy discount. I was going to get something made for Rissa's wed..." He stopped and gripped Miley tightly, letting the words trail off awkwardly.

Miley knew what he was thinking. Drake had died that night leaving Rissa emotionally destroyed. Alcide hurt for his sister and continued to beat himself up over what he may have done differently. She didn't know what that could have been, but at least she could redirect the awkward silence elsewhere. "Well, they are beautiful. If I had a normal house, I'd buy one. It's unique and stunning. I wouldn't want to put anything on it and hide it, though. You need to do pieces people can hang on the wall too."

Railroad agreed. "Yeah, I have some shelves and stuff like that, too. It's coming, just takes a while. Each piece takes days to complete. I may have to vanish from society to get done on time. Especially if we get a mission."

"Speaking of vanishing, where's Finch?" Alcide looked around as if their final teammate was hiding.

"Doing his own thing," Bruiser replied. "He'll be around in the morning. He had the weekend off."

"Ah," Hick nodded in understanding.

"Speaking of the weekend off, I have class tomorrow," Olivia piped in.

"Message received," Bruiser agreed. He gently lifted her off his lap then stood. Gathering their things, they gave their goodbyes and left. They were followed by Hick and Annabeth and then Railroad. Miley watched them all leave until it was only she and Cowboy watching the sun slowly sink over the ocean.

"Are you ready to go, too?" Miley glanced over her shoulder at him.

Alcide shook his head. "Nah, I'm happy right where I am." He hesitated, "Unless you're ready?"

She shook her head and sighed happily. "I love the beach. I fell in love with it while I was doing my internship in San Francisco. It was my favorite place to be. After Jacob..." she stopped and shivered. "It's so peaceful here. Like nothing can touch you."

"Who's Jacob?"

"Nobody."

"I think it's not 'nobody'. You started to tremble when you mentioned his name."

"I think it's just getting cooler, that's all."

He turned her chin gently until her eyes fastened on his. "Try again."

"It's nothing, Alcide. Just let it go."

He breathed out a sigh. "I'll let it go, but I can tell there's a story there and I don't think it's a good one. Honey, if you need to talk, I'm here for you. If you feel better talking to a professional, I can get the number of the therapist that Olivia and Annabeth talk to. Don't bottle it in. Not only about this Jacob thing but also what you went through last week. I mean it."

"I'll keep that in mind," she muttered though she had no intention of ever talking about those days again.

They watched the sun slowly sink into the waters of the Pacific until only the splash of red and purple remained behind.

"Miley, are you okay? I mean, with coming out here for a few weeks while Darton works on finding Loran."

"Yeah, I'm okay." She hesitated a moment then shook her head. "Wait, no, not really. There's nothing okay about this whole situation. I hate that my life is in shambles right now. I hate that I can't have the clinic I want, live where I want and just be what I want. I'm tired of all this... this crap happening to me." She turned slightly and looked at him. "Don't get me wrong, Alcide. I'm grateful you let me come stay here for a while and California is beautiful, but I want to be here on my own terms, not because I've been pushed by a lunatic mobster." She turned around and leaned forward, wrapping her arms around her knees and stared at the ocean. "Your friends are great, but they are your friends, not mine. First I lived the life my parents wanted me to, then the life Jacob demanded. Pop-pop gave me the clinic but he also pushed me into living in that god-forsaken land of cow pies and dirt. I want my own life, Alcide. I want to be what I want not what everyone else expects. Is that too much to ask?"

He pulled her around until she was sitting sideways with his muscular thighs under her rear. He gently clasped her chin in his fingers and lifted her face until she was looking at him. "No, it's not too much to ask. You have a right to live how you want, where you want and as you want. If you aren't happy in the life you have, then change it. Your grandfather will understand. I'm sure if he knew how miserable you were as a large animal vet, he would be the first to tell you to go. The bottom line is, your life and your rules. When this thing with Loran is done, you go out and find the life you want. No matter how much it would affect me to see you leave, I'd rather you were happy than miserable any day of the week."

She swallowed hard. "What do you mean no matter how much it would affect you to see me leave?" Her words were a soft whisper between them.

He let out a long breath. "I told myself I wasn't going to push you, I was going to keep this to myself, but you need to know. Miley, you're important to me. Not just because you're Rissa's best friend, but to me personally. Something happened over the last couple of weeks. You snuck up on me without me realizing it. I'm not going to say I'm in love with you, but I think it's coming. You've gotten under my skin, and your happiness and safety have become more crucial to me than just about anything else. So, yeah, I care about you. I'm taking care of you because not only do I want to, I need to. I'm not telling you this to scare you or to make you feel like you have to say something. I'm not going to push. I'm not going to force you into something you aren't ready for. But I'm going to be right here, waiting for you, somewhat patiently for when you're ready to explore what we can be."

His words shattered her. He was so gentle, so careful with her feelings, but at the same time, he had a steely resolve that told her he meant what he said. He cared about her, and he was willing to wait for her. That knowledge empowered her on a level she hadn't felt before. Still, she didn't know where her feelings were.

She opened her lips to tell him that, but he pressed a finger to them "Shhh. Don't say anything now. Just relax and enjoy your vacation. There's time enough for all this heavy stuff later."

Unable to think clearly, she merely nodded slowly. "Okay, Alcide."

"Good girl," he smiled then pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Come on; it's getting dark. Do you want to grab something on the way home or fix something there?"

"I can fix something. It's the least I can do for everything you're doing for me."

He chuckled as they stood and he gathered the lounger. "You don't owe me anything. I'm not as good a cook as Hick, but I can make a mean pot of chili, or if you want something else, we can stop and get the stuff on the way home."

"Chili sounds good." She bent to pick up her beach bag, but he grabbed it in his hand. Shaking her head, she knew better than to argue with him. She was supposed to be taking things easy while her shoulder continued to heal. Though she doubted her bag would be too heavy, she let him do his Lancelot thing and carry their stuff to his vintage teal GTO sitting alone in the parking lot. For some reason, his helping her didn't irritate her like it used to. He stored their things in the trunk then helped her to her side. Within moments they were driving down the highway.

The heaviness of their former conversation echoed in her mind as they drove home. Hoping to lighten the mood, she cleared her throat and asked, "So, Hick is a good cook?"

Alcide laughed heartily. "If you had asked me that question a few months ago, I would have told you he was the worst one ever. For seven years the man hid the fact he held a culinary degree and his family owned several restaurants. Some of the shit he tried to feed us would gag a maggot."

She laughed. "Sounds like a good story. You'll have to tell me the rest sometime. Just not now. I rather not think about food that will gag a maggot while eating dinner."

"Sure."

The humor did the trick, lightening the mood in the car. Alcide hummed along with a tune on the radio while Miley sang under her breath. Both of them belted out the chorus at the end and laughed to realize neither could sing nor did they know the real words to the song. Miley smiled and laid her head back. It felt good to laugh and relax after the weight of their discussion. "Thank you, for everything you're doing. I'm sorry if I sort of melted a bit on the beach."

"It's fine, Miles. After everything you've been through, you have a right to melt a little."

They drove in silence until they reached his house. It was a small bungalow type with a tiny yard surrounded by a fence and a single vehicle garage on the side. He pulled into the slot and turned off the engine. Grabbing their things, he escorted her to the kitchen door. Closing it, he punched in the security code, arming the alarm.

"I'll start dinner. Why don't you grab a shower and get comfortable?"

"Yeah, I'd like to get the salt off. I'll hurry so you can get one too," she acquiesced.

"Take your time, Miley. I'm in no hurry."

Miley disappeared down the hall to the bedroom Alcide had given her to use. Standing by her bed, she touched the amazing geode table, thinking about what Alcide had told her about himself. In a way, he was a lot like the geode the table represented. On the outside, he was tough, impenetrable, but inside hid amazing secrets. He was complicated, and though she wasn't sure how she felt about him, she was surprised to find the thought of exploring it didn't fill her with dread or fear.

She smiled.