Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 119846 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 599(@200wpm)___ 479(@250wpm)___ 399(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119846 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 599(@200wpm)___ 479(@250wpm)___ 399(@300wpm)
“Abuela…” she began gently. “The boys already called another shuttle—it’ll be here soon to take us back to the Mother Ship. I want you to come with me. I don’t want to leave you here alone.”
Her grandmother gave her a loving but firm smile and patted her hand.
“You go spend Christmas with your two men friends, mi hija,” she said in a low, affectionate voice. “I will be just fine. I’m just so glad they came in time to stop that horrible Branson from hurting you!”
Noelle swallowed hard against the lump rising in her throat.
“Are you sure you want to stay?” she asked, searching the older woman’s eyes. “It might not be safe here, Abuela. Not until we know for sure—”
“I’ll keep her safe with me,” a new voice chimed in, bright and sharp as a bell.
Noelle turned to see her grandma’s next door neighbor, Thelma shuffling up the walk, her flowered house dress fluttering in the breeze. She was short and stocky, her snow-white curls bouncing as she moved. Despite her age, her faded blue eyes were alert and full of fire.
“Rosario and I have been best friends for a coon’s age,” Thelma declared, hooking her arm through Abuela’s firmly. “Ain’t no agents getting into my house without a warrant.”
She gave Noelle a knowing look and patted the side pocket of her housedress. The unmistakable shape of a heavy metallic object bulged beneath the thin cotton fabric.
“And even if they try to get one,” she added, “I’ve got my own firearm.”
Noelle raised her eyebrows. “Is that a—”
“We’re a stand your ground state, you know,” Thelma said primly, lifting her chin. “Ain’t nobody taking my friend. And we’ll have a real nice Christmas together. Got plenty of cookie dough, and I’ve got that Tom Jones Christmas CD Rosario likes so much.”
“Oh, Thelma.” Abuela gave a little chuckle and dabbed at her eyes with the corner of her cardigan sleeve.
Noelle looked from one woman to the other. Despite her worry, she couldn’t help but smile. These two had weathered a lot of storms together—and they weren’t about to stop now.
“Go, hija,” Abuela said softly, cupping Noelle’s cheek in her palm. Her fingers were papery and cool, but full of warmth. “Enjoy yourself while you’re young. Come see me after—I’ll be here.”
Noelle leaned in and hugged her tightly, breathing in the comforting scent of cinnamon and lavender. Her eyes burned, but she blinked the tears away.
“I’ll come check on you after Christmas,” she whispered. “I promise.”
She pulled back and kissed her grandmother’s cheek one last time, then stood and turned to face Burn and Bright.
They were already watching her, waiting silently, their gazes warm and full of unspoken emotion.
“Come on, boys,” she said, her voice soft but certain. “Let’s go back home.”
82
NOELLE
Noelle stepped into the warmth of Burn and Bright’s suite and took in a deep breath. The clean, citrusy-vanilla scent of the Mother Ship wrapped around her like a weighted blanket and soft lighting glowed from above, casting warm golden tones across the plush indigo carpet and silver-paneled walls.
She was home at last.
Her boots made no sound as she crossed the threshold, flanked by the two towering warriors who still hadn’t said much since they boarded the shuttle. Though both had kept her protectively sandwiched between them on the flight from Earth—Burn’s hand warm on her thigh, and Bright’s shoulder pressed lightly to hers—their silence had felt thick, like something unspoken hung between them.
Noelle looked at them uncertainly. They were speaking again…weren’t they?
“So I guess the two of you are on speaking terms again?” she asked, arching an eyebrow as she paused just inside the door. She turned to look at both warriors in turn, almost afraid to feel hopeful.
Bright glanced at Burn. His hazel eyes caught the low light and shimmered like warm amber.
“I hope we are,” he said simply.
“If you’re not,” Noelle continued, folding her arms loosely beneath her breasts, “Then how did the two of you know to come for me?”
Burn ran a hand through his thick dark hair and looked at her seriously.
“The Goddess came to us both,” he said. His deep voice was quiet, but it carried weight. “She told me to quit it with the self-pity routine.”
He looked at Bright directly. The muscles in his jaw worked for a moment before he added,
“I’m truly sorry for what we had to do to each other, back at the Trollox’s place.”
“I’m not,” Bright said, without hesitation.
Noelle blinked at the force behind those two words. Burn looked startled too, but Bright kept going, his voice firm.
“I love you, Burn—as a friend but also more than a friend,” he said. “What we did, it didn’t make us less in my eyes—it made us more.”
“Well…” Burn rubbed the back of his neck, clearly caught off guard. “I, uh, didn’t think of it that way,” he admitted.