Bodie by Nyssa Kathryn

Chapter 24

Bodie shoved his phone in his pocket and headed back down the hall toward his apartment. Maya was booked into the Marble Falls Hospital to get the surgery she needed in one week. Usually, it wouldn’t be so easy. Luckily, they had Sage on their team, and she had connections.

If it was up to him, she’d be booked in sooner. Today, even. As it was, a week was the soonest they could make it.

Tomorrow, they were working their final shifts at the bar before heading to Marble Falls. He hated that he was rushing Maya. He wanted her to make the decision to join him in her own time. Unfortunately, the severity of her heart condition meant that instead of wanting to go back for his team, he needed to go back for her health. She needed the surgery, and soon.

Marble Falls would be the safest place for the procedure. His entire team was there. There was safety in numbers.

Stepping inside his apartment, his attention was immediately drawn to Maya’s laugh. The sound floated from the kitchen to the door. Maya was busy preparing breakfast with Quinn and Oliver while Wyatt worked in the spare bedroom, trying to locate Sinclair.

“Here’s the big guy. You can ask him yourself.” Oliver chuckled as he turned to the stove.

Maya smiled over at Bodie like she knew a secret she shouldn’t. “Oliver told me the guys call you Red.”

That was true. It definitely wasn’t the reason for the look on her face though. “They do.”

“Will you tell me the story behind the name?”

There was a very real possibility Oliver already had, but hell, he didn’t care. Where most of the team had nicknames linked to their speed or strength or something heroic that they’d done, Bodie didn’t.

“Sure.” He stepped up to the kitchen counter, popping a piece of strawberry into his mouth. “We completed a mission in Paris. It had been pure hell, and we were all exhausted. I was sharing a room with Oliver, who’d invited a woman up for a drink. I was so tired, I crashed. Woke up the next morning with red polish on my finger and toenails.”

Oliver snickered at the stove, knowing how this story ended.

“I think that would have looked nice,” Quinn said from her place at the counter, cutting up more fruit.

“We were supposed to leave the next morning,” Bodie continued. “Unfortunately, we woke to find our mission had been extended. It wasn’t quite as finished as we’d thought. I completed the operation with red nails.”

Quinn threw her head back and laughed, whereas Maya seemed to be trying to hold hers in.

Oliver smirked. “I swear his red nails are what distracted the bad guys long enough to give us the advantage. Good damn luck, they were.”

Bodie lifted a shoulder. “None of it bothered me. I’m very comfortable with my masculinity.”

Maya’s smile broadened. “Red nails, blue nails…you’d look good with any color.”

Rounding the corner, Bodie snaked his arms around her waist, loving the soft sigh that escaped her lips. “You can paint my nails anytime you want.” Heck, she could paint his nails the colors of the rainbow if it made her happy. He nuzzled her neck. “Mm, everything in here smells good.” Mostly the woman in his arms. Food was an afterthought.

“Good, because it’s ready.” Oliver transferred a pancake from the pan to a tray that was already overflowing with them.

The four of them worked together to set the table and put the food in the middle. Quinn even managed to wrangle Wyatt out of work mode to join them. Although, when the man came out, he looked more frustrated than ever.

Damn. That had to mean no location for Sinclair. At least, not yet.

Conversation remained light throughout breakfast. Maya seemed very interested to hear every detail about Bodie’s life that his friends were willing to share, which was a lot. She learned that his favorite food was pasta—any and all pasta—his most embarrassing moment was when he’d fallen asleep on the toilet while drunk at a high school party and that the episode was the reason he absolutely did not remain friends with anyone from school.

They also mentioned Luca’s upcoming wedding.

“Your friend’s getting married?” Maya looked both excited and surprised about the prospect. Probably surprised because who plans a wedding when they’re in the middle of hunting a deadly enemy.

Oliver forked a piece of pancake off his plate. “Yep. It will be small. Us and his immediate family.”

“When?”

Bodie was sure if it was up to Luca, the wedding would be today. But the man also wanted Evie to have a semblance of normalcy. To be able to plan the day. Choose her flowers. Find her dress.

Wyatt lifted his coffee to his lips. “They haven’t chosen a date yet.”

Quinn nodded. “Most women spend years planning their wedding. Luckily, Evie’s not high-maintenance so it probably won’t take her that long.”

Oliver leaned back in his seat. “What a waste of money. Why can’t people just be together without needing to pay thousands of dollars to stand in front of a crowd and say I love you?”

Quinn huffed, but Maya spoke before the other woman could.

“I think it’s about the declaration of love,” she said quietly. “A man standing in front of all of his loved ones and promising that he’ll always love you. Telling you all the reasons why.” Maya shrugged. “Sounds pretty special to me.”

Ah, hell. If that didn’t make him want to marry the woman, nothing would.

Bodie reached for her hand and lifted it to his lips. “That’s exactly what it’s about.”

Maya didn’t need to say the words out loud for him to know that she cared about him. He didn’t mind one bit that he’d professed his love for her and she hadn’t reciprocated. It would take her a little more time than it took him. Progress was progress.

“I agree,” Quinn said, appearing a bit less annoyed than a moment ago. “When I marry a man, he’s going to declare that he loves me in front of hundreds of people.”

Wyatt’s brows drew together. “Hundreds?”

“Yep.”

Bodie had to chuckle at the unrelenting look on Quinn’s face.

Maya’s fingers tightened around his. “What’s in the cards for today?”

“I think some of your things are still at the house.” Bodie pressed a kiss to her head, for no other reason than because he wanted to. “We could go pack them before work.”

“We’ll come. I’ll help you pack your room. Girl time.” Quinn winked at Maya.

Bodie smiled. “Girl time” would have to mean the men were still present, just in a different room.

* * *

Quinn hadn’t been lyingabout wanting girl time. The moment Wyatt and Bodie stepped outside to do a perimeter check, she grabbed Maya’s arm and pulled her into the bedroom, firmly closing the door after them.

When she pushed Maya toward the bed, she went along with it. Packing wouldn’t take long, after all; she’d arrived in town with barely anything.

“Okay, tell me. Is it official?” Quinn looked far too excited.

“Official?” Did official mean they’d used the “girlfriend and boyfriend” tags, or could it just mean he’d said he loved her?

Quinn rolled her eyes, obviously all too aware of Maya’s avoidance tactic. “Is Bodie your boyfriend?”

Was he? Probably. “I think so.”

At the sight of Quinn’s frown, Maya knew that hadn’t been the answer she was looking for. “What do you mean, ‘you think so’? You’re moving to Marble Falls with the guy.”

That was true. Although that decision had basically been made for her.

Maya bit her lip as she debated what to say to Quinn. They hadn’t known each other for a huge amount of time, but Maya already felt close to the other woman. She was easy to feel comfortable around. In fact, if Maya wasn’t careful, she would spill her guts.

“You’re going to think I’m silly.” Or weak. Or just downright pathetic.

Quinn took Maya’s hand and held it in hers. “Spill.”

She kept her voice low as she spoke. Oliver was inside, so he would definitely hear. Hopefully Bodie was far enough away that he wouldn’t.

“I want to tell Bodie how I feel.” She really, really wanted to. “But, I feel this paralyzing fear. Like once the words are out there, in the ether, something will go horribly wrong.”

God, that sounded even more stupid out loud than it had in her head.

Quinn leaned forward. “That’s normal. Sharing your feelings with another person is scary. You’re making yourself vulnerable.”

Vulnerable. That’s exactly how she felt.

“He’s told me how he feels, so it’s not like I have anything to lose.” Actually, she probably had more to lose if she didn’t tell him.

“But you feel like you do have something to lose.”

Yes. Absolutely, yes. Maya nodded.

“Why?”

Maya lifted a shoulder. “There are so many moments in my childhood that have scarred my heart.”

“Tell me one.”

Maya swallowed. “When I was twelve, I was placed with the Jenkins family. They were this perfect nuclear family who actually seemed to like me.” And want to keep me. “I was so young, but I still remember thinking—this is it. I’ve finally found my people.”

Silly. History should have taught her better.

“I stayed with them for six months before they told me they needed to focus on their kids. They wished me well and waved goodbye as my case worker drove me away.”

The next place had been far less homey.

“Oh, jeez. I’m so sorry, Maya. That must have been hard.”

She lifted a shoulder and played it off like it wasn’t one of the defining moments of her life. “I was temporary for them. Just like I’ve been temporary for every other person. It’s hard for me to trust that anyone may want me forever.”

So admitting her love for Bodie, telling him she wanted them to be together forever, felt like it was daring the universe to prove her wrong. Her chest constricted. She took some deep breaths in an attempt to keep her emotions in check.

Quinn’s hand tightened around Maya’s. The woman looked both angry and upset. “That family lost so much by letting you go. Every family did. I have no idea what the future holds for you guys. But I promise you that admitting you love someone, especially someone who adores you the way Bodie does, saying the words aloud for the world to hear, can never be wrong. Ever. Scary? Yes. Exposed to the point you want to hide behind a big old rock? Absolutely. But not wrong. And not something you should ever regret.”

There was so much certainty in Quinn’s voice. It was impossible not to trust her.

She didn’t need to ignore her fear or push it aside. She needed to breathe through it, like she had every obstacle in her life. She needed to remember that the fear was a sign of how important something is. How important Bodie is.

“You’re right.”

A wide smile spread across Quinn’s face. “Hell yes, I’m right.”

Maya laughed. The woman was like medicine for the soul.

Quinn chuckled. “Aren’t you glad you met me?”

She really, really was.

“I’m so glad I met you. Thank you. For reaching out to me and not giving up.”

Before Maya could anticipate it, Quinn pulled her into a hug. Maya would never grow tired of a Quinn hug. So tight and affectionate.

“I’m thankful, too.”

Maya wrapped her own arms around her, her heart warming.