Chapter 22

CHAPTER 22

P laying in her nursery, Aspen reached below the table to pet Rexy who lay on her feet. It seemed like the dog had begun to heal after all the trauma that had characterized his life. Aspen knew she was still his favorite person, but Rexy certainly loved his new dad. How could you not?

The month had flown by in a whirlwind of activities. Jerico wasted no time in hiring a lawyer for her. With all the documentation, it didn't take long for a restraining order to be issued against Eddie. Apparently, the jerk was fighting an additional battle as the police officer who'd taken her information had passed along the documentation to an animal rights organization. Aspen would never have known anything about those charges if Eddie hadn't exploded in court and exposed all of his dirty laundry. The judge had not been impressed.

Jerico's presence made Aspen feel more at ease than she had for a long time. Even when he was away, she knew she was safer than she'd ever been. The team had installed heavyweight doors with solid locks and deadbolts. Personally, she'd thought the cameras were a bit over the top, but the first time she'd spooked at a noise outside, Aspen had thanked them mentally. She'd also scolded the neighbor's cat who played on their doorstep—from the inside, of course. They'd discovered Rexy loved cats way too much.

"Ready for the team to invade?" Jerico asked from the doorway.

"Sure."

The group gathered frequently. Now battle-proven, any reservations about whether they'd work well together had evaporated. Caden had prepared them well.

Aspen jumped to her feet, looking sadly at the puzzle. She was almost done.

"When one of the guys gets here, we'll carry your table outside if you'd like to keep working on it," Jerico suggested.

"You'd have to be really careful not to lose any pieces."

"I think we can handle that. We're trained not to leave anyone behind," he teased.

"Daddy!" She protested his joke with a dramatic roll of her eyes, loving every minute of the fun she got to have with the man who'd turned her life totally around.

"Aspen!" he teased and walked forward to wrap his arms around her waist and whirl her in a circle.

She clung to him as she laughed. Jerico had fulfilled all her dreams and fantasies. Spending time with him was a delight.

The doorbell interrupted them, and Jerico set her feet back on the floor. He stayed by her side to make sure she was steady before loping to the front door.

"Zale! Come in. I'm going to put you to work."

"Glad to help. What can I do?" Zale's voice drifted down the hallway.

"Aspen wants to keep working on her puzzle. Would you help me carry the table outside?"

"Of course. I've got some vitamins for her as well," Zale replied, his voice growing louder as the men came down the hallway.

"Hi, Zale. You shouldn't have," Aspen said, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"None of that, little girl. Zale's keeping you healthy. Say thank you and smile," Jerico said in a tone that was definitely a warning that her bottom would be in trouble from more than just the medicine.

"Thank you, Zale," she repeated quickly. Aspen knew better than to be too sassy.

"You're welcome, Aspen." Zale set the large container of bullet-shaped suppositories on the changing table. He looked around the room and focused on the table. "I can see why you want this outside. You've almost finished this historical baseball stadium. I'd want to finish, too."

"Just don't drop any pieces," she warned.

"We'll be super careful. Open up the back door for us, baby," Jerico directed as the men took opposite sides of the small table.

They'd just maneuvered it outside and Jerico had gone back for a chair when their neighbor stepped out on her patio to water her flowers.

"Hi, Savannah!" Aspen called.

"Hi, Aspen. Having a party?" Savannah asked with a smile as she waved a hand at the extra chairs arranged in the backyard.

"I'll make the team be quiet," Aspen assured her with a laugh. Like she could ever make those guys do anything.

"Why don't you come join us? There's always lots of food," Zale invited, with his gaze fixed on Savannah.

"Please," Aspen begged, as Jerico joined them. "You can come help me with my puzzle while the guys cook. They promised me banana splits for dessert."

"Puzzle? Like a jigsaw puzzle? I love those," Savannah admitted, setting her watering pitcher down. "But… I don't want to intrude."

"We'd love to have you join us, Savannah," Jerico assured her.

"I'll get another chair," Zale volunteered and zipped back inside.

Aspen looked at Jerico and raised one eyebrow as Savannah made her way across the lawns. When Jerico nodded slightly, she knew she wasn't the only one who'd noticed how focused Zale was on the beautiful brunette. She noticed Savannah push something deeper into her pocket as she approached. Was that a miniature stuffie?

She couldn't be…

The End