He’s so good with kids.

All of the Montgomerys are.

Caleb is leaning against my kitchen counter, watching me carefully, his arms crossed over his chest. His hair has grown out a bit from his usual super short military cut, and his chin is covered in light strawberry-blonde stubble.

Those trademark Montgomery blue eyes follow me as I move about the kitchen, setting up the coffee and making sure the girls are set.

Just like every time I see him, electricity shoots down my spine and out my limbs and I just want to attach myself to him and devour him.

But instead I just smile and rub his bicep as I walk past.

“Coffee?” I ask him. His muscles flex at my touch, and my stomach clenches. Jesus, his arms are the size of my thigh.

“Please,” he nods.

“Me, too,” Matt agrees and steals a bite of Maddie’s banana, making her laugh.

“So, what’s up guys?” I ask as I hand them their mugs of fresh coffee.

“Girls, you finish breakfast, and we’re gonna take your mom into the living room to talk, okay?” Caleb grins at the girls and kisses their cheeks. “Just yell if you need us.”

“Okay!” Josie agrees and slurps up some Coco Puffs, dribbling now-chocolate milk all over the breakfast bar.

Maddie nods and takes another bite of banana.

I follow the guys into the living room, enjoying the view of their rear ends as I follow.

“Have a seat.” Matt gestures to one of the chairs, but I just cross my arms over my chest and stay standing.

Have a seat my ass.

“Just tell me what this is about.”

“Brynna, please sit down,” Caleb murmurs softly and sits on the couch next to the chair they want me to occupy. I look back and forth between them, and realizing this is a losing battle, I sink down into the chair and sit on the edge of it.

“Okay, I’m sitting. Why are you both at my house at barely six in the morning, scaring the crap out of me?”

“I got a call yesterday at work,” Matt begins and sighs deeply.

“At the precinct?” I ask.

“Yeah. It was a P.I., and he asked a bunch of questions about the family.” He looks up at me, his eyes sober. “The whole family.”

“Meaning, he asked questions about me,” I murmur and feel a light sweat break out on my skin. “And if they’ve linked me to your family, I have to go…”

“You’re not going anywhere,” Caleb interrupts and takes my hand in his, holding it tightly.

“The investigator didn’t specifically ask about you, but it raised some flags for me. I didn’t like it.” Matt shakes his head and stands to pace around the living room.

“It’s been more than a year, Matt. Why now?” I try to keep my voice low so the girls can’t hear me.

“I don’t know.” He turns back to us. “It might not have anything to do with what happened in Chicago.”

“I don’t think anyone can find me here,” I tell them. “I don’t own this house, I work for Isaac under the table, I haven’t even switched my driver's license to Washington from Illinois. There’s no reason for any flags to have gone up.”

“I agree, and we’ll continue to be careful, but we think it’s in you and the girls’ best interest to move in with either me or Caleb.”

“Absolutely not.” I pull my hand out of Caleb’s and pace the living room.

“Why?” Caleb asks, his voice calm and low.

“Because, the girls have school. I have a job. We have a routine. I’m not disrupting that. They’ve been through enough.” I continue to keep my voice low, but my entire body is taut and I want to scream. “We’re finally at a place that we don’t jump every time we hear a strange noise.”

“Which is why you answered the door with a fucking screw driver as weapon?” Caleb asks with a cocked brow.

“I don’t typically get visitors this early in the morning.”

“We need to know you’re safe,” Matt insists and props his hands on his hips, staring at me.

“We are not moving out of this house.” I cross my arms over my chest and stare Matt down.

“Fine, I’m moving in.” Caleb stands and takes my shoulders in his big hands, his face fierce. “If you’re going to be stubborn, fine, you and the girls will stay here, but I’m moving in.”

“How is that possible?” I ask incredulously. “You get called out on a mission at a moment’s notice. How is that going to help?”

Matt clears his throat and Caleb clenches his eyes shut for a moment and then pins me in his blue gaze once more. “Not anymore. My last mission was my final one.”

“What?” I ask, my eyes wide, searching his handsome face. “Why?”

“It was time.” He shakes his head and looks down before backing away from me and looking at Matt. “I’ll stay with her.”

“Sounds good to me.”

“What am I supposed to tell the girls?” I ask, still trying to wrap my head around all of this. Caleb is out of the Navy?

“Are you not listening, Brynna?” Caleb asks. “You could be in danger. I’m not willing to take that chance. Until we know for sure what’s going on, I’ll be here. Starting today.”

“Today’s not good for me…” I begin.

“Starting today.” Caleb’s voice is very controlled and very low as he pushes his face close to mine. “This is what we do in this family, Brynna. We protect our own.”

“I’m not…”

“Yes, you are.” Matt responds before I can finish my sentence. “Stop being stubborn, and make the best of it.”

I look back and forth between the two formidable men looming over me and I know I’ve lost this battle. I feel my shoulders droop and my lower lip quiver before I firm my jaw and blink quickly.

“What, you don’t want me to cramp your style?” Caleb asks sarcastically, but his face is soft and his eyes are kind as he watches me carefully.

“No, I just want our lives to go back to normal, and it feels like that’s never going to happen.”

Before I know what’s happening, Caleb has pulled me into his strong embrace, his hands sweep up and down my back and he murmurs into my ear, “You’re going to be okay. I promise.”

“You’re sleeping on the couch, sailor,” I mumble into his soft gray t-shirt, earning a chuckle from him.