One-Knight Stand (White Knights #3) - Julie Moffett Page 0,105
Brazil.”
“She’ll adjust,” my mom said, squeezing us a little tighter. “We all will. Oh, Angel, I can’t believe the danger you put yourself in for me.”
“I’d do it all over again,” I said firmly. “I would.”
When we stepped back from the group hug, we looked around. General Norton was gone, and the area was empty, save for a young man who was leaning against the wall, apparently waiting for us. When he saw us looking at him, he waved us over.
“Hello, I’m Paul. Please follow me.”
“Where’s everyone else?” I looked around. “The other kids?”
“Everyone’s gone,” he said. “You’re the last ones here. It’s my job to take you home.”
“Home,” my dad sighed with such happiness, it was almost tangible. “At last.”
Chapter Forty-Seven
ANGEL SINCLAIR
We agreed to meet at the farmhouse the next evening, including my mom, dad, Mr. Toodles, and—surprise—Mr. Matthews, who’d returned from his trip to Indiana.
“I’ve heard there’s been a heck of a lot going on at my farmhouse,” Mr. Matthews said to me when we arrived, after shaking my dad’s hand and giving my mom a hug. “That’s the last time I leave town for a week.”
“Thank you so much for lending us your farmhouse, Mr. Matthews,” I said to him. “You have no idea what a lifesaver it was for us. How’s your aunt?”
“She’s recovering. Thanks for asking.”
“Your kindness to my daughter will not be forgotten,” Dad added. “If you ever need anything, please let me know.”
“Oh, you have a pretty special young lady here,” Mr. Matthews said, patting my shoulder. “Angel and her friends pretty much saved my life a few months ago. I’ve learned to trust her when she has a plan.”
“I’m beginning to understand that,” my dad said with a grin.
“I’ve been getting various pieces of the situation from your friends, and I’m amazed,” Mr. Matthews said. “I used to be in special ops, so trust me when I say what these kids have done is quite impressive, and I don’t even know half of it yet.”
“I’ll give you all the details I’m allowed to divulge,” I promised. “But first, I need to talk to some other people.”
Mr. Toodles barked and ran in circles at our feet. He was super excited to see my mom, so he made several puddles on the tile floor. Laughing, my mom scooped him up and covered him with kisses while my dad went to the kitchen to get something to mop up the mess. I headed into the living room to meet with the rest of my team.
All seven of them were sprawled in the living room, laughing, talking, and eating pizza. As soon as they saw me, they stood and started clapping and cheering. Frankie was nearest to me, so naturally, she gave me a big squishy hug. Before I knew it, everyone was patting me on the back, high-fiving me, and offering congratulations.
After a moment, I got everyone to settle and sit down. I had something to say, and while I would rather have run barefoot over glowing coals, or Legos, before saying it, it was important. I moved to my usual spot in front of the fireplace, trying to calm my nerves to get through this.
The group fell quiet, so I cleared my voice and started. “First of all, congratulations are in order to all of you. I couldn’t have saved my mom and dad, or brought Isaac Remington to justice, if it hadn’t been for you.”
A few cheers and a couple of fists went up in the air in celebration, but it mostly stayed quiet. I smiled and continued. “A few months ago, I was just a regular kid in school, going through life like I always had, alone, and feeling like I was better off that way. I’ve always had a hard time trusting people, or, if I’m being totally honest, actually liking people. The truth was, being a loner was easy. I didn’t have to pretend to be someone I’m not. I thought I didn’t need anyone, certainly not friends, because I was capable and smart enough to do everything on my own. Looking back, it’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever thought.”
I heard a few soft chuckles. My mom, still holding Mr. Toodles, Dad, and Mr. Matthews strolled into the living room and stood behind the couch, waiting for me to continue. I was glad they were there, because I wanted them to know how I’d changed, too.
“Then came UTOP and meeting all of you,” I said. “Building trust with a team