Page 29 of True Valor (True Heroes #1)

After putting in a call to Colonel McIntire, the LT took command of the entire situation, calling the authorities, reporting the incident.

By the time the sheriff arrived, every man wore flannel shirts and jeans and no war paint.

Just a bunch of normal, everyday, guys.

Uh-huh.

Quillen did most of the talking.

When questions arose which only Julie could answer, he was quiet.

Hard to believe that Nic could sleep through the commotion of the next few hours.

But he did.

Even as Sheriff Graff interviewed her, her gaze drifted more than once to the bed, to make sure he was still alive.

She wasn’t the only one.

Cruz stood guard over Nic, daring anyone to wake him.

She, too, had a guardian.

Gabe loomed behind her, a constant reminder that she was safe.

It was three hours before all the questions were answered to Graff’s satisfaction and the coroner left with Raines’ body.

Nic slept the whole time.

If the others had not been there, Julie would have crawled up and lay beside him.

She was totally wrung out.

Will and Matt, the kid she hadn’t met before today, asked quietly if they could scrounge up food for everyone.

When she offered to do it herself, they shooed her away.

With her blessing, they began sorting through cupboards, and she escaped to the back porch.

It wasn’t until she sucked in the frosty air that she realized how stuffy it had gotten inside.

Warming up their patient, no doubt.

But it felt so good outside.

Julie lowered herself to the top step, intent on not moving for a while.

When the door opened and closed behind her, she half expected Chris to insist she come inside.

It wasn’t Chris.

“Scoot down one step.”

Nic lowered himself onto the step right behind her. His arms, along with the blanket came around her, pulling her close between his knees.

They sat quietly for a time, Julie drinking in his presence.

Finally, he cleared his throat.

“Um, did I fall asleep before you answered my question?”

“No, you didn’t.”

Julie laid her cheek against his arm.

“Seems like you’d remember that,”

she added, teasing.

He was quiet for a long moment. She felt bad about teasing him.

“What was your answer?”

“What was the question?”

She laughed.

He squeezed her tight.

“Something about us getting married, I think.”

“And never was there a more romantic proposal.”

“What was the answer?”

“Something like yes, I think.”

Nic leaned down and kissed her cheek, trailing his lips down her neck.

When he spoke, his voice was intense.

“I’ll quit the team if you want to keep your job.”

Wow. What that must have taken! He was willing to put Batman away in order to be with her. But without Batman, Nic wouldn’t be Nic, would he?

“I can probably find something to do in Merced,” she said.

Tension drained from his arms.

“But,”

his arms tightened again at the but.

“I’m not living in the cul-de-sac.”

Nic laughed and kissed the top of her head.

As the sun set behind the chapel of rocks, Nic smiled. He was so bushed he could barely form thoughts. He wanted to talk about their future. He couldn’t wait to bring their children here, to teach them to climb, to swim.

Maybe even to fish.

Joey would like that.

Shrugging, he pushed to his feet and held his hand out for hers.

Their future could start in the morning.

Look for Book Two in the

True Heroes series…

True Courage

Even if you’re ready for everything, sometimes the rescuer needs rescuing…

In a blinding blizzard, wise-cracking Air Force Colonel Rick MacIntyre crashes his Blackhawk.

As he waits for his own rescue in the frigid dark, his lifeline is the voice of Lily Atherton.

Rick is dying on the side of the mountain.

He’s alone, except for the precious voice of a woman he's never met.

If he gets out of this alive, he wants to meet. Thank her. Fall in love with her. Marry her.

Lily wants that too.

But life has taught her that fairy tales don’t happen.

Rick is old enough to be her father--well, almost. And he’s so far out of her league as to be laughable. Convincing her heart though. . .

Can the connection they formed on the edge of crisis hold up to the overwhelming obstacles of everyday life? Is there enough courage?

True Courage is the second installment in the five-book True Heroes military romance series.

If you like heart-wrenching, wholesome love stories, then you’ll adore this book and the entire series.