Page 30 of Valor (Long Hot Summer: Christian Romantic Suspense #2)

LANI

Four Days Earlier

“I think that looks perfect.” I study the plans spread out over my parents’ kitchen table, grinning widely as I take in every detail of what will eventually be a house.

My house. Complete with a beautiful greenhouse and a coop full of chickens. I’ll have forty or fifty of those feathery dinosaurs. I can’t wait.

“You like it?” my dad asks.

In response, I wrap my arm around his waist. “I love it, Dad. You knocked it out of the park on this one. Honestly, you missed your calling. You should have been an architect.”

He chuckles. “Designing homes for my kids is good enough for me.”

“Well, there’s always this as a fallback if the whole rancher thing doesn’t work out.” I hip-bump him, and he laughs.

“What’s so funny?” my mother asks as she strolls into the dining room, looking too beautiful for a simple Saturday afternoon. She always does though. Her graying hair is in a thick braid draped over her shoulder, and her expression is bright, her blue eyes full of love every moment of every day.

“Lani was just telling me I have a career as an architect to fall back on if the ranch doesn’t pan out.”

“I’ve been telling you that for years, Tommy Hunt. Have you eaten?” she asks me.

“Not yet. I was hoping my mother would take pity on her poor daughter and feed me. I could starve to death otherwise.”

She laughs. “You know I will always take pity on you. I’m making tacos, that sound okay?”

“It sounds more than okay. Can I help?”

“Nope. You relax and take a load off. You’ve been working too hard these days.”

“Is it really work when you love what you do?” I pour myself a glass of sweet tea from the pitcher she always keeps in the fridge. Since my five brothers are here drinking it nearly every day, she’s constantly refreshing it. This new batch is even still a bit warm, so I grab some ice from the freezer and drop the cubes in.

“You still need sleep, honey. Ever since Janet went on maternity leave at the hospital, you’re back to pulling double shifts there and at the clinic. It’s bound to wear on you.”

“I’ll be fine. We’ll have hired a replacement by then.” Hopefully. I spent months pulling double shifts between the clinic I opened in town and the hospital before we were able to find Janet to take over the vacant position in our little Texan town. But now that she’s on maternity leave, everyone we bring in for an interview cancels on us last minute.

It’s driving me bananas because my mom is right—I am tired. Exhausted, really. It’s just me and Doctor Alan Pierce running the entire hospital. Alternating day and night shifts to ensure it’s covered.

“Alan is helping as much as he can. But he can only work so many hours.”

“So can you,” she replies pointedly. “And you already put your clinic on pause once for the hospital.”

“I don’t have a family to take care of on top of the crazy hours. He does.”

She eyes me, her concerned-mother look turning to one of amusement. “And why is that, I wonder? Still not willing to open yourself up to a certain sheriff?”

“Whoa, sheriff?” my dad asks. “As in Gibson? When did this happen?”

“It hasn’t happened yet,” my mom replies. “That’s the point.”

I roll my eyes. “Gibson and I are just friends, Mom. We’ve been friends for years.”

“But you could?—”

“Mom. Please. I really don’t want to go there.” It’s been years since I was in med school and got the notice that he’d eloped with a girl we went to high school with. My heart broke that day, and although I’ve dated on and off, I never found anyone who made me feel even half of what he does.

Even if he’ll never know it.

They divorced a few years back, after she cheated on him and ran off with someone else. I’d been furious on his behalf and still can’t understand why she’d do that to him. Gibson is everything. He’s kind, strong, protective—and the most supportive person I’ve ever met.

“I like Gibson,” my dad says. “I approve.”

“There is nothing to approve of, Dad. Mom is off her rocker.”

He laughs. “Well, if ever there is something to approve of, Gibson is a good man.”

“Please stop. Both of you. Or I’ll go home and starve instead of stay for tacos.” It’s an empty threat. And one they probably both recognize.

But my mom concedes anyway. “Okay, fine. I’ll drop it. For now.”

“Thank you. Are the boys coming to dinner?” I question, hoping I’ll have buffers if my brothers and their wives will all come to distract my mother from her matchmaking.

“Not tonight. They’re all prepping for their training trip tomorrow morning.” The doorbell rings. “You go sit and enjoy your tea. I’ll get that.” She heads out of the kitchen, so I eye my dad, who shrugs.

“Don’t look at me.”

“We’re friends, Dad.”

“Got it.” He grins at me.

“Look who’s here. What a delightful coincidence!” my mother announces as she comes back into the kitchen with Sheriff Gibson Lawson right behind her. My brothers and I always joked that when our mother was up to something, you could see the trouble reflected in her eyes. And right now, paired with a wide smile, is the trouble, bright and shining in her blue eyes.

My heart jumps when I see him as warmth spreads through my veins. This man. Will he ever stop stealing my breath?

Wearing dark jeans, worn boots, and a button-down black shirt, he offers a smile and a wave. “Mrs. Hunt said there’s tacos on the menu. I hope it’s okay if I intrude.”

“You’re not intruding,” my dad says. “Come and sit. Lani, can you get him some sweet tea?”

“I can.” I stand, eyeing both of my parents as I do.

My mother, who has conveniently started cooking her homemade tortillas, is on the other side of the kitchen right where the glasses are. So, I lean in. “Really, Mom? How did you plan this?”

“I know you can’t turn down taco night,” she says with a grin. “And as it turns out, Gibson had no plans, either.”

“What a coincidence.” I get a glass down from the cabinet above her as she smiles innocently at me.

“I thought so.”

“You know, if I didn’t love you so much, I’d be mad.”

“But you do love me so much. And I love you. So, go enjoy dinner with your friend. ”

After filling the tea glass, I head back to the table and take my seat beside Gibson. We’ve been friends forever, so the seat choice only makes sense. Except the more time passes, the harder it gets to keep that friend line drawn.

Especially when I want so much more.

“Here you go, Sheriff,” I say, handing him his glass.

“Thanks, Doctor Hunt.”

I smile. “So tell me, any big police chases in town today?”

“I did have to get a kitten out of Mrs. Norris’s tree earlier.”

“Again?” I ask. The woman’s cat gets stuck at least twice a week.

“Third time this week.”

Make that three times a week.

“You’d think she’d just stop letting the thing outside.”

“According to her, the cat has figured out how to get out all by herself.”

“Sure she has.” I laugh.

“How about you? Any big doctor stuff happen recently? Medical emergencies?”

“A couple broken arms,” I tell him. “It is spring and all. Kids getting back outside and climbing onto things they shouldn’t be climbing onto.”

“Like the roof of a barn?” he asks, arching a brow.

I glare at him. “That was one time. And Dylan dared me to do it.”

“If Dylan dared you to jump off a bridge, would you?”

I shrug. “Honestly, I probably would have.”

He laughs. “I knew it as soon as I asked.”

My dad’s phone rings, so he pulls it out of his pocket and presses it to his ear. “Hello? Yeah. Be right there.” After ending the call, he stands. “I’ll be back in thirty minutes or so. Bradyn needs help in the barn.”

“Sounds good, honey!” my mom calls out to him as he heads toward the front door. I glance back as she returns her attention to the tortillas.

Honestly, it could be staged, and a part of me wants to call Bradyn just to be sure. But then I’d waste the time I have sitting here with Gibson. And as badly as I want to call my mom out for matchmaking, I’m also grateful for it.

Because he’s held my heart most of our lives.

* * *

“Dinner was delicious, Mrs. Hunt. Thank you for the invitation.”

“You know you are more than welcome anytime, Gibson,” she tells him as she wraps her arms around him in a big hug. “You’re family too. And tell your mom I expect her here with you next time.”

He laughs. “Yes, ma’am.” Gibson turns to my father and offers him a handshake. “Mr. Hunt. Thanks for having me.”

“What Ruth said, Gibson. You come over anytime.” He releases his hand. “I’m going to get cracking at these dishes. Lani, will you walk Gibson out?”

“I was planning on it,” I reply, shooting them both a glare that will hopefully let them know I know what they’re up to. The troublemakers. “Shall I escort you out, Sheriff?”

He smiles, and my heart somersaults. “I’d like that, Dr. Hunt.”

We walk to the door in silence, then step out onto the porch. The moon is high tonight, illuminating our ranch in a beautiful silver glow. Horses graze in pasture, the weather too good to put them up even at night.

Man, it’s been so long since I had the chance to ride. It’s one of the reasons I’m so excited to move out here. I’ll have—hopefully—more time to ride. I glance up at Gibson. He’s honestly the big reason I waited so long to start my house.

I’d been hoping he’d make a move. That he felt the same as me, and maybe our future held dating, marriage, and building our home together. But here I stand, mid-thirties, and we’re still just friends.

“Dinner was great,” he says again.

“It was.” I turn to face him. “Busy day tomorrow?”

“Likely about the same as today,” he replies. “You?”

“Hoping it’s a slow one. I have a couple of my usual patients coming into the clinic first thing in the morning, and then I have to be at the hospital by nine to take over for Dr. Pierce so he can take his son to the dentist.”

“Any chance you’ll be able to stop working such crazy hours anytime soon?”

“One can dream,” I reply with a soft smile.

Seconds tick by in silence as we both look out over the ranch, and I try to find a way to tell him just what’s on my mind. But how do you tell your best friend that you’re desperate for more? Especially when he’s already had his heart broken once?

“Well, I better get going,” he says. “I’ve got a date with the gym first thing in the morning, then I have a meeting with the mayor to talk traffic control for the high school’s fundraising carnival next month.”

“Sounds fun. Thanks for coming tonight. It was nice. Kinda like old times.”

He smiles. “It was. I miss coming over and hanging out. You know, with you.”

My heart flips in my chest, and warmth spreads through my stomach. Can he seriously not see the hearts in my eyes? “Same. Seems we both just grew up and now there’s all these responsibilities in the way.”

He laughs. “Isn’t that the truth. It seems like forever ago we were stuffing our faces with junk food and watching old black-and-white movies in your parent’s living room.”

I still remember being seventeen and watching Casablanca , all while wishing so badly that he would lean in and kiss me. Just once. And not because of some dare, but because he wanted to. Because he felt what I did—that we were made for each other.

“Maybe we need to have a repeat of that. For old times’ sake,” I say with a smile. “Junk food and old movies.”

“That sounds like a fantastic night to me,” he replies. “Put me down for it whenever you have time.” Gibson wraps an arm around me and pulls me in for a hug, I go willingly, wrapping both of mine around his waist and just holding on for as long as is appropriate, given we’re just friends.

But, man I’d love to hold on longer.

“Goodnight, Lani.”

“Night, Gibson.”

He pulls away and waves as he heads down the porch toward his truck. I lean against the porch railing and try not to stare as he drives away.

“I think you’re going to have to take the first step with that one,” my mom calls from the front door.

I turn toward her. “Seriously, Mom? Nosy much?”

She shrugs. “I was merely coming to see if you had left yet.”

I cross my arms and cock my head to the side. “You know I haven’t left yet because my purse is still hanging in the entryway.”

“Is it?” She feigns innocence. “Well, since you haven’t left yet, how about a cup of tea before you hit the road?”

With a laugh, I head for the door. “You know, I love you, but you’re going to make me crazy.”

“Good. Maybe I’ll make you just crazy enough you’ll be willing to take a bit of a risk on that boy.”