Page 32 of Valor (Long Hot Summer: Christian Romantic Suspense #2)

LANI

On my fourth cup of coffee for the day, I head over toward the nurses’ station to do a final check-in before I take a break for lunch. I’d spent two hours at my clinic this morning, and both appointments went beautifully.

But that’s where the glorious morning ended.

Ever since, it’s been puke, tears, more puke, and plenty of exhaustion. “Hey, Carla, how are things?”

“Looking good, Doc,” she says. “Patient in bed nine finally stopped trying to pull her IV out, so I’m calling it a win.”

I laugh. The woman in bed nine has been trying to get out of here since she was admitted with appendicitis yesterday. Despite having emergency surgery in the middle of the night, she believes she needs to get home so her neighbor doesn’t try and steal an—and I still can’t believe this—award-winning pothos plant.

Apparently, her neighbor offered to check on her plants and wouldn’t take no for an answer. She even sent our patient a selfie of her in the woman’s house this morning, standing in front of said plant.

“That’s a good thing. She should be out of here tomorrow,” I tell her after a quick peek at the chart.

“Good. I’ll let her know that.”

“Have any of the interviewees shown up yet?” We were supposed to have two scheduled for this afternoon, but I checked the breakroom on my way over here and there was no one inside.

Her expression says it all.

“They canceled again?”

She nods. “I’m sorry, honey, I know you’re worn out.”

“It’s so strange. Why apply if you’re just going to cancel?”

“I don’t know. Never seen anything like this before. I mean, we struggled to find someone before, but that’s because we’re a tiny town. This time, we have the applicants, but they never make it to the interview.”

“Well, here’s hoping God will send us the perfect candidate.”

“Amen to that, honey. You headed to lunch?”

I check my watch. Gibson will be here in fifteen minutes, and I look like a hot mess. “I’m going to change first. Not really interested in eating with puke splatter on my top. Page me if you need me.”

“You know I will. Go and enjoy your lunch.”

“Will do.”

The locker room consists of two separate bathrooms and showers. I grab my backpack from my locker, then head into the women’s bathroom to change and splash some water on my face.

I take a moment to pause in front of the mirror.

The dark circles beneath my eyes have gotten worse. Exhaustion pulls at every part of my body—something I have no time for. We will find someone to cover for Janet. And we will make it through this.

It’s just another trial.

God, please help me through this. Please send us who we need for this place, and guide me so I can remain strong and knowledgeable for my patients. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

* * *

Ten minutes later, I’m feeling a bit better as I step out of the locker room and head for the elevator. I press the button to call it up, then roll my neck. My shoulders are super tense thanks to passing out while I’d been going through patient charts last night after dinner.

Something my mom would have surely given me an earful over if she’d caught me. The doors open, and all that exhaustion just melts away at the sight of Gibson standing on the other side. “Well, well, well, Sheriff, you’re early.” I step onto the elevator.

Dressed in khakis, a blue button-down shirt, and black boots, Gibson looks absolutely gorgeous. Then again, he always does. His badge is on his belt, on the opposite side where his gun and handcuffs are holstered. And in his hand is a bag of mouthwatering food.

“I figured you could use sustenance sooner rather than later.”

“You have no idea.” The doors close, so I press the button to take us down to the lobby so we can eat outside beneath the bright sunlight of early summer. Nothing like some vitamin D from the sun to perk up a mood.

“I should tell you that your mother apparently told my mother that she’s worried you aren’t eating or sleeping enough. Since I can’t really help with the latter—aside from arresting and locking you in a cell until you do—I assured her I would make sure you’re eating.”

A bit of the joy I felt at seeing him deflates. For a second, I’d hoped he offered to bring me food because he wanted to. Not because he felt obligated. “So the burger offer was babysitting duty?”

He smiles, and the dimples on either side of his mouth are on full display. “Not exactly. I was planning to come see you anyway. I just get brownie points with our moms now.”

I roll my eyes. “As if you need brownie points with Mrs. Hunt. My mom already thinks you’re a superhero.”

“I’ll take all the brownie points I can get,” he jokes.

The doors open, so we step off and into the lobby. With how busy we were this morning, I half-expected there to be a check-in line. So when I see no one but security in his normal booth, I breathe a sigh of relief.

“You okay?”

I glance up at Gibson. “Doing great.”

He doesn’t respond, but I get the sense we’re not done talking about it just yet. I take the lead, heading out through the double doors and to the large fountain donated by our church. It’s one of my favorite places for many reasons, but the main reason is that it’s covered in Bible verses.

This is where I come when life gets heavy because it reminds me that God is always there. Even when I can’t see Him.

I walk around to the other side and slide onto the bench of a picnic table facing the fountain. Instead of sitting across from me, Gibson straddles the bench on the same side, so he’s facing me.

The move makes me ridiculously giddy even though I know he’s likely just wanting to see the fountain too. Still, he’s next to me, his thigh brushing mine.

He opens the bag. “All right. Double cheeseburger with lettuce, onions, ketchup, mustard, pepper jack cheese, and mayonnaise.”

“There are no words for how I’m feeling about you right now,” I say as I pluck the burger from him. “Seriously. Absolute adoration is not even close to the emotions I’m throwing your way.”

Laughing, he reaches back into the bag. “Extra fries and a container of disgusting sauce.” He slides them both over to me, and I laugh.

“It is not disgusting.”

“Oh, it is,” he replies. “No person in their right mind would add ketchup and mayonnaise into the same mixture and consider it a delicacy.”

“Don’t knock it till you try it, Sheriff.”

“I will die on that hill,” he replies with a laugh, then bows his head. I do the same. “Lord, we ask that You bless this food to nourish our bodies. Be with Lani today, and keep her strong as she helps people. Please watch over us. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

“Amen.” The fact that he prays for me is just another reason to love the man.

Oh, I am in so over my head.

“So, how are you doing? No barriers, Lani. I know you too well.”

I take a bite of my burger and nearly weep with delight, it’s so good. After washing it down with a bottle of water he pulled out of the bag for me, I set it aside and eat a fry. “I’m making it.”

“Lani. You’ve literally never complained about anything in your life.”

“Because there’s nothing to complain about,” I reply. “Things could be so much worse for me, Gibson.” I’d been adopted by the Hunts when I was two. Tommy Hunt found me wandering down the side of the road, hungry, crying, and wearing nothing but a diaper. My birth parents were both addicts and put me outside because they wanted to get high. “Knowing where I could be is humbling. I never want to take anything for granted.”

“But that doesn’t mean you aren’t allowed to be tired, Lani. You’re human, and right now you’re seeing your normal patients and working here at the hospital. That’s two full-time jobs. Plus we both know you haven’t stopped volunteering.”

I smile. “No, I haven’t.” I take another bite of my burger. “I have something to tell you too. Something I’m considering and want your opinion on.”

“Hit me with it.”

Gibson has always been so easy to talk to. Our moms have been close for most of their lives, so even though I was homeschooled and he wasn’t, Gibson and I remained best friends our entire lives.

He’s there for me whenever I need someone, and I’ve done the same for him.

“Once we find someone to replace Janet—two people, if we’re really lucky—I want to take a break and spend a summer with Doctors Without Borders. And if not them, then some organization where I get to help people who really need it, you know?”

He arches a brow. “Really?”

Nodding, I smile. “Is that dumb?”

“Why would that be dumb?”

“Because I have responsibilities here. I have a clinic.”

“So that means you can’t have a life outside of that? I think that would be an amazing thing to do. You could see some of the world on top of it. Even if I am selfish in that I don’t want you to leave.” He reaches up and brushes some of the hair behind my ear.

Butterflies dance in my stomach, flipping and twirling until I can’t even focus on my burger. “Then you should come with me. Be my personal security.”

He smiles. “Personal security?”

“Yeah. I mean, some of the places I’d likely go have hostile forces there. You could come and make sure I stay safe.” They have security organizations that help, my brothers being one of the teams who’ve offered aid from time to time. But the idea of having Gibson there makes me feel even better about it. “I know you have your job here though, so no pressure.” I take another bite of burger.

“I would love to go with you. With enough heads-up I can put someone in place to run the office while we’re gone.”

“You would really go with me?”

“There isn’t anywhere that I wouldn’t go for you,” he replies.

A moment passes between us as we sit here beneath the sun, a light breeze in the air. Is this what falling in love is? This soul-deep warmth that radiates through every single part of me?

Oh, who am I kidding. I’ve been in love with Gibson Lawson for longer than I can even remember. It’s just changed over the years. Moving from friendship into heart-stopping, I can’t imagine my life without him love.

I just need him to catch up.

I hate it, but there’s a darkness to Gibson that wasn’t there before. He’d been such a happy kid. Even when I left for college and we’d said our goodbyes, there was light in his gaze. But the moment I came back and saw what Kleo had left behind, I’d wanted to hunt her down and beat some sense into her.

Which, of course, is not the right way to look at it. But she’d destroyed my friend. Ripped away the light and replaced it with a heaviness that wasn’t there before.

I’ve been trying to get it back ever since.

And as we sit here, there’s a bit of that light coming back into his gaze.

I clear my throat. “So what do I owe you for the food, Sheriff?”

“Nothing. Consider it my contribution to keeping Lani Hunt on her feet. Besides, you spotted me a twenty in the seventh grade when I didn’t have lunch money on that field trip to the zoo.”

I eye him in amusement. “You remember that?”

“I remember everything,” he says, his tone suddenly taking on a much more serious tone.

My heart leaps. Could he be talking about—no. That was a long time ago. And it was one kiss we’d been dared to share. A moment that forever changed the way I saw my best friend. “Well, I guess that good memory comes in handy now that you’re an officer of the law.”

He chuckles. “Something like that.”

We spend a few minutes eating in silence, and every passing second rejuvenates my soul. “So, you said you were already planning to bring me lunch before your mom told you that my mom thinks I’m starving away to nothing. Any particular reason?”

“Oh, yeah.” He lifts a fry but sets it back down again. “Something’s been on my mind since Bradyn’s wedding.”

I arch a brow. “That was almost three years ago.”

“I know. And it’s also a lie.” He lets out a breath and runs a hand over the back of his neck. “Look, it’s been on my mind a lot longer than that, I’m just not quite sure how to bring it up.”

“Okay. Color me intrigued.” I take a drink from my water and give Gibson my full attention even as I try to keep my excitement from growing. Is this it? Is he finally going to take that step I’ve been trying to guide him toward?

The tips of his ears are pink, and his gaze keeps darting all around. He’s nervous. “I, uh—” He runs his hand over the back of his neck again, and the muscles of his biceps flex. I have to actively keep my attention away from them. The guy has definitely bulked up since joining the sheriff’s department. “I was thinking maybe we could get some food together.”

“We’re getting food together now,” I say, grinning like an idiot.

He eyes me in a frustrated Gibson way, and it only makes my smile grow. “Dinner. Just the two of us. Maybe tonight? If you’re not available, or not interested, I can?—”

“That sounds great.” Hope surges through me and my stomach flips, happy nerves dancing in my belly.

“Really?” His expression lights up like a kid on Christmas morning.

And so does mine.

“Absolutely.”

His smile falls a bit. “You know I’m asking you out on a date, right? Like, as in not eating together as friends, but perhaps seeing if there’s something more here?” He gestures between us. “I don’t want there to be any miscommunication that would lead to embarrassment of epic proportions.”

I laugh, feeling my own smile stretch so wide I’m genuinely concerned it’s going to stick that way. “Yes, Gibson. I understand it will be a date.”

“Okay, good.” The relief on his face is evident, and he lifts a fry to stick it in his mouth. “Glad we got that cleared up.”

“Me too. So where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise,” he replies. “You’ll just have to wait and see.”

* * *

“This is ridiculous. I am absolutely overthinking this.”

Kennedy laughs through the speaker of my phone, currently lying amidst an obscene amount of discarded clothes.

“Why did you have to go out of town today? It’s bad enough my brothers are gone. But you too?”

She laughs again. “Well, I wasn’t aware you were going to have a fashion crisis, and I don’t think they would be much help here.”

“No, they wouldn’t,” I admit. “But you should have known.” I groan and lie on the bed, plopping down on top of the clothes. “He’s going to be here in half an hour, and I have literally no idea what I’m going to wear.”

“You need to take a breath. This is Gibson we’re talking about. You two have known each other since diapers.”

“Thanks for that visual.”

“It’s true though. You were best friends all growing up, which means he knows you. The pressure isn’t on for this one. Impression has already been made. You can breathe.”

“Says you,” I mutter. “Okay. Fine. I’ll wear the green dress and heels.”

“Good. And wear your black cardigan over it. It’s super cute and will be dressy enough or casual depending on where he takes you.”

“Okay, thanks, love you, bye.” I end the call and push up to my feet. My reflection stares back at me from the mirror over my dresser. Black hair that has been washed and dried already but is still loose around my face.

I’ve never been one for makeup, but should I wear some tonight?

“You were best friends all growing up, which means he knows you.”

Exactly. How can she not see that that’s the problem? If I show up looking too casual, he’ll think I’m not taking the date seriously enough. But if I show up looking ridiculously overdressed, he’ll realize I’ve been in love with him for years and get scared off.

So where’s the balance?

I turn back toward my bed, my gaze landing on the green dress. The emerald fabric falls to my knees, the skirt loose and flirty. The bodice hugs, but not so much that I can’t breathe, and if I do as Kennedy said and add the black cardigan over the top, it would make it look just casual enough.

Okay. Done.

Green dress, strappy sandals instead of heels, black cardigan, hair braided, no makeup.

I check the clock. Twenty-two minutes to go. I can do this.