Page 97 of Trusting a Warrior

Her heart aching, she thought again about her friend Suzette, and how hard it’d be for her to see Cade’s death in the same light as Harry’s.

“I’m happy to go.” Pulling his head down, she kissed him softly. “Thank you for asking me.”

A relieved sigh escaped him, and he pressed their foreheads together. “You are, hands down, the most incredible person I’ve ever met. I wish...”

When his jaw tightened, she smoothed her thumb along it, tears pricking the backs of her eyes. “I wish, too,” she managed.

With twin sighs, they settled down, her back to his front, his knees tucked up behind hers. Before long, he was asleep, his soft snores rumbling comfortingly in her ear. Lani lay awake, staring into the darkness, thoughts in a tangle.

Could they make this work? How could they make this work?

Geo twitched, his hand splaying low over her belly. As if in response, the baby moved, the sensation sharper than she’d ever felt it. She gasped, on the verge of waking Geo to tell him about it when she caught herself.

It’s not his child.

Does it matter? she argued silently. He’s invested, both in me and this pregnancy.

Sure. It’s easy to be invested when the baby is an abstract, not a living, breathing reminder of another man.

Geo’s not like that, she scolded her inner voice. He’s not the type of person who’d hold anything against an innocent child.

But he’d be gone so much. Would they ever get to bond? You don’t want your child to have a part-time father.

A father whose first priority—first love—would always be his job, his teammates. And besides, when had he said anything about wanting more? Could she really see him as a dad?

Try as she might, Lani couldn’t picture it. She and Geo would always want different things, and when it was time to move on, they’d both move on.

Eyes stinging, she stroked the back of his hand, whispering, “But damn, you do throw one hell of a party.”

Chapter Twenty-One

I wonder if anyone will show.

Geo gripped the steering wheel, his stomach in knots.

Next to him, Lani sat quietly, a container of cookies on her lap. In the backseat was a large cooler holding the variety of sandwiches she’d insisted on getting up early to make.

“They’ll bring the beer, so someone’s gotta bring the food,” she’d said jokingly.

He was just afraid no one would show up to eat it.

As he wound his way deeper into the pleasant Chula Vista neighborhood, his anxiety grew. He wanted this for Renae, wanted to show her that there were those in the community still there for her.

He glanced at Lani, the uncomfortable truth making him squirm. He wouldn’t even be here now if it hadn’t been for her gentle encouragement. If it’d been left up to him, he would’ve kept his head buried in the sand, would’ve kept on running.

And missed out on so much.

Reaching over, he took her hand and threaded their fingers together. No matter what happened between them, she’d touched his life in ways he’d never forget.

One last gradual curve, and Renae’s house came into view. Geo gasped, his hand tightening on Lani’s. Lining the curb on each side of the street were several large pickups and more than a couple of motorcycles.

Team guys milled on the sidewalk dressed in jeans and T-shirts, some in loud-patterned board shorts and tank tops, all of them boisterous and—he rolled his eyes—holding cases of beer.

“Told you!” Lani crowed with a triumphant smirk. “I think it’s going to be all right.”

As soon as they got out of the car, Matt jogged up, and he and Geo bumped knuckles before flowing into a back-slapping hug. “You really came through, man,” Geo said fervently. “Thank you.”

Matt grinned. “You’re welcome.” He turned to Lani, eyes widening. “Well, hey there, bartender lady. Remember me?”