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“Ready?” She smiled at the tender warmth of his voice.

She nodded her head. “Ready.”

She thought she caught sight of his smile out of the corner of her eye and she turned her head.

BUCK

He saw her head move and turned to look at her.

They caught each other’s attention and for a moment, time seemed to stand still.

He watched as her smile softened and a tender look crossed her features.

As one, they let go of her lantern and the water gently pulled the wooden base from their hands.

As they straightened, they moved closer to each other and Buck wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Around them, his team were watching the lanterns slowly drift in the waters of Kaneohe Bay.

Just months ago they were also floating in those waters.

Some unconscious.

Some bleeding.

And yes, some of them dead.

This was a moment for all of them.

A moment with different meanings.

A moment where they could come to grips with the losses they’d suffered and remember those that they’d lost too early.

“Excuse me.”

Buck turned to look toward the voice, and he saw a young woman standing a few feet away.

“Are you Heath? Heath Derringer?”

With the moon glazing the water closer to the horizon, he couldn’t quite see the woman’s features, but there was enough light to see the shape of her face and guess the color of her hair.

“Yes,” his throat was dry and as he spoke, his voice seemed to scratch against he sides of his throat. “That’s me.”

She put out her hand and took a step closer. “I’m Anna. Anna Emanuel.”

As soon as he’d heard her first name, Heath knew who she was.

He reached out and took her hand. “You’re Chicago’s sister.”

She nodded and it looked like she attempted a smile. “Thank you,” she drew in a deep breath. “Thanks for everything you did to get Chicago’s things home to us. When it all happened,” she pulled in a breath. “When we lost him, the family struggled. A lot.”

He felt Mari step to the side, freeing his other arm.

He reached out and held Anna’s hand between his. “I meant it when I said you all could call me or email. Whatever you need.”

She lowered her hand and he let it go, watching as she turned her head to look at some of the other team members.

When she looked back at him, he could see the glimmer of tears on her lashes where the moonlight reached. “I met with Pallas this afternoon as soon as my flight came in. He had such wonderful things to say about my brother. I’m sure some of them are even true.”