Hero By Night (Independence Falls 3)

Georgia held up the first pair.

“Wow,” Lena said. “Those are bright.”

“April is a long time to wait.” Katie filled her wineglass from the bottle they’d brought out to the patio. “What happened to December?”

“The dress,” Lena said.

Katie smiled. “It gives me more time to plan the bachelorette.”

“The coed backyard barbecue, right?” Georgia sank into a chair beside Katie, accepting a glass of wine. “No surprises. And no goats.”

Katie laughed. “No livestock. But don’t be surprised if you’re not the first one down the aisle.”

“Liam proposed?” Georgia said, her brown eyes widening. “My brother asked you to marry him?”

“No, but we’ve been talking about running away to Vegas for the weekend and just doing it.”

“We’re coming too. And your brothers.” Georgia turned to her. “Don’t tell me you and Chad are secretly planning to elope too. Another trip to city hall maybe?”

“No.” Lena lowered the chocolate bar. “We ended things. About a week ago.”

“That explains why my brother promised to clean the horse stalls for a week if I delivered a note to you.” Katie set her wineglass on the blue stone patio and reached for her purse, withdrawing a small folded piece of paper. “I was so excited to hear about the wedding plans I almost forgot.”

Katie handed the piece of paper to Lena, adding, “I was tempted to peek inside, but I didn’t. Promise.”

“Chad sent you another love note?” Georgia said. “I always thought you brought out the best in him.”

“Another?” Katie reclaimed her wineglass.

Lena unfolded the paper, her focus on the words, not Georgia’s explanation of the gas receipt note she’d delivered at the gun range.

You’re not the only one who doesn’t give up. Maybe you don’t feel ready now. But when you are, I’ll be waiting. And the rules stand. I’ve always respected your boundaries and I always will. Take the time you need. Find your strength. Your kisses, your heart, and your love—­I’d wait forever for those, beautiful.

She stared at the paper, reading the words a second time. After she’d walked out of his life, he still refused to give up on her. He continued to offer her the time and space she needed to heal.

“But I don’t want to wait,” she murmured.

“Wait for what?” Georgia asked.

Lena looked up at her friends. “Chad. He said he’d wait until I felt ready for us. To be part of an ‘us.’ But I don’t want to wait.”

Chad helped her every step of the way. He’d witnessed her bone-­deep need to succeed, to find her way forward—­and he’d helped her get there. She’d bargained for a physical relationship, at night, when they were alone. But he’d given her so much more.

He’d opened her eyes, with his charming smile, his sexy notes, and his humor, and made her see that every little moment of panic was not a sign of failure. It was part of who she was now.

“At the medal ceremony, I let my fear win,” she said, forcing herself to face the raw truth. “I was afraid I wasn’t enough for him—­”

“Georgia!” Eric Moore’s voice boomed from the sliding doorway.

Lena dropped the note, the words “but maybe I am” frozen on her tongue. Together, the three of them stood, focusing on Eric’s serious expression.

Oh no, Lena thought as his gaze settled on Katie.

“Georgia, I need you to stay with Nate,” Eric said, his tone dead serious. “Katie, can you get ahold of Brody?”

Katie nodded, slipping her phone out of her pocket. “Is Josh OK?” she asked, her voice wavering.

“It’s not Josh.” Eric hesitated, his gaze moving from one woman to the next as if debating how much to tell them. “I got a call from the harvest site. They can’t get the helicopter off the ground because someone is pointing a gun at the pilot.”