Trusting a Warrior (Loving a Warrior #3) - Melanie Hansen Page 0,47

a laugh, even as she dug her elbow into his side. “You’re weird. I don’t feel all that brave or anything, but whatever.”

Geo didn’t reply, but he left his arm where it was, and after a moment she let hers creep around his waist in return. Nestling against him, Lani soaked in his solid warmth, a shiver going through her at the sight of the little boats being buffeted by the cold, dark water.

“Did you hallucinate when you were going through it?” she asked curiously.

“Oh, fuck, yeah. I was convinced there was an evil clown following us. I kept shouting, ‘Better not come any closer, motherfucker!’”

She giggled.

“Another dude saw snakes crawling in and out of the boat, and this one guy swore he saw his mom’s face in the sky. I’d never met his mom, but when I looked at the sky, I saw her, too.” He shook his head. “Surreal.”

Her “geez” was hushed and heartfelt, and Geo said, “Sometimes, more times than I want to admit, the only thing that kept me going was the thought of Cade losing that bet. If it wasn’t for him, I probably would’ve f-failed—”

A sudden tremor went through him. Immediately he shook off her arm and turned his back, shoulders rising and falling as he sucked in a few ragged breaths. Lani stood frozen, aching to comfort him but unsure what he needed, or more importantly, what he’d accept. So she just waited, tummy in knots, until he finally faced her again, his eyes dry, jaw set.

“Ready to go?”

When she nodded, he strode off across the sand toward the parking lot, tension in every line of his body. She followed more slowly, a sneaking suspicion growing inside her, a worry that Geo wasn’t letting himself grieve for his friend.

Don’t make the same mistake I made, she pleaded with him silently. Don’t stuff it down and think it’s just going to go away.

By the time they reached his truck, he appeared composed. “Sorry about that,” he said, his tone discouraging any sympathy, any questions.

They rode in silence to her apartment, and as they turned into the parking lot, she ventured, “Geo, if you ever need to talk about it—”

“I’m good,” he interrupted. “That memory just caught me off guard, that’s all.”

“An ambush moment.”

“What?” He stopped in the middle of shoving his door open, his voice tight.

“That’s what my therapist calls those, the memories that sneak up on you like that. Ambush moments.”

“Hmmph.” Slamming his door, Geo trotted around to hand her from the truck, his touch gentle, but his eyes bleak, distant. They didn’t speak all the way up the stairs, and when she’d slid her key in the lock, she glanced up at him.

“Would you like to come in?”

He blinked, and for a moment she thought he was about to say yes. Then he shook his head. “I can’t.”

Disappointment shot through her, but she refused to let it show. “Okay. Well, thanks for taking me to meet Bosch. He’s amazing.”

A ghost of a smile touched his lips. “He is. And you’re welcome. I love showing him off.”

As he turned to go, she blurted, “If you ever want to talk, I’m here.”

Geo’s throat worked. Then he gave a terse nod, jogged down the steps, and was gone. Inside her apartment, Lani collapsed onto the couch, her thoughts in a jumble. Finally she struggled to her feet and into the kitchen to make tea. As she did, she caught sight of her journal. Pulling it to her, she picked up her pen.

It really is sad, she wrote, that a man can trust me enough to reveal one of the most intimate aspects of who he is, yet at the same time can’t bring himself to cry in front of me.

Her heart aching, she stared at her silent phone.

Boys do cry, Geo. Even SEALs.

Chapter Ten

“Fuck, fuck, fuck!”

Pounding the steering wheel with the heel of his hand, Geo inched forward, the red brake lights glowing over the horizon as far as the eye could see.

Goddammit, what he wouldn’t give for his bike right now. Adrenaline and speed, that’s what he needed, two things guaranteed to clear the mind and quiet unwanted emotions. Instead, he was trapped inside the cab of his truck with nowhere to go, no escape from the inexplicable anger boiling through him, along with crushing sadness, and guilt.

So much fucking guilt.

When his phone rang, he stabbed the Bluetooth button. “What?”

“Guess who’s in town?” The velvety smooth voice washed over him, and Geo smiled in