Page 106 of Valor

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 literallynevercomplained 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?”

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