Last True Hero by Diana Gardin Read Free Book Online Page B

and stretch my wings. Staying in one place has never been my strong suit. You need a reason to stay. I’ve never had one.
    “Yeah, I know your habits, Dare. And I know something else. Old habits die hard, but yours need to change. This isn’t a life for anyone. Just moving from place to place all the time? That sucks. It was one thing when we had the army, but now…now things are different. And you need to make a change.”
    The A word isn’t necessarily something I want to discuss. Not right now. Maybe not ever. “I get antsy.”
    “That just means you haven’t found a reason to stay. Maybe Lone Sands will be different for you.” His voice turns more serious with each word he says. “Think about it…I kind of like having your ass around.”
    “Just my ass? Or do you want the rest of me to stay?”
    I duck as he chucks the TV remote at my head. Discharge or not, my reflexes still rival a freaking mountain lion’s, and he knows it.
    “What about you? You’ve got the garage, but is that all Lone Sands has to offer you? You’ve been living here for a while. You call this place home. Where’s the girl to come home to?”
    Drake and I will always be army brothers. Going through the daily hell that is Ranger training unifies us for life. He left the forces before I did, but our bond remained even when we were separated.
    “See you later, dude. Have fun on your date.”
    I smirk. So I hit a nerve with Drake when I brought up the fact that he’s single. I stockpile away that little piece of ammunition for later.
    “It’s not a date,” I throw back over my shoulder as I walk out the front door.
    I can’t be anything but honest with myself as I drive to See Food. I want this to be a date. I know it’s not, but damn do I wish it was. And maybe it can be. Maybe I can grow into a man that’s good enough to take a girl like Berkeley out on a date.
    The restaurant envelops me in a welcome blast of cool air as I walk inside, and my eyes immediately start to rove. I’m searching for blond hair that always looks a little windswept and tousled, a body that I always guess would fit just right tucked beneath mine, a face that could stop traffic, and legs that don’t quit. When I see her, standing at a table near the back of the place, my whole body vibrates with a sigh of relief and a hum of straight-up arousal. Goddamn.
    I wait, leaning against the hostess stand, unsure if I should sit on the bench up here or just go back out to my truck. She finishes refilling the table’s drinks and heads back toward the front, pulling her phone out of the pocket of her little black apron. The army green shorts she wears are barely covered by the length of the apron, and I can’t stop my eyes from raking over her generous curves as she approaches.
    When she looks up, her eyes captivate mine, and I swear, they light up. Like I’m a sight for sore eyes, or exactly the person she wanted to see standing here. The thought sends hope sizzling through my chest, landing like an arrow in the center of my heart.
    “Hey, you,” she says as she approaches.
    All I can do is smile down at her. Something tells me there won’t be a time that she’s walking toward me that I’ll be able to do anything else.
    “Hey,” I answer. “I like your shorts. The color can’t be a coincidence.”
    “It’s not.” A stunning pink tinge creeps into her cheeks.
    “A nod for me, huh?” I widen my stance, shoving my hands in my pockets.
    “Just wanted you to know I was thinking about you.”
    Those long lashes actually fluttered at me with that statement, and a sudden epiphany strikes. What if this girl is really an evil vixen siren who places a spell on all the men she meets? I’ve never been into that fantasy or sci-fi shit, but suddenly staring at this girl and all the impossible beauty that never seems to end, I’m a newfound believer.
    I lean in closer, and use my index finger to beckon her to do the same. When my lips are only inches from her