Sara Stone - Full Exposure

Georgia’s nightmares, his misplaced desire to do what he thought was right for her—those were excuses. That wasn’t why he let her walk out of his life. He’d been so damn worried she couldn’t be the person he required in his life that he hadn’t stopped to ask if he could be the man she needed in hers.

And he wasn’t. Not if he walked away at the slightest sign of trouble.

“Do you want Nate to grow up like that?” Liam pressed. “Do you want to watch your nephew’s heart break when Georgia falls apart and runs away? Because it is only a matter of time, man. She’s not the same person she was. We both know that. She’s barely holding it together, moving from one rush to another. That’s all you were, man, another high.”

“Enough,” Eric said firmly. “We were wrong to keep this from you. But don’t you dare think less of Georgia. This wasn’t about her finding another adrenaline hit.”

“Yeah,” Liam said with a grim laugh. “Keep telling yourself that.”

“She went through hell, and she kept going. She’s not weak, Liam.”

“What about you?” Liam challenged. “Have you moved beyond your past? Because if you haven’t, you had no right to touch Georgia.”

“No, I haven’t,” he said, meeting Liam’s intense stare. “And you’re right, I should have stayed away. But I’ve cared for your sister for most of my life. I’ve wanted her for so long, and I knew what was at stake if I ever made a move.”

Eric looked out the window at the pond. He could still picture Georgia poised to dive into the cold depths. “These past couple of weeks, I couldn’t resist falling for her. I’ve never met a woman whose beauty ran so deep. Her courage, her sense of duty, her passion for living—Georgia is amazing inside and out. I love her. So much it scares me.”

Liam folded his arms across his chest. “If you loved her so damn much, why’d you let her leave?”

“She is facing her demons head-on. But that doesn’t mean they are gone. I was trying to do what is best for her. And for Nate.”

And for himself. He’d been fighting hard to keep his heart safe. He’d thought if she could just commit to him. But she had, and he still couldn’t believe she wouldn’t walk away.

“But I fucked up,” he said.

“Yeah, you did.” Liam shook his head and opened the front door to the bright late summer day. “Not that it’s worth much, but I still want your word you’ll keep your hands off her.”

Eric nodded. “You have it.”

“Good.” Liam gave a curt nod. “And I don’t give a damn about the outcome of the investigation. You can consider this my resignation.”

Eric watched his best friend walk out of his life, slamming the door behind him. Slowly, because every inch of his body was crying out in pain, he turned to the freezer. Opening the door, he pulled out a bag of peas and held it up to his jaw. He’d deserved every hit, but that didn’t mean it hurt any less.

By the time you were sixteen, you believed everyone who said they loved you would walk away.

Eric closed his eyes. Liam’s words felt like one of Georgia’s arrows spiraling toward a target, hitting home and hurting more than the damage his best friend had done with his fists. And knowing he’d just let the woman he loved walk out of his life without a fight because he was afraid? That was the hit that drained the air from his lungs, leaving him leveled and heartbroken. Part of him wanted to go after her, but hell, after today?

“I don’t deserve her.”

GEORGIA LAY ON Katie’s bed, staring up at the pink horses dancing across the ceiling. She’d fought for what she wanted, faced her fears, and opened her heart. But it wasn’t enough.

“Are you OK?” Katie stood in the doorway to her bedroom, dressed in her cowboy hat and jeans. Her friend had been out riding while Georgia lay here wallowing.

“You know, it’s funny,” Georgia said, sitting up on the four-poster bed fit for a nine-year-old little girl, not her twenty-something friend. “I feel more broken now than I did when I first returned home from Afghanistan. I just feel empty.”

Katie came in, pulling the door closed behind her, and sat on the edge of the bed. “Have you talked to him?”

“Only a few words here and there when I arrive in the morning and again when he gets home at night. Nothing more than whether Nate ate breakfast or took a nap.”

“You should,” Katie said. “He’s probably hurting too. And you should call your brother.”

Georgia flopped back on the bed, returning her attention to the horse wallpaper. “Did Liam stop by again?”

“Yeah, but my brothers chased him away.” Katie set her hat on the wooden dollhouse in the corner.

“That was nice of them.”

Katie crawled up on the bed beside her. “Trust me, it was their pleasure.”

“You know, I’ve never understood why they don’t like Liam,” Georgia said. “They’ve always been friendly with Eric.”

“They had a fight,” Katie said. “Years ago. My brothers are good at holding a grudge. It’s a family trait. Even if they liked him, they’d keep him away for you. They don’t know the details. And I don’t plan to tell them. But they know you’re hurting.”

“Because I spend all my free time holed up in your room staring at your wallpaper?”

Katie laughed. “Yeah. That’s part of it.”

“I know I can’t stay here forever. Tomorrow I’ll start looking for an apartment.” Georgia rolled to her side and propped up her head with her hand. “You could move in with me. Live in a room that isn’t decorated for an elementary school student. And your three brothers wouldn’t be down the hall.”

“Tempting, but I need to live close to my horses. I don’t plan to move until I have enough saved to take them with me. If that day ever comes, and that’s a big if given my measly salary from the company, I’m going far away, not an apartment in town,” Katie said. “And I’m still hoping you’ll work things out with Eric.”

Georgia sighed. “I think you’re the only one.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” Katie said. “You should have a little faith in him. He lost his best friend and the woman he loves in a single morning. Give him a few days to get his act together.”

“He’s not in love with me.” If he was, he’d fight for her, wouldn’t he? Love and life—those were worth fighting for, no matter what the circumstances. They were so lucky to have the opportunity to fall in love, to have found each other. Why couldn’t he see that?

“He’s just scared. We all are sometimes,” Katie said.

Georgia stared at a purple horse. “If he’s scared,” she said slowly, “it’s not for himself. He’s afraid for Nate’s sake. He would give up everything to do what he believes is right for that little boy.”

“He’s wrong,” Kate said quickly.

“I know. But if I were in his shoes, faced with a person struggling with nightmares and memories that scare me to my core, I’d probably do the same thing. I know I’m strong enough to move past it all. But for him? It’s a gamble. One he’s not in a position to make without risking Nate.”

Georgia closed her eyes. “That makes me love him even more. I told Eric the other night that I don’t need a hero. And I don’t. But that little boy does. He needs Eric to be his hero and stand up for what he believes is in the kid’s best interest.”

Katie took hold of her hand and squeezed it. “Pushing you away? That’s not what’s right for Nate. One day he is going to figure that out.”

“Maybe.” Georgia wasn’t so sure. Eric’s moral compass saw the world in black and white. And believing in her—that choice was squarely in the gray column.

ERIC SAT AT the kitchen table staring at the private investigator’s findings. Neither the DOF or the team he’d hired had determined the fire’s point of origin, but his guy had uncovered something that changed the entire investigation. Forty-eight hours had passed since his fight with Liam, but Eric couldn’t keep this information from him. It didn’t matter that it was late, practically the middle of the night. He had to call.

He punched the numbers into his cell. It rang and then went to voice mail.

“Hey, it’s Eric. I thought you might like to know that the private investigator discovered that the anonymous tip the DOF received? It was placed by B&B Trucking. The day we fired them. I’m passing this information along to Caroline Smith. Should put you in the clear. And for what it is worth, I’m sorry I doubted you.”

Eric ended the call and set the phone down on the kitchen table. He had a feeling it was only a matter of time before Liam was cleared of any wrongdoing. Determining where the fire started would help. He hoped that Caroline would have that key piece of the puzzle by tomorrow’s meeting. But knowing how something started didn’t change the outcome. Liam could have played by the rules and still missed a smoldering spark let off by a chainsaw. Sometimes it came down to human error.

Eric knew what had pushed him from friends to lovers with Georgia. One dropped towel on his bedroom floor combined with years of love and longing. Knowing that didn’t change the fact he had no idea what to do next. The uncertainty, not knowing which was the correct path, ate at him day and night.

“Uncle Eric?” Nate appeared in the doorway, wearing his train pajamas and dragging his froggie.

Eric pushed back from the table and crossed to his nephew, crouching in front of him. “What’s up, buddy? I thought you were asleep.”

“I woke up.” He rubbed his eyes with his free hand. “I need to make a sign.”

“Can it wait until the morning?”

“No.” The way he said that one word left little room for argument. “I need to do it now. Can you get my markers?”