Chapter 24

TWENTY-FOUR

NOVEMBERS IN TEXAS might be her new favorite thing. Lahela tipped her head back against the Adirondack chair and soaked in the sun shining from the bright blue sky. She closed her eyes and breathed in the blended country scent of the animals grazing in the nearby field and the smoky scent drifting from the BBQ pit.

Briggs was right. There was something cathartic about being in the natural beauty of the country. And in the two weeks since the incident, Lahela had quietly enjoyed the solitude at Briggs’s family ranch.

“You okay, Sis?”

Solitude that included her big brother checking on her every five minutes.

Lahela opened her eyes, shielding them from the sun, and pinned a stare on Kekoa. “You’re worse than Mom and Dad.”

“Psh, you’re lucky I’m the only one here.” Kekoa dropped into the empty chair next to her. “Garcia had to keep Lyla from coming with me.” He squinted like he was searching the distant terrain. “Can’t be certain she’s not got eyes out there somewhere.”

“Are you serious?”

“The whole team was worried about you.” He eyed her. “All of them were ready to come down here, but you know Lyla always takes it to the next level.”

Lahela laughed because he was right. Lyla was the feistiest of Kekoa’s team, but it meant a lot that all of them had accepted her as part of their ‘ohana. Her eyes moved to where Daphne, Briggs, and Nash were huddled around the smoker.

Each of them had accepted her in the same way. Become her ‘ohana here in Texas and didn’t leave her side when things got hard.

“They’re good people, Sis,” Kekoa said like he’d read her mind. “‘Ohana.”

“I know.” And she did, but that didn’t just fix her fear that one day they’d leave her. “You know, when you left Hawai‘i after Ikaia died, you didn’t just leave Mom and Dad. You left Makalena and me too. I know it was hard for you. Extra hard, but when you left ... it made me afraid I was going to lose everyone I loved.”

Kekoa swallowed and he twisted his gaze away from her, wiping his eyes. “I’m sorry, Sis. I never meant to hurt you or make you afraid.”

She reached over and squeezed his giant hand, grateful he was here.

AFTER DINNER, Briggs walked her to the fence by the horse pasture. “I know you’re thinking about leaving and I don’t want to pressure your decision, but I do want to make sure you have all of the facts before you decide.”

Lahela was about to interrupt him, but he twisted to face her, tipped up his Stetson, and had such a purposeful look in his eyes that she wanted to hear what he had to say.

“We need you. You’ve told me that you’re afraid of being a needy friend, but the truth is we’re the needy ones. Daph, Nash, and me.”

“What are you talking about?” She hadn’t meant for her question to come out on a half laugh of disbelief, but she couldn’t help it.

Briggs took her hand in his and spun her so she could see where Daphne, Nash, and Kekoa were talking and laughing at the picnic table.

“Have you noticed that Daphne doesn’t have any girlfriends besides you? She’s got her older brothers, Fish and Finn. Me. And Nash. She doesn’t have girlfriends because once upon a time—”

“She was teased about being a tomboy,” Lahela finished for him, remembering the story Daphne confessed to her a few months into their friendship. Those childhood friends had scared Daphne into believing something was wrong with her because she would rather ride horses, watch football, and not gossip about boys. “I think she’s perfect.”

“That’s just it. You’ve shown her that she doesn’t need to change who she is to have a girlfriend. And she definitely needed one to discuss all of the things us boys are not equipped to handle.” He gave a little shudder and Lahela hid her smile. “And Nash. He’s a workaholic, but for some reason he’s made hanging out with us for taco night a priority. You’ve brought joy and fun back to his life. And Finn and Fish, well, I go back to the whole girl-talk thing.”

Lahela faced him. “And you?”

Briggs inhaled deeply, his eyes falling to their intertwined fingers before meeting her gaze. “I thought leaving the police department in Dallas and moving home would help me find my place. I’ve always had this idea of what my life was going to look like. It was like a puzzle and all I had to do was keep adding pieces to complete the picture, but it began feeling like I was forcing the pieces. No matter what I accomplished or how I grew in faith or where I moved, the big picture still felt incomplete ... until I met you. You are the light and the joy and the fun I didn’t know I was missing. You are a piece of my puzzle, Lahela.”

He gently pulled her closer, closing the space between them as he stared down at her.

“I need you because you are the piece that begins the picture of the life I want.”

Lahela’s heart danced beneath her ribs. She was falling in love with this man. “So I’m like an edge piece because those are the most important pieces of the puzzle, right?”

Briggs smiled and she couldn’t help letting her gaze fall to his lips. “Yeah. You’re the piece I want to finish the puzzle with. Only you. Please don’t leave.”

“One thing you should know about me, Briggs. I love puzzles and I’ve never left one unfinished.”

His eyes lifted to hers, a fire in them that matched the one warming her entire body. She leaned into him and closed her eyes, anticipating the gentle touch of his lips on hers and then—

Clapping. Slow clapping that was painfully recognizable. Brothers.

“Bruh, that was epic.”

Briggs groaned and pulled back, his eyes still on her. “When does he fly back to DC?”

“This should get him on a plane quickly.” She tugged Briggs by the collar, removed his Stetson, and pressed her lips against his.

Briggs deepened the kiss, clearly understanding the assignment. And maybe Kekoa made a gagging noise and maybe she heard him scrambling to get away, but she didn’t care because all she cared about was the way her lips moved with Briggs’s in a kiss that was both tender, heated, and everything she hoped for.

If breathing wasn’t a necessity, Lahela wouldn’t have pulled back, and from the hooded expression Briggs was giving her—neither would he.

“That was worth waiting for.” His breathless voice feathered over her skin.

“One more thing you should know about me, Briggs.” She flattened her palms over his chest and enjoyed the feel of his heart beating beneath her fingers. “I think waiting is overrated.”

With that, their lips met again, and Lahela knew she was finally with her people. And finally with her person.