I giggle. “Ew.”
Layla winks. “Trust me.”
A deep male groan comes from behind me. “I’m fuckin’ starving, Raven. When are you going to give up already? They’re biscuits, not a fucking transmission. Just admit this ain’t your thing.” Blake eyes the mess and then looks up at me.
I jump into action. “How about fresh blueberry pancakes while Raven works on the biscuits.”
“Thank you, Honor—ow!” Blake eyes Layla. “What was that for, Mouse?”
She cocks a hip. “Oh, I don’t know, maybe because you’re a grown-ass man fully capable of getting his own food?”
He rubs his arm as if it’s still sore. “But . . . I love Honor’s cooking, woman. You know this.”
She sighs and comes alongside me. “Here, let me help. We’ve got an army to feed and”—she leans in and whispers— “I don’t think anyone is going to touch Raven’s biscuits.”
“I heard that!”
We all laugh hysterically, and the sound seeps through my soul and feels like family.
~*~
Caleb
The view from the front deck of our house is better than it would’ve been lakeside. Having the house built on the slope of Honor’s property and giving it levels—basement, living room, and bedrooms on top—points every room to the lake.
As spectacular as the views are, they’ve got nothing on the beauty unfurling in the kitchen: my wife pregnant with our daughter, mulling about and laughing so hard she cries with four of the most important people in my life.
Things just don’t get any sweeter than this.
Jonah and Blake come out, carrying plates piled high with Honor’s famous blueberry buttermilk pancakes and applewood smoked sausage that she makes from scratch.
They sit down at the table across from me.
“How you haven’t gained six hundred pounds since you got married is a fucking mystery.” Jonah forks a bite into his mouth and groans. “Fuck, that’s good.”
“It’s all the training. I’ve been turning out some great fighters here in Hope Town.”
Blake points at me with his fork while nodding and chewing. “No shit. Smart to have Axel recruiting for you. I always said Marines make better fighters.”
“Haven’t had a failure yet.” My gaze is drawn to the doorway as Honor comes through holding two plates, her gorgeous belly so big it pulls the fabric of her T-shirt so tight it’s almost see-through. “I got it, babe.” I hop up, take the plates, and when she moves to settle into a chair, I motion for her to sit in my lap.
She grins and drops to my right thigh.
I can’t explain why, but the need to have her close enough to touch is overwhelming. It was bad before she got pregnant, but it’s worse now. I need to feel her warmth, her pulse, her love—it’s what keeps me centered.
Honor keeps me centered.
“I can’t believe you’re giving Raven free run of your kitchen,” Blake says between bites. “It only takes one little mistake to burn down the entire house.”
“Dude,” Jonah grumbles. “Leave her alone. It’ll take more than a small fire to bring this house down.”
I run my hand soothingly up and down Honor’s legging-covered thigh, hoping these assholes don’t make her nervous.
“She’s fine.” Honor sips her OJ.
“You know what brought down a German sub during WWII?” Blake’s eyebrows are high as he looks between us.
Honor goes still on my lap. “Oh . . . yeah.” She jumps off my lap, but I snag her and pull her back down.
“What brought the sub down?”
Honor and Blake share a look and then Honor whispers, “Clogged toilet.”
Blake slams his fist on the table, making the plates jump. “That’s right. Clogged fucking toilet. Tell me again why we shouldn’t worry about Raven burning your new house down?”
“I’ll, uh . . .” Honor grabs her plate. “I’ll eat in the kitchen.”
I don’t try to hold her this time, but let her go then look at Blake. “How the fuck did you know that?”
He shrugs. “I’ve been brushing up on my war history.”
Jonah laughs. “He’s trying to stump Honor. He’s been working on it for years.”
“And?”
Blake shoves a bite of pancakes into his mouth and chews, staring out at the lake. “So far, there’s not a damn thing that girl doesn’t know.”
I burst out laughing, and the sound catches Honor’s eye.
Our gazes lock together in a silent I love you and I feel it.
One look and I feel it.
Love.
Interested in the Fighting Series?
All books are available here à http://amzn.to/2grQqrs
Fighting Series Reading Order
Fighting for Flight
Fighting to Forgive
Fighting to Forget
Fighting the Fall
A Father’s Fight
Fighting for Forever
Fighting Fate
The Final Fight
Acknowledgments
Thank you to Harper Sloan for creating a fun and vivid world in Hope Town. I’m honored to have been able to spend some time there, even if only fictionally. I had a blast bringing our characters together.
This book would not have been possible without the insight of Corps Security and Hope Town extraordinaire Natalie Piper. Thank you for your guidance through this process as well as your multiple screenshots to ensure accuracy in all areas. You rock!
A huge thank you to my editor, Theresa Wegand, for taking on this project so last minute. You’ve always been there when I needed you, and I am forever grateful for all the time and expertise you’ve invested in the Fighting Series.
I want to thank Amanda Simpson at Pixel Mischief Design for not only putting together this beautiful cover but for beta reading and giving me honest feedback. Is there anything you don’t do? You’re an amazing friend and business partner, and I feel so lucky to know you.
Thank you to every Corps Security and Hope Town reader who gives Fighting for Honor a chance. Your leap of faith means so much.
Most of all, thank you to the Fighting Girls who have stood by me from Fighting for Flight through The Final Fight. You are why I write.
About the Author
J.B. Salsbury is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. She lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her husband and two kids.
Her love of good storytelling led her to earn a degree in Media Communications. With her journalistic background, writing has always been at the forefront, and her love of romance propelled her career as an author.
She spends the majority of her day behind the computer where a world of battling alphas, budding romance, and impossible obstacles claws away at her subconscious and begs to be released to the page.
For more information about her books, or just to say hello, visit JB on her website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Web: http://www.jbsalsbury.com/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/JBSalsburybooks
T: @jbsalsbury
IG: @jbsalsbury
Corps Security in Hope Town: Fighting for Honor (Kindle Worlds) Page 18