Falling In Hard: Book Four in The Bridgeport Lake Summer Series

by Danielle Arie

  Kyle’s eyes bulged.

  I tensed, and I could see the stress of it in the way Kyle stiffened, too. We were friends. Borderline pretty good friends now, but Tay was still my ride or die, and as much as Genevieve had tried to persuade us to give the relationship thing a shot, we weren’t going there.

  Radio Host Guy chuckled. “I find it hard to believe Lea Miller’s not a fan of the spotlight.”

  I cleared my throat. “The spotlight’s not my fave, but a microscope’s more accurate sometimes.”

  “For real,” Kyle agreed.

  The radio host nodded. “So we’re not getting a yea or nea out of either of you?”

  “Sorry to disappoint,” Kyle said, all raspy.

  “All right, all right. Moving on.”

  “Lea, you recently did an interview with Purposed Media. You talked about losing your dad to cancer last year.”

  “I did.”

  “Could you tell us how that drove you to pursue your career so young?”

  I grinned.

  Kyle chuckled.

  “Yeah. So my dad was always, like, this driving force behind my singing life. He was the one who first taught me how to play the guitar, and he was always my biggest fan. Pushed me to dig deeper. He was always there.”

  My mind flashed back to Cory’s dad’s trial. To the reality of the dad he’d had, and the legit blessing my dad had been to me when I really thought about it. My eyes stung. “He was my hero. But when I was twelve, he was diagnosed with cancer. And it was rough. You know, twelve isn’t the easiest age.”

  “Tell me about it.” The radio host puckered his bottom lip.

  “Seriously,” Kyle added.

  “He fought it hard, for four years, and we thought he had it beat. But it came back with this vengeance two years ago, and his fight wasn’t as strong the last time.” My voice wavered. I cleared my throat and drew a deep breath. “After he passed, I went through this whole thing about feeling like he basically abandoned us. And, uh . . . my mom kind of flipped out and did her own thing, my older brother had to deal with it in his own way, too. I ended up feeling more alone than I’d ever felt in my life.”

  The host nodded. “I get that.”

  I swept a finger under my eye, and Kyle handed me a tissue from the middle of the table.

  “So, how’d you beat it?” The radio host furrowed his brows. “I mean, you walked in here with the confidence of, like, a matador bull or something.”

  Kyle barked a laugh.

  So did I. “Thanks.”

  “So, how’d you do it? What’s the Lea Miller secret?”

  I thought back to the day I went for that hike, and the look in Cory’s eyes when he realized I was okay. The way it made me melt to just be seen, and how it all put me back on the path to what I really wanted. “I had a really good friend who reminded me about my purpose. He told me I had a God-given talent that I couldn’t just throw away, and that hit home with me. It’s like, no matter what’s happening in your life, no matter who comes or stays—or goes—God’s still there. Always. And just because surroundings change, your purpose in Him never does.”

  “Love that.”

  “Mm.” Kyle was staring at me hard.

  I drew a deep breath. “It actually reminded me of this verse that my dad used to quote to me all the time.”

  “Lay it on us.”

  I smiled, conjuring the vision of Dad, sitting right beside me, holding my hand whenever I’d get discouraged. “He’d say, ‘For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus.’” A lump was forming in my throat, and pressure was building in my chest, because it legit felt like he was in the chair beside me as I said it. “‘So we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.’ It’s Ephesians 2:10. It’s kind of like my life verse now, you know. I forgot about the truth in it for a while, but my friend helped remind me.”

  The radio host smiled. “Yeah, that’s pretty incredible for sure.”

  I nodded, and he turned to Kyle. “Gotta say, you must feel pretty lucky having her around all the time.”

  Kyle blew a breath that puffed his cheeks out. “You have no clue, man. This chick’s on fire.”

  Something pinched in my chest, and the only thing I could do was whisper a quick prayer of thanks for where I was now, when I’d been so close to losing myself a few months ago. When I’d put so much stock into what Cory thought about me.

  Not anymore.

  Now, I could say I was here because it was the path God took me down, and I was spending every morning with Him, making sure it was the path He wanted me to stay on, and I would, for as long as He wanted me to.

  “Do we get to give a shout-out to this friend you mentioned?” the host said.

  My cheeks warmed, and I bit my bottom lip. Everything inside me begged me to do it, for how grateful I was. For everything he did for me. But he’d probably internally combust if I said his name live on the air. “Sorry, friend. No can do.”

  “Understood. Kyle, what about you? How has all of this affected your journey with God?”

  Kyle went on to talk about the rut he was in before the competition. He talked about his problem with pride and wanting to see his name on billboards, and topping charts.

  “Check to that box now, right?” the radio host asked.

  Kyle chuckled. “Eh. My name could be erased, and I’m pretty sure no one would notice.” He nodded my way. “She’s that good.”

  “So, what changed all that for you?”

  He sighed. “The night we did our first performance together, at the camp Sing-Off. Something was so different that time. Lea basically called me out on everything, like, a couple hours before we were supposed to perform. She told me she wouldn’t do it if I wasn’t in it for the right reasons, and it broke something in me. Like, I saw things through a different lens after that, you know?”

  “Right,” the host said.

  “Then we got on that stage, and when we started singing, the atmosphere just shifted, man.” He ducked his head. “It wasn’t about us, or our talents, or winning, losing, none of that. It was about something so much bigger than ourselves, and people’s lives were changed that night, including mine.” He glanced up at me. “All thanks to this one over here.”

  I scrunched my nose at him. “Aww. Come on, Keller. You know it wasn’t all me.”

  He nodded. “For real, though. God’s way bigger than I gave Him credit for, and He met me on that stage in a way I’ve never encountered Him. And I think . . . instead of the chase I was on before that night, I’m on a different chase now.”

  “What chase is that?”

  “I’m after Him in a way I’ve never been before. I’m after a repeat of that night. Like, I want to see people’s lives changed through all this.”

  “Same,” I added.

  A light flashed, and the radio host let out a long whistle. “Well, guys, our time’s just about up, but I have to say, it’s been awesome having you on. We’d love to have you back after your big opening tour coming up.” He glanced at his notes. “You guys are set to open in Chicago in a few weeks, right?”

  “Yeah.” Kyle cleared his throat. “We’ve got Chicago, St. Louis, Nashville, then we hit the east coast, and then we’re back on the west coast, then it’s overseas.”

  “That’s awesome, guys.”

  “Should be fun,” I chimed in.

  “Overdrive here, guys. Be sure and check them out. We’ll catch you after your tour.”

  We left the radio station, and Kyle blew a deep breath. “How’d that feel?”

  “Good. Weird? I don’t know.”

  He grinned. “Thanks for that day, by the way.”

  “Which day?”

  “When you called me out on my junk. I needed it. I don’t think I’d be here right now if you kept all that in.”

  I chuckled. “Just glad it worked out the way it did.”

  “Hey, mind if I ask who the friend was you were talking about?” He opened the door
, and I stepped out onto the busy sidewalk.

  “Cory.”

  “Fisherman guy. Still stuck on him?”

  I shrugged. “Think I’ll always care about him, but it just wasn’t in the cards, you know?”

  “Mm. What about us?”

  Something sharp shot across my chest. “What?”

  He stopped walking and turned to face me. “Everyone’s been talking about it so much. Maybe it’s worth a shot.”

  There was a timidness in his gaze that I’d never seen coming off Kyle Keller’s swagger. I sniffed and tucked my hair behind my ear, shaking my head. “Uh. Kyle.”

  He barked a laugh and doubled over. “Man. I love flustering you.”

  “You’re the worst.”

  “Come on. Let’s get back to the studio. We have to nail down our next song. I was thinking we could surprise the audience with it. You know, like a bonus song at our first concert.”

  “Yeah. That. Let’s do that.”

  Twenty-Three

  CORY

  Music echoed throughout the Naval drill hall, blaring from the band’s instruments. I stood in formation, along with some three hundred of my cohort, veins buzzing with anticipation. It had been a long, challenging, sometimes grueling, but always inspiring eight weeks, and Uncle Dave was right. This branch of the military fit me better than a glove. Even though I wasn’t all that much in the way of words, the officers overseeing my training saw something in me I’d only seen glimpses of in my times on a baseball diamond as a kid. Over the past eight weeks, the leaders here had called out the leader in me, and I was about to graduate at the top of my cohort.

  Sweat trickled down my spine as I stood last in formation, waiting as they called name, after name, after name. Mom was here somewhere with her cowboy boyfriend, Chuck, who I was guessing would turn into something better than that in the next year or two. It felt a whole lot like Uncle Dave was here too. At least, his memory was. I was more than proud to be standing here in front of them, having accomplished more than I ever thought I could. More than I’d ever believed was possible.

  My former defeat wasn’t hard to believe, considering what I’d been told about myself my whole life. But something had happened since my arrival here. The plain had been evened between us all. We were equal. Each one of us was given the same unbelievable chance to do something with our lives, the chance to better ourselves in ways unimaginable. I’d pushed myself to the extreme of my limits here, and somehow, it all paid off.

  A round of applause sounded for the sailor in front of me as he received his commendation. Eight weeks ago, I probably would’ve been on the verge of passing out. The thousands of eyeballs trained on me would’ve made my legs shake, and my stomach pitch. Not today. Aside from a few butterflies, I was all good. Better than ever. A new version of the man I’d been before, a better version than the one I’d imagined I could ever be. And it wasn’t just the outside that had changed. After a few weeks of getting barked at relentlessly, I’d drawn on the faith I’d found so long ago.

  My relationship with God was better than ever. There was no way of telling how I’d made it so far in life without leaning on Him the way I’d learned to lean on him here.

  Thank you so much, Father.

  The applause died down, and I stepped into place in front of my petty officer.

  He smiled at me. “Smile, sailor. Today’s your big day.”

  I obeyed his command, keeping my form in perfect check and lifting my chin high. “Seaman Cory Griffin, Division 936 from Tracy, California, is the recipient of the Navy Club of the United States of America Military Excellence Award, for best exemplifying the qualities of enthusiasm, devotion to duty, military bearing, and teamwork. This award places him at the pinnacle of today’s newest sailors. He is awarded a flag letter of commendation. Seaman Griffin, the staff of recruit training command salutes you as the finest of today’s graduates.”

  The hall filled with applause, and my chest filled with warmth as my chief officer handed me my award.

  “Well done, Griffin”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  I returned to my place in formation, finally understanding that saying about feeling like you’re walking on clouds.

  The end of the ceremony came, the agitate leads sounding off our “hip hip hoorays,” and we were released on liberty.

  Mom’s sprinting form came at me, and she threw her arms around me with a gasp. “Oh, Cory! You did it, son! You did it!” She stepped back to look at me and squeezed my shoulders. “Goodness, did they give you a can of spinach a day in here, or what? You’re ripped!”

  I dipped my head, scanning the hall to take it all in, but something caught my eye I couldn’t overlook. Hayes and Mink and Lupine all had their arms wrapped around their wives, all of them looking like they’d just reached the top of Mount Everest or something. The buzz rushing through my veins fizzled some, Lea’s eager kisses sweeping through my memory. Again.

  What I wouldn’t give to have had her here for this. If things hadn’t turned so far south, maybe I would’ve thought about asking her to come. But I was probably back to being the ghosting jerk in her mind, and I was going to have to find a way to just live with it.

  Mom turned to Chuck, glowing like she’d just stepped off another planet. “That’s my baby boy. Doesn’t he look like a hulk of a man?”

  “Sure does.” He grinned and gave me a solid nod. “Congratulations, bud.”

  “Thanks for coming.”

  “Wouldn’t miss it.”

  That hit me somewhere in my chest and sunk pretty deep. I’d had my concerns when Mom told me she was officially dating her boss a month ago, but this might just be all right.

  Hayes stood off to the side with his wife. He’d been as quiet as I was since day one, and we’d been neck-and-neck in the ranks the whole time.

  “Congratulations, sailor,” he said, stepping forward to shake my hand.

  “You, too.”

  He stepped back and motioned toward his wife. “This is my gorgeous bride, Kylie.”

  “Nice to meet you.” I stuck out my hand.

  She shook it. “You, too. Thanks for keeping this guy in check this whole time.”

  “Wasn’t necessary. He’s an honest man.”

  She beamed up at him, and he smiled down at her, drawing her closer to his side. That hollow ache was pulling between my ribs again.

  “Well, we’re heading out of here. See you later, Griffin.”

  I nodded.

  Mom patted my back. “He seems nice.”

  “Mm.”

  “Should we go grab some dinner?”

  “I could eat a horse,” Chuck said.

  Being off-base felt strange now. My Navy uniform was a standard requirement, which meant dealing with random stares and little old ladies accosting me to tell me how grateful they were for my service, and all kinds of other remarks.

  Mom cackled when our waitress started telling me about her single daughter. “She’s really sweet, and I’m sure you could use a pen pal. Do they still do that?”

  I cleared my throat as she wrote her name and number on the back of one of her order sheets and handed it over.

  Wasn’t the first time I’d been wrangled into a blind setup since joining the Navy. Apparently, just wearing a military uniform made you prime real estate, as far as all the doting moms in the world were concerned.

  “There you go, Cory,” Mom said as the waitress retreated to the kitchen to put our orders in. “She’s pretty. Bet her daughter’s a looker, too.”

  I grunted and swigged my water. “Not interested.”

  She sighed. “You know, I’ve been thinking a lot about you and your whole single thing. I really think you’d do better if you had someone to take care of you out here. You didn’t meet anyone on base?”

  I sighed.

  Chuck cleared his throat. “Seems to me he doesn’t want to talk about it, Wanda.”

  Mom tsked. “Name me one thing he wants to talk about, and I
’ll name you king of the country.”

  “Heard tell he likes fishin’.”

  I lifted a brow. “All hail King Chuck.”

  He barked a laugh.

  Mom blew a deep breath. “What about that cutie you were dating at camp? The one that came to witness at . . .” She trailed off, her eyes dropping to her hands. “The Miller girl.”

  I frowned.

  “She seemed like a real go-getter. You need that kind of a girl in your life.”

  I swallowed, my heart skipping a beat at the thought of how true that felt, but it had been three months since I’d seen her, and longer since we had a conversation.

  Dang, I wanted to hear her voice worse than anything.

  “She’s on to a new life now.”

  The waitress came out with our onion rings and winked at me. “My girl’s nineteen and studying to be a nurse. She just got out of a real serious relationship, but she needs to get over that jerk, and I can’t think of a better way than going out with a sailor.”

  I’d learned how to manage my reserved nature pretty good in training, but there were some things that still got to me. This military celebrity complex was one of ’em. As much as I expected it, I still wasn’t used to all the attention.

  “He ain’t lookin’, honey.” Chuck cleared his throat, slipping his arm around Mom’s shoulder.

  The waitress sucked a sharp breath and cleared her throat, tucking her order pad into her apron. “Oh. You’ve already got a girlfriend. I’m so sorry. I just get carried away with my matchmaking sometimes.”

  “No problem, ma’am,” I said, forcing a grin.

  She grinned back. “Your food will be right out.”

  The song on the radio faded out, and the radio host came on. “This next one’s a new one from the new band Overdrive. Hang tight, folks. This hot new duo’s about to take the world by storm.”

  A guitar played a haunting sound over the speakers, and then a drum started up, playing a slow beat. A female voice, somewhere between rock and country, poured out of the speakers, and it seeped into my bones, making my chest tighten and my throat constrict. Dang it, I could barely breathe.