The Galilee Falls Trilogy (Book 3): Fall of Heroes Read Online Free PDF Page A

Stone rounds the table as we all pack up. “So, what are your plans for the rest of the day?” he asks.
    “Room service and porn?” I quip.
    “A woman after my own heart,” he hits back with that puppy adorable grin. “Do you mind if I ask you to postpone the festivities for an hour or so? Let me take you out to lunch. There’s a fantastic restaurant in your hotel. Well, my hotel. You can check in, freshen up, and meet me down there. What do you say?”
    “I-I don’t think—”
    “Just lunch,” he says, holding up his hands. “I only want to pick your brain. I know you’ve been through something similar to what Nathalie has. I was hoping you could give me some insight. We’re all more than out of our depths here. Please?”
    Goddamn it, there go the puppy dog eyes. Ugh, I’m such a softie. “Okay. Give me half an hour.”
    “You are a goddess among men, Joanna Fallon.”
    “Okay, just…lay off the charm, playboy. I’m immune.”
    Without hesitation he takes my hand, kissing the top like a courting gentleman. The audacity makes me chuckle and even blush. “We’ll see,” he says, peering up through his long lashes. He drops my hand and nods. “See you in half an hour, gorgeous.” With one final smirk, Stone strides out of the conference room. I just shake my head and sigh.
    Okay, if this were a year ago my panties would already be on the floor. He was exactly my type: handsome, cocky, and a total asshole. We can spot our own kind. Another bad habit I somehow cured myself of with a little help from AA and Jem Ambrose. It’s still flattering. I stare down at my engagement ring, which I didn’t know I’d been playing with all this time. Yeah, those days are over with. Thank God. Why settle for fast food when you have prime rib at home? And I am full.
     
    *
     

    After checking into my five star accommodations, compliments of Goliath, I change into my civvies: black slacks and dark green sweater with my Justice Trench coat. The moment my good deed’s done, I’m off to surprise Lucy. She’ll so hate that. I can hardly wait to see her face when I tell her I’m getting hitched. I think we both thought I’d end up one of those old spinsters who spit on children and had an apartment full of newspapers stacked to the ceiling. She’ll be happy for me. The three of us had dinner a while ago, and she pulled me aside to give her approval, something not easily earned from that woman. I’m not even sure I have it.
    But first things first. Lunch with the panty dropper. He’s already waiting at our table, texting on his phone as the hostess escorts me there. Cue that smile of his. He even rises to pull out my chair. “Thank you,” I say as I sit.
    “No, thank you,” he responds. “I just got a text from my cousin. They’re releasing Nathalie tomorrow. Graham and CeCe have already contacted Whitegate Center. They just have to convince her to go.”
    “Well, since she’s a minor, they can legally force her to. But I wouldn’t recommend that. She has to want to go. She has to want to get better.”
    “What made you want to get better?” he asks. “If that’s not too personal.”
    “No, it’s okay. I don’t know. A lot of reasons. I cheated on my boyfriend? I was hurting the people I cared about? I was becoming my mother? Mostly, I think, it was Justin.”
    The waiter pops by to fill our water goblets. “Justin?”
    I wait until he’s gone. “Yeah. I mean, he died for me. He literally threw his life away for mine. And how was I honoring him? Drinking, screwing around, hurting people? I owed him more than that. A hell of a lot more.”
    “So you got sober for him?”
    I shrug. “I got sober for a lot of reasons that was just the biggie. I’m not going to lie and claim on occasion I don’t crave booze like air, especially when life gets nuts, but I don’t give in because I know I’m a better person sober. And I’ve never been happier. So whatever her reason, family, friends, seeing her