Free The Farther I Fall by Lisa Nicholas

of thick, wavy hair. Discombobulating, but not in the least bit unpleasant.
    â€œYou here for the show?” Gwen took a drink of her beer and looked for a place to sit. She spotted a quiet couple of seats over in the corner and nodded toward them.
    â€œI live in town, so I thought I’d come see my baby brother.” He followed her, and they sat down across from each other.
    Gwen said to hell with it and kicked her boots off, tucking her feet up under her in the battered old armchair. Her feet all but groaned in relief. “What’d you think?” The beer was perfectly cold, and she was tired enough that even American beer tasted like heaven.
    â€œIt was a great show,” Lee said. “He and Maggie always did work well together.”
    â€œSo I’ve heard.” She gave him a wry smile before leaning her elbow against the back of the chair and resting her head against her hand. The sound of Lucas’s laugh carried across to them, and she glanced over. The two of them looked cozy.
    â€œHow about you?” Lee asked, leaning forward. “What do you think about touring so far?”
    Gwen laughed and tucked her bottle against her thigh. “It’s exhausting, honestly. Long days, moving around, a constant fight against chaos.” She grinned at him. “A lot like active duty. Except the bit about angry locals shooting at me.”
    He returned the grin, and not all of the warmth in her face came from the beer. “I wouldn’t rule that out yet,” he teased. “I’ve seen where you’re going.”
    Gwen raised her bottle in salute. “Thanks for the warning.” She drank, and they were quiet for a moment. “So are you coming to tomorrow’s show as well?” It was early in the tour, but a two-night run gave them a chance to stop the constant motion for a night.
    â€œI thought I might,” Lee said. “Listen, I had an idea. Are you hungry?”
    â€œRavenous,” Gwen admitted. Tonight there hadn’t even been time for her usual pre-show sandwich in the green room. Drinking beer was probably a terrible idea.
    â€œThey don’t need you here right now. Want to go grab some dinner?” His eyebrows lifted.
    â€œGod, I’d love to, but I’m a mess.” Gwen brushed a hand over her T-shirt, which had some sort of grease stain from helping wrangle equipment earlier.
    â€œNah, you’re gorgeous,” Lee said, and a flicker of his eyes to hers told her that he meant it. “But if you insist, we can stop by the hotel and I’ll wait downstairs while you change.”
    Gwen felt a pleasant tingle down her spine and smiled. “All right then. You’re on.”
    As they were on their way out, Gwen caught Lucas staring after her. He didn’t look happy, until he realized she was watching. He smiled a bland smile.
    Sally met them at the door. “We’re going out dancing later. Around midnight?”
    â€œText me where,” Gwen said. She grinned up at Lee. “I hope you can dance.”
    He laughed. “I hope I can too.”
    There wasn’t time for a full shower, but Gwen cleaned up and messed with her hair before pulling on a new pair of skinny jeans and a sparkling dark blue tank top. She ignored her aching feet and switched out her boots for a pair of heels to give herself a boost against the ridiculously tall Wheeler brothers. She pulled on her black leather jacket and headed back downstairs.
    â€œI had no idea you could get good Indian food over here,” Gwen said over dinner. “This is amazing.”
    â€œWe could get some more of the tandoori chicken, if you wanted.”
    â€œOh God, no.” She couldn’t believe how much of it she’d eaten already. She’d be embarrassed if Lee didn’t seem so charmed.
    Talk turned to their respective military service. Lee had been stationed in Iraq in the early 2000s, a year or two before Gwen had shipped