He raised his head and found her watching him. He reached for her hand and softly spoke her name, his mouth curved into a smile and his eyes glowing with happiness.
“What happened?” she asked him, her voice low and raspy.
“You’re in the hospital. Don’t you remember?”
She searched for the memory but everything was fuzzy. “Prom?’ she whispered. No, that wasn’t right. That was long ago. Something else had happened to her. And then the memories flooded her. “Preston.” Anger bit through her as she remembered his betrayal. “Is he—”
“He’s dead. He can’t hurt you or anyone else again.”
She closed her eyes and felt a tear slip from her eye. Preston had been her friend once, or so she thought. She’d cared for him, and despite all that had happened, she knew she would have a difficult time getting over his betrayal.
Matt squeezed her hand reassuringly. “I’m here, Claire. And I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to be right here beside you until you’re better.”
Her heart warmed at his declaration, but Claire didn’t miss the “until” he’d added. She shook her head, unwilling to settle for that. “It’s not enough,” she told him. “I don’t want that.”
He looked confused and started to pull away, but she gripped his hand tightly. “I want more, Matt. I want you to stay even after I’m well. I want you to promise to stay forever. I’m alive because of you, because you didn’t give up on me. Tell me you love me and that you’ll never leave me.”
He smiled, then leaned down and kissed her face, punctuating each of his words with a kiss between them. “I love you, Claire, and I will never ever leave you again. That’s a promise.”
Tears sprung up in her eyes as Matt reached for her hand and stared up at her with love gleaming in his hazel eyes...love for her. “I’ll hold you to that for the rest of my life.”
EPILOGUE
The wedding went off without a hitch. Claire smiled as she watched Alisa and David say their vows to one another before a church full of their family and friends. Claire was happy to be included among them.
A strong hand reached for hers and Claire grasped it, soaking in the feeling of Matt’s skin against her own. She was finally home where she belonged, by his side. The nightmare of the past two weeks was over. Ryan had come clean on everything he knew about the Trixie ring operating in town and had cleared Claire of any involvement in Luke’s death. Matt had interceded for the boy and got him leniency in exchange for his information.
As the ceremony ended, Claire joined in the fun at the reception. Matt leaned close to her and snapped a picture of them, then kissed her cheek.
“I love you,” he whispered. “I never want to be without you again.”
She leaned into him. “I feel the same. I love you, too.”
He picked up their glasses and stood. “I’ll go get us a refill.”
She watched him walk away, then scanned the event room. After a moment, Alisa rushed over and reached for her hand.
“I’m about to toss the bouquet,” she proclaimed. “Come on, Claire. All single ladies are required to participate.”
She tried to wave away the offer. She had just gotten out of the hospital only a few days ago and she was still stiff and sore from the gunshot wound. It had taken great pains just to dress for this event, but Claire hadn’t wanted to miss it and her mother had quickly offered to help. Even her relationship with her parents had taken a turn for the better.
“I’ll just watch from here,” Claire insisted.
Alisa shook her head. “You know if you catch the bouquet, it means you’ll be the next one to get married.”
She hated to disappoint Alisa, but she glanced over at the line of Alisa’s single friends and family members. She’d seen fights for catching the bouquet get ugly quickly at other weddings, and she was in no mood to do battle for it.
But she couldn’t deny the pleading in Alisa’s face. Matt’s family had been kind enough to include her in this special day. The least she could do was join in this harmless fun.
Alisa squealed as Claire stood and walked over to the area where the others were waiting. A semicircle formed near Alisa as she turned and prepared to toss the bouquet over her shoulder.
Alisa tossed it and Claire realized it was coming right at her, but instead of jumping to catch the bouquet, the women surrounding her stepped out of the way and it landed right in Claire’s arms.
The crowd squealed with pleasure and Alisa turned and clapped. “You know what that means, don’t you, Claire? It means you’ll be the next to get married.”
She started to laugh it off, then realized all eyes were behind her. Claire turned. Matt was there on one knee.
Her heart swelled with anticipation as she realized all this had been set up. Tears sprung in her eyes as Matt reached for her hand and stared up at her with love gleaming in his hazel eyes...love for her.
“I’ve loved you since I was sixteen years old. Claire Kendall, will you do me the honor of finally becoming my wife and a permanent member of the Ross family?”
Her heart overflowed with love and happiness. It had been such a long journey and she was finally able to say the words she’d always longed to say to Matt.
“Nothing would make me happier than to become your wife. I love you, Matt.”
He slipped the beautiful ring on her finger, then stood and kissed her as their family celebrated. Claire snuggled closer against Matt and took comfort in the only place she’d ever felt safe—wrapped in the arms of the man she loved.
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from CODE OF SILENCE by Heather Woodhaven
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Dear Reader,
Thanks for reading Reunion Mission, the second book in my Rangers Under Fire series. I hope you enjoyed reading Matt and Claire’s story as much as I enjoyed writing it.
I love reunion stories! Few things in life are worse than regret. We all have things in our past that we wish we’d done differently, but thankfully ours is a God of second chances. Reunion stories by definition give characters a do-over and who doesn’t love that? Matt gave in to fear and shame after the car wreck on prom night and guiltily left town. That decision followed him for years, coloring all of his relationships. His unexpected return to his hometown provided him with a second chance he never thought possible. And while this story may be fiction, the principle is real. God is working every day to redeem our mistakes and provide us all with the second chances we need.
If you struggle with regret from past choices, let me remind you of the promise given in Romans 8:1 that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Jesus is the great restorer and nothing is better than that.
I love hearing from readers! You can find me online at virginiavaughanonline.com.
Virginia
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Code of Silence
by Heather Woodhaven
ONE
The shadow of a car darkened the patch of asphalt in front of her. Gabriella’s neck tingled, and she held her breath. Everywhere she went, a black sedan crossed her path, as if following her.
Grief continued playing tricks on her mind.
The first few times she’d spotted the boxy-shaped vehicle, she’d thought she’d seen a hearse. She blinked. The car didn’t so much as slow down as it passed by the parking lot and turned the corner, proving her thoughts to be ludicrous once again. No car—and definitely no hearse—was following her.
Gabriella pressed the papers she’d gathered against her chest and locked her car door. Instead of enjoying her summer break from teaching math at a junior high school, she needed to implore Luke McGuire for help. His voice had sounded as kind and smooth as ever on the phone when she’d scheduled the appointment, but she hadn’t seen him since college, when their fiancés dumped both of them for each other. And a lot could change in eight years.
Gabriella ran her left palm against the side of her head in case any errant hairs had escaped the barrette. As she approached the glass doors, she hoped the maroon peasant blouse, tan capris and navy flats looked professional enough for a visit to the real estate development office. She pulled the handle.
Luke McGuire stood in the lobby, addressing his receptionist. He wore a gray suit, white shirt and an azure tie that matched his blue eyes. She froze as they both turned toward her.
Luke’s face fell. “Gabriella.”
She let the door close behind her, and the air-conditioning sent an involuntary shiver up her spine. His expression confirmed her suspicions—seeing her just reminded him of the pain they’d experienced.
He held out a hand, and as she reached for it, she glanced at the hand by his side—no ring. Maybe he still hadn’t gotten over his fiancée?
His brows furrowed. “I’m sorry to hear about your mom. I think I met her and your aunt once, at a parents’ weekend. I remember because you two almost looked like—”
“Twins,” she finished for him. Each time she looked in the mirror, the reminder of her loss hit her in the gut. Her throat fought against letting her words out. “She and my great-aunt came to every single one of those.”
Luke turned and waved a hand toward the back. “Why don’t we talk in my office?” He shortened his stride until she caught up. “Congratulations on the nonprofit, by the way. I saw you on the news last week when they announced their charity of the month.”
Her shoulders relaxed at the change of subject, and she couldn’t help but smile that Luke knew about the foundation she’d set up a few years back to help tutor struggling kids. “Oh. The grant took me by surprise. I didn’t know anything about it until we showed up on the news.”
She scrunched her nose. “I think they pulled my picture from the school staff website.” Gabriella stiffened. What if Luke thought she was fishing for compliments? She rushed on. “Financially it’s not a big grant, but the national media exposure is priceless. I’d be ecstatic, but—”
He nodded. “Of course. You’re going through a lot right now.”
Framed pictures of subdivision developments filled with cookie-cutter houses hung on the office walls. Her chest ached. Could she really go through with this?
As soon as he sat in his chair, she splayed the papers she’d brought with her across his desk. “I know you agreed to meet with me as a courtesy, but I really think the land has potential for one of the subdivisions you keep making.” She hated the tremble in her voice but worried if she stopped she’d break down. “I brought a copy of the property map and printed out the county assessment of—”
“I’m sorry, Gabriella. I actually have all that information already. I gathered it after you called.” Luke clasped his hands together. “I know it’s getting late, but if you have time, I need a look at the property in person before we can discuss potential scenarios. I could follow you out there now.”
“Wow. That’s fast. It’s good. It’s what I need. Just fast.” She nodded and continued nodding, processing his words. “I have time to show you around right now.”
Luke clapped his hands together and jumped from his chair. “Perfect. I just need a moment to gather my camera and some paperwork. I’ll be right behind you.”
Gabriella took the cue and headed straight for the door. Her embarrassment at babbling coupled with his kindness would be her undoing. Her eyes burned with held-back tears. The moment she opened the door, heat slapped her in the face.
She squinted against the intense sunshine as a black sedan drove past the office. Was that really a different one than she’d seen moments before? Was she going insane? It, too, had darkened windows.
If it’d been a Subaru Outback, she would’ve had an easier time believing the coincidence. Many Idaho residents depended on the all-wheel drive, practically a requirement to living in Idaho. But a black sedan? She had no proof it was following her, though. The next time she spotted it, she’d make an effort to get its license plate number so she’d know for sure.
A man in a silver suit and navy dress shirt rounded the corner of the office building, smiling. She grinned in response, slightly amused at his greased-back hair. She’d only seen hair like that on New York models and wondered if he worked as a partner or employee for Luke. She stepped off the sidewalk and clicked the fob to unlock her car as the man passed.
She opened the car door. As it swung open, the man stepped next to her passenger door and wrenched it open. She clutched her purse. “Excuse me. What are you—”
He pulled his suit jacket back, revealing a gun holstered to his side. “Get in, Gabriella.”
Gabriella’s heart slammed into overdrive, and yet, she couldn’t move. What did they say about people with guns? Never get in the car? Or, get in the car but drive into a building? She couldn’t blink. Her vision focused on the gun. And how did he know her name?
“Don’t be stupid. Look behind you.”
Gabriella moved her chin ever so slightly. There was no way she was turning her back to the gunman. She peeked over her shoulder. The source of her insanity—the black sedan—pulled into the parking lot.
“Now see? It’s not just me. And the guys in there aren’t as nice.” He stared at her with such intensity that she had to look away. “You wouldn’t want other people getting hurt, would you?” he asked. “Not when you could be saving your great-aunt.”
Despite the heat, everything turned cold. Gabriella’s skin chilled. “What about her?”
Another man in a suit stepped out of the back of the black sedan and approached. He smiled, a grin that made her skin crawl. He nodded at the other man and opened the rear door of her car. “If I were you, I’d do everything he tells you. I’m not as patient.”
“What’d I tell you?” the first gunman said. The men both laughed, sharing their own sick joke.
Gabriella’s stomach twisted. She should’ve followed her great-aunt’s advice and carried a gun or a brick in her purse. Even if she had, though, it’d be no match for the two men. And if they were telling the truth about Aunt Freddie being in danger, she couldn’t risk it.
The second man loosened his suit jacket, and she spotted his gun, as well. She tightened her
fists. “Is my aunt in that sedan? What’d you do with her?”
The man across from her turned and looked toward Luke’s office. The sun bounced off the windows, so she couldn’t see inside. Please let Luke see something is wrong.
“Do you want to see her alive again?” the first gunman asked, his voice thick with a familiar accent she couldn’t place.
She opened her mouth, her breath so ragged she wasn’t sure she could answer if she tried. Aunt Freddie was her only living relative. It’d been hard enough to put her in assisted living last week—so hard Gabriella spent the past few nights sleeping on the couch at her new villa so Aunt Freddie wouldn’t be lonely.
I can’t lose her, too. Her gut dropped. The sedan following her the past few days...had she led them right to her aunt?
He smirked. “Get in and drive.”
* * *
Luke hit the side of the printer, frustrated after two jams and irritated the temporary receptionist hadn’t already finished the job. He didn’t begrudge Deb her maternity leave, but he also selfishly prayed she didn’t change her mind about coming back in six weeks. His sanity depended on it.
The motor whirred as the printer finally spit out his prize. He grabbed the paper, shoved it haphazardly into the leather satchel and strode for the door.
He hated keeping Gabriella waiting, especially since he had suggested the last-minute property tour. And since it was almost five o’clock already, he harbored hope she’d agree to have dinner afterward to catch up.
His mind replayed seeing her walk through his office door. She radiated a mixture of gentleness and beauty. And it made him angry with himself that he hadn’t kept in touch. He’d meant to.
When he first settled on the Treasure Valley to start his business, his parents had challenged his sanity. But the economy was booming, and it turned out to be a smart move financially. If he was honest with himself, in the back of his mind he’d assumed Gabriella would’ve settled in the area, too. Instead, she accepted a job in a small town in Eastern Oregon but spent summers in the valley. He knew she stayed with her family and worked with her foundation director anytime she had a break from teaching. Yet he’d never reached out, though he’d meant to before now.
Reunion Mission (Rangers Under Fire) Page 18