Gabe jolted her out of her thoughts. “I’d like for you to meet my beautiful and amazing wife, Micki Finn McKenna. Two-time barrel racing champion and holder of the fastest time in the history of the NFR!”
The crowd cheered, and she focused her scattered mind on how wrong his calling her Micki sounded. She’d asked him to introduce her by her rodeo name. No one but Gabe called her Michaela and that’s how she wanted to keep it. Years ago, she’d asked him why he always used her given name, knowing it bothered her that he did. At the time he’d laughed and simply told her it was her name. But last night after they’d made love she asked him again.
He stroked her back as she curled up next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. “I know you don’t like it because Lemont gave you the name, but I call you Michaela because I love your name. It sounds beautiful, and I think it fits you better than Micki. Michaela is a strong name, and you are one of the strongest people I know.” She shifted to meet his gaze, and his glorious smile didn’t fail to dazzle her as it always had. He kissed her softly and feathered her hair off her face. “But mostly I call you Michaela because I’m the only one who ever does, and it’s… Well, as odd as this sounds, think of it like a nickname or an endearment.”
After his admission, Micki never wanted anyone else to ever call her by her given name. He made a name she’d long hated seem special. If she was honest with herself, she’d always loved that he called her by her given name because he made it sound beautiful.
Gabe forced her attention back into the moment when he indicated that she should take a seat on a stool she hadn’t noticed before. She stiffly sat and forced her attention on steady, calming breaths to slow her racing heart and still her churning stomach. Maybe she’d been wrong to agree to Gabe’s crazy idea of bringing her on stage.
“As many of you know, Micki and I were high school sweethearts.” He winked at her and smiled as his fans responded by applause and whistles. As he turned back to them, he reached for his guitar, which rested in a stand next to him. He sat on the stool beside her with the guitar in his lap. “Every love song I’ve ever penned has been about my one true love.”
A new sensation competed with the other ones Micki was trying to calm down. Her sinuses burned with a prickling of tears. Did he really mean this? She knew songs like “Heaven Tonight” had been about her, but all the rest?
He smiled at her. “This song has never been recorded, but I wrote it a long time ago. It’s called ‘Chasin’ Dreams.’ ” He started strumming his guitar, and the band joined in with a melody she’d never heard before. Gabe started singing about wanting to be famous and chasing his dreams, but what caused Micki to finally leave all her doubt behind was when he sang about giving it all up to be with her. Her love was all he ever wanted or needed.
The first tear rolled down her cheek and she quickly brushed it away. Had she been the one who screwed things up the last time? If she’d just trusted Gabe, their pasts would have been so different. She’d never make that mistake again.
“I’ll go on chasin’ my dreams, baby,
But you’re the song in my heart.”
She sniffed as he finished the last words of the song.
Not caring about the thousands of people watching them or that whatever she said would be picked up on his microphone, she leaned forward and smiled. “I love you.”
He shifted his guitar and leaned toward her. Before their lips met, he said, “Forever and always.”
* * * *
Gabe woke up the next morning to an empty bed. Michaela’s side was still warm. He glanced at the time on his phone and grinned. Last night had gone better than he’d ever thought it could have. After the show, an ESPN reporter asked them for an impromptu interview. Gabe had been ready to refuse, but Micki agreed. Together they answered the reporter’s questions about their relationship, and for the first time, they were honest. They weren’t pretending anymore. Although their time on stage had been planned, he never expected her to publicly admit that she loved him as she had.
Sounds coming from the bathroom of the luxury suite had him getting out of bed. He went to the door when he heard the retching noise again. Once there, he leaned in and listened as his concern for Michaela had his heart beating faster. She was throwing up--again.
“Michaela, are you okay?”
The toilet flushed; then the water turned on at the sink.
“The door’s open.” Her words were raspy, making him more worried than he’d been in a long time.
He entered to find her staring at a rectangular package on the vanity top. As he wrapped his arms around her from behind, he sucked in a breath. “Michaela?”
She met his gaze in the mirror. “I don’t think I have a virus.”
Gabe got his surprise under control, and a warm tingling thumbed through him--excitement. “You haven’t taken the test yet?”
She shook her head and turned in his embrace. “From what I’ve been reading about the onset of morning sickness, I must have gotten pregnant the very first time we made love. Gabe, I’m sorry. I know the last thing you probably want right now is for me to be pregnant.”
He kissed her softly and hoped his excitement shined through his smile and eyes. “Let’s not put the horse before the cart. Take the test.” Next to her ear, he whispered, “And I’m praying it’s positive. I can’t wait to start a family with you.”
She pulled away and her gaze turned watery. “I want to have a family with you, too.”
“Not that it matters, but you said you were on the pill.” He’d heard contraceptives could cause miscarriage when taken during early pregnancy. The thought sent an icy chill through him as he remembered when she’d lost their first child. “I hope you stopped taking it.”
“Yes, but I stopped about a week after I missed my period. I should have guessed what it was before then, but with everything going on, I didn’t notice that I missed my cycle. I hadn’t been sick at all the first time I was pregnant.” She searched his gaze. “Maybe my being sick is a good thing. It means my hormones are right. But you’re right; let’s not jump to conclusions.” Looking over her shoulder, she picked up the pregnancy test, then took a deep breath and grinned up at him. “Okay. Let me pee on this and we’ll go from there.”
His cellphone buzzed. Who wanted a piece of him now? He pointed over his shoulder with his thumb. “I’ll let you do your thing while I answer the phone.”
He hurried to the bedside table where his phone lay. His heart skipped a beat when he read the caller ID. He connected the call, and without preamble, asked, “Daniels, have you found her?”
“Yeah, boss,” replied, with a heavy Southern accent, the PI he’d hired to search for Lydia after her disappearing act in Nashville. “She’s renting a place here in Vegas on North Wallace Drive.” Daniels gave him the address. “She’s not alone. Joel Horner is with her.”
He must have misheard. “That’s my bass guitarist. Are you sure?”
“As sure as the grass is green and the sky is blue.” The roar of an engine sounded over the phone. He pulled on a pair of jeans and reached for a T-shirt. “What’s going on?”
“Damn idiot,” Daniels mumbled. “I’m watching the house from across the street and one of those jacked-up pickups just went by. Are you coming to pay the woman a visit?”
“Yeah. Keep me--”
“Shit!”
Gabe stilled at Daniels’s surprised oath. “What?”
“You ain’t gonna fuckin’ believe who just showed up.”
Gabe pulled his shirt over his head and spit out, “Who?”
“Your father-in-law. Lemont Finn.”
Gabe let out a breath and watched as the bathroom door opened. Michaela held the pregnancy test up as if it were a trophy and grinned from ear to ear. He met her gaze. If Lemont could be tied to Lydia they would have every advantage regarding Jesse’s adoption. She lost the smile and lowered the test as she headed across the large room to h
im.
He touched her face and said into the phone, “Thanks. Stay where you are and keep me posted. I’m on my way.”
“Who was that?” She searched his face.
“The PI. He found Lydia.” Before she questioned him, he grinned and prayed she had the answer he suddenly wanted to hear. “Well, you gonna keep me in the dark? Or am I going to be a daddy?”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and laughed. “We are going to be one confusing family once we adopt Jesse.” Then she leaned up to kiss him. “Yes, you’re going to be a daddy.”
He let out a whoop as joy hit him square in the chest and made it difficult to breathe. After picking her up, he spun her around and kissed her hard. When he set her on her feet again, he told her about his phone call with the PI.
“Lemont? Was Daniels sure?” Michaela’s excitement shone in her eyes. “God, Gabe, if we can prove he’s involved with her, we will have everything we need to swing the judge in our favor.”
He hugged her close and grinned. “That’s my idea. Now, I have to go.”
She backed out of his arms and headed for the closet. “You aren’t going anywhere without me.”
He didn’t like the idea of Michaela going with him, but he knew better than trying to stop her. Resigned, he sat on the edge of the bed as she got dressed. “Okay, but hurry. I don’t want her to bolt before we have a chance to talk to her.”
* * * *
Gabe and Micki parked their rented BMW down the street from the squat, single-story that looked as if it were weighed down by years of neglect. Most of the buildings in this part of Las Vegas were modest, single-family homes tucked in on small lots. The house at the address they’d been given had a flat roof and cracked, sandy-colored stucco. It was a small dwelling with a splotchy thatch of dying yard in front. An older model Chevy Cavalier was parked in the carport and a late model BMW Joel had rented sat in the driveway. Parked on the street was a sporty Lexus, which had to belong to her father. The front of the sad house contained only one window with a slashed screen over it and a door that might have been painted bright red at one time but now was a dull orange-brown.
She took a deep breath. “What connection do you think Joel has with Lydia?”
He shrugged and pulled the key from the ignition. “I think he’s the kid’s father. And I think he’s in on this plot. Remember the party in Cheyenne?”
“How can I forget?” She met his gaze, but she couldn’t see his eyes. The brim of his hat shadowed the top half of his face.
His jaw clenched as he turned to look out the windshield again. “Joel set that party up. Lydia said she was there visiting her mother. Daniels found out her mother lives in Dallas and has no connection to Wyoming. But Joel’s family owns a restaurant in downtown Cheyenne. I think she was there with his family.”
She couldn’t keep the surprise out of her expression. “You think he’d betray you like that? He’s your friend.”
“Joel is my employee. Nothing more. He and I have had our share of disagreements on music. He still thinks he’s a hard rock musician. I keep him in the band because he’s one of the best in the business. But, yes, the thought that he’d betray me makes sick to my stomach.” Opening his door, he glanced back at her. “Now I want to know what he and Lemont were scheming with Lydia.”
The PI stepped out from behind a privacy fence next door. Dressed in the uniform of a public works employee, he held out his hand to Gabe, who shook it. Daniels smiled at Micki with a nod of his head.
“Is Lemont still in there?” She rested her hand over her upset stomach. Not eating this morning hadn’t done her any favors.
“Yes. I think your bass player has a gun.” Daniels turned to Gabe. “I’m not so sure you should barge in there.”
Gabe turned toward her. “I want you to go sit in the car and call the police. I don’t honestly think Joel would shoot someone, but I’m not taking the risk with you.”
She shook her head as fear and anger warred with each other inside her. “I don’t think either of us should go in there. Not if someone has a gun. But I’m not staying out here while you risk your fool head. If you go in, so do I.”
“Fine. But stay behind me.” Gabe hurried to the corner of the house and crouched under the open window. A dark curtain hid the inside of the room. Gabe stepped up onto the stoop to open the door when a gunshot rang out. Gabe wrapped Micki in his arms, crouched next to the window, and leaned over her. A second later, a woman’s shrill scream sent a shiver through Micki, and several dogs barked at the disturbance on the sunny December morning.
“I’m calling the police,” whispered Daniels, who crouched beside Gabe. “Get the hell out of here.” He pulled out his cell phone, then hurried around the corner of the house and disappeared.
“Joel!” Lydia’s hysterical voice caused Micki to shiver despite the warm desert air. “Oh God, you shot him?”
Micki’s heart skipped a beat. Had Joel shot her father? What if he was dead? She glanced at Gabe, who, by the furrow in his brow, must have been thinking the same thing. She waited for the sting of grief at the thought of her father’s demise, but nothing happened. The only emotion she felt was a strange sense of hope, which made her feel guilty.
But the feeling was short-lived as her father’s voice cut through the tension. “The fucking idiot.”
“You shot him!” Lydia all but screamed. “Joel? Oh… Oh, God… I think he’s dead. Call an ambulance.”
“He is dead. I shoot to kill. He shouldn’t have been so stupid to pull a gun on me.” Lemont’s cold tone held a dangerous edge. “Now that the kid doesn’t have a father, you are going to do exactly what I tell you to do. Let Gabe find you and agree to the paternity test. I will make sure Gabe is ruled the father.”
That Lemont could kill a man in cold blood made Micki want to throw up.
“Why… are you doing… this to me?” Lydia’s voice shook with sobs.
Lemont’s cold laugh chilled Micki to the marrow. “Because you are a greedy slut just like your mother.”
Lemont knew Lydia’s mother?
“I don’t want the money anymore,” Lydia wailed over the sound of a police siren coming down one of the parallel streets. “I won’t let you take my baby.”
How much more did they need to prove Lemont Finn was the last person on Earth who should be raising a child?
The sound of boot heels pacing on a hard floor drew closer, then stopped at the window. The curtain pulled back as if he were looking outside. Had he heard the siren? Micki held her breath as she and Gabe huddled close to the side of the house. They both let out a breath when Lemont spoke again, and, by the sound of it, he faced away from the window. “Why did you willingly go along with this plan when I found out you made me a grandfather?”
Grandfather? Shock from the implication numbed Micki to the core.
Was Lydia her sister?
Dear God!
Mick was so stuck on the revelation she almost missed his next comment. “You wanted my money then just like your mother did when she showed up on my doorstep twenty-seven years ago with you.”
“I had no choice!” Lydia’s hysteria made her words shrill.
Gabe must have understood the implication, too. He pulled Micki even closer to him and kissed her temple.
Her brain seized with the information, Lydia must have been a baby twenty-seven years ago. The thought made Micki shudder. Had Lydia’s mother done the same thing to Lemont as the stripper had tried to do to Gabe?
“Everyone has a choice, my darling girl.” Lemont’s deep voice shattered her thoughts. “After the test proved you were my spawn, I offered your mother fifty thousand dollars to take you and leave me alone, or she could take me to court. That I’d never have allowed, and she knew it. I killed one wife for threatening me and destroyed another when she tricked me into marrying her, thinking she’d sponge off me when her disease crippled her. Instead, I denied her one penny of my money.
Your mother was smart to take the cash. I didn’t want another worthless girl and I sure as hell didn’t want one from a whore I paid to fuck.”
The accident that killed Frankie’s mother had long been considered suspicious. Police had ruled it a suicide; now she knew the truth. All of it. Her father was a sick monster. He thought Momma had tricked him into marrying her? He’d pursued her when he discovered she was part of the prestigious Cartwright family from Colton, Texas. Not the other way around.
The burn in Micki’s sinuses was fast and fierce. There was no holding back the tears. She buried her face into Gabe’s strong, warm chest and cried.
“My mother may have been a prostitute, but you are one sick sadistic son of a bitch.” Lydia’s voice quivered.
“Put the gun down, Lydia. I don’t want to shoot you, too.”
Micki looked up into Gabe’s face. Lydia must have picked up Joel’s gun. They had to stop Lemont. He’d kill Lydia. Gabe squeezed her upper arms and let her go. She wanted to go after him, but fear and a crippling sickness she figured had nothing to do with her pregnancy froze her to the spot between the window and the door.
Two police officers, followed by Daniels, ran around the side of the house. The cops glanced first at Gabe, who’d flattened himself against the house again, then at her before taking up positions on either side of the door. Daniels crouched under the window beside her.
“There’s something you don’t know about me, Daddy dearest.” Inside the house, Lydia’s voice shook, but the hysteria was gone, and dangerous determination replaced it. “After my mother met you she taught herself how to shoot; then she taught me when I was old enough. She swore she’d never let another man treat her like you did. You nearly killed her when you raped and beat her because she didn’t want to play your sick games.”
The officers pulled their guns and braced to break down the door. Down the street more sirens broke through the mid-morning neighborhood. Micki then noticed the people huddled across the street.
Heartsong (Singing to the Heart Book 2) Page 19