by Lyz Kelley
“A month!” Gwen sputtered with a visible gulp.
Dale suspected she envisioned obstacles stacking one on top of the other, like bricks building an impenetrable wall. History and experience suggested if he could create a small crack and exert a certain amount of pressure in a strategic spot, the wall would crumble.
A new foundation—that was what she needed—and he’d like to be the one to help her build it.
“Dad?” Ashley drew his attention. “What if we store the snowmobiles on their racks? The extra space in the third garage stall would allow Gwen to organize what we salvaged ahead of time. If she needs more storage space, I can ask Harold and Claudia if we can borrow their RV for a few months. They lent it to me last year when I thought I had to move.”
“Great idea.” Dale leaned back against the granite counter, crossed his arms, and turned to Gwen. “See? You have options.”
The way the kitchen lights highlighted the red in Gwen’s hair…and the way her handcrafted earrings touched her delicate shoulders…and the way her clothing drew attention to every sensual, womanly curve…didn’t help his plan to keep his distance. Her quiet elegance and poise reminded him of a peacock standing in the chicken yard. She was magnificent, and made everything around her look ordinary.
If only she weren’t so much younger, or his daughter’s friend. Which again reminded him…hands off.
He moved to the other side of the kitchen island to put a couple of extra yards between them. “Now, where is that box of those mini-cheesecakes Jenna sent home with you, Ash?” Dale glanced around his country modern kitchen. “If your friends keep sending home samples, I’ll need to add another mile to my morning run.”
“I’ll get it. You sit.” Ashley moved to the closest cabinet and pulled a stack of plates from the bottom of one of the many cupboards that lined the ginormous kitchen. “Don’t let the color turn you off. The cheesecakes are red velvet. Jenna wants to try something new for Valentine’s Day. Secretly, I think she’s testing out cakes for her wedding.” She set the plates and dessert forks on the table.
“She told me she’s going to handcraft all her wedding invitations,” Gwen said. “That’s a lot of work. I wonder if she’s trying to impress the Newhalls, or if they will even be invited.”
Ashley scrunched her nose. “It would be better if they weren’t. They’re nasty people.” Her expression cleared. “Did you see the write-up in the Elkridge Chronicle about Dreamy Delights?”
“I saw it.” The excitement in Gwen’s eyes exploded like the pop of a champagne cork. “It’s nice to see good things happen to good people. Did you hear, Kyle’s decided to talk again? Grant and Jenna were in the grocery store last week, and Kyle was chattering away. I’m so relieved.”
“I give Grant credit.” Chase chuckled. “He’s one determined man.”
Ashley’s gaze narrowed into a protective squint. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Just that he’s been after Jenna for months. Poor guy, I didn’t think she’d ever say yes.”
Gwen’s radiant smile flipped upside down. “Maybe Jenna wasn’t ready to get married.” Gwen joined Ashley at the kitchen island to dole out the sugary rounds. “Maybe she thought her life was fine as it was. Very few marriages last anymore.”
“That’s because the younger generation is too distracted.” Dale accepted a plate of mini treats and a fork from Ashley. “I keep reminding these two about the important stuff, like respect and laughter and compromise.”
“Respect and laughter are hard to do when a husband is so far away.” Gwen blushed red as soon as she dropped the grenade in the middle of the room.
“That’s not fair,” Ashley objected, giving her friend a what-for look. “My dad was away so much because he was protecting our country.”
“It’s okay, Ash.” Dale reached out to touch his daughter. “Gwen’s right. Video chats help, but it’s not the same as being here in person.” Dale turned toward the woman who’d spoken a refreshing truth. She only said what half the town has been thinking. “I’m not sure which of us had it worse—me, Sally, or Ash. The little things were what I missed the most.”
His voice softened. “My baby’s first steps. Her drawings on the refrigerator. Being curled up watching television. The favorite recipes only a wife could make.”
He set his dessert fork down and pushed the plate back. “When you’re in the zone, you go for days without sleep, constantly on alert. Your only thought is protecting your buddies. The first day, everyone is pumped up, ready to go. After three days, soldiers stop jabbering on about the mundane shit and begin thinking about home. About holding their wives. Hugging their kids. Wondering what the fuck they are doing in that hellhole. Every morning, I woke up thinking, ‘Well I made it one more day.’
“When I got to DC, I thought I’d have more time, but I didn’t. I worked elbow-to-elbow with people 24/7. Every soldier knows that no matter how tough it is being away, the road we travel will one day bring us home. There was no greater joy in my life than walking through that front door, hugging my wife, and having Ash jump into my arms. No greater joy. Then you wake up one day and your wife and the life you thought you built are gone.”
He rested his hands flat on the table, trying to calm the years of guilt and regret that were just as strong as when Sally died a year ago. Then again, his marriage died years before. He’d made Sally a deathbed promise not to hold on so tight. Try not to control every aspect of his life. Let it happen.
A soft cry from the baby monitor pulled his attention from the past.
He straightened. “Sounds like Caitlyn needs her diaper changed. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll go check on my grandbaby.”
Ashley stared at Gwen from across the table. “What was that all about?”
Heat spread up her neck and across her cheeks and contradicted the resentment that swamped her when reminded of her family. In spite of what she’d just said, she knew Dale’s feelings about his family, and his priorities, were a lot more reliable than what she had.
Growing up, she’d hated living a lie. Being forced to act like nothing was wrong or broken beyond repair. Most believed she had a glorious life. A big house. Designer clothes. Private education. None of that stuff ever made her happy.
“I’m sorry, Ash. Truly. It’s just…well. Watching you struggle to help your mom while your dad did his military thing left an ugly impression. You watched your mom die, day after day, for three years. If it was me, I’d still be pissed off.”
“I was angry.” Ashley dropped her fork to her plate. “Really angry, until I read my dad’s letters to my mom. He adored her, and begged her time after time to let him come home. She was the one who pushed him away. If I resented anyone, it would be my mom, but I don’t want to be filled with hate. It’s not worth it. All that negative energy eats away at a person. I’ve forgiven my dad, and I’m working on the trust thing. We’re in a good place, and that’s more than I hoped for.”
The baby cooing sounds from the baby monitor soothed the bitterness tumbling inside of Gwen, and created a comfort, one that brought about a surprise.
Ashley was right. Dale was nothing like her parents. He listened. Supported. Pitched in. He’d been nothing but helpful. A chill swarmed her, and she huddled into her sweater, wrapping it tight around her.
She needed to be open, with herself and with her friend. Gwen picked up her dessert fork, rolling the stainless steel over and over in her hand. Round and round and round, just like her thoughts. “I don’t suppose your dad said anything about my visitor today.”
Ashley glanced at Chase, who shrugged. “No. Did something happen?”
Gwen laid the fork down and pressed her hand on top of her leg to stop its nervous bouncing. “A man from my past came to visit me today. His name’s Shane Boulis. He’s a nasty piece of work.”
Ashley’s eyes widened. “Did he hurt you?”
Gwen replayed the confrontation one frame at a time, remembering his words, his expres
sion, his body position, and every other little nuance. Since the moment he walked out of her shop, she’d been fighting the instinct to run. But why should she run? Like Dale said, Shane would just find her again. She’d never have a life, not a life that was worth anything.
“No. He didn’t hurt me, but there’s something you need to know.”
She stopped. What could she say?
You have no idea what my life’s been like?
I’ve been hiding and didn’t want to be found?
My past is catching up with me?
She swallowed against the acrid taste of not being completely honest with those she cared about—Ashley, Jenna, Maggie—all the people she’d come to love. How would they react? Would they still like the new Gwen?
She pressed her finger against a crumb of cornbread, rubbing the grittiness between the tips of her fingers. She took a deep breath. “My legal name’s not Gwen Keebler,” she murmured, and then studied Ashley’s concerned face. “It’s Gwen Zell. My father is William Zell.”
Ashley gasped.
Chase sat taller, his eyes opening wider. “Last week, Erik gave me a real estate book to read. Buy It, Flip It, Profit by a William Zell. That’s your father? He’s one of the richest property managers in the country.”
“That would be him.” Gwen extended her arms, asking, no, pleading for understanding. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. The only thing I’ve ever wanted is to leave that life behind. I moved here to get a clean start. You know the real Gwen. Or, the person I want to be.”
“People judge. Ask my dad.” Ashley moved around the table to sit next to her. “He knows all about people finding fault. But that’s not how I see things, and I’m certainly not here to judge you.”
“I wanted people to get to know me, not read about me on my father’s Wikipedia page.”
Ashley placed her hand on top of hers. “I do know you. You’re beautiful and kind. You’re like the older sister I never had. You’ve been there for me. How could you think I would throw our friendship away…just like that?”
Others have over less. “I don’t know. Guess I wasn’t thinking.”
“Sometimes it’s hard to think straight when you’re scared. I get it. But what I don’t know is who Shane Boulis is, and why he came to see you today.”
“Shane’s my ex-fiancé.” Ashley squeezed her hand, easing the building tension. Gwen released a slow, heavy breath. “I met Shane just after college. I was so young, and Shane lavished me with attention. We traveled, enjoyed everything cultural, and talked about starting an interior design business. He was such a perfect gentleman. I thought I was smart, but I was too naïve to realize his feelings were an act. He played the part perfectly.” How could I have been so dumb? She picked at a small hangnail. After observing my parents, I should have known.
She dropped her hands into her lap. “Weeks before our wedding, I was creating a video for Shane of our time together. I gathered pictures from our vacations, theater programs I’d kept, anything relating to things we’d done together. I was so excited about my secret project. In the middle of videotaping a message to him, the phone rang. It was Shane. He wanted me to run an errand. I was so eager to do the favor he asked, I dropped everything and ran out the door, forgetting to turn off the camera I’d left on the dresser.”
“This sounds like a bad soap opera.” Ashley pulled her plate closer. “Don’t tell me you caught him in bed with your best friend.”
“Close, but not quite. I caught him hacking into my computer, reading my emails, and trying to gain access to my bank accounts. I only found out about his girlfriend a week later.”
“There were dudes in the military with multiple girlfriends,” Chase added, with a headshake and a glower. “Guys always get caught. Not worth the drama, man.” Chase reached for his wife’s hand and placed a kiss on the back of her knuckles.
Her friends’ intimacy opened the door to longings she usually denied or ignored. To be held. To be touched. To be loved by someone special. She dropped her head to give the two a little privacy.
“Shane was never in love with me. He only wanted my money. My grandfather left me a rather disgusting sum, and the full amount was transferred into an investment account the day I turned twenty-five.”
“So you have the money to get a new place.”
Gwen shook her head. “The trust has always been Monopoly money to me, and when I went into hiding, I couldn’t touch it for fear my parents would find me. That money is tainted, acquired on the backs of others’ misfortune. People were forced out of their homes, relocated to poorer neighborhoods, all in the name of progress. No, I don’t want it.”
“You could always use it to do something good. Like you’ve been doing. You helped me when I needed to sell my mom’s clothes, or when you found candlesticks to help Jenna make displays for her bakery. You’ve done a lot for this town.”
“I haven’t done that much.” Not as much as I could have with all that money.
“Please tell me you’re not thinking about giving Shane the money.”
“Not a chance. The only way Shane could have found out about the trust is through working for my father. Shane’s his head of security. Or was, last I heard. When he looked at me, what he saw was an opportunity to get rich quick.”
The bastard never loved me.
Even convinced me I was unlovable.
“Ouch. That must have hurt.” Ashley paused, a fork full of cheesecake halfway to her mouth.
“Finding out my fiancé was a con artist hurt, but not as bad as my father not believing me about Shane, or my mother trying to talk me into going through with the wedding anyway. That’s why I packed my bags, adopted my grandmother’s maiden name, and disappeared the next day. I had to get away. Find a way to breathe again. I moved to Dallas, Los Angeles, and Seattle, thinking I couldn’t be found in big cities, but he found me every time. When I moved here, I was determined to change my habits, fall off the grid.” She picked up her used napkin and wadded it into a fist-tight ball. “But he found me anyway.”
“Where is this guy now?” Chase pushed his plate aside and leaned in, his face a combination of concern and anger.
“I’m sure he’s close by.”
“And the reason I’ll accompany Gwen home tonight,” Dale said, walking into the kitchen without glancing her way. “I don’t trust that guy.” He turned to Gwen. “It would be best if you leave your car at the store. It will keep Shane guessing. Chase or I can drop it off first thing in the morning.”
Oh, God. Dale. How much did he hear?
“She can stay on the couch,” Ashley offered. “It’s too bad we don’t have a bed for the guest room.”
“I’ll be fine,” Gwen objected, but without much oomph.
“Someone will accompany you home. If Dale doesn’t, I will.” Chase’s statement left no room for argument. “That Shane dude sounds like a piece of work. I want him out of town as fast as possible. Maybe Sheriff Joe can give him some encouragement.”
“We’ve already talked to the sheriff.” The unfaltering energy flowed out of her. “There’s not much he can do until Shane breaks the law.”
Dale sat in the chair Ashley had vacated. “Joe will keep an eye out. You’re part of this town. No one messes with the Elkridge family.”
An unfaltering energy flowed though her veins and made her believe in possibilities. Dale had had no reason to invite her into his home, but he had. He’d provided a safe place and given her hope. And he’d certainly demonstrated the leadership ability that made him a general. A man to trust. A man to follow. Maybe she’d just discovered what his ailing wife must have known. Dale Bryant was someone she could admire.
“I believe you’re right.” Gwen’s courage expanded. “It’s time for me to stop running. We’ve come up with a workable plan, and I really do want to stay. Live life on my terms. I don’t want to hide anymore.”
“Well, then, if you’re sure you don’t want us to make up the couch, let’
s get you home so we can start work on finding your business a new home. I’ll make some calls in the morning to find out what it takes to reclassify that property to commercial use. Chase, I was hoping you could take my truck and help Gwen load the rest of her inventory.”
In other words, you want someone to make sure I’m safe.
Chase pulled out his phone to look at his calendar. “Yep. I can move a few appointments around. I should be good.”
“What about me?” Ashley asked with a bit of a pout.
“I don’t think being around a construction zone would be good for Caitlyn. She’s too little. And you’re not supposed to be doing any heavy lifting yet. Let’s trade. You go to the county records office and find out what you can about that house. I’ll start tackling the garage to make room to store and sort Gwen’s inventory.”
“I’ll also call Harold and Claudia,” Ashley said, reminding the group about the generous local store owners who’d been so kind to her in the past. “I’m sure they won’t mind if we borrow their RV for a few months.”
“What about me?” Gwen smiled while forcing back her disappointment. The superhero hadn’t assigned her a task. Did he think she was incapable? Was he mad about her insensitive comment?
Seeing Shane, the pipe breaking, dealing with Clairemont, all of it closed in. The instinct to run rose and put pressure on her commitment to stay.
No. You can do this.
Dale came to stand by her chair, offering his hand. She studied his broad, capable hand, roughened by years of helping keep the world safe. If she allowed him, he’d help keep her safe.
When she placed her hand in his, he gave her arm a little tug. She stood and took a step closer.
“Your tasks”—a warmth spread across his face, softening the serious lines—“are to save your inventory and figure out what you can spend on a house. Let us worry about the rest.”
Oh, that devastating smile. It could capture her heart and keep her happily captive for a lifetime.