The Deputy's Unexpected Family

by Patricia Johns

  If anyone’s body armor should be standing between her and danger, it should be his. But he couldn’t do everything at once.

  The back room was neatly arranged—shelves lined with boxes, rolls of ribbon and various sewing accoutrements. There was nowhere to hide back here, and the rear door was solidly shut—locked with a sliding bolt from the inside. No one had exited the store. He let out a breath of relief, slid the safety lock on his gun and holstered it.

  “Clear back here!” Gabe called and returned to the sales floor. Bryce holstered his weapon, too, and they eyed each other for a moment.

  “What was that?” Bryce said. “A message? Just toying with us? Testing our response time?”

  “Or an actual attempt to get inside?” Gabe wondered aloud. “Maybe whoever it was got interrupted.”

  Bryce shook his head. “They’re around—we know that much.”

  “And they’re watching,” Gabe added. “Harper had left for lunch and an appointment. She had a sign up saying how long she’d be gone. And they managed to do that damage on the door outside without anybody noticing—at least no one that called it in.”

  “We’ll do a canvass of the area and see if anyone remembers anything,” Bryce said.

  Gabe headed for the front door just as four more officers arrived on the scene. Harper stood outside, her wrap pulled close around her shoulders and her glittering green gaze pinned to him.

  “Nothing,” he confirmed. “The store is empty. The back door is secured. No one got inside.”

  Harper exhaled a sigh. “I thought so.”

  “Better safe than sorry,” he said. He hadn’t meant to scare her, but they weren’t playing games with this one...and neither were the crooks.

  Gabe looked back at the gouges on the door frame. Someone had put some muscle into that, and the thought made the hair on the back of his neck bristle. There was no mistake—whoever had broken in earlier was definitely back...or had never left. Harper—or at the very least her store—was being watched.

  “You should close the store for a few days,” Gabe said. “Just take a step back. I’ll keep an eye on you, but the store is obviously under surveillance.”

  “When the store is closed, I lose money.”

  “I know.” He could sympathize with that. “But these are extenuating circumstances. I think you can agree to that.”

  Harper nodded slowly. “I hate this, Gabe...being run out of my own store. We have a living to make, too, and this isn’t just about stealing our merchandise anymore. This is about stealing my sense of security!”

  “As long as I’m with you, you’re secure enough,” he said, then glanced around at the arriving officers. “Let’s let the officers here do a sweep of the neighborhood. You’ll want to pick up Zoey anyway, won’t you?”

  Harper gave him a peculiar look, and he could only guess at what she was thinking. But yes, he was worried about his daughter, too. He wanted both of them under his watch tonight, if only to make himself feel better.

  “Okay,” Harper agreed. “That’s a good idea. She’s at the daycare on Elm Street. The one with the puzzle piece sign.”

  “Good.”

  “Ms. Kemp,” one of the officers said, coming up. “We’ll need a statement—”

  “She’s with me,” Gabe interrupted. “Give me the form. I’ll walk her through it and hand it in myself.”

  “Sure thing.”

  The officer retreated, and Gabe slipped a hand over her slim elbow, tugging her in closer to his body. He felt better when she was beside him, because he could protect her more easily this way. And if any of those criminals were watching right now, he wanted them to know that she wasn’t alone. He might be undercover, but he was still a very large man. If they crossed her, they crossed him.

  “We need Zoey’s booster seat,” Harper said.

  Of course—he hadn’t even thought of it. They’d get the booster seat, pick up their daughter, and then get them both home to where they were safe. His time here in Comfort Creek was limited, and there was no way he could walk away from this frustrating town without having arrested whoever was responsible for the break-in.

  Then he could wash his hands of this place and go deal with his emotions in Fort Collins, where he belonged.

  Chapter Twelve

  Gabe glanced over at Harper as she put on her seat belt. She still looked pale, and her hands trembled just a little as the buckle found its home.

  “You okay?” he asked, starting the car. He just wanted to get her away from here—let the other officers do their jobs.

  “Hmm.”

  It wasn’t actually an answer, and he reached over and took one of her chilled hands in his. He gave her fingers a squeeze.

  “It’s natural to be a little shaken,” he said.

  “But why are they targeting me?” she asked, turning toward him, and her fingers twined through his. She didn’t seem to have noticed what she’d done, and he didn’t have the heart to pull his hand back. Her eyes brimmed with unshed tears.

  “It’s not personal,” he said with a shake of his head. “If this is the same gang we think it is, the choice of business to target is pretty random. They’re looking for fencible merchandise. That’s it! This isn’t about you doing anything right or wrong. That’s why they belong in prison.”

  “Gabe, they must have been watching me—”

  “Did you see anyone?” He pressed. “Anyone at all?”

  “A woman with a stroller?” She shrugged feebly. “And no, I didn’t know her personally, but she didn’t stand out at all.”

  “It might be an important detail. I’m not sure,” he confessed. “But if they want to get to you, they’ll have to get through me first. And I have to tell you—I might not be great with authority figures, but I’m real good at hand-to-hand combat.”

  She smiled wanly, and when she moved to wipe her eyes, she seemed to notice that she’d been holding Gabe’s hand.

  “Sorry...” she murmured. “I didn’t mean to do that...”

  “It’s okay,” he said. It was more than okay. If he could make her feel safe by holding her hand, he’d do it. He’d hold her hand for a whole lot less, truth be told.

  Harper wiped her eyes. “I wasn’t too scared until you pulled out the gun. I guess it all felt...extra real.”

  Real. Yeah, it was that. He shot her an apologetic smile. He forgot that most people weren’t used to drawn weapons like a trained officer was.

  “You—changed,” she added. “You’re different with a gun.”

  He chuckled softly. “I tend to give that impression to a lot of people. Even without the gun. But I shouldn’t intimidate you. You of all people know me. But I hope I scared the pants off of anyone watching you.”

  She smiled again, then shook her head.

  “Thing is, I get that response a lot,” he went on as he started the vehicle. “It’s part of what gets me into trouble. I speak my mind, and because I’m a big guy with a deep voice, it comes across as more threatening than I might intend.”

  She didn’t say anything, and Gabe sighed. Confirmation? Some people he didn’t mind intimidating. Harper wasn’t one of those people. He needed her to see past that defense mechanism—because that’s all it was. He pulled away from the curb and eased down Sycamore Street toward Main.

  “You’re safe with me, you know,” he said, softening his voice. “I might be a big lug, but I’ll never hurt you, or bully you...or...or...I don’t know. I’ll never use my size to get my way when it comes to you and Zoey. But I will use it to stand up for the two of you. You can be warned about that in advance.”

  “I don’t need a bodyguard,” she said, but he could hear the warmth in her voice.

  “Right now you do, actually,” he replied. “Look, I know that you’ll end up marrying some guy, and I’ll slide into the background, but u
ntil you have some other guy to throw his weight around for you, if you ever need help—ever—you know that I’m here. Okay?”

  He signaled a turn, glancing toward Harper as he eased onto the next street. Her curls hung in ringlets around her face—a few of them wisping away from her head—loosened from the wind outside.

  “I’m not so close to getting married as you think,” she replied.

  “You haven’t settled for less than you deserve, and I’m glad. If you turned me down for some guy unworthy of you, I’d take it personally.”

  She rolled her eyes—at least she was relaxing a bit. That’s what it took—a bit of flirtation? He wished it was as innocent as all that, because when it came to Harper his feelings would always be more complicated.

  “Don’t tell me you’re still smarting from high school,” she said.

  “Nah.” He signaled a turn onto Elm Street. “Not very much, at least.”

  And he wasn’t. This wasn’t about high school anymore. He was doing his best to keep his emotions in the clear right now. She was still so very easy to fall for...

  The daycare was ahead on the right with a big purple puzzle piece standing out front. He pulled to a stop and turned toward Harper.

  “Are you okay, Harper?”

  She nodded, then sucked in a deep breath.

  “No, I’m serious,” he said, reaching out to catch her hand again. “I’m used to that stuff. You aren’t.”

  “Well, I’ve got you to fend them off, don’t I?” she asked with a wan smile. “I’ll be fine. But I expect you to fling yourself bodily between me and bad guys.”

  “Deal.” He grinned. “That’s the fun part.”

  Harper’s cheeks pinked, and she reached for the door handle. “And maybe you’d stick around for a bit when you drop us off at my place? I’d feel better.”

  “Also a deal. Let’s go get Zoey.”

  Harper got out of the car first, and Gabe followed her. He met her on the other side and she walked a half step ahead of him as she approached the glass-plated front door. Gabe could see the kids sitting in a circle on a carpet, their hands waving in the air, imitating a middle-aged woman. When they stepped inside, another worker smiled and came over.

  “And R is for rumble...” the woman was saying to the circle of children. “Rumble like the thunder. Can we all rumble?”

  Gabe raised his eyebrows, watching the kids do their best to rumble. They were cute, he had to admit, but this was a world that he wasn’t used to. Kids were complicated. They needed stuff that he didn’t know how to provide. Zoey looked over at them, big gray eyes moving from Harper to Gabe and back again. She waved shyly at him, and he gave her a curt nod in return.

  “Hi, Harper,” the worker said. “Are you picking up Zoey now?”

  “I am.” Harper waved at Zoey, and as if that was the signal she was waiting for, she scrambled to her feet and skipped over to them.

  “Hi, sweetie,” Harper said, running a hand over Zoey’s shiny hair. “How was your day?”

  “It’s good,” Zoey replied. “We’re doing the letter R today. It’s R for rain.” She waved her arms in the air in the motion Gabe had seen before. Ah. So that’s what it was.

  From the circle of children, it seemed that R had moved on to the roar of a bear, and the kids were bellowing into each other’s faces in terrorizing delight.

  “I like that one...” Zoey said quietly. “I do a good raaaar.”

  Gabe felt a little self-conscious in this daycare, and he didn’t feel comfortable carrying on a conversation with Zoey here. This was Harper’s domain—the official space of a mother and her child. He was just some biological interloper. But when he looked down at Zoey, she looked up at him, and just for a moment there was a spark of connection. He understood her desire to roar. A smile curved his daughter’s small lips.

  “Let’s get your coat,” Harper said.

  “Monday there will be a nature walk,” the worker told Harper. “So Zoey will need mittens and a scarf, just in case the temperature drops. Also rubber boots are a plus.”

  “Will do,” Harper agreed. “We’ll have to remember that Zoey, okay?”

  “Miss Prim? Miss Prim?” Zoey tugged at the young woman’s hand.

  “Yes, Zoey?” Miss Prim replied, looking down at her.

  “That’s my daddy.”

  Gabe’s heart seemed to skip a beat, and then hammered hard to catch up. Daddy. Had he heard that right? He looked down at Zoey, who was eyeing him shyly, then to the worker whose jaw had literally dropped.

  “It’s true,” Gabe said, clearing his throat. “I’m...uh...her father.”

  This was only the second person he’d told—the first being Bryce, and that had seemed more like a guilty confession. This—this had been a proud declaration by his daughter.

  “Oh...” Miss Prim looked over at Harper, obviously trying to cover up her shock.

  “This is Gabe Banks,” Harper said with an easy smile. “He’s Zoey’s biological dad, and she’s just met him.”

  “So a big time for a little girl.” The worker was quickly catching up. There was a lot going on between the lines that Zoey didn’t need to hear.

  “Definitely.” Harper smiled over at Gabe, and he cleared his throat. What was the appropriate way to react to all of this? There were expectations, but he had no idea how to fulfill them. Could this end already? Couldn’t he just take them home and make sure they were locked in good and tight for the night?

  “Does this...change anything for pickups or drop-offs?” Miss Prim asked, lowering her voice. “Because if so, there are forms to be filled out—”

  “No, no,” Harper said quickly. “Nothing changes.”

  Nothing changes. Those words stung. He knew she was only referring to their daycare details, but the words struck a little too close to his heart. Wasn’t that the plan here—that he’d dash back out again and Zoey would return to her regular routine without him? Not much was supposed to change—not with his current plans, at least. And he felt a tug of guilt.

  “My daddy’s a policeman,” Zoey said, digging her toe into the linoleum floor. “And now I got a daddy like Robby’s got.”

  Who was Robby? One of the kids? Likely most of the children had fathers in the picture, and he wondered exactly how much damage he’d already done, simply not knowing about her existence.

  He wasn’t a daddy. Bryce Camden was a daddy, with his toddler daughter who lit up at the sight of him. So far, Gabe had seen Bryce put his daughter to sleep, feed her breakfast, and he’d heard Bryce cheer through the walls when Emily peed in a potty. That was a dad. Gabe was...an awkward visitor.

  “Okay, well, let’s go,” Harper said with a too bright smile. “Thanks, Miss Prim. We’ll see you Monday.”

  “With mittens and a scarf!” Miss Prim sang back.

  Gabe forced a smile and followed Harper and Zoey out the door, holding it open for them from behind until he could get outside to freedom. The daycare suddenly felt stiflingly hot, and he could feel too many eyes on him.

  He was a grown man and a cop. He was part of the force that protected all these people, and yet he felt judged. More realistically, he was judging himself.

  This is my daddy.

  He didn’t deserve to be called “daddy.” That was a title that was earned.

  * * *

  Harper took off her seat belt after Gabe pulled up to the curb in front of her house. In the back seat Zoey chattered away to herself. She had no idea how much danger her mother was in, and Harper wanted to keep it that way.

  “So—” Harper turned to Gabe. “Are you staying for a bit?”

  “Sure.” His expression softened. “It would make me feel better, too.”

  “Gabe will stay?” Zoey chimed in from the back seat.

  “Yeah, I’ll stay for a bit,” Gabe replied. “Let’s
get inside.”

  “I want to play outside,” Zoey countered. “There’s new leaves! See, Mommy? There’s new ones!”

  Harper looked out the window. She’d recently raked up several big bags of leaves, and there was already a new covering of brightly colored leaves across the lawn.

  “Yes, I see,” she chuckled. “What do you say, Gabe? Are you up to raking leaves into a pile for her to jump in?”

  “Uh—” He met her gaze with an uncertain smile. “Sure. That sounds doable.”

  They got out of the car, and after Zoey’s bag was deposited inside the house, Harper headed to the garage to get the rake. Gabe waited outside, his arms crossed over his chest as he surveyed the street.

  “What’s he doing?” Zoey asked, following her mother through the garage.

  “He’s—” Harper looked out the garage window to where she could see a sliver of Gabe’s muscular arm. “He’s waiting for you.”

  “Is he any good at raking?” Zoey asked.

  “Better than me, I’ll guess,” she replied. “He’s got bigger muscles.” Harper grabbed the rake from the corner, and shot her daughter a smile. “Go easy on him, would you?”

  “What do you mean?” Zoey asked.

  “I mean—” How to explain this to a four-year-old? “Maybe be extra nice to him. He didn’t know he was a dad before, so he’s still learning how this works.”

  “Oh.” Zoey shrugged. “Okay.”

  For what that was worth! Zoey probably had no idea what Harper even wanted, and frankly, Gabe would just have to learn as he went along, just like every other parent. Sure, he was late to the party, but he’d figure it out.

  Harper and Zoey came back outside with the rake, and Harper passed it to Gabe. He accepted it with a rueful grin.

  “Everything okay out here?” Harper asked, keeping her voice low.