“He’s got a pulse. And help’s coming.” He called the words across the small grassy incline. Corinne had moved the woman into the clearing and was using the flashlight on her phone to check her over.
Sirens came closer. Flashing lights approached from both directions.
And then a car approaching from the north tried to brake quickly. It spun hard, just like the previous car had done.
The sleek coupe hit Gabe’s SUV, did a three-sixty, bounced off Gabe’s car again, then hurtled through the air, straight at the original vehicle. And Gabe.
Gabe took the ditch, headfirst.
The car sailed over him and into the stand of trees just in front of the first car.
He held his breath, certain that gravity was going to drop the car back into the ditch and take him out. When it sailed over his head, he made a leap for the embankment behind him and scrambled up the slick hill as if his life depended on it because it did.
The thick branches slowed the car enough to avoid hitting the tree trunks or the initial automobile, but then the car crashed down, into the ditch, onto the same hollow Gabe had sought as refuge.
He couldn’t think about what might have been. There was no time for that.
He directed the EMTs and the firefighters with the Jaws of Life to the first car while he helped the driver and a little boy out of the second car.
He ran on adrenaline for nearly an hour.
At some point he noticed that Corinne was guiding the woman into an ambulance.
When the husband was finally extracted, a second ambulance took him to Rochester, where more serious injuries could be effectively treated.
Salt trucks peppered both sides of the road.
On-duty officers took statements.
Tow trucks arrived to clean up the extensive aftermath. The damage from the second accident left Gabe’s SUV undrivable. Drew Slade and Grant McCarthy both showed up during the melee. “Gabe, you’re not dressed for this. Go home,” Drew told him. He motioned to Grant’s SUV parked just up the road. “Corinne’s in Grant’s car. He’ll drive you guys. Do you need to see a doctor? Did you get injured at all when that car went airborne?”
“Nothing,” Gabe assured him. “I got out of the way in time.”
“Then head home, I’ll let you know how it all comes out. Corinne looks shaken up. I think she could use some warmth, peace and quiet right about now.”
Of course she could, and he was so busy playing the hero that he’d lost track of her. What kind of man did that?
He strode to Grant’s SUV and climbed into the backseat next to Corinne. “Hey. Are you okay? Are you warming up?”
She stayed on her side of the car and nodded. “Yes, Grant left the heater running and I’m thawing out. Any word on the injured?”
He shook his head as Grant swung the driver’s door wide. “Drew said he’d let us know.”
Grant settled into the driver’s seat and eased the SUV onto the road. “Let’s get you two home so you can relax. This was a crummy way to end a great festival weekend.” He frowned at them through the rearview mirror. “But witnesses are calling both of you heroes. I’m glad you happened along when you did. And Corinne, thanks for the quick call. That might have prevented a lot more problems tonight.”
“It was Gabe’s idea.” Her voice was soft. She looked tired and worn. “Grant, can you drop me at Mom and Dad’s place? I know they’re at the musical, but I’d like to spend the night there. Be near the kids. And I texted them to watch out for black ice.”
“Sure.” He nodded and when they got into the town, he pulled into Kate and Pete’s driveway.
Gabe got out to walk her to the door.
She waved him off. “It’s fine, Gabe. You’ve had a rougher night than I did. I can let myself in.”
Nerves tightened her tone. Her hands gripped her keys as if frozen to them.
“I’ll just see you to the door, then.”
“Okay.” She walked forward, used the key and pushed the door open. “Good night.”
She shut the door.
He stared at it, wishing they could decompress the evening together. As a cop, he understood the need to dissect a trauma, to talk about the good, the bad, the ugly...and then to put it behind you. He’d been able to do that in his professional life, if not his personal one.
He contemplated his options, then realized it might be best to wait until tomorrow. She deserved a good night’s sleep.
He didn’t like the idea of walking away, but the closed door left few choices. He got back into Grant’s vehicle, and when Grant dropped him off at the door, his mother was anxiously waiting for an update.
Jessie lay sound asleep in the crib. The lights were turned low, and the house next door sat black in the darkness. A night that began with such promise and light had turned dark in an instant.
He hugged his mother. “Let’s talk in the morning, okay? I’m beat.”
“Okay. I’ll sleep by Jessie tonight. I don’t mind a bit,” she insisted, “and you’ve got a lot on your plate for tomorrow with Maureen and Blake.”
He didn’t refuse her kind offer. “I appreciate it, Mom. All of it.”
She hugged him again, then reached up to kiss his cold, weathered cheek. “I know.”
Chapter Thirteen
I can’t do this. Not now. Not later. Not ever.
Corinne curled up in the corner of Rory’s old bed, trying to get warm, trying to calm the gut-clenching fear that grabbed hold nearly three hours before and hadn’t let go. No matter what she tried, she couldn’t get the images out of her mind.
The coupe spinning out, ricocheting off Gabe’s SUV, then sailing off the road, right at him.
Her heart had stopped while her pulse kicked into high. She’d run forward, wanting to save him, knowing she couldn’t, and when the car settled and Gabe scrambled up the slope of the ditch, unharmed, she knew.
His death would paralyze her. His death would plunge her into depths of despair. Single mothers couldn’t afford despair. They could barely afford to get sentimental over greeting card commercials because being a mom meant being on the job 24/7.
She clenched her hands, wanting to pray, but far too angry to find words.
She’d been so close to a new adventure, a new normal. So very close.
Was this God’s way of showing her the dangers involved with loving a lawman? Or was it a test to see if she had what it took to be a trooper’s wife?
She didn’t.
She recognized that tonight.
Her heart ached. Her hands trembled, more with anger than fear, and her feet refused to warm up.
She’d nearly watched Gabe die, and it about did her in.
She’d overseen life-and-death situations in the crisis pregnancy unit often. She’d laughed and cried, prayed and comforted and was glad to do it.
But this...
She shuddered, replaying the scene in her head as the car sailed off the road. The look on Gabe’s face, caught in the glow of airborne headlights. She saw him try to jump out of the way as the car blocked her view, then the long seconds of thinking the worst...
She stood and paced the room.
Sleep wouldn’t come.
Her head ached from the intensity of it all.
What if he’d died?
But he didn’t, her conscience scolded softly.
Corinne shrugged that off. Gabe was hero-quality. He didn’t hesitate to pull that SUV over, and do what needed to be done. A deed that could have spelled his death sentence.
Would you prefer he pass people by? Would you want a man who drives on through, coolly calling 9-1-1 instead of pausing to help? And since when did life come with guarantees? Are we numbered by our timelines or God’s?
She scowled
.
God’s, of course, but there was little use in tempting fate. And yet...
She loved that he waded into the fray instantly, that he took charge in order to save lives. Wasn’t that what being a lawman was all about?
Yes.
But that didn’t mean she could mentally and emotionally handle the possible outcomes, because tonight’s emergency played in her mind like a broken record, spinning out of control. She’d pledged that she’d never live like that again.
Tonight’s accident proved her right.
* * *
Aunt Maureen and Uncle Blake were on their way to Grace Haven, and they weren’t happy. Were they coming to demand their granddaughter, or just complain that Gabe had her? He wasn’t sure, but in either case, he wasn’t about to subject the baby to a shouting match.
He tucked Jessie’s car seat into the SUV and drove to the Gallaghers’ house midday Sunday. Kate answered the door. “Gabe! Oh my gosh, come in and bring that little one with you. I think she’s grown, Gabe!” She cooed to the baby as Gabe set the seat on the broad kitchen table. “What’s up?”
“Is Corinne here?”
“She’s not,” Kate told him. She looked apologetic and worried all at once. “She took the kids shopping after church for some things they’ve been needing.”
“Oh.” Why did that seem odd to him? That she hadn’t called or checked in or let him know? Mothers taking kids shopping was absolutely normal, especially on weekends. And yet... Something seemed amiss. “Kate, I know you’re going to start watching Jessie tomorrow, but her grandparents are on their way from Saratoga and they’re angry that I’ve got custody. I’m concerned that there might be a scene. Can you look after her this afternoon until the coast is clear?”
Pete came through the doorway leading to the front living room. “Are you expecting trouble?”
Gabe wasn’t sure. “I’m preparing for the worst and hoping for the best. I’ve got Adrianna’s paperwork, and the advice of an attorney, but I don’t want Jess in the house when they arrive. They’re angry and insulted, and my aunt tends to be melodramatic on a regular basis.”
“No place for a baby, then.” Kate released the seat belt clasps and lifted Jessie up. “Come here, sweetness.” She nuzzled the baby’s cheek, making her smile. “You go do what you have to do, Gabe. And if there’s anything you need, just let us know.”
“Do you want police backup?” As the former chief of police, Pete Gallagher never minced words.
Gabe shook his head. “My mother’s there and I’m hoping we can sit down and talk things through. But in case it doesn’t go like that, I want Jessie in a safe place.”
“Sensible,” Kate said. “We’ve got everything we need for a happy baby, and Sunday afternoon football, Gabe.”
“Thank you. And can you have Corinne call me when she gets back?”
Kate’s expression didn’t quite match the cordial tone of her words. “Or you can pop next door later. I’m not sure if she’s coming back here or heading straight home.”
The feeling of unease crept farther up his back, but that could be anticipation of the upcoming standoff, too. Either way, he needed to get back to his place. “Right.” He kissed Jessie goodbye and headed home, determined to make some kind of right out of too many wrongs.
A text from Mack came through as he pulled into his driveway. Taking Susie to ER. Something’s wrong. Pray for us.
Grief flooded Gabe.
He sat in the car, head bowed, praying.
Mack and Susie had been his best friends since high school. They’d loved him throughout his losses, and as they’d tried to start a family of their own, he’d watched helplessly as their attempts came to nothing time and time again.
It made no sense. Why could his cousin conceive and deliver a healthy child while Mack and Susie met chronic failure? He texted back Praying! and he was, but the unfairness of it all angered him.
* * *
Don’t look at Gabe’s house.
Grab your bags and go straight in, eyes front.
Corinne followed her own directive, but when a text came through from Kate, it held a picture of a smiling baby curled up on Pete Gallagher’s lap. Someone likes football! tagged the photo, and now Corinne looked toward Gabe’s house.
A strange car sat in the driveway, parked crookedly across the asphalt.
Jessie’s grandparents?
He’d said he was going to call them, and the baby had been removed from the house. Corinne had watched enough family dramas play out in the hospital to recognize the foresight in Gabe’s preemptive strike. As she watched, his front door flew open.
A couple stormed out. The man banged a fist against a porch pillar, yelled, then strode to the car and slammed the door shut once he climbed in.
The woman stood, facing the door.
Was Gabe in the doorway? Or his mom?
Corinne couldn’t see, but she read the anger and pain on the woman’s face. Her mouth moved in quick fashion. Begging? Pleading? Yelling?
Corinne moved away from the window.
This wasn’t her business. And after last night, she didn’t dare make it her business. She’d been raised on family drama and hated it. She didn’t want to face the angry woman, or the heroic man who’d narrowly escaped death the night before.
She wanted calm. She wanted structure and order, the peace and quiet she’d carefully orchestrated for years. How could she even consider risking that kind of loss for her kids?
“Mom! Can I run over to Coach’s and ask him about the January schedule?” Callan half shouted the question as he loped toward the door. He spotted the woman on Gabe’s porch and reconsidered his request. “On second thought, I’ll wait. I can ask him on Thanksgiving.”
Thanksgiving.
She’d invited Gabe to the Gallagher family meal and he’d accepted happily. Could she rescind the invitation?
Only a heartless creep would do that, but how could she spend a beautiful holiday with him under these circumstances? Especially a holiday based on faith and gratitude?
She couldn’t. And yet, she had no choice. If she opted out of the family meal, her kids would think she’d gone crazy. Right about now, she wasn’t sure she hadn’t.
She put things away methodically, and when Gabe’s footsteps sounded on the deck, her pulse sped up. She was scared to face him and afraid to lose him, two weak responses. How could she consider herself a strong woman if she allowed fear to guide her days? But was it fear? Or common sense because she’d lived through grievous loss once?
She sucked in a breath and crossed to swing open the door before he had a chance to knock. And the minute she saw his shell-shocked face, she grabbed hold of his big, strong hand and pulled him inside. “Come in, have some coffee and tell me what happened.”
“I can’t stay. I’ve got to get to Kate and Pete’s and pick up Jessie.” He frowned, facing her. “Corinne, about last night. We should talk about it. We shouldn’t have left it like that and just gone our separate ways afterward. It was a stupid thing to do on my part, and I know better. I’m sorry.”
Her heart shook harder than her hands, and both grew chill. “What was there to say, Gabe?”
He tipped his head in question.
“We were both there. We did what we could. And it looks like everyone is going to be okay, and I’m thrilled about that. You should be, too.”
“I am.” He spoke slowly, watching her make busywork with her hands as she brewed his coffee. “What concerns me is your reaction, Corinne. You’ve barely looked at me since the accident. You haven’t answered my texts—”
“Busy with the kids.”
His frown lines deepened. “But I think the twelve-point-six seconds it takes to answer a text isn’t the big deal you’re making it out to be. Unless...”
He took a step closer. “It is a big deal.”
She couldn’t do this.
She knew cops. She’d married one, her father-in-law had been one for decades and now her brother-in-law ran the police force. They were skilled in brushing off danger, shrugging off risk.
She possessed none of those skills, and she’d seen the risks Gabe was willing to take firsthand. She’d watched that car fly right over Gabe’s beautiful, stubborn, thick head and felt the life drain right out of her until he scrambled up the opposite incline.
Her gut recoiled, remembering.
She forced her hands to stop shaking by clutching her mug. “Gabe, we’ve been friends for a long time. We’ve worked together on the baseball team and the festival. We like each other.”
Her words disappointed him. She read it in his face, and in the set of his shoulders.
“But I have to keep my focus on raising my two kids for the next five years. They have to be my first priority. I’m sure you can understand that better than most.”
“You’re tired.”
She started to argue, but she couldn’t. He was correct. She was tired of being alone, of running the show, of missing the sweet things that seemed so near last evening. What if they’d passed through that slicked-up area two minutes before? None of this would have happened, and she’d be in this man’s arms right now.
But it did happen, and her reaction was an eye-opener and a deal breaker.
“You want to brush me off.”
That sounded harsh. She winced.
“All right. I get it.” He didn’t reach for the coffee. “But what I don’t get is why everything changed. What turned everything upside-down. And while I’d love to have time to get to the bottom of it, Jessie’s grandparents have just reminded me that my carelessness took the life of one little girl...”
Could his aunt and uncle really have said such a thing? She reached out a hand to his arm. He moved back just enough to avoid the touch, and that tiny action pained her heart.
The Lawman's Yuletide Baby Page 13