by Laura Scott
The stark sorrow on her face was more than he could bear. Despite his earlier resolve, he moved closer and carefully drew her into his arms. He kept his embrace comforting as he tucked her head beneath his chin.
“I’m sorry, Gabby,” he murmured against her hair. “No child should have to see that. I’m so sorry for everything you’ve been through.”
She relaxed against him, wrapping her arms around his waist and holding on tight. “I didn’t want to believe my father was a criminal,” she said in a muffled voice. “After my mother married Richard, I built my father up in my mind, telling myself how wonderful our lives would be if he were still alive. But I was wrong. My father was a criminal who died for nothing more than greed.”
Shane’s heart squeezed in his chest, wishing there was something he could say to make her feel better.
“Subconsciously, I became a trauma surgeon, dedicated my life to helping those who were beaten or shot because of that day I listened to my father being murdered.”
“I’m sorry,” Shane whispered again. “But think about all the people you saved, Gabby. So many lives that you’ve touched.”
But she was still shaking her head, as if she hadn’t heard. “And you know what’s even worse?” she asked, meeting his gaze. “I took his name back...that’s how Creighton found me. He saw that news story about the airport shooting and came after me.”
“Because he thought you still had the money,” he said, picking up the thread of her thoughts. “But you had no idea what he was even looking for, did you?”
She shook her head. “Not until he slipped about the account numbers.”
He rubbed her back, trying to offer comfort.
“Guess my family genes aren’t the greatest,” she said with a weary sigh.
“You’re not alone, Gabby,” he said. “My dad was a great cop who died in the line of duty, but my mother had problems. After my dad died, I went a little crazy, getting into trouble, breaking the law. I got caught but was lucky the judge took pity on me, sending me to a school for troubled teens.”
She looked surprised by the revelation. “Really?”
“Yep.” He needed to tell her everything to help make his point. “I met Isaac there, you remember Leah’s husband, right?” when she nodded, he continued, “We both managed to turn our lives around, becoming cops who uphold the law rather than break it. But my mother spiraled downhill after my father passed away. She literally drank herself to death, and died while Leah was in nursing school.”
Gabby’s eyes filled with compassion. “Oh, Shane, I’m so sorry to hear that.”
“Thanks, but this just proves how much we have in common,” he continued huskily. “Our parents made mistakes, we both also made mistakes. But what counts the most are the decisions we made to turn our lives around. I chose law enforcement and you chose being a surgeon. Both admirable professions. It doesn’t matter where we came from, it only matters where we’re going. And knowing that God will help guide us.”
Her expression softened and she slowly nodded. “You’re right, Shane. What’s in the past doesn’t matter as long as we learn from it and move forward from here.”
“Exactly,” he murmured, aching with the need to kiss her.
But the moment was gone in a heartbeat. Gabby stepped away from him, straightening her shoulders. “Okay, we need to go back to the motel, to pick up my things. I’ll show you where the information is.”
Shane frowned, then remembered what she meant. “Your cedar box? But surely you would have known if the account numbers were in there.”
For the first time since he’d rescued her from Creighton, the barest hint of a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. “I believe they’re hidden inside my mother’s charm bracelet. Remember the way she kept talking about the circus and the drum? There’s a drum on the charm bracelet, the gift my father had given my mother that day of the circus. I think there could be some sort of microchip hidden inside.”
“Incredible,” he muttered. “A microchip. Who would have thought?”
Gabby sighed. “If I had faced my nightmares earlier, maybe I would have figured this out sooner. I’m sorry, Shane. I’m so sorry I put you and your team in danger.”
“Remember what I told you right from the very beginning? This is Creighton’s fault, not yours. No one’s perfect, Gabby. We’ve all made mistakes.”
“This was a whopper,” she said with a frown. “But as you said, we’ll move forward from here. Let’s go. The sooner I get rid of that microchip, the better. I’m more than ready to put all of this behind me.”
She brushed past him, apparently in a hurry to get out of Richard’s house.
Shane’s gut wrenched painfully as he followed Gabby outside. This was it, the end of the case. He didn’t need to spend all his time with Gabby, since she no longer needed his protection.
And Gabby was already pulling away, putting distance between them.
Whatever feelings she may have had for him would soon fade away, just the way his fiancée’s had.
But his wouldn’t. His chest was so tight he could barely breathe. He loved her. More than he could have ever imagined possible. Completely different than what he’d felt for Linda.
Yet the kindest thing he could do for Gabby at this point was to let her go.
Even though he knew she’d take his heart with her.
* * *
Gabby sat beside Shane as he drove Nate’s police-issue SUV back to the motel. Tears kept pricking her eyes and she tried to subtly wipe them away.
Ridiculous to miss Shane when he wasn’t even gone yet. What was wrong with her? Must be the result of overwhelming relief at knowing that she was safe at last.
But the knot in her stomach didn’t feel like relief. It felt like abject sorrow. She didn’t want Shane to leave, to go back to his life.
Leaving her to return to hers.
She was humbled by what he’d shared with her, and knowing how he’d overcome his past to become a cop only made her admire him more. She cared about him so much, but he didn’t believe her feelings were real.
But she knew they were. Very real. She swallowed hard and fought back her tears, turning to stare out the passenger-side window. Protruding over the tops of the red, gold, orange and green leaves on the trees, she could see the tip of the church steeple where she and Shane had attended services. She took a moment to shake off her melancholy mood and thanked God for saving them. Every one of them.
Shane, Nate and Jenna had all come to her rescue. Plus other deputies that she didn’t know by name.
Nate’s phone rang, interrupting her thoughts. When he mentioned something about the FBI, she turned in her seat to look at him in surprise.
Nate disconnected from the call. “The FBI is sending two agents out to meet us at the motel. Guess they want that microchip very badly.”
“FBI?” Shane echoed with a frown. “When did Griff get in touch with the feds?”
“Not sure, but we shouldn’t be surprised. Execution-style shootings reek of mob influence.”
“Yeah, I know. At least they stayed out of our way this time,” Shane said. He reached over to give Gabby’s hand a squeeze. “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine.”
“Thanks,” she murmured, knowing he was right. She would be fine, especially with Shane by her side.
The trip to the motel didn’t take long. When they arrived, there were several police vehicles already there. She wasn’t too surprised to see Griff was waiting, standing beside a tall man and a slender woman both wearing navy blue suits, clearly the FBI agents.
“Dr. Fielding,” Griff greeted her formally. “This is Logan Quail and his wife, Kate. They’re both special agents with the FBI and have expertise with mafia-related crimes.”
She held out her hand. “Nice to meet you, but please call me Gabby.”
“Nice to meet y’all,” Logan said with a distinct Texas drawl as he shook her hand and then Shane’s. The way Logan tugged at the collar of his s
hirt, she suspected he didn’t wear a business suit often.
Once the formalities of introductions were over, Gabby gestured to the motel room she’d stayed in. “If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you where I think the account numbers are hidden.”
Shane stayed close by her side as she entered the motel room and crossed over to where she’d left her cedar box sitting on the dresser. She opened it up, looking down at her personal mementos, without experiencing the crippling pain she used to. After pulling the cedar box out, she set it on the dresser and opened it up. The charm bracelet looked innocent enough, but she knew differently. She picked it up and carefully inspected the charm that was shaped like a drum.
“There’s a seam all the way around it,” she said, glancing up at the group of people waiting patiently behind her. “I need a knife.”
“Here, I’ll do it.” Shane took out a small penknife and set the drum on the table before inserting the tip of the blade in the seam. With a crack, the drum opened, revealing a small microchip.
“Here you go,” Gabby said, gesturing toward it. “I hope you’re able to read the technology from twenty-one years ago.”
Logan and Kate exchanged a knowing look. “It won’t be easy, but we think we have the capability to read it,” Kate said.
“Take it. I hope it helps you in some way.” Gabby stepped back, glad to be rid of the thing that had caused so much pain and sorrow. She glanced over at Shane. “I’d like to go home.”
“I’m sorry, but the crime scene techs are still there,” Shane said with obvious regret.
“Then take me to the hospital,” she said firmly. “I need to let my boss know that I’m officially off my leave of absence.”
Shane nodded and Gabby was a little surprised when no one tried to stop them. Shane walked over to the car he’d borrowed from Nate’s aunt, so she slid into the passenger seat.
Neither one of them said much as he drove toward the freeway. Sneaking a look at his strong, handsome profile, Gabby wanted to ask when she’d see him again. But she feared he’d only tell her again that what she was feeling wasn’t real.
“Will someone let me know when I can go back home?” she asked, finally breaking the silence.
Shane glanced at her and nodded. “Yes, I’ll make sure of that.”
Would he be the one to follow up with her? Or was that just wishful thinking on her part? Gabby racked her brain, trying to think of a way to convince Shane that her feelings weren’t just gratitude. But love.
Real, heart-wrenching love.
When he pulled up in front of the hospital, she paused for a moment, turning to face him. “Thanks again, Shane, for saving my life.”
His smile seemed sad. “You saved mine first, remember?”
She nodded, knowing she’d never forget. Gabby leaned over to press a kiss against his cheek. “Take care of yourself,” she murmured, blinking back tears. She ducked her head, opened the passenger-side door and quickly got out of the car before she could beg him to let her stay with him.
Forever.
The moment she stepped inside the hospital, she was greeted by the familiar scent of antiseptic. She looked around, a little surprised to realize that things felt different.
Shaking off the sensation, she decided to look in on Brandon Johnson, her colleague who’d been attacked by Creighton.
But when she inquired about where Brandon was, she discovered he’d been discharged home. Which was good news, even though she wished she’d had a chance to apologize.
With nothing else to do, she went to check in with her boss, Jonathan Murray.
“Glad to have you back, Gabby,” Jonathan said. “We’re running a bit shorthanded, so if you want to pitch in and take second call tonight, I’d appreciate it.”
“Sure thing,” she said, forcing a smile. Second call also meant covering the ICU patients, so after changing into scrubs, she went up to check on the trauma patients there.
Joe Chasco was still a patient in the ICU, although things didn’t look good. His brain wasn’t functioning well and she knew that even if Joe survived, he’d never go back to being a surgeon.
She worked with the residents, making rounds and getting up to speed on what medical care was needed, but for some reason, everything felt off. Normally, work consumed her, making her feel as if she belonged.
But not today. A reaction from everything that had transpired? Maybe. But she didn’t think so.
Before she met Shane, she’d used work as a way to avoid her personal feelings. Maybe to make up for her father’s death. But Shane had exposed her to faith and church and so much more.
Love. She loved him so much, she ached with it.
And suddenly, she knew exactly how she could convince him to give the feelings between them a chance.
* * *
Shane finished up what seemed like a mountain of paperwork related to everything that had transpired with Creighton. But his mind kept wandering back to Gabby.
He must have picked up the phone a dozen times, intending to call her at the hospital. Just to hear her voice. But he forced himself to wait until Griff had informed him that the crime scene techs had finally finished at her house.
“Good, that’s good,” he muttered, suddenly nervous about calling Gabby now. The time wasn’t too late, just seven-thirty at night, but dusk had fallen and he wondered if it would be better to let it go until the morning.
But the thought of Gabby spending another night in one of those tiny call rooms convinced him to at least offer her the choice. He took a deep breath and made the call to the hospital, asking for her to be paged.
He was on hold for less than a minute before she responded, “This is Gabby Fielding, may I help you?”
Shane swallowed hard, suddenly nervous. “Hi, Gabby, it’s me, Shane. I have good news,” he added in a rush. “Your house has been cleared. You’re free to return home any time.”
“Really? That’s wonderful,” she responded, sounding relieved.
“Well, there might be a bit of a mess,” he cautioned. “I’d be happy to give you a hand if you’d like.”
“I don’t want to be a bother,” Gabby said, although he could hear a bit of hesitation in her voice.
“It’s not a bother. How about I meet you there?” The offer was more of a knee-jerk reaction, but as soon as he said the words, he knew he meant them.
No way was he leaving Gabby to face her house alone, in the dark.
“Okay, thanks, Shane. See you soon.”
He disconnected from the call and jumped up from his desk. Nate lifted his eyebrows when Shane headed past him. “Need help with something?”
Shane paused but then shook his head. “No, I’m just going to help Gabby clean up the mess the crime scene techs left behind.”
Nate smiled wryly and shook his head. “Well, at least she’s not a suspect anymore.”
There wasn’t a good response for that, so he just lifted his hand in a wave and hurried out to his car, his personal SUV since Griff hadn’t given him anything to replace the police-issue vehicle Nate had turned in on his behalf.
Staying under the speed limit wasn’t easy, although he knew there was no reason to rush. Other than to satisfy the ridiculous need to see Gabby again.
Man, he was in trouble. Big trouble.
Gabby’s car was already in the driveway when he arrived and there were lights on in what seemed like every room in the modest house. Apparently she didn’t want to be in the dark, even though the danger was over.
He knocked sharply on the front door and then walked inside, sweeping his gaze over the living room. “Gabby? Are you okay?”
“Hi, Shane,” she said, coming out from the kitchen. “Are you hungry? There isn’t much, but I just threw in a frozen pizza.”
“Sounds good.” She looked wonderful, her long red curls framing her face, making him wish he could bury his fingers in the lush strands and kiss her as if she belonged to him. But that wasn’t why he was here. He follow
ed her into the kitchen, frowning when he realized she was already putting her things back where they belonged.
“You know, there’s no rush. You don’t have to do all this tonight,” he told her. “I could give Leah and Isaac a call in the morning, I’m sure they wouldn’t mind helping us.”
“I know, I just thought that I should try to get back to my normal routine,” she said with a sigh. “But even being at work didn’t seem normal.”
“It may take a while, Gabby,” he said gently, deeply concerned about her well-being. “You might want to take some time off work, maybe talk to someone.”
She frowned and shrugged. “Maybe, but in some ways, I’m glad to be able to put some of the past to rest. It’s just—everything seems different now.”
“Like what?” He sank into the chair beside her and took her hands in his. “Talk to me.”
She took a deep breath before looking him directly in the eye. “I’ve fallen in love with you, Shane.”
His heart thudded with joy, but then he forced himself to face the truth. “We talked about this, Gabby. You’re grateful to be alive, and frankly, I’m glad you’re alive, too. But in a few days, maybe even weeks, this feeling will pass.”
But she was already shaking her head. “No, it won’t. I know my own feelings, Shane. I’m not your former fiancée.”
He wanted so badly to believe her. “I care about you, too, Gabby.”
“You believe in God, in faith, right?”
“Yes.” He stared at her, trying to follow her logic.
“I only went to church once, but I instantly felt a sense of peace. I can’t see faith, or hold it in my hand, but I know it’s there. I’m asking you to do the same with me. To believe in my love for you. To believe that I know the difference between gratitude and love.” Her voice broke and she swallowed hard before continuing. “I understand you might not feel the same way, but I need you to know what’s in my heart.”
And suddenly he understood. How could he have been so stupid? “You’re right, Gabby. I’ve known that I was in love with you for a while now but refused to believe you felt the same way. Because I was too afraid of being hurt the way I was in the past. But that was wrong. I shouldn’t have assumed you’d be like Linda, when you’re nothing like her.”