Gabby stared across the sleepy diner on the outskirts of Timber Falls. At almost half past one, the lunch crowd had already headed back to work, leaving half a dozen empty tables.
Liam had tried to get her to order something, but she knew she couldn’t eat despite the menu boasting comfort food. Her stomach was still tied up in knots, her adrenaline still racing. Even knowing that Mia was safe, and that Liam was determined not to let anything happen to either of them, she couldn’t shake the lingering terror. It was the unknown that scared her the most. Not knowing who was behind this. Not knowing when or if they were going to strike, and how far they were willing to go. Becoming a single mom had changed the way she looked at everything. And it made it hard to let someone else in.
“Are you still okay with meeting with my brother?” He picked up one of the cheese sticks he’d ordered.
She glanced at the door. “I want to get back to Mia as soon as possible, but I’m just as anxious as you are to find out what he knows.”
“You can trust him.”
“I know. I just...” She took a sip of the hot tea she’d ordered, hoping the drink would calm her nerves. “There is something that’s bothering me.”
“What’s that?”
“Why didn’t they just shoot us like they did Casada? They had every advantage. We were unarmed and they both had guns. And they certainly had the opportunity.”
“To be honest, I thought the same thing, but I don’t know.”
“I get that they were spooked, but why run knowing we were probably going to end up talking to the police. Aren’t we a liability?”
“They were masked, so they knew we couldn’t identify them, and I’m also guessing they could be working for someone else. And here’s another thing to throw into the mix.” Liam wrapped his hands around his coffee mug. “I’m not a police detective, but what if they hadn’t intended to kill Casada.”
“What do you mean?”
“It seems to fit with their behavior. There was an unopened box of donuts on the counter next to a set of car keys. They would have known Casada was home. Maybe their plan was to scare him into not talking to you, but then things went south when Casada fought back.”
“That makes sense. I thought they could only track my location, but they had to know I was going to be there this morning.”
“It’s possible they were able to monitor your conversation and knew you were coming,” Liam said.
She worked to put the pieces of the puzzle together in her own mind. “What about Will’s death? How does it fit in then?”
“We still can’t be sure at this point if his death was planned or simply an accident.”
She jumped as the bell on the front door rang and a couple walked in. She shook her head. “Sorry.”
He smiled at her. “For what?”
She held out her hands above the table. “I’m still shaking and jumping at every noise. My heart is racing and I... I just want this to be over.”
“I know.” He reached out and took her hands. “You’re not the only one caught off balance. I might be military trained, but that doesn’t mean this situation doesn’t rattle me, too. The only thing I could think about was getting you out of there alive.”
“I did. We both did.”
The door jingled again, and this time she managed not to jump. Griffin stepped into the diner, but today he wasn’t wearing his uniform. Instead, he had on jeans, a plaid shirt, and a tan jacket and boots, looking almost as handsome as Liam. And making her wonder why none of the O’Callaghan brothers had married. It was something she just might have to ask Liam if the subject ever came up.
Griffin slid into the booth where they sat in the back of the diner. “Are you two okay?”
“We are. And thanks for meeting us here and not at the station,” Liam said.
“No problem.” He glanced at Liam’s appetizer plate.
Liam nodded at his brother. “Help yourself.”
“Thanks, but I think I’ll order something as well. I was planning to eat lunch at the ranch, but I got called out.” He signaled the waitress and asked for a burger and fries.
Gabby just wanted to get to the point. “I’m assuming you found out something about my accident.”
“I did, actually. But I’m not sure what to make of it.”
“What do you mean?”
Griffin pulled a small plastic bag out of his pocket and laid it on the table.
“What is it?” Liam asked.
“It’s a tracking device.”
“Wait a minute... Where did you find it?” Gabby asked.
“On your car. I’m actually surprised we found it—it’s so small—but the problem is this isn’t some run-of-the-mill tracker you can buy off the internet. This one is military grade.”
“They bugged my phone and my car?”
“I had our IT guy disable it, but yes.” Griffin leaned forward. “You know I want to help, but I’m going to need to make sure I know everything that’s going on.”
Gabby glanced at Liam who nodded at her. He’d been right about one thing. She had to trust someone. “Besides the accident on the road coming here, there have been threats, both toward me and my daughter. I’ve been told not to go to the authorities.”
“What do they want?”
“It started with a threatening text, then I showed up at my house yesterday and it had been trashed.”
“What do you think they were looking for?”
“Evidence. Will had been following a paper trail of some contractors he believed were defrauding the government.”
“Have you seen the evidence?”
“No. Which is part of the problem. If Will did have evidence, I have no idea where it is.”
“And yet someone believes she has it,” Liam said.
“So, yesterday they run you off the road, because they were trying to scare you into giving it to them?” Griffin asked.
“That’s my best guess.”
“Tell me more about what happened in Denver?” Griffin asked, salting his fries. “How does your visit play into all of this?”
“We went to see a man by the name of James Casada,” Liam said. “He worked with Will, and we believe he was someone Will trusted. His name was mentioned in one of Will’s letters to Gabby. We were hoping he might have some information that would help.”
“Did he?”
“When we got there, he’d been shot and the two men who killed him were in the house.”
“I guess that would explain the knot on your head?”
Liam nodded. “You should see the other guy. He’s got quite a shiner.”
Griffin grabbed for a fry, then stopped. “If they were armed, how did you get away?”
“A neighbor called 911 after the first shots. The two guys ran as soon as they heard the sirens.”
“Can you identify the men?”
“They were both wearing ski masks, so not their faces. I did give a description of their clothes to the officers, but that’s all we’ve got.”
“It’s a start. What about you, Gabby? Did you notice anything?”
She waited to answer until after their waitress set down Griffin’s burger and fries, and they reassured the woman they didn’t need anything else.
“I wish I could remember something, but everything happened so fast.”
“That’s okay. You’d be surprised how many witnesses don’t remember details after a trauma like that,” Griffin said. “The only other new information I’ve got right now is the statement of a couple who saw the accident and called it in. While they didn’t get a good look at the man in the vehicle, they did manage to get the model and color, along with a partial license plate, which we were able to track down.”
“Did you identify the driver?” Liam asked.
“The car was stolen two nights ago.”
“So another dead end.”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
“There’s something else. It’s just a theory, but what if their intentions weren’t to kill Casada,” Liam said, “but just to scare him, ensuring he didn’t talk to Gabby?”
“And things got out of hand.”
“Exactly,” Liam said. “Their plan has definitely been to scare Gabby.”
“And if they’re convinced you have it, then they’re going to want to make sure you are alive.”
“I want to speak to the sheriff and get his opinion,” Griffin said. “We’ll keep this quiet, and I’ll leave out the connection with your husband’s death for now, but at some point it’s going to come up.”
Gabby nodded. “I just want to keep my daughter safe. That’s all that matters.”
Liam nodded. “And that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”
“Why don’t the two of you head back to the ranch now,” Griffin said, sliding out of his seat. “And in the meantime, I’ll see what I can do from this end.”
“I know you’re ready to get back to active duty, but do you know how much I’m enjoying having boots in the house?”
Liam glanced past his mom at the row of shoes lined up in the mudroom adjoining the kitchen, including his army boots, then smiled back at her. The house still smelled like cookies and hot chocolate like when he was a kid, and he was certain his mom hadn’t aged a day. It had been the perfect place for four boys to grow up. The perfect childhood.
“Even though I’m anxious to go back,” Liam said, dropping the dish towel onto the rack, “I’ve enjoyed every minute back on the ranch with you and Dad.”
“A mother always knows that one day her children are going to fly the nest, but as proud of each one of you as I am, I can’t help but wish every now and then that you had boring desk jobs that didn’t include risking your lives.”
He gave his mom a hug. “You raised us well and deserve some of the credit. Don’t forget that.”
“Oh, I take all of the credit.” She laughed, then her gaze shifted to the staircase. “How is Gabby doing?”
“Okay, I think. I was just going to go check on her. I’ve been waiting, hoping she finally fell asleep. She’s exhausted.”
“Why don’t you take her a few of these oatmeal cookies in case she hasn’t fallen asleep yet.” She grabbed a small plate from the cupboard, then started filling it with a few cookies from the cooling rack. “I made them for your father for after dinner, but he won’t mind sharing. I don’t think she ever ate lunch.”
“As long as he won’t mind sharing with me, too.” Liam grabbed one and took a bite.
“Tell her I’ll have dinner ready about six-thirty. Chili and corn bread.” She shot him a wide grin. “Which means you’d better not spoil your dinner.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll have room for both.”
“You know, Liam...”
He waited for his mother to continue.
“She’s the kind of girl I always pictured for you. She’s pretty, smart and that baby of hers... Well, I’m a bit smitten. I’d forgotten how wonderful it was to have a baby in the house. It’s been so long.”
Liam frowned. “Let’s not go there, Mom. Please.”
“In case you forgot, I’m your mom and I can go anywhere I please.”
He glanced at the bar stool. “Do I need to sit down for this conversation?”
“Funny. All I’m saying is that I’d like a grandchild or two, and don’t think that’s asking too much.”
“In case you’ve forgotten, I’m the baby of the family with three older and very eligible brothers. Why don’t you go talk to them?”
“Who are, unfortunately, at the moment all very single.”
“That’s not my fault.”
“Of course not, but there’s a beautiful young woman upstairs who thinks the world of you. And as for you... You feel something toward her, don’t you? There’s this something in your eyes when you look at her.”
“There’s nothing in my eyes, Mom. She’s my best friend’s wife. I’m worried and plan to ensure nothing happens to her, but that’s it.”
“She was your best friend’s wife. Second love can be just as beautiful if you give your heart a chance.”
If he were honest, he wasn’t sure why none of the O’Callaghan brothers had tied the knot. It wasn’t as if they hadn’t come close. Caden had been engaged a few years ago, and at one time Liam had thought Reid would get married, but so far none of them had made it to the altar. A fact their mother was always quick to point out.
“Liam...you okay?”
“Yeah.” He leaned down and kissed his mom on the forehead before grabbing the plate of cookies. “I’m going to check on her and, in the meantime, forget we had this conversation.”
“Do what you want, but remember I want to enjoy my grandchildren while I’m still young.”
He chuckled as he headed up the stairs.
Gabby’s door was open, and she was sitting next to the bed in an overstuffed chair reading. He leaned against the door frame. “Hey...sorry to bother you. Is Mia finally sleeping?”
“Hey...yeah. She must have been completely wound up to where she couldn’t settle down, but she finally crashed about fifteen minutes ago.”
“Sounds like she had a good time with my mom and dad.”
“She did. Your parents are amazing with her.”
“I’d say it’s the other way around. She has them wrapped around her finger. But you should take a nap as well. It’s still early.”
“I thought about it but I’m worried I wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight.”
He glanced down at the plate he was carrying. “Mom wanted me to bring you some of her homemade cookies. She’s making chili for dinner, but we won’t eat for a couple hours.”
She folded her arms across her chest. “You and your family have done so much for me. I hope you know how grateful I am.”
There were a couple bags he hadn’t noticed at first lined up at the edge of the bed. Mia’s diaper bag, Gabby’s purse, the leather satchel. “Looks like you’re going somewhere.”
“Griffin told me my car had been checked over and it’s drivable.” She walked across the room. “I know you’re not going to like this, but I’ve made a decision. Mia and I are leaving first thing in the morning.”
“Wait a minute... Do you really think that’s a good idea?”
“Talking with Griffin just confirmed how I’ve been feeling. Besides the fact that there are things I need from my house, you’ve done enough for me, and I can’t ask you to fix this.”
“In case you forgot, I’m already involved. And I have no intention of just walking away. We can always send someone to get whatever you need.”
“I can’t risk you and your family’s lives. This isn’t your battle.”
He motioned for her to follow him out of the room, worried about waking the baby, then sat down in the sitting room in front of the large window overlooking the mountains. “I’m sorry, but your leaving isn’t an option. Until we figure out what those guys are after, it’s not safe for you to leave.”
She sat down next to him on the edge of the seat. “I’ve got some money saved away. I can go—”
“Go where? Maybe this isn’t any of my business, but you need to involve someone in this. You don’t want the authorities to know about the connection to Will, and that I get, but don’t push me away.”
Her gaze dropped. “I can’t stay.”
“Gabby, stop. Please. You’re not making any sense. I can’t let you leave.”
“Can’t or won’t? This isn’t your battle to fight. I never should have involved you in this.”
He tried to curb his frustration. “You’re wrong, and you’re being ridiculous.”
Her eyes widened. “Ridiculous?”
“Will was my friend. I should have seen that something was going on, but I didn’t. Don’t you understand that I want resolution for this as much as you do?”
“It doesn’t matter. I’ve made my decision.”
“You’re being stubborn. I know when Will died, you took on a heavy load. You were suddenly a single mom with bills to pay and a daughter to care for. But as strong as you are, you’re not thinking straight. You can’t live on the run. Where are you going to go?”
“I don’t know. I don’t want to involve my parents, but as long as I have a computer and an internet connection, I can work anywhere. I’ll figure it out.”
“Don’t do this, Gabby.”
She shook her head. “You don’t understand. No matter how hard I tried to prepare myself, when those officers came to my door and told me that Will was dead, it was like my world ended. I felt that everything we’d dreamed of together was gone. And now, just when I finally feel as if I’m escaping the fog, someone’s threatening my daughter. I can’t just sit here and wait for things to be resolved.”
He ran his hand down her arm, searching for the words to convince her she had to stay. “We’re not just going to sit here. We’re going to figure out who these guys are. And we’re going to find out what Will died for.”
Silence hung between them as she blinked back the tears.
“Please stay,” he said. “I’m asking you to stay and let me help. You don’t have to do this alone.”
Her shoulders dropped as if she were starting to give in. “I feel like I’ve been doing this alone for a long time. Living on my own. Making my own decisions. Fixing my own problems.”
“What about your church family? Have they been there for you?”
“They have. Especially at the beginning, but you know how it goes. Time passes. I’m no longer a couple, and it’s harder to fit in now. People moved on. And I can’t really blame them. They have their own lives to lead.”
“I know Will struggled with his faith at times,” Liam said. “He was strong, but you were always his anchor. Spiritually. Emotionally.”
The tears started to fall, making him hate to see her hurt like this.
“I’ve tried not to let it happen,” she said, “but when Will died, I felt so alone. I never blamed God, not really, but somehow in the process I just...stopped praying. Stopped feeling His presence. And while I’ve made progress, I feel like I’m getting pushed back into that place again where I don’t want to go.”
“Then don’t, Gabby. Stay here with my family. You need to be surrounded by people who care about you. Not running. And what about Mia? If you want to protect her, you certainly don’t need to be on your own.”
She glanced out the window at the cloudless sky. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?” he asked. “For feeling? For caring? Don’t try to close yourself off.”
“I just... I don’t know how to do this.”
“I know I can’t understand what it’s like to lose a spouse. But I lost a friend...and I still might have lost a career. I know what it’s like to feel helpless and uncertain.”
She grabbed a tissue from the coffee table next to her and blew her nose. “Maybe we do need each other.”
“I think you’re right.” He smiled, trying to ignore the stirring of his heart, as he had ever since she’d shown up. “Don’t make any decisions now. I promise everything will seem better tomorrow. Okay?”
She looked up at him with those big dark eyes of hers, pulling his heart toward a place he wasn’t ready to go.
“Okay.”
“Just promise me you’ll stay here for now.”
She reached up and grasped his hand, letting him pull her up. Sunlight streamed across the shimmering aspen trees in the distance. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
“Stunning.”
“When I’m looking out there, I know God’s here,” she said. “I can feel His presence. I just have to find a way to completely trust Him.”
He brushed her hair behind her shoulder. “Promise you won’t go running off in the night?”
She nodded. “I promise.”