Two days later, Gabby had just finished putting the dishes into the dishwasher when a car pulled up in front of the house.
“I appreciate your help.” Marci stepped into the kitchen with three more glasses. “Griffin’s here. Liam told me he wanted to give you both an update in person.”
Marci set the glasses on the top rack, then turned to Gabby. “Remember that the truth often works like a salve. It helps heal. And on top of that, more often than not, God manages to redeem situations that seem unredeemable. That’s what I’m praying for in this situation.”
“Thank you.”
Mia threw one of her toys and started fussing from where she was sitting in her high chair.
Marci shook her head. “Don’t worry about Mia. I think you have to have realized by now how much I’m enjoying her. Griffin is going to want to talk to you.”
Gabby thanked Marci, then kissed Mia on the forehead before heading to the living room. The waiting had been the hardest part. They’d been able to recover Will’s email, but after handing over all the evidence, there was nothing else they could do but wait. That, and pray those involved would soon be behind bars.
Liam walked into the room right behind her. “You have good news, we hope?”
Griffin took off his coat, then sat down on the edge of the couch. “I have to admit that even I’m surprised how quickly all of this has gone down, but once we were able to verify Will’s evidence, we put together formal charges. And we ended up taking them by surprise. Just over an hour ago, authorities in Las Vegas picked up Daniel Graham and arrested him for his collaboration with the colonel in this mess. Apparently, he’d come back into the country for his daughter’s wedding and she posted photos on Facebook and even tagged her father. Not a very smart move.
“The investigation isn’t finished, but I’m pretty confident that they will both be going away for a very long time. Which means you’re safe. Both of you.”
Gabby let out a soft sigh of relief. “Thank you. For everything. All of you. I just never imagined that my desire to find out the truth would affect so many people.”
“You did everything right. Though there is one other thing.” Griffin caught her gaze and she felt the worry niggling through her again. “I know this must feel like you’re having to relive everything all over again, and for that I am very sorry. But you need to know something else. Because of the information you gave us, the army will be further investigating Will’s death to see if Colonel Peterson needs to be charged with your husband’s murder.”
She pressed her fingers against her mouth and tried to fight down the wave of nausea. She might have already suspected what he was telling her, but hearing Griffin say it out loud made it all too real.
“I want you to know,” Griffin said, “as trite as it might sound at this point, your country acknowledges and truly appreciates the sacrifice you, as well as Will, made.”
Gabby nodded. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”
Griffin stood. “I need to head back to the station, but I felt as if I needed to tell both of you in person. There are still a lot of loose ends that need to be tied up, but that’s where we are for now.”
Liam walked his brother to the front door. “I know you’ll keep us updated.”
“I will.” Griffin grabbed his coat. “Tell Mom I’ll try to make it for dinner tomorrow night.”
Gabby stayed on the couch, still trying to process everything Griffin had told them. Part of her felt relieved that the truth was finally out. But the other part of her still felt numb. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to go bury herself away in her room or scream. How was one supposed to react to what had happened over the past few days? Maybe there was no script for the right way to feel in a situation like this.
Liam sat back down next to her. “Do you want to talk?”
“Honestly, I don’t know what I need right now.”
“How about a walk? The sunset’s beautiful.”
She nodded, feeling suddenly claustrophobic in the house. “I’d like that.”
“It’s not too cold, is it?”
“I’ll just grab my coat and be fine. There’s another layer of snow that has covered all the mountains in the background. I could never tire of the view.”
He waited for her to put on her coat and beanie, then opened the front door for her. Outside the wind had died down, making the cold more bearable, but it was the view that almost made her forget the chill.
“I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” Liam started, walking beside her down the gravel road. “I know all of this has to be a lot to take in. And even with all the pieces coming together, it has to be hard on you.”
She nodded, wishing she could untangle her feelings toward him. But she’d save that for another day. “To be honest, my head is still reeling a bit. I feel like I came so close to losing everything that was important to me. On top of that, knowing they’re going to reopen the investigation into Will’s death feels like having a scab ripped off. It’s like I’m having to relive everything that happened. But your mom said something earlier that stuck. God is somehow managing to bring closure for me and redeeming a situation I never thought possible. As crazy as it seems, I truly believe that this is going to go a long way toward my healing.”
“I’m glad to hear that. You’re a strong woman, Gabby. But no matter how strong you are, you still need give yourself time to grieve through all of this.”
“I know you’re right. But I also want you to know that I appreciate everything you’ve done for Mia and me. You went way, way beyond the call of duty, risked your life for us.” She stopped and looked up at him. “Somehow thanking you really doesn’t seem adequate.”
“There is one other thing I wanted to tell you.”
“What’s that?”
“In the middle of all of this I just heard from my commander. The doctor has cleared me, and they’re finally putting me back on active duty.”
“That’s great news.” She smiled, truly happy for him. “When do you leave?”
“There’s still paperwork that has to be finished up, but I’m supposed to report for duty at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs in two weeks.”
“That’s wonderful. You’ll be close to your family.”
He glanced down at the ground, suddenly avoiding her gaze. “I’d like you to stay awhile longer if you’d want to. It would be good for you. Allow you to rest. My mother would love to spend more time with Mia and I... I’d love to spend more time with both of you before I have to report back.”
She felt her breath catch at his words, realizing he wasn’t asking her to stay as a friend. Things had changed between them, but she still didn’t know how to interpret her own heart. If she said yes, she had a feeling that things would never be the same between them again. That there would be no going back. But her heart wasn’t ready. Not now, maybe not ever. And it wouldn’t be fair to him to give him hope when she knew that risking her heart loving another solider wasn’t a place she wanted to go. And neither would she ever do anything to stand between the job she knew he loved and his service to his country.
“You know I’d love to stay...”
“Why do I feel as if there is a big but coming?”
“When your mother found out that Saturday is Mia’s birthday, she insisted we stay till then. She’s so excited about it, and to be honest...so am I. But after that, I’m leaving. I need to start over somewhere fresh. Make new friends and put this part of my life behind me. I’ve been talking with my parents. There’s an open apartment in their complex in Florida. They’re considering staying year-round but want to be closer to Mia. And it will be good for her to grow up close to them as well.”
“What about your heart? What does it say, Gabby? I don’t think I’m the only one who’s felt something happen between us. I just... I don’t want you and Mia to go without knowing if there’s something there.”
She turned away, avoiding his gaze. The sunset had bathed the valley in stunning pink and gold. But she wasn’t ready to listen to her heart. Because while it might be begging her to stay, she knew that she couldn’t. Liam was the part of her life she needed closure from. To stay here—to see what might continue to develop between them—how was that going to let her put her past behind her?
“I’m sorry.” She pushed away the battling thoughts and shook her head. “I don’t think I can.”
“Just consider it. You say you need to start over...” He took her hand and laced their fingers together. “What if you started over with me?”
Liam caught the confusion in Gabby’s eyes and immediately regretted his words. He hadn’t planned to say what had just come out of his mouth. At least not today. He’d pushed her too far, too soon. And on top of that, this was the day they were reopening the investigation on Will’s murder. But for some reason, he couldn’t stop his heart from fighting to be heard. He’d never know how she felt if he didn’t try. And he wasn’t ready to walk away. His brother Reid had lost his fiancée because he hadn’t fought for her. Liam wasn’t going to let the same thing happen with Gabby.
“I’m sorry.” He caught her gaze, praying he hadn’t totally pushed her away. “My timing’s all wrong, and honestly, I never meant for this to happen. Somehow, in the middle of all of this, I started falling in love with you, and now I don’t know how to just walk away and pretend it didn’t happen.”
“I know, and I’m sorry. I just can’t.” Gabby took a step back, the confusion on her face clear. “We can’t. Life is going to go back to normal soon, but you’ll always be a protector. Someone who will risk everything to make things right. It’s what you do as a soldier. It’s what you did with Mia and me. But that’s not love. And in the end, I’ll always be a reminder of what happened on the day Will died. I don’t know if it’s possible to separate the two, but I do know that’s not a reason to love someone.”
He fought the urge to pull her into his arms and kiss her like he’d wanted to for the past few days. Maybe he was crazy, but he knew if she could find a way to get past the fear, she had feelings for him as well.
“In the middle of everything that happened,” he said, “I realized how afraid I was of losing you and Mia. And I don’t want that to happen, Gabby. I don’t want to just walk away. I don’t want you to walk away. I want you in my life—both of you. Not because of Will. Not because I need to fix you or save you. Because I love you.”
“I just don’t think I can.” Her eyes filled with tears. “There is too much baggage between us.”
“If you don’t feel what I’m feeling, then I’ll walk away and never bring this up again. But if you are feeling anything at all toward me, don’t close your heart off because you’re scared of letting me in. Please. It’s not because I feel sorry for you or am trying to make up for what you lost. I’ll give you time...wait for you...whatever you need.”
“I’m sorry.” She pressed the back of her hand against her mouth, tears glistening in her eyes. “We’ll stay until the party’s over tomorrow, but then Mia and I are leaving.”
Liam watched her walk away from him and felt his heart shatter. He waited until the screen door slammed shut behind her, then headed for the barn. That wasn’t the reaction he’d expected. He’d somehow convinced himself that she felt the same way he did. Clearly, he was wrong. But losing her now? How was he supposed to watch her walk out of his life?
Or had he simply lost it?
He headed toward the barn where the horses were grazing outside nearby. Once inside, he grabbed a metal pitchfork. Physical labor had always helped him figure things out. Maybe he should have tried it before he made a fool of himself. Maybe she was right, and there was too much emotional baggage between them.
What had he been thinking?
He’d never been the impulsive type. He was never quick on decisions—more methodical and precise, unless the situation called for a swift result. And his methods had always worked well for him. But now...he wasn’t even sure how this had happened. He’d never seen Gabby as a romantic interest, but clearly all of that had changed. At least it had for him.
Liam turned around as his brother Reid stepped into the barn, but didn’t stop working. The last thing he wanted right now was a conversation with one of his brothers. “Just finished a shift?”
“Yeah. I wanted to make sure you were okay. Plus, I promised Dad I’d come help repair some of the fencing along the west end.”
“I know he’ll appreciate that.”
Reid leaned against the door frame. “I don’t remember you ever mucking out stalls unless Dad made you. Growing up, you preferred to do just about anything else.”
“I needed to blow off some steam.”
“What’s going on?”
Liam frowned. Dodging questions wasn’t going to work. Reid was the one brother who could always read him. “Let’s just say I put my foot in my mouth and more than likely ended up ruining everything between Gabby and me.”
“How did you do that?”
“I told Gabby I’ve fallen in love with her.” He paused, waiting for a reaction. “You don’t look surprised.”
“I’m assuming she didn’t react the way you wanted her to.”
“I thought she might feel the same way, but I was wrong.”
“She said that?”
Liam leaned against the shovel. “She told me she didn’t think a relationship between us was a good idea.”
“Give her some time. She’s been through a lot. Mom told me how she looks at you.”
“Like the best friend of her husband?” He spat out the words.
“Not exactly. More like a woman who’s fallen hard for someone and isn’t sure how to deal with it.”
“Mom’s biased.”
“Maybe. But even if she hasn’t fallen for you, she doesn’t live far. The two of you need to spend time together outside everything that’s just happened.”
Liam leaned the pitchfork against the stall wall. “It’s more complicated than that. She’s leaving for Florida to be closer to her parents.”
Reid hesitated at the information. “Then what’s stopping you from hopping on an airplane and going to see her?”
“I just got my orders from my commander.”
“Really?” Reid let out a low whistle. “They’re letting you stay in?”
“Yeah. Doctor finally says I’m deployment ready. I’m heading to Fort Carson in two weeks.”
“Congratulations. Does she know that?”
“Yes. But I don’t know what I was thinking. Asking her to put her heart on the line for another soldier. I’m pretty sure that’s the root of all of this, and if I’m honest with myself, she doesn’t deserve that. I’ve got four more years to serve, but for the first time in my life, I’m realizing I don’t want to do this by myself. And I guess I had this idea of making a family with her and thought she might feel the same.”
“Did you tell her all of that?”
“Some of it.”
“Like I said. Give her some time. The last few days have dredged up Will’s death. Plus, she almost lost her daughter. It’s a lot to deal with.”
Liam pulled off his gloves and headed out of the stall. “Maybe, but I have a feeling I’m out of time.”
“There are always options. We could have Mom invite her back up here for the holidays. Mom’s hard to say no to and it would give both of you more time—”
“Thanks, but I’m not going to push her on this, and I don’t need Mom as a matchmaker. I told her if she didn’t feel the same way I do, I’d respect that decision, and I meant it.”
“Wow... I’m sorry.” Reid frowned. “I know what it’s like to lose someone you love.”
Liam caught the hurt in his brother’s eyes, even after all these years. The woman Reid had been in love with had left him, and so far, he’d never managed to find anyone he could love the way he’d loved her.
“Sorry,” Liam said.
“So am I, but I have learned something. Loving and losing...they’re all a part of life. Sometimes you get your heart broken, but sometimes love lasts a lifetime.”
“That’s pretty profound. Almost like there’s someone new in your life that you haven’t told us about.”
“Let’s just say I’ve been better at giving out advice than taking it myself. I always regretted the fact that I didn’t fight for Claire. Because if I had to do it all over again, trust me, I would have. Love is worth the risk, even if it doesn’t work out in the end.” Reid let out a low laugh. “Or at least that’s what I’m still trying to convince myself of.”
Liam started back to the house where his mom was reading to Mia on the veranda. He heard Mia squeal and felt his heart constrict. He wasn’t supposed to feel this way for a child that wasn’t his own. Wasn’t supposed to have fallen in love with her mother, but somehow he had. And letting Gabby walk away? Well, he had no idea how to do that.
Gabby watched from the kitchen window the next day as Liam swung Mia around in circles on the front porch while she giggled. Her little sweetheart. The one thing that had kept her going these past months. But now...now there was someone else who made her heart want to live fully again, and she didn’t know how to deal with it. She’d managed to avoid being alone with Liam yesterday, which with most of his family around hadn’t been difficult. But she’d sensed his presence around her no matter where he was.
And she wasn’t sure she could fight it anymore.
She let out a soft sigh. She wasn’t sure exactly when or how it had happened, but Liam O’Callaghan had managed to stir the places in her heart she’d thought were dead. Her capability to trust again. To love. To imagine that there could actually be joy after loss.
Stepping outside onto the porch, her heart melted when Mia noticed her. She walked toward Liam and kissed Mia on the side of her neck, relishing in her response as her daughter lunged into her arms.
“You’re going to spoil her.” She glanced at Liam. “Both you and your mother.”
“I have a feeling my mother would say that it never hurt a child to receive too much love.”
“I’m not complaining. She’s really taken to the both of you.”
Mia squirmed out of her arms, then grabbed on to Gabby’s fingers so she could walk.
A second later, Mia let go.
“Mia?”
She wobbled across the porch on her own.
“Liam...” Gabby grabbed his hand. “She just took her first steps.”
Mia grinned from ear to ear, clearly proud of herself before grabbing on to a potted plant for balance.
Marci stepped onto the porch. “Did she just walk?”
Gabby laughed. “She did.”
“Your little girl’s growing up,” Liam said.
Mia teetered for a moment, then tipped the plant over, scattering dirt across the porch as she plopped down on her bottom.
“Mia!”
Marci laughed. “She’s fine. I’ll get her inside and get her cleaned up. Why don’t the two of you sit out here and enjoy the sunshine for a few minutes. Lunch won’t be for another thirty minutes, and I heard the temperature’s about to drop with more snow on the way.”
Gabby watched as Liam’s mom took Mia into the house, leaving the two of them alone. She shifted her gaze to the horizon as a wave of self-consciousness washed over her. They needed to talk and now was as good a time as any.
“Do you mind?” he asked.
She shoved her hands into her pockets and nodded. “I’d like a walk.”
She had so much to say to him, and no idea how to start.
“I have to admit,” Liam said. “I’ve never spent a lot of time around kids, but that little girl’s pretty much stolen my heart.”
Gabby laughed. “Mine, too. From the first day she entered this world. Though, I still can’t believe she’s turning one. Doesn’t seem possible.”
They stood beside each other in silence for a few moments, giving Gabby time to take in the now-familiar snowcapped mountains that rose up in the distance beyond the ranch. Giving her time to wonder how she’d managed to lose her heart. But she had.
“I feel as if I owe you a huge apology,” Liam said. “I realized that I overstepped my bounds when we spoke last, but honestly, Gabby, I don’t regret it. I told you I would walk away if that’s what you wanted, but I meant what I said. Mia’s not the only one who’s stolen my heart. You have.”
“Liam—”
“Wait.” He turned to her. “Before you start throwing out excuses at me, just hear me out one last time. And I promise it will be the last time. But as hard as I know this must be for you, I think you feel something for me as well.”
She smiled, trying not to chuckle at his serious expression. He was so focused on convincing her that he didn’t even realize she already agreed.
He took her hand, not giving her a chance to respond. “I meant what I said when I told you why I’d never married. It was because I’d never found the right person. And I never would have imagined it could be you. On top of that, for this past year, all I’ve wanted to do was run from you and the memoires you brought. But then, somehow, you made me smile again and wonder what it would be like to have a family. And while we both know being married to a soldier isn’t easy, you’re the one I want to come home to. You and Mia.”
She looked up and caught his gaze, her heart about to burst. “Can I talk now?”
“Of course, I just... I can’t let you go without a fight. And I want you to understand—”
“Liam.” She laughed, then pressed her palm against his cheek. “I wasn’t going to argue with you. I hardly slept last night, wrestling with my own heart. And I realized you’re right.”
“What?” He dropped his hands to his side.
“I’ve been so caught up in surviving and doing things on my own that I honestly hadn’t thought about ever falling in love again. And then, when my heart started to feel once more, it terrified me, and I only pushed you away. Part of it was the idea of being a military wife again. I know the benefits, but I also know how lonely and scary it can be. And how much can be lost. Honestly, it still scares me.” She shook her head. “But somehow you made me remember it’s worth it if you can be with the person you love. I want to take things slowly—need to take things slowly—but I’ve realized that I want to be the one you come home to.”
He stared at her, his jaw slack as if he were trying to take in what she’d just said.
She smiled up at him. “Isn’t that what you wanted to hear?”
“Yes, but... I guess I’m just having a hard time believing I’m not dreaming.”
“Maybe this will help convince you.” She stepped up to him and kissed him on the lips.
A moment later, Liam wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tighter against him, deepening their kiss until she finally pulled away, breathless.
“Convinced you’re not dreaming?” she asked.
His smile widened. “You might have to convince me some more, but what do we tell my family?”
She glanced back at the front door and laughed. “Oh, I have a feeling they already know.”