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Sam’s heart lurched in his chest when he heard the gunshot echo over the headset.
Gracie.
Fear tightened his throat and cramped the muscles in his gut. He tore off the headset, then raced toward the warehouse, his legs as heavy as lead.
Why had he ever let her go in there alone? He'd known it was dangerous. Known she didn't understand how desperation could drive people to do something crazy. Now Gracie had paid the price for his bad judgment.
Voices and footsteps sounded behind him, but he didn't take the time to turn around. He knew Nick and the other officers had no idea why he'd taken off on a dead run for the warehouse.
When he reached the building, he made himself stop, knowing he had a duty to protect the officers even as he ached to be with Gracie.
"Shots fired," he said hoarsely.
They pulled their guns from their holsters, then took their positions around the building. Sam led the way to the door, moving faster than procedure allowed but too desperate to find Gracie to care.
If he lost her...
He swallowed hard, knowing he wouldn't be able to function if he even considered that possibility.
He kicked open the door, shouting, "Gracie!"
The first thing he saw was the blood running on the uneven concrete floor. His gut clenched and a small moan escaped from the back of his throat. His gaze followed the stream of blood until he saw the body lying on the floor.
It wasn't Gracie.
Relief made his knees buckle, but he managed to remain upright as he hurried to her side. She sat on the floor with Gilbert's head cradled in her lap. The guy was alive, but woozy. From his vantage point, Sam couldn't tell where or how badly he'd been shot.
Tears glistened on Gracie's cheeks as she looked up at him. "I love you, Sam. I almost didn't get the chance to tell you that. I love you."
"Shh," he murmured, emotion welling up inside of him. He fought it back, determined to stay professional.
She rose to her feet and stepped out of the way as the other officers attended to Gilbert, one of them calling dispatch for an ambulance.
Nick hurried over to them. "What happened?"
Gracie sucked in a deep breath. "Allison showed up and pulled a gun. She was going to shoot me, but Gilbert dove in front of her. He saved my life."
Sam's chest tightened until he had trouble drawing breath. He'd come so close to losing her that he couldn’t imagine ever letting her go again.
"Where’s Allison?" Nick asked, looking around the warehouse.
"I threw cinnamon in her face before she could take a second shot,” Gracie explained. “That’s when she ran off.” She uncurled one hand to show them an empty spice jar with a cinnamon label. “I took this from Gilbert’s cabin pantry the other day, in case I ever needed a weapon.”
Nick looked over at Sam. “I think she’s in shock.”
“No,” Gracie insisted. “Cinnamon by itself can be a debilitating weapon. It causes breathing problems if you swallow too much of it. So I aimed for Allison’s open mouth and hit my target. She started coughing and gagging on it. I worked with a pastry chef once who told me that swallowing too much plain cinnamon can cause choking and breathing problems.”
“Wow,” Nick said, turning to Sam. “She’s really something.”
“I know,” he agreed, a mixture of love and awe stirring inside of him.
Nick waved his arm at his men and directed them to go into pursuit of Allison, then he motioned to Sam. "You take care of her. I'll handle the other two."
Sam nodded, then shrugged out of his jacket and placed it over Gracie's shoulders. She was shaking a little now. He picked her up in his arms, never wanting to let her go.
"I thought you were shot. I thought..." He let his voice trail off, unable to form the words that had almost shattered his heart.
Sirens sounded in the distance as she wrapped her hands around his neck. "I'm all right, Sam. Really. Just a little shaky for some reason."
His grasp tightened around her. "You're in shock," he told her, moving toward the door. "You need to see a doctor."
"I'm fine," she protested.
But this time, he wasn't going to be dissuaded. He forced himself to hand her over to the care of the paramedics. They took her vital signs, then placed her on a stretcher and put her in the second ambulance. The first one containing Gilbert had already left, the siren screaming into the night.
"We got Allison," Nick said, coming up behind him. "She is in custody. Looks like you finally closed the Holloway case, Sam."
He nodded, too choked up to speak. This was the danger of letting someone into your heart. He'd let Gracie in and almost lost her. That was the reason he’d chosen to work alone after Ray was shot.
Maybe it was time for him to make that choice again. For good.
#
The next day, Gracie walked into Jolene’s Antique Emporium to find her aunt packing vintage jewelry in Bubble Wrap, then carefully placing it in box marked Fragile.
"What are you doing here?" Aunt Jolene asked her. "Shouldn't you be home in bed?"
That was the last place she wanted to be. Her home still held too many memories of Sam. She could still smell his aftershave on her sofa pillows, making sleep impossible for the few hours she'd tried to nap last night.
After the doctor had declared her perfectly healthy, Gracie had stayed at the hospital long past midnight, until she was assured Gilbert would be all right. He'd suffered a superficial gunshot wound in the gluteus muscle. Or as he'd wryly put it, his big butt.
She'd expected Sam to show up at the hospital, but one of the officers told her that he was at the police station giving his witness interview and explaining his involvement in the investigation.
Though she'd tried calling him on his cell phone, Sam hadn't picked up. Maybe he was avoiding her. Gracie didn't want to believe it, but she couldn't come up with any other plausible explanation.
Had her declaration of love scared him off?
After coming within a few inches of that bullet, Gracie had been so grateful for the chance to tell him her feelings she hadn't even considered his reaction. But she wouldn't take the words back. She loved Sam Holden and nothing would ever change that.
“Have you chosen your new adventure yet?” Aunt Jolene asked her.
Gracie didn’t hesitate. “Believe it or not, I’ve decided to become a bounty hunter.”
Aunt Jolene’s face lit up. “With Sam?”
“No, I’ll be going it alone.” She forced a smile. “Sam’s moved on, but I’m glad he was in my life, even for such a short time. I can’t remember a time when I’ve had so much fun.”
Aunt Jolene raised an eyebrow. “What kind of fun?”
“Searching for Gilbert,” Gracie quickly explained. “Among other things.” She breathed a wistful sigh. “I may not be a conventional bounty hunter, but I think that will give me the element of surprise. I’ll have to jump through a few hoops to get my license, but I’m willing to do whatever it takes.”
“And I’m sure you’ll be great at it,” Aunt Jolene said. “Because my girl can do anything she sets her mind to.”
“Now what about you? Has Michael contacted about the job?”
“He sure has.” Aunt Jolene smiled. “That offer was more generous than I deserve, but it will give me a chance to donate to some causes that are close to my heart. In fact, I’m making a gift to a snake sanctuary in honor of Merle Fry.”
Gracie laughed. “I can’t think of a more deserving man. How did he take the news about the landmark designation?”
“About like you’d expect. He was huffing and puffing about me ruining all his plans. And I told him, Honey, if building a parking garage is your biggest dream in life, then you need to come up with better plans.”
"So, everything is working out for you?"
"Oh, Gracie," Aunt Jolene said with a contented sigh. "I've never been happier in my entire life. I’m fifty-two years old and feel practically giddy about my future. And Michael is taking me out to lunch to celebrate my joining the company. He may seem quiet around here, but once he starts talking, he's spellbinding. The man knows everything. He's just...wonderful."
“That’s interesting,” Gracie mused. “I don’t remember Michael ever taking any future employee out for a meal before.”
“Well, he’s a sweet man.” She wagged her finger at Gracie. “And don’t you be getting the wrong idea. It’s just a business lunch.”
“Where’s he taking you?”
Aunt Jolene cleared her throat. “Rawling’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar.”
“That’s the fanciest place in town! Are you sure it’s not a date? Because it sounds like a date.” Gracie wiggled her eyebrows. “And Michael is a handsome, eligible bachelor.”
“Oh, you hush now.” Aunt Jolene turned toward the box, but Gracie could still see the blush on her cheeks.
Gracie smiled, happy for her aunt, but knowing no man could ever compare to Sam. Or perhaps it was her love for him that made him seem so perfect in her eyes. She just wished he felt the same way about her. But she wasn’t going to dwell on it. Not when a new adventure awaited her.
They packed boxes until noon, saving Aunt Jolene’s extensive pottery collection in the back of the shop for after lunch. When her aunt left to go meet Michael, Gracie ran over to the neighborhood deli for a quick order to go.
When she returned to the antique shop, she wondered why she'd even bothered to buy lunch. She didn't have much of an appetite. Her mind drifted back to Sam. There was still no word from him, and Gracie was beginning to give up hope. For all she knew, he could be on a road trip to his next bounty hunter job, and she’d never see him again.
She set the deli bag on the front counter, deciding to save it for later. Maybe she'd have an appetite after she'd packed up some pottery. But the sound of footsteps in one of the aisles told her she'd have to wait on a customer first.
Gracie swallowed a sigh, wishing she'd locked the door after picking up her lunch. She walked over and flipped the sign on the door to read Closed, knowing she needed some time alone.
But first she had to get rid of this pesky customer. She just hoped it wasn't a browser, one of those people who spent hours hanging around examining the merchandise, but never buying anything.
Gracie moved toward the aisle. "May I help you..."
The words died on her lips when she saw Sam standing there. He looked dangerously sexy with the dark shadow of whiskers on his jaw. Though he'd showered and changed from the day before, her intuition told her he'd been up all night.
"I hope so," he replied. "I'm looking for a partner. Preferably one with effective martial arts skills, and who also knows how to use cinnamon as a weapon."
She swallowed hard, too stunned to think straight. "I don't understand."
"Don't you?" He moved beside her, taking both of her hands in his own. "I’m in love you, Gracie Delacroix. Simple as that. It just took me a while to figure it out. Cowboys are dense that way sometimes—and stubborn."
"I noticed," she breathed, telling herself this wasn't a dream. It was real. Beautifully, wonderfully real.
He reached out to caress her cheek. "You’re the only woman who’s ever knocked me off my feet. Now I can’t imagine spending my life with anyone else.”
"Oh, Sam," she exclaimed, wanting to laugh and cry at the same time. But part of her still held back. She didn't want him to have any regrets. "Are you absolutely sure about this? What if you miss working alone? It’s going to take me awhile to match your skills. What if you get bored waiting and—"
He silenced all her worst scenarios with a kiss that convinced her that their lives weren't going to be boring at all.
When he finally pulled back, she looked into his dark-brown eyes and saw a forever kind of love shining there.
"I love you, Gracie," Sam said hoarsely. Then he leaned his forehead against hers. “I want you.”
“Then what are you waiting for?” she whispered, pulling him to her for another kiss.
When they both finally came up for air, Sam chuckled. “I can’t wait to take you on the road with me. We’re going have so much fun.”
“I’m counting on it,” she said, her arms around his neck and her head resting on his shoulder.
“But before we go,” he said, “I’d like you to meet my grandmother.”
“Do you mean Hattie Holden?” She pulled back far enough to gaze into his handsome face. “I just met her a few days ago, right outside this very shop. She introduced herself and asked me to give you her best. I forgot about it until just now.”
“I should’ve known,” Sam said with a grin. “First Nick, then Hank, and now me. Looks like she had a hand in it, after all.”
“A hand in what?” Gracie asked, intrigued.
Sam kissed her again, then whispered, “In making me the happiest cowboy in Texas.”