Guarding Gabi - Kathy Ivan

by Special Forces - Operation Alpha

  “You’re just being a worrywart, Gabi Boudreau. Salem was fine when you saw her this morning. And she’s going to still be fine when you get to the cabin. You’ll see.” Too bad her pep talk wasn’t making her feel any better.

  The unpaved roadway wasn’t so much of a road anymore as it was a mud pit, with potholes overflowing with muddy water. The tall pine trees on both sides of the road swayed in the heavy wind, spending sprays of pine needles onto the windshield.

  “Come one, give me a break here. Just a little bit further.” She gave a snort of laughter when she realized she’d fallen back into the habit of talking to herself when she was scared, something she’d done as a child. And she hated to admit it, but she wasn’t just scared—she was terrified. Tarik remained in the wind, but the uneasy prickling of the hairs on the back of her neck told her he wasn’t far away.

  “Hang on, Salem. I’m coming,” she muttered, rubbing a hand across her face and squinting in an attempt to see through the deluge. She screamed when the steering wheel jerked to the right, the tires skidding in the inches-deep mud. Wrestling with the wheel, she stomped on the brake, steering into the spin. The car slid sideways, spinning rapidly on the slick blacktop before finally coming to rest several feet off the dirt-packed road.

  With shaky hands, she shifted into park. Gabi drew in a ragged breath, her heartbeat pounding a rapid tattoo in her chest. Leaning forward, she thunked her forehead against the steering wheel. Darn it, this was the last thing she needed, getting stranded on a deserted road in the midst of a killer thunderstorm like a damned fool. She needed to get to Salem, make sure everything was okay. When she’d talked to her earlier, something had sounded—off. Salem hadn’t said anything, it was simply an uneasy feeling in the pit of Gabi’s gut. That dreaded feeling of doom swooped down, enveloping her again.

  “Let’s do this, girl.” Taking a deep breath, she put the car in gear and stepped on the accelerator. Other than a loud whirring sound, nothing happened. The car didn’t move, not a single inch.

  Twisting in the seat, she opened the driver’s door, immediately soaked to the skin from the unrelenting downpour. She peered into the darkness, then looked down, noting the river of water and mud flowing past her in a mini-stream of dirt and debris. Hitting the gas again didn’t help. The car didn’t budge.

  Perfect.

  Reaching over to the passenger seat, she grabbed her phone and dialed the number for Salem’s burner phone. One ring. Two rings. Three rings. The wiper blades beat a rhythm in time with the ringing phone. No answer. That couldn’t be good.

  Nothing’s wrong. Maybe she’s in the bathroom. She said she has to pee all the time. Just give it a minute and try again. She’s fine.

  Gabby waited about thirty seconds and hit the redial button. Still no answer. Now she was convinced more than ever something was wrong. Salem wouldn’t let the phone ring unanswered.

  Climbing out of the car, she began trekking down the road. Within seconds, her clothing was plastered against her skin, the cold of the rain causing her to shiver. It didn’t matter her discomfort was secondary. She had to get to Salem.

  It seemed to take forever with the unrelenting darkness surrounding her and the sound of thunder echoing in her ears, but she trudged on. Plodding along, each step felt like sinking into quicksand, the muddy sludge slowing her steps. But she didn’t give in, she couldn’t.

  She wanted to smack herself upside the head for being so stupid. Why hadn’t she told anybody where she was headed? Ms. Patti or even Dylan? Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out her phone, her wet fingers fumbling with the slick case. The only light illuminating the darkness, other than the flashes of lightning, came from her cell phone. She gave another groan when she noted there was less than twenty percent battery power left.

  Enough was enough. She might be stupid, but she wasn’t crazy, and being out in a Texas gully-washer in the dark wasn’t the smartest thing she’d ever done. She needed to call somebody, anybody, to come find her and take her to Salem’s cabin.

  Each step grew more difficult, her feet sinking into the filth and slime and mud. With only the illumination from the phone, she could barely see inches in front of her face, so it shouldn’t have surprised her when she tripped in the inky blackness and tumbled face first onto the road. The phone she’d been clutching flew forward and became lost somewhere in the ditch beside the road.

  “Well, crap. Now what am I gonna do?”

  Gabi worked herself into a sitting position on the road, and lifted her face to the pouring sky, eyes closed, hoping the downpour would wash the mud and grit away, at least enough to see properly.

  Okay, lemme think. It’s closer to get to Salem’s cabin than it is to head back to the Big House. It can’t be much farther, as long as I stay on the road. I can do this.

  Standing, she slogged her way forward, grumbling with each step. Yet she put one foot in front of the other as the rain poured. She jumped when a particularly loud crack of thunder sounded, so close she felt the vibrations tingle up her legs.

  It took almost an hour for her to trudge through the mire and the muck, but she made it. The faint glow of light from the solitary window beside the front door beckoned her onward, until she stood on the front step. Using her last ounce of strength, she raised her arm and pounded on the door.

  “Gabi! What happened to you?”

  Salem tugged her forward, through the open doorway and out of the downpour. Gabi’s whole body shivered, though she knew it wasn’t from cold, but having been exposed to the rain for so long. She couldn’t stop trembling.

  “Car…skidded…off the…road.” Her teeth chattered with each word.

  Salem grabbed a blanket off the bed and wrapped it around her. Gabi started to protest, because she was caked in mud and heaven only knew what else, but the blanket’s warm embrace felt too good.

  “I’m going to start the shower. We need to get you warmed up—and clean.”

  “Sounds good…”

  She tugged the blanket tighter and heard the water turn on in the bathroom. Less than a minute later, Salem’s arm wrapped around her shoulder, and helped steer her into the other room, where steam rose from the running water in heated invitation.

  “Alright, climb in and get cleaned up. I’m going to grab you something to wear. Stay in here until you feel human again.”

  “Thanks.”

  Gabi soaked up the heat from the streaming liquid, feeling it slide over her and took a deep breath. She felt like a complete idiot. Salem had appeared fine when she answered the door, and Gabi had gone through all this for nothing. Yep, she was an idiot.

  After washing her hair three times and making sure there wasn’t any more mud or other yucky stuff still in it, and she felt clean, she turned off the water and wrapped herself in a towel. Peering into the mirror above the sink, she sighed and shook her head. If her daddy or her brothers could see her now, they’d never let her hear the end of it. They’d taught her how to take care of herself, how to survive just about any situation, but all her training flew out the window because she hadn’t used her brain.

  On the top of the commode, Salem had left a pair of yoga pants and a flannel shirt, along with clean underwear. She dressed and walked into the outer portion of the cabin, rubbing her wet hair with the towel.

  “Thanks, Salem. Can I borrow a comb or brush?”

  “Sure.” Salem pushed herself up from her chair and waddled across the room to the small wooden bedside table, and picked up a hairbrush. Gabi watched her movements, taking in her large protruding belly and swollen feet. Though she’d seen her the day before, she looked even bigger. How was that possible?

  She pulled the brush through the tangled mess of her wet hair, and watched Salem perch on the side of the bed. Saw a shudder go through her, there and gone, with her breath.

  “Everything okay?”

  Salem nodded. “Yeah, I’m good.” Her eyes met Gabi’s, trying to read her. “Why’d you come out tonight? Has ther
e been any news?” She struggled to her feet. “Oh, no! He’s found me?”

  “No, no. Tarik’s not here. You’re safe. I got worried because of the storm. I read somewhere changes in barometric pressure can cause people to go into labor early, and my imagination got carried away.” She chuckled. “I pictured you curled up in the middle of the floor in labor, ready to have the baby, and nobody knowing. I just hopped in the car and started driving. Not my brightest plan.”

  Salem grinned. “You could have called first. Saved yourself from practically being washed away in this storm. That’s what phones are for, you know.”

  “Speaking of calling, can I use your phone? I lost mine somewhere between where I skidded off the pavement and face-planted on the road.”

  “You fell? Are you okay?”

  “Other than glad nobody saw me? I’m fine. Couple of scratches. But I didn’t let anybody at the Big House know where I was going. Dylan is going to have a conniption fit when he finds out I left.”

  Salem’s expression grew pensive as she studied Salem. “This thing with you and Dylan, is it serious?”

  Gabi struggled to find the right words. She and Salem had always been able to talk about everything, but these feelings with Dylan were new and different. A bit scary, a bit sweet, and so completely foreign she wasn’t sure what to call it.

  “Honestly, I haven’t got a clue. We barely know each other.”

  “But…”

  “I don’t know, somehow it’s different with him. Maybe it’s because everything’s been going at a rapid-fire pace, almost nonstop, without time to even take a breath, much less figure out what’s happening.”

  “Sometimes that’s just how it is, Gabi. Yeah, I know you haven’t known each other long. The situation hasn’t been ideal, with the threats and the apartment being broken into, but intense situations can bring about intense feelings.”

  “How can I be sure what I feel is real? Is this attraction, this chemistry, because of the adrenaline rush and being thrown into dangerous situations, or would it have been there anyway? I’m just confused and don’t know what to think.”

  Salem slid the cell phone into Gabi’s hand. “Well, I think the first thing you should do is call the man and let him know you’re okay, and where you are. I have the feeling he’s the type who’d tear the world apart to find and protect you.”

  Gabi stared at the phone and then lifted her gaze to meet Salem’s. “Yeah, I think he would.”

  “Which means you are one lucky woman. Make the call. I’m gonna go pee—again—and give you some privacy. Then we’ll talk and you will give me all the juicy details, sister.”

  Gabi stared at the phone for a long moment, before calling up the contact list. Dylan had put his number in there the day he’d met Salem. Her hand shook as she pressed the call button. She wasn’t sure if it was from the chill or nerves, probably a little bit of both.

  “Salem, what’s wrong?” Dylan’s voice was laced with concern.

  “Dylan, it’s Gabi.”

  “Is everything alright? Why are you calling from Salem’s phone?”

  “Everything’s okay. I just did something stupid, and—”

  “Tell me what you need, Gabi.”

  Gabi blew out a ragged breath. “Well, I kinda need a ride back to the Big House.”

  The silence on the other end of the phone seemed to stretch on for eternity, before she heard Dylan’s voice again. “Sweetheart, why aren’t you at the Boudreau place? Please tell me you didn’t try to drive over to Salem’s in this downpour? Wait, of course you did.”

  “I was worried.”

  “Salem’s okay?”

  Gabi nodded, and then did an eye roll when she realized he couldn’t see her. “She’s fine. Better than me actually, because at least she’s dry.”

  “Did she call you? Tell you she was in labor or something?”

  She knew he’d be pissed when he found out she’d gone off half-cocked, but his eerie calm kinda spooked her. Instead of chewing her out, which is what her brothers would have done, his coolness caused a shiver to skitter down her spine.

  “Salem’s fine. The storm kept getting worse and worse, and you guys were in town. Aunt Patti had a meeting, and wasn’t here either. Then I remembered reading about how dropping barometric pressure can cause women to go into labor, and I…guess I panicked.”

  “Didn’t think to call Salem first, did you?” A hint of humor underlay his words, and her whole body relaxed, the tightness and tension unfurling as if by magic.

  “Course not. That would have been the smart thing to do. I just hopped in the car and took off. Umm, by the way, the car is kinda in a ditch about a half mile or so from the cabin.”

  “Are you hurt?”

  “Nope. Although it wasn’t funny at the time, I did face-plant in the mud. Too bad there’s no video of my swan-dive face first into the goo. My brothers would have a field day watching it.”

  “Gabi…”

  “I know, I was stupid. I’ve already told myself a thousand times. I acted impulsively, but at least we know Salem is fine. Did you or Rafe get any more info about Tarik?”

  “We can talk about that later.” Dylan’s voice faded like he’d move the phone away from his mouth, and she could hear muffled conversation, followed by a loud burst of laughter. Sounded like Rafe. Dylan must have told him what she’d done. Traitor.

  “We’re on our way. Rafe said he’ll have Frank at the garage tow the car out of the ditch in the morning, after the storm’s passed.”

  “Tell Rafe thanks for me.”

  “Gabi, we need to talk.”

  Gabi closed her eyes, because his voice had deepened, and he sounded all serious and sexy. Too bad what he wanted to talk about probably had more to do with her carelessness of leaving the Big House, and nothing to do with what she really wanted him to say. Because she had the sinking sensation it was far too late to wonder about how she felt about him. She’d tipped over the edge, headfirst in love with the stubborn, sexy man.

  “Come and get me, and we can talk once we’ve got some privacy, okay?”

  ‘We’ll be there as soon as we can. We’re leaving now, so keep an eye out for us.”

  “Bye, Dylan.”

  Gabi ended the call and glanced toward the bathroom. Salem stood framed in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe. She shook her head slightly, walked into the room, and sat next to Gabi, and leaned her head against Gabi’s shoulder.

  “Girlfriend, sounds like your night just got longer. Are you going to tell him how you feel?”

  “I don’t know. Am I insane? I barely know him. You don’t fall in love with somebody in a matter of days. Lust, sure, that’s instantaneous. But love?” Gabi shook her head. “I’m nuts, right? Things are moving so fast, my mind is playing games with my emotions.”

  “Girlfriend, it isn’t your mind you have to worry about. It’s your heart. What is it telling you?”

  Gabi stared into Salem’s eyes, read the understanding and happiness in her friend’s gaze. Though Salem had given in to impulse and infatuation and it hadn’t worked out for her, her best friend still wanted her to find her happily ever after.

  “My heart tells me this isn’t a mistake. I’ve fallen head over heels for a man I just met. A man just like my brothers and my dad. I swore I wouldn’t fall into the whole attracted to an alpha male trap, and yet I’ve tumbled off the cliff, head first into loving him. I’m so screwed.”

  Salem chuckled. “I’ve seen the way Dylan looks at you. If he isn’t as much in love with you as you are with him, he’s right on the verge. Give him a chance. Tell him how you feel. Maybe you’ll get the happy ending you deserve, Gabi.”

  “You don’t think I’m a fool for falling this hard, this fast?”

  Salem squeezed Gabi’s hand. “I think you should reach for the brass ring with both hands, and never let go. Take a chance. Because you deserve to be happy, Gabi. You talked about tumbling off the cliff. Why not take the leap willingly?
You might find Dylan waiting there to catch you when you fall.”

  “I love you, Salem.”

  “Love ya right back, sister. Now go brush your hair. He’ll be here soon.”

  Gabi hugged Salem, and felt a tiny kick against her side. She grinned. Salem was right, if she didn’t take the chance, tell Dylan how she felt, she might never get another. And wasn’t love worth the risk?

  13

  Dylan raised the disposable coffee cup with a nod of thanks, and wandered over to sit at one of the little bistro tables by the big portrait window in the coffee shop. The spot gave him a good view of Main Street and its denizens, while still allowing him to have his back to the wall. He driven into town to meet up with Rafe, but the sheriff was running behind in a meeting, so Dylan was killing a few minutes until the other man was free.

  He took a sip of coffee, liking the warmth spreading through him. After the previous night, he’d barely slept a wink. Thoughts of Gabi kept him tossing and turning the night away. It seemed like she was rarely far from his thoughts anymore, and now his nights were filled with dreams of her. He couldn’t help wishing the whole situation got resolved sooner rather than later, because every minute he spent with Gabi felt like both a blessing and a curse.

  They hadn’t talked much on the drive back to the Boudreau place. Gabi seemed to have closed herself off with her thoughts. When he’d picked her up the night before, bedraggled, damp and adorable, something inside him blossomed to life, a warmth filling him like a warm spring rain, revitalizing and life-giving. He’d shut himself off from everybody after Emily’s death, and for the first time since then, he felt a renewal of an emotion so foreign he almost didn’t recognize it.

  Hope.

  Tossing and turning in bed, he’d lain awake for hours. His mind had been filled with memories of Emily, the woman he’d planned to marry right out of high school. Plans had been made, and he’d joined the military. Emily had stayed behind in Texas, finishing her first year in college and planning a small wedding when he got leave.

  Except things didn’t go according to plan, and Emily became enmeshed with a slick, rich bastard, who got her hooked on drugs. Gareth Prescott had preyed on Emily, exploiting her weaknesses until by the time he came back to the States, she’d been little more than a shell, empty and hollow, devoid of the love of life and the laughter he’d always associated with her. When she’d overdosed, a part of his heart had died with her.