by Ally James
He nodded, then leaned forward briefly to answer a question from Martinez. “Yeah, Angel, it’s been good. But mainly because you’re here. One of the reasons I love Alaska so much is the peace and quiet I have at the cabin. And even though I realize it’s necessary to socialize at times, I’d always rather it be me, you, and Trouble.”
“Me too,” she murmured. “I love you, Gabe.” Wow, that one even surprised me.
His eyes went liquid soft. “I love you too, Angel. Let’s get out of here.”
She had completely lost sight of her mission. Gabe had stepped away to collect their coats when she saw Melanie going toward the restroom. Game time. She almost chickened out. Thinking about what she’d do when she saw her was one thing, but actually confronting the other woman was quite another. Yet she knew that if she didn’t have the courage to say something tonight, she never would. She was not a mean person, but she also couldn’t be the woman that Gabe deserved if she let others disrespect not only him but her. I can do this. She was so focused on her goal that she didn’t notice Jason until he touched her arm. “Oh hey, I didn’t see you. We’re getting ready to leave. Gabe is getting our things.” Shit, I’m rambling.
He looked from her to the nearby restroom, then back again. “I see,” he finally said. He rubbed a hand over his neck as if debating his next words. “I know something happened with her at the ball. I was talking to a few people and saw her, and the others, go the bathroom not long after you. And they came back out first.”
“Did you tell Gabe?” she asked, hoping he hadn’t. She needed to handle this on her own.
He shook his head. “No, I didn’t. Probably should have, but it wasn’t my place. I think you’ve already figured out that you have to be able to handle yourself among this crowd. This isn’t a place for the weak or faint of heart. Not to say you need to be a bitch like some of those ladies are, but don’t take any shit either. It’s no different than anything else—if you stand up for yourself, they’ll move on to an easier mark.” The serious tone was gone as he smirked down at her. “Along with the ever-popular ‘Don’t do anything stupid,’ I’ll also add, ‘Never be a victim.’” She saw Gabe looking around for her at the same time Jason did. “I’ll tell him you’re in the bathroom. Better be quick or he’ll probably break the damn door down.” He gave her a wink and added, “Go get ’em, Ellie Mae.”
The fist bump she gave him was a little shaky, but he didn’t comment on it. She quickly crossed the remaining space and opened the door. She stopped short as she saw Melanie and the blonde she had been sitting near standing in front of the mirror. She recognized the blonde’s high-pitched voice as she laughed over something Melanie said. They both looked over at her in surprise when she stepped up next to them. She pretended to smooth her hair as she said pleasantly, “We need to stop meeting like this.”
The blonde rolled her eyes and smirked at Melanie, who said, “Sara, how lovely to see you again. Mindy, have you met Gabe’s little . . . friend?”
Instead of being offended, she wanted to thank Melanie for her condescending words and tone. Because they gave her the courage to do what needed to be done. She turned, putting her back against the counter and crossing her arms over her chest. “Actually, Mindy, I’m Gabe’s girlfriend. Although he just calls me his Angel.” They both appeared wary now, which proved they had some self-preservation instincts, if not intelligence. “I hate that the rest of the gang isn’t here, but since you two are, I think we should get a few things straight.”
“Really, Sara, what is this little scene all about?” Melanie asked snidely, but it was hard to miss the look of unease in her eyes.
“Well, Melanie, I just happened to hear everything you said about me and Gabe in the restroom at the ball.”
“Oh shit.” Mindy grimaced. Melanie stood her ground, but she had visibly paled.
I’ve got this. “Let me assure you that I don’t give a damn what anyone here thinks of my weight, or my clothing. Because guess what? I’m fit, healthy—and I have a man who loves me and my curves. Oh, and that ‘mutt’ is a Randall boy—and I belong to them, just as they belong to me.” Mindy’s eyes were bugging out of her head by that point, but it was Melanie who held Sara’s focus. She stepped closer until they stood toe to toe. She’s afraid. “He dumped you, Mel, get over it. A word of advice, though—find someone who makes you happy . . . because obviously Jared doesn’t. Otherwise, you wouldn’t feel the need to tear others down, just to raise yourself up.” It was probably her imagination, but Melanie appeared almost ashamed. She hoped that some of what she’d said had gotten through to her.
She had just opened the door when someone cleared her throat. “Er—Sara. I—wanted to apologize for . . . everything. Major Randall is Matt’s boss, and I should have never . . .”
Sara stared at Mindy, not really knowing whether she was sincere in her apology. Truthfully, she didn’t care. “You’re right, you shouldn’t have.” With those final words, she walked away, and she never looked back. Only Gabe and Trouble mattered. I am theirs, and they are mine.
They made love when they got home, and unlike the other times they’d slept together, this time they took things achingly slowly. Gabe gave the impression he was intent on kissing every inch of her body before sliding inside her. She had fallen asleep in his arms once again, and wondered how she’d ever slept without him holding her.
She woke with a start. She had dreamed of Kaylee. The little girl had asked her over and over why she didn’t love her anymore. When Sara tried to assure her that she did, Kaylee said, “If you loved me, you wouldn’t have left.” She was so shaken, there was no way she would be able to relax again anytime soon. So she eased slowly out from beneath Gabe’s arm and tiptoed down the hallway to the kitchen. Even though his kennel was rarely locked at night, Trouble still chose to sleep in it most of the time. But when he saw her, he jumped up and followed her to the living room. She curled up on the couch, and he settled next to her, with his head in her lap. She knew he sensed her sadness and was offering her comfort the only way he knew how.
Kaylee. She missed her niece so much. For days she had been texting Chris, and her mother, but neither of them responded. She loved Gabe deeply, yet wondered what kind of person she was if her happiness was at the expense of others. Am I any better than Melanie? Even though before she left she’d tried to explain to Kaylee why she needed to go away for a while, she knew the little girl was too young to understand her absence. Heck, she had been confused herself. And she could only imagine the things Nicole had possibly been filling her head with. She loved her family, and she didn’t want to lose any of them. But Kaylee—she was the child of her heart. It might not be every day, but she couldn’t fathom a world where they weren’t in each other’s lives on a regular basis.
“Angel—what’s wrong?” She hadn’t heard him come into the room, and neither had Trouble. Gabe was very much like a ghost when he wanted to be. No doubt from years of training in the military.
She wiped her hands across her eyes as she looked up at him. “I had a bad dream.”
He eased down beside her before picking her up and settling her in his arms. “Tell me about it.”
And more tears fell as she did. “I don’t know what to do. Chloe is the only one I have any contact with. I know they’re physically okay, but that’s it. I . . . miss Kaylee so badly. We spent almost every moment together for years. Being here with you is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. But—I feel like a piece of me is missing.”
“Oh, baby,” he murmured as he held her close, rocking her gently. “I know you’ve been trying to reach them. I can see the hurt in your eyes every time you check your phone and there’s no message. And I know how you feel about that little girl. You always glow every time you speak of her. Even when things were strained between us, I wondered when this would happen.”
“But, Gabe, I love—”
“Angel, I know you love me,” he interrupted her gently. “And just because you do doesn’t mean you care for her any less. But we’ve got to figure out how to bridge the two parts of your life. I’d never ask you to completely give up the rest of your life for me. Just—let me think about it. I’m still on leave for another few weeks, so maybe we should fly to North Carolina and work this out in person.”
She sat up quickly, hardly able to believe what he was suggesting. “Really? You’d go with me?”
When Trouble whined, Gabe shook his head. “Package deal, remember? We’ll go.”
“I love you.” She kissed him, then yawned, suddenly feeling drained. Kaylee. With Gabe’s arm around her, they walked back to his bedroom, and she easily drifted off to sleep while the Randall boys watched over her.
Chapter Twenty-Five
The situation with Sara and her family weighed heavily on Gabe’s mind as he checked some work e-mails. He was past due for his post-deployment physical, so he’d reluctantly headed to the base earlier to take care of it. Normally he would have stayed the rest of the day, because really, other than Trouble, there had been no reason to rush home. But everything was different now. He had a life outside the military, one that he loved more with every passing day.
Yet even if Sara stayed with him in Alaska, she would eventually come to resent him for taking her away from her family in North Carolina. He knew he loved her before she came to Alaska, but truthfully, in his wildest dreams, he hadn’t thought they’d mesh together so perfectly. He not only loved her—he needed her. And that was a first.
He had suggested taking her home for a visit soon, but he’d never believed in putting off until tomorrow what could be done today. The first logical step in doing that was calling her brother. He might be avoiding his sister, but Gabe wouldn’t be so easily ignored. He was betting on the other man being curious enough to answer an unknown number. Especially when it rang his phone in five-minute intervals. Just try me.
It took exactly eight attempts before Chris Ryan gave in. “Ryan.”
Despite being generally pissed off at what the other man was putting his sister through, Gabe found himself grinning at the irritated tone in his voice. He’d likely sound the same if he were on the receiving end. “This is Gabe Randall, your sister’s—”
“I know who you are,” he snapped. “What I don’t know is why you’re calling me.”
Gabe leaned back in his chair, getting comfortable. This was clearly going to be an unpleasant conversation. “You left me no choice when you refused to extend Sara the courtesy of a response.”
Chris laughed, but there wasn’t an ounce of humor there. “I’m not sure why this is any of your business, but I’m simply following the example she set by taking off on us. Much of which I blame you for.”
Gabe shrugged, fully in agreement with the last part. “Fair enough. Giving her that ultimatum in North Carolina wasn’t my finest hour. I should have handled it differently. But why punish her for my transgressions?”
He heard a long sigh on the other end of the line. When Chris spoke again, his tone was more resigned than angry. “Because she’s too old to act so damned recklessly. And you—I’ve checked around. You’re very well known and respected in the military. Likely to make lieutenant colonel in another year. Not the type of soldier to fill a woman’s head with a bunch of lies and lure her away from everyone she knows. I—I just don’t get it, man. What’s your endgame here?”
“I love your sister,” Gabe said bluntly. He didn’t like what Chris’s behavior was doing to Sara, but he understood his frustration . . . and mistrust. It was the very reason he’d gone to her first, in hopes of setting their minds at ease. “In your position, I would question my intentions as well. Which is why I showed up at your place originally. Unfortunately, that didn’t go as planned. I thought I’d been played. I was shocked when Sara came here. I didn’t think I’d see or speak to her again.”
“You expect me to believe you’d have let her go that easily after claiming to love her?”
“Knowing what I do now, absolutely not. But it wasn’t a situation I ever dreamed I’d find myself in, hence the uncertainty and mishandling.”
Chris was quiet for a long moment before asking, “What do you want from me?”
It wasn’t in his nature to overexplain his feelings, but he sensed his usual approach would only antagonize the other man. Sara needed her family, and Gabe wanted to give them back to her. “I found her on the couch last night crying. She had a dream about Kaylee. Your daughter thought she left because Sara didn’t love her.” He paused at Chris’s harsh intake of breath. “I’ve watched her check that damned phone of hers a dozen times a day, and I’ve seen the sadness when there’s nothing from you or her mother. When we first began talking, it didn’t take me long to see how family oriented she is. Her face would light up each and every time she spoke of her niece.”
“Then why did she take off like that?” Chris snapped in frustration. “Do you have any idea what kind of upheaval it’s caused? I have a daughter who is so upset, she’s not sure who her mother is anymore. And a wife that tells me constantly what a horrible person my sister is. Oh, and then there’s my mother, who complains constantly about picking Kaylee up from school yet gets angry when I mention hiring someone to do it. Since things seem so much better in Alaska, I’m about ready to pack my fucking bags and move in with you as well.”
The pieces were all falling into place for Gabe now. Even though some of what Chris said didn’t make sense, he’d picked up on enough to figure out the main issue. “So . . . you’re not taking Sara’s calls because of your wife. It’s a damned if you do, damned if you don’t thing.”
“Exactly. I’m not blind. I know my wife lets her guilt at being a working mother cloud her judgment where Sara is concerned. Nicole loves Kaylee, but she lacks the maternal instincts that my sister has. She thinks Kaylee should be a little adult, like her friend’s unusual child.”
Gabe really wanted to tell him to grow a pair, but being caught in such emotional chaos had to be tough. He wondered why Sara had stayed with them for so long, with her sister-in-law clearly acting like a bitch to her. For Kaylee. Sara was so selfless. The environment she had lived in for the last three years had been toxic for her soul. Yet she’d stayed so that that little girl knew she was loved unconditionally. If Sara’s own brother and mother hadn’t stuck up for her, hadn’t appreciated her, how on earth was she still so wonderful? How had she remained so incredible through that? It’s time her brother took on the role of a brother. Time he showed his sister how much he valued her. “I realize you’re in a difficult position, but it’s not fair that Sara gets shut out of Kaylee’s life because your wife can’t accept all that she has done for all of you.”
Chris ignored his criticism of his wife. Instead he said, “I knew the day you showed up from out of nowhere that she would leave. She’d been different for a while, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Then I found out she was talking to some guy, but she wasn’t dating, so it didn’t seem like a big deal. Everything clicked, though, when I saw her reaction to you. I told Nicole that night I was worried about it, and she brushed it aside. But I—just knew. Hell, I was the only one who wasn’t surprised when it happened. I’m sure this sounds absurd, but what are your intentions where she’s concerned?”
“I’m going to marry her,” Gabe replied without hesitation.
“Isn’t that a little fast?” Chris asked skeptically. “She’s been there for less than two weeks.”
“We’ve talked every day for nearly eight months. We know each other better than a lot of people who’ve been married for years.” Better than you and your wife, I bet. The animosity was gone as they continued to converse. He was surprised to see he’d been on the phone for over an hour. Other than Sara, this was a record. He was on the verge of ending the call when a sudden thought occurred to him. It was a long shot,
and unlikely to work, but it was worth the effort. Either way, he felt certain that something could be resolved soon. Now that he understood the real problem, he wouldn’t stop until he found a solution. He didn’t know if it was the military way, but it most certainly was the Randall way.
Chapter Twenty-Six
“Merry Christmas, Angel,” Gabe murmured as he slid inside her. With what little rational thought she could manage, she marveled at how romantic her life had become. Their Christmas Eve had been spent on the couch making out. After a while, though, she had begun to think he was either teasing or torturing her. When he jumped to his feet a few moments before midnight and carried her to the bedroom, she was baffled by his sudden urgency.
“Were you waiting until—?” She groaned, feeling dangerously close to orgasm after being on the edge for so long.
“Yeah,” he hissed, sounding just as strained. “Should have kept our clothes on longer,” he added as he put a hand under her ass to pull her hips closer. “I love you, Angel.”
“Me too,” she whimpered, so lost in the pleasure wracking her body that she could focus on little else.
Or at least that’s what she thought . . . until Gabe brought her abruptly back to the present. “Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner—shit, what’s the other one’s name?”
What the . . . ? Could extreme horniness cause delusions? He froze as his body shuddered. Then for the first time, he came before her. Had she not been distracted by his ramblings, they would have likely peaked together. He dropped his face into the curve of her neck before muttering wryly, “Blitzen—you little bastard.”
She couldn’t help smiling, even though she had no clue why he felt the need to list all of Santa’s reindeers in the middle of doing her. She ran a soothing hand over his back as she asked, “Something you want to tell me, baby?”
