“Her father.” Harper’s eyes misted. “She’s going to need you in her life, you know.”
“I know,” he agreed. “And I’ll be around—just in the distance. I’ll send presents at the appropriate times, come visit once in a while. Maybe you could bring her out to the city and we could spend some time together when it’s convenient for you. I never planned to be a father, and having found out about Zoey doesn’t change the reasons.”
Harper was silent for a moment. “What if she wants to talk to you?”
“You’ll have my number. I’ll be there.”
“And when she starts dating?” Harper smiled sadly.
“I’ll make a special trip out here to meet the young man and put some healthy fear in him.”
“Have I chased you off, then?”
“No.” Gabe leaned back in the seat. “I just see myself making the same mistakes I always did, and it’s time to put a stop to it.”
“Me. I’m the mistake.”
“Look, I’m the idiot who keeps convincing myself that something can work when it obviously can’t. I’m not a family man, and you want a family. You have a family. You were right that Zoey has to come first, and I can’t go messing up my friendship with you.”
“Zoey’s grandparents aren’t thrilled with me for telling you about her,” Harper said. “But I want you to know that I will never block you from your daughter’s life. In fact, I might hound you a little when she needs her dad.”
“You’re a good person, Harper,” he said quietly.
“So are you, Gabe.”
Not as good as he wished he could be. He knew he was letting Harper down right now, but it was better to do it earlier, before emotions were invested.
“So we’re okay?” he asked cautiously.
“Yes.” Harper nodded. “We’ll make sure that Zoey grows up to be secure, happy and confident. And when she graduates from high school, I want you at my side so we can celebrate that milestone together. Is it a deal?”
“Deal.” Gabe reached across the table and took her hand, intending to shake on it, but her soft skin slowed him down, and he held her fingers in his. He swallowed, then released her. “In the meantime, I’m going to do my best to catch those morons who broke into your store so you won’t have to worry about them anymore. I have a few more days.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that.” She smiled. “I’ll sleep better when I’m not worried about another break-in.”
“You and me, both,” he muttered, then he rose from his seat. “I’ll let you finish your lunch. I’m on patrol.”
Harper nodded, and he turned for the door. When he got there, he glanced back and found her still staring at him with a perplexed look on her face. One creamy hand lay on top of the book, and her lips were pursed as if she was deep in thought.
Why couldn’t this be easier? Why couldn’t seeing her again have put it all into perspective for him so that he didn’t feel like he was getting torn in two every time he tried to make the right choice?
But this time, he would make the right choice. His heart had to be overruled in this situation—his daughter was too important to take any risks with. Harper was everything in a mother that he’d ever wanted for himself. Zoey would be loved, cherished, guided and nurtured. She’d be fine, and definitely better off without him too close to mess her up.
Gabe would keep this county safe for Zoey. It might not be much, and his daughter would eventually judge him for all he didn’t do, but it was the best he could offer.
Chapter Eleven
Harper sat in front of her half-finished sandwich, her mind spinning. Her appetite was gone, and while she’d managed to pull off a self-assured and competent air, she didn’t feel quite so confident now that Gabe was gone.
What had she expected when she sprung paternity on this man? She’d been the one to repeatedly warn her friend that Gabe wasn’t going to give her what she wanted...so why was Harper feeling this overflow of disappointment that he wasn’t stepping up now?
He wasn’t the husband and father sort of guy—and it wasn’t Zoey’s responsibility to change her father. But Harper realized that against all logic, she’d started to hope for more from Gabe.
“It’s my own fault,” she muttered to herself. Well, maybe she could judge Andrea a little less harshly now that she could see how easy it was to make this particular mistake.
Besides, wasn’t this the outcome she’d been expecting from the beginning—that he’d walk away and she could go back to raising Zoey with a clear conscience? Yet somewhere along the way, she’d started to see Gabe in a new light. He wasn’t just a womanizer, he was a wounded man who’d never been properly loved by his grandmother. He wasn’t selfish as much as scarred. It wasn’t that he didn’t feel anything; if anything, Gabe felt things too deeply and didn’t think he had enough to give back. She was sympathizing with him, when right now she should be straightening her shoulders and getting ready to face the challenges that were bound to come up.
Judging Gabe was easier when he was nothing more than a caricature, the type of man to avoid. But over the last week, he’d become so much more. He was...a friend. And she realized that she respected him now, where she never had in the past. He was a Christian, and that showed. He wasn’t playing the field anymore, and he wasn’t misrepresenting himself, either. Her hopes weren’t his fault.
“Anything else today?” the waitress asked, pulling Harper out of her thoughts. Harper looked down at her watch.
“No, thanks. I have an appointment. I’ll just pay at the counter, if that’s okay with you.”
“Sure thing. Have a good day!”
Harper pulled out her credit card to pay. She needed to get herself re-centered before her meeting at the bank. Not everything was about Gabe, and that included Blessings Maternity. Maybe even especially Blessings Maternity. This new store was about the future she was working toward, not some misplaced emotions that she was bound to regret later. Her head had to lead with this goal.
Lord, please help me to get this loan, she prayed in her heart. She didn’t need a man to complicate her life. She didn’t need Gabe hanging in too close to distract her from what really mattered, either. So Gabe going back to his life in the city was for the best, even if it stung in a strangely deep part of her heart. What she needed right now was financing for her newest business venture—a step toward a comfortable future with her little girl.
* * *
Forty-five minutes later, Harper came out of the bank and onto the leaf-strewn sidewalk, her heart pounding with excitement. She’d just secured a nice healthy loan for Blessings Maternity! She wanted to jump and squeal, but that wouldn’t be dignified. So she grinned to herself and clutched her folder closer to her chest, allowing herself one little skip as her shoes crunched over the dry leaves that fluttered down from the trees.
Thank You, Lord! she prayed. Blessings Maternity would be a reality. She’d been planning the details for her store for a long time now, and she knew the suppliers she wanted to use, the way the store would look, even the sign—subtly linked to the Blessings Bridal logo. She could see it all in her mind’s eye, and with the funding arranged, it felt so much more concrete. This was actually happening!
Harper pulled her phone out of her pocket, eager to call someone to share the joy of the moment. The first person to pop into her head was Gabe, and she sighed. What was wrong with her? But the image of Gabe tugged at her heart, all the same. He reminded her of what she was missing in her life—the thrill of new feelings, of romance, of kisses that should never have happened... She was missing out on that wedding of her own—the one she’d been mentally planning since she was ten.
But so far, God hadn’t brought along the right guy, and Harper would rather count the blessings she did have than regret the blessings that weren’t hers yet. While Harper didn’t have a husband of her own, she di
d have a family. And not every family looked the same. That was just life! She was a mom now, and she had her dad, her sister, and soon Chris would be part of the mix.
And she knew exactly who would celebrate this moment with her. Harper dialed her dad’s number and angled her steps across the street while it rang. Her dad was the one man who would fully understand what this meant to her.
“Hi, Harper,” her father said as he picked up. “So how did it go?”
“I got the loan!” She waved at a truck that slowed to let her cross, then hopped up on the opposite curb, tugging her wrap a little closer against the chilly breeze.
“That’s my girl!” her father thrilled. “Good for you! I knew it would work out—I could feel it in my bones. But I’m still glad to hear it! So how much will they lend you? And what’s the interest rate?”
Harper went through the details with her father—the only one who could truly appreciate those finer points of the loan. Her heels tapped a cheerful rhythm against the sidewalk, and she nodded at an older woman she knew from church on her way past. This was still private news, but she couldn’t help the smile on her face.
“It sounds really good. That’s a competitive rate,” her father said, and she could almost feel him nodding through the phone. “What are you going to do to celebrate?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “I was just going to start looking for commercial spaces for lease—”
“Harper, come on,” her father chuckled. “You can’t work every spare minute. You’ve got to do something to celebrate. You’ve put a lot of work into this business plan, and the bank believes in you, too. You need to cut loose a bit.”
“I will,” she promised with a low laugh.
“So where are you headed now?”
“Back to the store, of course,” Harper said. “I need to find another employee. We need a full-timer, Dad. I know it’s more expensive with benefits and all that, but with the new store, I’m going to need a full staff in both places, and part-timers just aren’t as reliable.”
“That’s fair enough,” her father agreed. “But more immediately, have the police seen any suspicious activity around the store?”
“Gabe has been patrolling, as well as the rest of the police department, and so far nothing,” Harper said. “Maybe whoever hit the store won’t come back.”
“Maybe.” Her father’s voice deepened.
“You don’t sound convinced.”
“I’m worried about you, Harper. You’re working so hard, raising Zoey, and now our store is targeted by thieves. I just want you to stay safe. Merchandise can be replaced. Daughters, not so much.”
“You don’t need to worry about me, Dad,” she said, softening. “I’m fine. Besides, Gabe seems to be taking this one seriously. I told you that they found some of the merchandise, including Grandma’s veil, right?”
“Yes, you did.” Her father sighed. “You’re in good hands. I know that, Harper. But I don’t want anything happening to you, so keep your eyes open, okay? If something seems off, or weird, listen to your gut.”
“Always, Dad. I’d better get going. I’m almost at the store.”
“All right. Talk to you later.”
Harper hung up her phone and dropped it into her bag as she approached her shop. Fluffy clouds sailed overhead and a golden sunlight splashed down onto the street, warming Harper against the brisk wind.
She rummaged in the bottom of her bag for her keys and pulled them out. The first thing she did was snatch down the Back in One Hour sign she’d posted when she’d left the store, but as she slid the key into the lock, she noticed something that stopped her heart in her chest.
There were scrapes on the doorjamb and a gouge in the wood of the door as if someone had tried to pry it open with a crowbar. She stepped back and looked around. A young mother pushed a stroller along the sidewalk on the opposite side of the street, but other than that, there was no one. A pickup truck rumbled to a stop at the four-way stop sign, and she vaguely recognized the old cowboy in the driver’s seat. This was Comfort Creek, and she was looking for someone suspicious—it was crazy!
Harper turned the key in the lock and pushed open the door. Everything was in order, and it seemed obvious that whoever had tried to get in had failed.
But they’d tried. She shivered and the hair on the back of her neck went up. She suddenly felt very alone standing in this shop, and she knew exactly who she had to call this time. Harper pulled out her phone once more and dialed Gabe’s number with a trembling hand. It rang once, then he picked up.
“Hi, Harper. What’s up?” He sounded casual enough.
“Gabe, I think they came back.” Her voice sounded raspy to her own ears, and she swallowed hard.
“What? What happened?” The casual note to his tone was gone, replaced by professional steel. “Where are you?”
“I’m at the store. There are fresh scrapes on the door. Someone tried to get in while I was away. I was gone for an hour and a half. Maybe an hour and forty-five minutes. But someone was here!”
“I’m two minutes away. Sit tight,” he growled. “Is anyone around?”
“I looked. Not really.”
“Are you inside the store, or outside?”
“Inside. The door was still locked and there are no broken windows. Everything looks in order, Gabe. I’m probably freaking out for nothing.”
She was still rather traumatized from the sight of her trashed store the first time she’d seen it. But looking around at the line of bagged dresses on the racks, the mannequins arrayed in puffy ball gowns, the hardwood floor gleaming in afternoon light—it was reassuringly neat and tidy.
“Step outside the store, lock the door, and wait for me,” he ordered.
“I think it’s okay,” she started. “I’m probably overreacting—”
“Can you just once do as I tell you?” he barked.
Harper’s nerves tensed at the ice in his voice. Gabe hadn’t raised his voice before this. If she wasn’t mistaken, he was scared. And if Gabe was scared, she should be, too.
Harper turned on her heel and stepped outside, pulling the door shut behind her.
“Okay. Done. I’m outside,” she said, turning the key in the lock again.
“Thank you.” His tone was moderated once more. “I’m almost there.”
* * *
Gabe turned onto Sycamore Drive and picked up the radio.
“This is Officer Banks at Blessings Bridal. I’m going to need backup. Suspected 10-62. Over.”
His training was taking over, but underneath that veneer of professional calm, his heart was pounding. This wasn’t just any suspected breaking and entering—this was Harper! He’d been waiting for this, and at the same time, he’d been hoping to be by her side when it happened. He wanted to be the barrier between her and any danger that might come. Whoever this was, they were willing to kill to get their way. They had already in Fort Collins.
His siren wailed as he whipped up to the store, and he was relieved to see Harper on the sidewalk with a woolen wrap around her shoulders, fluttering in a rising breeze. She held a folder clutched in front of her chest. Her curls blew around her face and she hitched her shoulders up against the chill. Gabe could hear the incoming sirens already, and he pulled out his gun, keeping it pointed at the ground and clicking off the safety as he approached the front door.
“Gabe,” she breathed, and the relief in her voice tugged at him. But he couldn’t take the time to reassure her right now. Not until he was certain it wasn’t just words.
“Stay outside.” He held his other hand out. “Give me the key.”
Harper handed it over, her soft fingertips brushing his palm as she did. His nerves were at attention, his skin tingling from her touch as he approached the front door. She was right—someone had definitely tried to get into the store. He unlocked
the door, pocketed the key, and silently eased the door open. As he crept inside, the bell overhead jingled, and he inwardly grimaced. He’d forgotten about that.
He was aware that the door hadn’t swung shut behind him, and when he turned to see what had blocked it, he came face-to-face with Harper, on his heels. Her eyes were wide and her lips were pale as her gaze whipped around the store.
A wave of anger swept through him. This was no joke, and his first priority was her safety. He pointed at her and back to the door, but she just looked at him.
“They could be in here,” he whispered. It was a possibility. They were obviously getting brave to come to a town known for its county police presence. He just might have a gun trained on him this very moment, too, so he turned his attention to the sales floor, scanning the racks, the floor, the walls, for any sign of movement or shadow.
“This is the police!” he barked. “Come out with your hands up!”
Silence. He slowed his own breathing, listening for even the smallest sound that might betray someone’s presence. He could hear the soft thud of his own heartbeat and Harper’s shallow breathing behind him. Satisfied that he could hear nothing else, he made a quick tour of the sales floor, kicking skirts aside as he searched the place, and it was clear. Harper stood at the door where he’d left her, and as he came back toward her, he hissed.
“Outside! Now!”
“There are dresses for two different brides in the back of the store,” Harper whispered. “They can’t be damaged!”
That was her focus right now? Dresses? Those brides could get married in burlap for all he cared. He shot her a fiery glare and pointed at the outside door once more. At that moment, the door opened again and Bryce Camden appeared, his gun drawn. Good—backup was here.
“Get her out of here,” Gabe snapped, and turned toward the back room of the store. He eased his weight onto the balls of his feet, and keeping his gun eye level, crept toward the back room. Behind him, he could hear the whispered conversation as Bryce encouraged Harper to get back outside and let the professionals do their work. It bugged him, because he couldn’t focus the way he should with her in the store. It was like part of his mind kept slipping back to where she stood by the door.
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