by S. N. Garza
“She’s always been an extraordinarily gifted artist. Now, I understand why. And how much I failed her. But I won’t fail you. What can I do?”
“Be a father to Gabriel.”
Marcus’s eyes crunch and he stares at me like I’ve grown two heads. “He’s a grown man, he doesn’t need me.”
“Yes, he does. You can start by not being a dick to him. He doesn’t deserve what you’re giving him.”
“I didn’t have a father like—
“Shut up. I don’t care. You’re a father. You don’t have to be like your own. Just… care. Invest in his life.”
“I have.”
I snort and the vibration causes my head to throb. Instantly, Marcus is by my side, taking my hand. “Goddammit, girl. You’re going to hurt yourself.”
“I’m already hurt. I—
“I know. And I’m so sorry. Also, I learned it was Britney who ran us off the road.”
“Gabriel told me.”
“What? How does—
“I don’t know. He wouldn’t tell me, but I trust him. I trust him to keep me safe.”
“Unlike me? Who put you in harm’s way more than once?”
“No. I trust you, too. But Gabriel doesn’t. He needs time.
I want to know why she hated me so much, but it’s a discussion better saved for when my head isn’t hurting as much as it is right now. At least something good will come out of it then. “So, Coach.”
He starts laughing and shakes his head. “This season was enough.”
“Nope. That’s what you can do for me. Be our coach. Take us to the top, Marcus.”
“With you playing, we’re already almost there. God, I’ve always been proud of you, Willow.”
“Be proud of Gabriel too.”
“I am. I just never had that shit growing up either, so it’s not easy for me to show it, ya know?”
“Yeah, you did. My mother gave it to you. Your wife gave it to you.” His eyes fly to mine, and I see the emotion swelling inside him. He never thought about that. He gently squeezes my hand. “I imagine she hid her pain, so she can help lift you up, Marcus. When she thought it was time for her to move on, she didn’t leave you alone. You have your wife. It’s time to go forward. As should you, now at the end of all of it.”
“She never had to. I would have loved her deeply. Truly.”
“Everything happens for a reason, Marcus. We’re meant to be here in this moment. You and me. Because he can’t be allowed to get away with this. He molested his daughter. His granddaughter who happens to also be his daughter too. How fucked up is that?”
“Don’t curse, Willow.”
“In this case, it should be allowed.”
He sighs deeply, scrubbing his hand through his hair. Over and over. Worrying the salt and pepper locks that make him look so distinguished. Gabriel looks so much like him, but with subtle differences. I can’t wait to grow old with Gabriel. My marshmallow.
“I suppose so. I’ll take care of him. I promise. And I suppose Gabriel will try and take care of you.”
“The way you say that doesn’t sound like you want him to. I’m not my mother, you know?”
The look he gives me is a little scathing, but I don’t pay it any mind. “I know you’re not.”
“Are you sure?”
“You should have been my daughter.” That’s all he says as he stares away from my face. Almost as if he’s ashamed to admit that.
It’s a serious comment, but I don’t want him to overthink matters. Besides, with the way Gabriel’s going, I’ll be a Saint in no time at all. “Who knows? The way Gabriel’s going, I might be one day.”
This knowing and proud smile twists on his face. “That boy surely doesn’t do anything halfway, does he? I knew he’d fall for you the moment he met you. Didn’t take him long.” He sits down on the edge of the bed, retakes my hand and asks, “Is he good to you?”
“Yes. You might not have been there for him much, but he grew up to be a fine man.” I see the door quietly open and Gabriel steps in. I knew the privacy wouldn’t last and I'm okay with him coming back in. I want him close to me. Always.
I let a smirk play on my lips when I continue. “A douchebag at times. A complete scoundrel and rake. Possessive. Protective. Loving. Sweet. Adorable even.” I see Gabriel’s eyes widen with ire, but I laugh, shake my head and go on. “He’s perfect in every way and I hope he knows I love him more than anything. My sexy. fluffy marshmallow.”
“I do, Willow. Except for the marshmallow crap.” Gabriel cuts in and Marcus jumps, curses.
“Ah! Jesus fucking Christ.”
“Good. Get off her bed, dick.”
I cover my mouth, holding in my laughter. Marcus’s gaze quickly cuts to me and there’s a playful reprimand in his eyes, but he shakes his head.
“Minx.”
I give him a wink and look up to Gabriel and Uncle Luke, along with Alann, who steps in and behind him is Ragan and a very irritable Lochlan. And of course, I see Judas behind Lochlan, then Duncan’s voice is all the way in the back.
“Y’all need to get the hell out of the damn way. I want to see her too! I don’t even know why you’re here, Judas. You don’t really like her.”
We all turn to see red blaze up Judas’s neck. “You’re a fucking dick, Duncan. And I don’t hate her. She’s tamed the untamable. And now like a stack of fucking bricks, each one of us is going to fall. One by one. Lochlan’s already halfway there.”
“I don’t think so, Judas. Speak for yourself, asshole.” Ragan exclaims, red-hot anger in her gaze. Lochlan just smirks and rolls his eyes.
Yeah, it’s going to happen between them. If Ragan lets her guard down long enough.
Then she sees the look on Lochlan’s face and growls out, “Get that possessive look off your face, asshole. You never have, never gonna, and never will own me.” Then she shoves him out of the way and comes right to me, throwing her arms around me, being careful not to bang my head. “I'm so glad you’re okay.”
I make sure to whisper so no one can hear, “He loves you, Ragan.”
“Maybe. In his own way. But I don’t want anyone.”
“You sure about that?”
She leans away and rolls her eyes. “I’m sure he’s going to try.”
“Try has nothing to do with it.”
Then Uncle Luke says, “Do you know who ran y’all off the road?”
So, no one told him?
“Yes, I learned from Laurel—
“Mom’s here?” Gabriel’s voice is strained, and I know he’s shocked to learn his mother has been here while Marcus was holed up in the hospital.
“Well, you surely haven’t been by my room, but she’s been there.”
“You’re speaking to my mother?”
I know he thinks they hate each other, but I don’t think he’s ever looked past the surface. His mother loves Marcus. I hope they can make up and he learns to love her, even better than he ever did my mother. Laurel Saint deserves that.
“She is my wife, Gabriel.”
Gabriel snorts, rolling his eyes. “I’m sure not in the literal sense.”
“Gus…,” I say, trying to defuse the tension, but Marcus, like father like son, rises to the bait.
“Watch that fucking mouth of yours, boy.”
“Aaaand okay! Invalid here, all this crap is giving me a headache.”
Marcus gives Gabriel a long, hard look before turning back to me. “Yes, well, come to find out—
“You were fucking her and when you stopped, became obsessed because of your obsession with my girlfriend.”
I didn’t know that part. I guess there’s a lot of secrets in this room and I hate them.
Both men take a step closer when Lochlan takes Gabriel’s shoulder, Uncle Luke presses on Marcus’s. “My child is watching, Saint. You know whatever happened, happened and everything is as it should be now.”
Marcus bristles, but otherwise steps back from Uncle Luke and takes a deep breath.<
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Then a soft voice comes from the door. “Gabriel.”
Gabriel’s mom steps in, looks from son to husband and sighs. “Gabriel—
I look over to Marcus when my eyes catch something on the TV screen.
“Oh, my God! Look! Isn’t that his house? It’s on fire!”
How could all this be happening? I was just… everything seems to confuse and overwhelm me. Marcus and I were just there. He was fine. Marcus—no. He said he’d take care of him, but he said it in the present tense.
That’s when the already filled up room gets more crowded as two men in uniforms step in the room.
One clears his throat. “Mrs. Saint.”
My eyes fly to hers as do everyone else’s in the room.
“I’ll be right there, gentleman. Give me a moment.”
They nod and step outside.
“Laurel?” Marcus says at the same time Gabriel mutters, “Mother?”
Instead of looking at them, her eyes seem to fall to me, this deep pain and sadness filling her gaze. “Your mother was very kind to me. I’m so sorry for what you had to go through at the hands of him and my sister. What your mother had to go through and try to survive. So, I did what any mother would do. I took care of the problem.”
Several gasps ring out in the room. What the hell is going on here? My head is starting to feel like it’s about to explode.
“Laurel.” Marcus’s voice has a hard edge to it, but it seems like she can’t bring herself to look at him.
Then Lochlan bursts out laughing. “I fucking knew it. Love violence in a woman.”
Laurel blushes. Gabriel growls, and says, “That’s my mother, Lock.”
“And?” Judas says, “She’s still a hot as fuck milf.”
Oh, my God.
Duncan nods and when he sees me watching him, he laughs awkwardly before whistling and looking anywhere but at me.
But it’s the sound emanating from Marcus’s throat that has me looking back to him. Red is creeping up his neck as anger burns in his eyes towards Judas.
“Judas. Shut the fuck up.” Gabriel mutters, ready to slay someone down with a look.
But it’s Laurel who says, “Thank you, boys. That’s sweet.”
Judas blatantly ignores Marcus’s death glare as he continues, “What, Gabe? She’s only seventeen years older than us.”
I watch the play-by-play as Laurel shuts down the conversation by saying, “And with the way you’re tearing through every wife in town, maybe you ought to slow down, Judas.”
Judas smirks, bites his lip before muttering, “Not every wife.”
Oh. My. God. I can’t believe he said that in front of Gabriel. In front of Marcus. They are both seething. Marcus takes a step closer when Laurel smiles and takes a step towards him. “Oh, Judas. So much like your father.” Her smile flattens, this dangerous glint glistens in her gaze. “Strong in vigor but lacking in length. Oh, yes. All the wives in this town gossip about you, but it’s from personal experience I know about your sick fuck of a father. I saw his short stack plenty of times to know there’s no real go in that man. If I were you, I’d be thankful to even be alive. I’m sure he had to rape his way to get any bitch he wanted and when he fucked your mother, it was unfortunate for her she got pregnant by him. He didn’t know when to stop and didn’t have a lick of sense either. So, I suggest you keep that pretty little mouth of yours quiet. This is one Grifton Falls wife who’ll you’ll never get the pleasure of touching.”
Oh, my God. Silence reigns supreme, but it’s what she says next that has me wishing I could take some of the pain I see in her grey eyes away from her. She turns to Gabriel, states, “23-14-16. Susan came to me the day she died. She gave me a set of letters to give to people if it ever came to light. I didn’t know at the time what she meant. She only told me I’d know when I know and to make sure the letters were given to the right people. I get it now.”
Tears glisten in her eyes when Marcus calls her name. She still refuses to look at him and I see it’s a struggle for him not to go to her. I want him to. He needs to move on from my mother and see what he has right in front of him.
“There’s one for Willow, Luke Mason, your father, and there’s one for you, Gabriel. It’s time.”
Then as tears slip down her cheeks, she turns to Marcus. “You’re free now, Marcus.”
“Who said I ever wanted to be free from you, babe?” There’s emotion there. I can tell he feels more than he’s letting on, but he’s trying to save face in front of all these people.
“It’s time to let go. To move forward, don’t you think?”
“I don’t fucking think so, Laurel. Get—
“Excuse me, Mrs. Saint. We really need you to come down to the station with us now.”
And my champion, Gabriel, swiftly put his mother behind him, and clenches his fists. “I don’t fucking think so. Do you know who this is? What family you’re speaking to?”
The cops pale under Gabriel’s harsh reprimand and a part of me loves how he just protects. Even if they’re estranged, there’s this white knight complex he just can’t keep hidden anymore.
Laurel sighs, turns to Gabriel and reaches for his shoulders. “Ever the champion. You, son, have a heart of gold. And I’ve never said this, for which I am deeply ashamed. You are the best thing I’ve ever done. I’ve always loved you. You were never a mistake. Not to me. I wouldn’t have changed my past before you. Or after you. I loved your father deeply. I’m so proud of the man you’ve become. You should be, too. You deserve all the happiness this word has to give you.”
Gabriel, who’s been weepy since I woke up, has a tear falling down his cheek. “Mother.”
She turns to me and this motherly look comes over her. “Don’t even think about hurting my son. He’s strong like his father, but he doesn’t have a place holder like Marcus had. He won’t survive losing you.” Then I watch as she finally turns to Marcus. “I have always loved you. Even when you hated me, I loved you.”
“Mrs. Saint.” The cop steps closer, but Laurel puts her hand up, halting him.
“Laurel.”
Marcus and Laurel’s eyes seem to lock with one another’s and there’s a silent communication there that I don’t understand.
She gives him a nod and then the cops take her by the bicep. Gabriel walks forward, ready to save her when Lochlan and Marcus come up to him and hold him back as they walk her from the room.
When he yells out for his mom, my heart breaks for him.
Then he rips his arms from their hands and turns to his father, and even I can see the hatred burning bright in his green gaze.
“You’re going to let them take her? You goddamn son of a bitch.” Lochlan reaches for him again, but Gabe roars, “Get the fuck off me, Lock. That’s—MOM!” He turns and Marcus is there, pushing him back.
“I will handle it, Gabriel. You stay here with her.”
“Handle it? God. She should have left your ass a long time ago. I fucking hate you. Get out of here.”
“Gabriel.”
Then out of the blue, Ragan, in a voice I’ve never heard from her before, shouts, “Sweet Christ. Enough people are dead for Christs sake. Why don’t we focus on something else?”
I see her getting frazzled and she’s never been like that before. What the hell?
“Ragan?” I ask, but Lochlan is blocking her, talking in low tones.
“People?” Uncle Luke asks, and Lochlan turns around.
“Not here. Let’s just say Everett George isn’t the only one and move on.” Ragan mutters and it makes all of us stare at her because she begins to shake.
“Ragan.” Lochlan’s voice cuts through and he states, “Keep your mouth shut. I’m sure the cops—
“They don’t know. I just—
“I said not another word. Not here.” Lochlan states and everyone looks between them. Then he says, “We’ll talk about it after Willow is better.”
He looks at Gabriel and they both give each other a look a
nd Gabriel nods.
“Damn right you two will. I swear if this is anything like what happened last year—,” Marcus interrupts.
“It’s not.” Lochlan has this fierce hard gaze and Marcus groans.
“Sweet fucking Christ.” Marcus says. And I look around at all the big, strapping guys surrounding me to see they all have a look about them that leaves a dangerous air in the room. I know it best not to say anything just then. All I know is that I’m surrounded by my family and while I’m still in a little pain, and I know whatever happened with Laurel, Marcus will take care of it, for sure. I want to believe the best in people. I see the way he looked at her. The way she looked at him. There’s so much to their story I’d love to know about. It’s more than my mother.
I just know it’s an epic tale.
I also want her to like me. When she warned me about hurting Gabriel, she had this fierce, mama bear gaze that makes me want to say yes, ma’am. She doesn’t ever have to worry. I love Gabriel. We love each other.
“I’m still waiting out here.” Duncan shoves Judas out of the way and gets past the others and gets within a few feet of the bed before jerking back. “Oh my God! Your face.” He recoils, and yeah, I know he’s more sensitive-natured than the other guys because tears bubble in his eyes.
I smile through it and answer, “I know. Looking hot, ain’t I?”
His eyes widen and this blush rushes up his cheeks then he gives Gabriel a small look and plays off my teasing. “Yeah. You’re so hot. If Gabriel hadn’t snagged you up, I’d’ve trie—d! HEY!”
Gabriel smacks him, not so gently, on the back of the head. “Watch your mouth.”
“As if you're any better? You blatantly tell her—,” Gabriel gives him the death glare making Duncan stop, but he still responds with a laugh, “Don’t look at me like that.”
“Guys, please. My head. Injured person here.” It’s not really hurting that bad, but I hate seeing them fighting. Especially over petty stuff.
“Yeah, all of you should leave.”
“Gabriel.” He’s so protective over me. I love that about him. He’s asked for forgiveness for not being there when I went with Marcus, but there was no need. There’s nothing to forgive when all of that doesn’t matter. He’s here with me now. That’s what matters.
