MARRY YOUR BEST FRIEND

HOW TO WIN AT LOVE

HOPE FORD

Marry Your Best Friend © 2024 by Hope Ford

Editor: Kasi Alexander

Proofreader: Nicole Graf

Cover Photographer: Christopher John

Cover Models:  Victor and Emilie

Cover Design: Lori Jackson

Alternative Cover Design: Lori Jackson

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

1

CHRISSY

I push the plate away because I just don’t have the stomach for it. It’s been a hell of a day, and I don’t see it getting any better. So far today, I’ve stitched up a woman that was beaten by her husband, and I’ve treated a kid and his dad that were in a car accident, three broken bones, one heart attack, and two people that came in after a bar fight.

“You okay? You going to make it?” Bethany, my friend who is also a nurse in the ER, asks me. Nothing that we’ve seen today has slowed her down. She’s eating her sandwich with gusto. Glancing around the hospital cafeteria, I'm relieved to see others who also appear tired. A few of my colleagues have the same look that I have, and it makes me feel a little better that I’m not alone.

“Four more hours to go.”

Bethany whistles and blows out a breath. “You’re about to jinx us. You never talk about how much time you have left. You know that, Chrissy.”

“Fine, yes, I’m going to make it. I’m just… I don’t know.”

She picks up a chip and points it at my plate. “You need to eat something.”

I pull my plate back toward me. I know she’s right. I’m exhausted, and whether or not I’m hungry, I know I need to keep my energy up. I take a bite of my turkey sandwich. “Happy?”

She smirks. “Ecstatic.”

We’re both quiet, and Bethany is the one to talk first. “Are you still thinking about changing departments?”

I shrug. I’ve been thinking about it for a few months, but my gut is telling me it’s time. I don’t have the love for my job that I once did. I’m not sure what it is, but I know I’m wanting to slow down. “Maybe. I’m still thinking about it.”

“Well, you know you can’t just leave me. You’re the only one I can talk about work with and you don’t get sick hearing it. My sister gags if I even talk about blood.”

I roll my eyes. Bethany is known for her graphic stories. “Maybe you shouldn’t go into such detail when you’re telling a story, Bethany. I swear I got sick when you talked about that amputation last week, and hell, I was in the room when it happened.”

She takes another bite of her sandwich, and as she’s chewing, she laughs. “Please, I just like to keep it interesting.” She chokes and swallows her mouthful. “Speaking of interesting… incoming.”

She nods her head toward the entrance of the cafeteria, and I suck in a breath. Gabriel Gray. My foster brother… my best friend… and the love of my life.

I avert my eyes from his because I don’t want him to see what I’m thinking. I try to appear uninterested, but I let my eyes travel down the length of him. His unruly hair is in a ponytail, and his dark blue T-shirt is tight across his broad shoulders and looks as if it might be cutting off the blood supply to his muscled arms. I let my gaze travel down, and he has on cargo pants that are tight in the thighs. The man is huge and a force to be reckoned with. Anywhere he goes, people gawk at him.

I look over at Bethany, and her mouth is hanging open as she watches him. I hate that jealousy surges inside me. I have no right to be jealous, but here I am, eaten up with it. “You might want to wipe your mouth. You’re drooling.”

She just smiles. “I mean, look at him. Of course, I’m drooling.”

“Hey, ladies.”

Gabe doesn’t wait to be invited. He pulls the chair out that is next to me, spins it around, and then straddles it. “How you doing, Bethany?”

She practically swoons and even giggles. “I’m doing good. How you doing, Mr. Hottie?”

I roll my eyes. “Really?”

She looks at me and then gestures to him. “What? It’s not like he doesn’t know.”

Gabe is watching me closely. “Know what?”

“Nothing,” I say.

Bethany laughs out loud like she’s enjoying this. “Right, well, if she’s not going to tell you, I will. Everyone calls you Mr. Hottie. You know because well, you’re a fireman and you’re hot.”

Gabe chuckles, and I swear the man blushes.

He’s staring at me. “You’ve been avoiding me.”

I look at Bethany and squirm at the curious way she’s looking at me. “I have not.”

Gabe reaches for me and brushes my hair off my face, tucking it behind my ear. I do my best not to let myself react to his touch. I wave his hand away. “I haven’t been avoiding you, I’ve been busy.”

I try to draw Bethany back into the conversation. “We’ve been busy in the ER, haven’t we?”

She nods at the clear look I give her. “What? Yes, I mean, yes, we’ve been busy.”

I avoid Gabe’s gaze. “Tell him about the broken leg today.”

She smiles real big. “Oh, you mean the man that broke his leg and the bone was sticking out of his skin this far?” She holds her hands around five inches apart and then whistles. “You want to talk about a bad break. I’ve never seen anything like it before in my life. Blood was spurting everywhere and…”

Bethany keeps talking, and the more she says, the greener Gabe gets. He’s never been able to stomach blood, and Bethany’s stories are full of it.

It’s when he starts to turn white that I interrupt her. “Okay, okay, that’s enough. If he passes out, I can’t lift him. Can you?”

He takes a drink of my water, chugging it. “Pass out? I’m not going to pass out.”

He drinks some more water and wipes his mouth and then gives me a worried look. “You look tired. You okay?”

This time, I look him right in the eye. “Tsk, tsk, Gabe. Really? If you were looking for a way to compliment me, you went the wrong direction.”

He gives me that smile of his. The one that makes my nipples hard and my body get hot all over. “Honey, you know I think you’re beautiful, but I’m worried you’re not taking care of yourself.”

Bethany chimes in, and I swear I forgot she was even sitting here. “She’s not. I’m forcing her to shove the sandwich in. She’s had a rough morning, and she’s only drank a half a bottle of water.”

I give Bethany the side eye. “Really? Stalker much? I think we need to talk about some boundaries.”

She shrugs her shoulder. “What? It’s the truth.” She points at Gabe. “And she’s not been sleeping well, but that’s more of an occupational hazard.” I give my friend a dirty look, but it doesn’t even faze her. “What? He’s your brother, it’s not like I’m giving away your secrets to a stranger or something.”

I can’t stop the frown from forming on my face. I can’t help it. Anytime someone refers to Gabriel Gray as my brother, I get an icky feeling inside. You call King, Holden, Ledger, or Dom my brothers, I’m fine with it. Heck, I call them my brothers. They are in fact all my foster brothers, but for some reason, I can’t do it with Gabe.

“He’s not my brother… he just likes to think he’s the boss of me.”

Gabe looks at me curiously, but at least he’s not giving me a wounded look or anything. I couldn’t handle that. He has been my best friend since I was eight years old and moved into the same foster home that he, King, Holden, Ledger, and Dom were living in.

Gabe is staring at me searchingly, and I start to fidget under his gaze.

I gesture to the cut on his arm that I noticed when he sat down. “That’s infected.”

He just shrugs. “Trust me, it will take more than a cut to take me out. You’re going to be stuck with me for a while.”

I start piling all my food on my tray. “Come on, I’ll clean it out before I get back to work.”

He puts his hand on mine to stop me. “Eat your food, then I’ll let you clean me up.”

“Let me?”

He chuckles. “You forget I know you, Chrissy Aiken. It will pain you not to take care of this cut. You will worry about me all day and night, wondering if I’m okay. So yeah, eat your food and then I’ll LET you clean me up.”

Reluctantly, I pick up the rest of my sandwich. “Fine. I’ll eat.”

I finish my lunch while Bethany and Gabe talk. She hangs on every word he says, but I can’t begrudge her for it because Gabe just has that thing about him. I take the last bite of my sandwich and wad up my napkin. As soon as I swallow, I smirk at him. “Happy?”

He grabs my water bottle and stands up. “I’ll fill this up for you.”

He grabs my tray as he goes, and I watch him walk away.

“Dammmmmnnnn,” Bethany whispers loudly.

Again, I forgot about her, but I don’t have to worry about being caught staring at Gabe because she’s doing the same thing. She whistles low. “Just one night. That’s it. I just need one night with that man and I would be content for life.”

“Will you stop?” I beg.

She gives me a look. “Foster brother or not, I’d be banging that.”

“What was that?” Gabe asks as he’s walking toward us.

Oh my God. “Nothing. Ready to go? See you later, Bethany.”

I don’t wait for her to answer. She waves at Gabe, and I pull him along with me.

I’m quiet as we walk through the halls of the hospital, and he elbows me. “If you don’t have time to do this, I’m fine.”

I stop in my tracks. “Really, Gabe? You said you’d do this, you can’t go back on your word now.”

He holds his hands up, palms out. “Okay, okay, I wasn’t trying to get out of anything. You just seem distracted—or mad—or I don’t know. Whatever. Whatever you want to do to me, I’m good, but can you just smile for me? I hate seeing you like this.”

I groan on the inside but don’t let him hear it. I want to scream as loud and as long as I can because I’m so frustrated. I’ve wanted Gabriel Gray for as long as I can remember, but he’s my best friend, and that’s all he’ll ever be. I force a smile to my face. “I’m sorry. I’ve been a little stressed, and I shouldn’t take it out on you. I’m sorry… okay?”

He grabs my hand and pulls it up between us. The difference is vast. I’m pale compared to his olive skin tone. My hand is a lot smaller than his, and where mine is soft, his is rough. But when he slides his fingers between mine, threading them together, they fit perfectly together. My breath halts as I stare at the way he’s holding on to me. “Hey,” he whispers.

I look up at him, and he searches my eyes, but I’m not sure what it is he’s looking for. I’ve had my feelings on lockdown, and I refuse to let him see how I truly feel about him. I may want a relationship, but I can’t risk our friendship. “Hey.” I smile up at him, feeling at ease for the first time since our argument two days ago.

2

GABE

I want to kiss her.

I want to lean down the mere five inches between us and press my lips to hers. Would she freak out? Would she punch me in the arm and tell me to quit messing around, or would she participate in the meshing of our lips and give me everything I could ever want?

Because I can’t kiss her, not yet, not until I tell her the other thing that is weighing on me. “I’ve missed you, Chrissy.”

She puts her other hand against my chest. “It’s only been two days.”

I cover her hand with mine, holding it against my chest. “Two days of you being mad at me.”

She nods at the nurses walking by and then steps back, putting some distance between us. “Come on, let’s go to an exam room and I’ll clean that cut out.”

I follow behind her, but there’s no way I’m just letting this go. She can’t avoid me for two days and not talk to me about it. I know I messed up, and I’m here to make it right.

She puts me in a chair and then goes to gather some supplies. When she comes back, I watch her inspect my cut, and she shakes her head. “Gabe, you need stitches for this.”

I shrug. “My favorite nurse was ignoring me. I couldn’t just have some random nurse cutting on me.”

“No one is cutting on you.”

She works on cleaning the cut, and as she works, she continues to talk. “And no matter if we’re mad at each other or not, you still come to me, Gabe. That’s how this works. You’re my best friend, and you think I was mad the other day? I’ll be really mad if you get some kind of infection because you’re too stubborn to come let me fix you up.”

“Honey, you’re the one avoiding my calls. I texted you.”

She finally looks at me, and her eyes fill with tears. “You didn’t tell me you were hurt.”

“Fuck me, Chrissy. Don’t you dare cry, baby.”

She blinks, and a tear rolls down her cheek. I catch it with my finger and wipe it away. “I’m sorry, okay? No matter what, I’ll call you, okay? It wasn’t a big deal. I was climbing out a window and cut my arm. I’m okay. It doesn’t even hurt.”

I continue to ramble because I hate to see her upset. “I promise from now on, I will come to you if I’m hurt, okay?”

She sucks in a breath. “I’m going to give you a tetanus shot and sew you up.”

“Baby, you can do anything you want to me if you promise you won’t cry anymore.”

She waves me off. “I’m sorry. I hate it when we fight.”

I sit quietly and watch her work. She numbs me and winces when she starts the stitches. “I’m okay,” I assure her.

I refuse to show her any pain because I know she’ll feel bad about it.

When she’s almost done, I whisper, “I hate it when we argue too.”

She nods and sniffs. “I know.”

“Let’s not do it anymore,” I plead with her.

She finishes the last stitch and lifts her eyes to mine. “Fine. Don’t offer to have a baby with me.”

Fuck me, why does my dick get hard just thinking about it? “I thought I was helping you.”

She huffs out a breath. “By offering to give me a baby?”

I lean back because I need to put some distance between us. From here, her cherry vanilla scent is filling my nose and making me delirious. “Yes, you told Dom that you wanted to have a baby. Personally, I thought I would be the first person you would think of in this situation.” My hands fist. “I mean, unless you’re seeing someone that I don’t know anything about.”

I can feel my heart racing in my chest, and I try to calm my breathing so she doesn’t notice, but the thought of her seeing someone makes me crazy. For years, I’d thought of her as my little sister. I don’t know what happened or exactly when it changed, but my feelings for her are different now. I want more than her friendship, but it’s not something I can talk to her about.

She cleans up the area, and I watch as she draws out a shot. Her silence is deafening, and I repeat the thought. “Are you seeing someone, Chrissy?”

She rolls her eyes. “Really? We live in Whiskey Run, Gabe. If I was dating someone, you would have already heard about it.”

I stand up. “Surely if you decided to date someone, you would tell me about it, and I wouldn’t have to find out from someone else.”

She walks toward me. “Drop your pants.”

Shit. I undo the snap on my pants and then pull the zipper down, which is not so easy to do since I have to pull it over my semi-hard cock. I turn to give her my hip. “Chrissy, tell me that if you date some asshole, you’d tell me.”

“Some asshole?”

She gives me the shot, and I don’t even flinch. “Fine. If you decide you’re going to date someone, you’ll tell me.”

She disposes of the needle. “Why would I?”

I growl. “Why wouldn’t you?”

She shrugs. “Well, the last date I went on, you showed up at the Whistler and dirty looked us the whole time.”

Slowly, I shake my head. “I didn’t dirty look you. I dirty looked the asshole that thought it was okay to touch you.”

Her mouth falls open, and she just stares at me.

“What? His hand was on your ass, Chrissy.”

She stomps her foot, and I try to not to smile because she looks so cute when she gets mad at me. “We were slow dancing, and his hand was on my lower back.”

“He. Was. Touching. You,” I say, enunciating every word.

She doesn’t back down. She takes a step toward me and gives it back to me. “We. Were. Dancing.”

“Are you going to tell me if you start seeing someone or not?” When she hesitates, I just smirk. “You know what, you don’t have to tell me. I’ll know.”

Her eyes widen. “What does that even mean, you’ll know?”

“Exactly what I said. If you start dating someone, I’ll know.”

She puts her hands on her hips. “Why do you care, Gabriel?”

“Because,” I start and then stop before I say too much. I take in a breath and then tell her part of the truth. “Because you’re my best friend, and I want to make sure you’re okay… you’re safe.”

Her voice softens. “This is Whiskey Run, Gabe. And I’m thirty-three years old. I can take care of myself.”

I reach up and tuck the hair that’s come out of her ponytail behind her ear. I shouldn’t touch her, but I can’t resist, and I put my palm to her cheek. “Honey, I know you can take care of yourself. I know you’re a strong woman who can do what you want. I just need to know that you’re okay and safe. I’m sorry if I’m overbearing, but when it comes to you…” I suck in a breath and let it out slowly. “I just can’t risk it.”

Whether she realizes it or not, she leans into my hand. As she blinks up at me, she whispers, “Okay, if I decide to date someone, you’ll be the first to know.”

I remove my hand from her face, put my hands on her shoulders, and spin us so my back is to the door. “Can I talk to you and you won’t get mad?”

She peeks around me to the door. “Are you blocking me from getting out?”

“I need you to listen to me.”

She crosses her arms over her chest. “What do you want to say?”

I take a deep breath and hope what I’m about to say doesn’t set her off. I know it’s possible since she’s refused to talk to me for the last two days. “Why did you get so mad when I offered to have a baby with you?”

She opens her mouth to say something and then slams it shut. She looks over my shoulder. “Can’t we just forget it?”

I take a step toward her. “I would forget it, but I don’t want this between us. You feel pretty strongly about not having a baby with me, and well, I guess I just don’t want this to be weird, that’s all.”

She shifts from foot to foot and throws her hands up in the air. “You’re my best friend, Gabe.”

I wait for her to continue, and when she doesn’t, I nod my head. “Right… and you’re my best friend.”

She shakes her head side to side. “No, you don’t get it. You’re my best friend.”

I laugh. “I do get it, and you are my best friend.” I hold my hands up. “Okay, I think we’ve established that we are each other’s best friends. That’s no surprise to anyone.”

She doesn’t try to walk out, but she does take a few steps back, putting some distance between us. “Right, well, I can’t lose you.”

Did I hear her right? She can’t lose me? “I’m sorry… did you just say you can’t lose me?”

Her forehead creases, and she nods her head.

I take a step toward her. “But…”

She holds up her hands, and I stop in my tracks. “No, listen. If we were to have a baby together—as best friends—it would change everything. I can’t lose you, Gabe… I won’t.”

“But…” I try again, but she’s not having it.

She gets louder. “Stop. I don’t even want to discuss it. Look, yeah, I want kids, but I’m not going to do it and then have you resent me in a few years when you meet some woman that you want to have a family with. People don’t understand our relationship now… they definitely wouldn’t if we had a kid together.”

“Fuck them,” I say. “Who cares what anyone else thinks?”

Ever since Dom told me that Chrissy confessed to him that she wanted a kid, it’s been on my mind, and I’ve gone crazy thinking about it. In my mind, if we have a baby, it gives me a perfect excuse for us to be together. But as soon as I mentioned it, it was obvious she would never consider it.

She taps her foot stubbornly. “Look, I can do a lot of things, but I can’t deal with you resenting me one day.”

“Chrissy, baby, please listen to me.”

She looks at the clock on the wall. “Look, I need to get back to work.”

I don’t move because I can’t let her walk away from me right now. She reaches up and wraps her hand around my arm. “When Macy was born, it got me thinking, and I got baby fever, that’s all. It’s not anything I’m going to jump into. You know how I plan and think about everything. I’m not going to do something without thinking it through. And you know that I will talk to you before I make any decisions. Okay?”

My shoulders relax a little. “You promise?”

She puts her hands at my waist and lets them slide around my back. She holds on to me, and I wrap her up in my arms. Her whisper is soft, but it brings me comfort. “I promise.”

I hold on to her, and even though I don’t want to let her go, I know she needs to get back to work. I squeeze her tightly and lean my cheek on the top of her head. “I’m sorry for being a pain in the ass.”

Her body shakes as she laughs. “That’s one of the things I love about you.”

I clench my eyes and let her words float through me before releasing her and stepping back. “Go get to work. Thanks for patching me up, honey.”

She backs out of the room. “Anytime… you know that.”

I follow her down the hall, and after another bye, I walk out of the hospital knowing that I’m leaving part of my heart behind.

3

CHRISSY

I hug my sister-in-law Haven. “I’m so sorry it’s taken me so long to drop by. Work has been crazy.”

Haven hugs me back. “Macy is only two weeks old.”

I lean back to look at her. “Yeah, well, two weeks is too long. I’m sorry. Where is she at?”

She points toward the living room. “Right in there.”

“Okay, I’m going to get some lovings, but while I’m here, I’m going to help around the house. What can I do? Laundry, clean bathrooms, kitchen, you name it, I’m on it.”

We walk into the living room, and I gasp when I see Macy sleeping. I whisper and put my hand over my heart. “Oh my God, she’s even more beautiful than I remember.”

“She’s perfect, right?”

I nod and can feel myself tearing up. “Yes, she’s perfect.”

Without taking my eyes off Macy, I ask Haven, “Tell me what I can do. You should have your feet up, resting. Oh my God, go take a nap. Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do when she’s sleeping?”

She groans softly. “Chrissy, she sleeps all the time, and I’m tired of resting. King had someone come in yesterday to clean the house top to bottom, so there is nothing to do.” She grabs my hands and pulls me toward the couch. “Come on, she’ll wake up soon. Until then, talk to me. I need some adult conversation.”

I bounce onto the couch, positioning myself so I can keep looking at Macy. “Okay, let’s talk. How are you doing? How you feeling?”

She leans her head back on the couch. “I’m good. But let’s not talk about me.”

I'm feeling a bit tense. One thing I know about this family is we’re all a bunch of talkers. At least when it comes to each other. By now, it’s made it through all of them I want to have a baby. “What do you want to talk about?”

She smirks at me. “Well, let’s see. We can talk about you wanting to have a baby if you want.”

I point at Macy. “Come on, it’s not that big of a deal. How can anyone meet Macy and not want one?”

She nods in agreement. “Right… so it was baby fever? You’re over it now?”

I fidget in my seat. I already kicked my shoes off at the door, so I pull my socked feet under me on the couch. “Well, I wouldn’t say that. I mean, come on, look at her.”

She laughs. “Well, you can babysit anytime you want to. You know, to feed that baby fever.”

I’m quick to answer. “I’ll take that.”

She laughs, and when she thinks she’s a little too loud, she stops and leans toward me. “I’ll accept your answer, but I think we both know it’s more than that.”

Under her intense stare, I know I can’t keep anything from Haven. From the moment I met her, I liked her. I was a little surprised about that too because she’s nothing like I expected. She was a model, and I didn’t think we’d have a lot in common, but she’s become one of my best friends along with Cat and Lucy. I know I can’t lie to her. “Look, obviously, Dom was the last person I should have confessed to. I got caught up in all of it and just told him. But yeah, you’re right. There’s more to it than just baby fever. I want a family.”

Her forehead creases. “You have a family. We’re your family.”

“I know, and I don’t know how to describe it, but I want my own family. I want a husband I can depend on and grow old with. I want us to have kids and traditions and all the good and bad things. I’ve never had a family of my very own, and well, I don’t know. These feelings are really strong now. It doesn’t look like I’m going to have a husband anytime soon, so maybe I need to have a child on my own.”

She bites her lip, and I can see what she’s thinking before she says a word. I can tell she’s debating whether to say it out loud, and she must decide to because she blurts out, “What about Gabe?”

I roll my eyes. “I guess everyone knows he offered?”

It’s more of a question than a statement, but I know the answer. “Yeah, we all know, but…”

She trails off, and I lean forward. “What? You all know but what?”

She shrugs. “But none of us were surprised he asked. We were surprised you said no.”

I nod. “Of course I said no.”

“Why?”

“Why?” I blurt out. “What do you mean, why?”

She leans into the cushion with her eyes trained on mine. “I mean, why would you say no? Gabe loves you, and you love him. It actually makes a lot of sense for you two to have a baby together.”

I pull one of the pillows off the couch and press it to my belly, hugging my arms around it. “Because he’s my best friend.”

She laughs, nodding her head. “And?”

“Oh my God, we’re best friends… and I want to keep him as my best friend.”

She shakes her head. “I’m not getting it. King is my best friend.” She points at Macy. “And we had a baby together. I mean, it’s only been two weeks, but so far, it’s working out pretty good.”

She smirks like she made a funny joke, and I just shake my head. “Yeah, well there is a big difference between you and King and me and Gabe.”

She doesn’t make the connection. “I don’t know what you mean.”

I roll my eyes, and I can feel my cheeks get hot just thinking about what I’m about to say. “Well, let’s see. To start with, you and King have sex. Gabe and I don’t… do that. You and King are married, Gabe and I are not. I mean, should I keep going?”

Her eyebrows lift. “Have you ever had sex?”

My stomach drops. “With Gabe? No… never.”

She looks completely surprised. “Really? I would have thought…”

When she trails off, my mind starts going a hundred miles a minute. “You would have thought what?”

She just shrugs. “I don’t know. You guys are so good together. It’s obvious there’s something there.”

I roll my eyes. “Yeah, we’re best friends. That’s it. I mean, not that’s it, like it’s a bad thing but that’s it, we are not romantically involved.”

She looks like she doesn’t believe a word I’m saying. “I’m serious. Nothing has ever happened between us. I love him, he loves me but not… like that.”

I look over at Macy so I don’t have to look at Haven while I tell her that I don’t love Gabe like that. Heck, the truth is that I’ve loved Gabe like that for as long as I can remember, and that’s exactly why I can’t take him up on his offer. All my dreams would come true—well, most of them—but he’d be the one stranded with his best friend in a platonic relationship. Nope, no matter how much I want to be with Gabe, I’m not doing it.

The baby saves me from further questions when she starts to cry. Haven starts to get up, but I stop her. “Let me grab her. She’s probably hungry. I’ll bring her to you.”

Haven leans back in the couch and puts a pillow on her lap. I pick up sweet baby Macy and start cooing to her. My heart melts as her little lip puckers. “She’s even cute when she cries, Haven.”

I place her in Haven’s arms, and immediately she starts to feed.

Not wanting to stare, I lean my head back on the couch. “Anyway, I’m going to put it off for a while. I’m only thirty-three. I have time.”

“You have plenty of time,” she agrees. “You coming over for dinner tomorrow night?”

I nod. “Yeah, I’ll be here. I want you to know I think you’re amazing. I can’t believe you feel up to hosting all of us for dinner. Haven, you’re only two weeks postpartum. I would be mad at my brother for doing this to you, but I have trouble believing it was his idea.”

She laughs, and I can hear the smile on her face. “Please, King had the house cleaned. He is having the food catered in, and I have to basically do nothing. And you’re right, it was my idea. I wanted us all to get together, you know?”

I turn and lean the side of my face on the couch. I can see the top of Macy’s head, and I’m wondering if she’s already gone back to sleep. “I’m going to leave a little early tomorrow.”

“Oh yeah?” Her eyes light up, and I can’t help but laugh. “Do you have plans?”

I roll my eyes. I mean, I might as well tell her because it will make it through the rest of the family before long. “Yes, I have a date.”

Her eyes practically pop out of her head. “A date? Does Gabriel know?”

My forehead creases. “First of all, I don’t have to ask Gabe’s permission to go on a date.”

She blows a soft whistle and sounds almost aghast. “So he doesn’t know?”

I think about the conversation I had with Gabe the other day and the promises I made. “Yes. Gabe knows. I told him.”

She smiles and shifts in her seat. I lean forward. “Is she back to sleep? Am I ever going to get to hold her?”

She sits up. “She’s sleeping, but you can hold her.”

Haven places the baby in my arms, and I get lost looking at her. She’s so beautiful, and I breathe in her sweet, powdery scent. She lets out one whimper and then snuggles into me.

Haven leans in and whispers, “Don’t think you’ve distracted me. What did Gabe say when you told him?”

I act like I don’t know what she’s talking about. “Told him what?”

She makes a big to-do about rolling her eyes. “When you told him you were going on a date.”

I’m still frustrated about Gabe’s reaction. I’m not sure why he’s acting like he is. He’s always been protective of me, but it’s been different lately, and I don’t know what to make of it. “He, uh, didn’t take it well. He asked me a dozen questions. He wanted to know who the guy is, what he does, where we’re going…”

She claps her hands together without making any noise and then rambles off a bunch of questions. “Who is he? How did you meet him? Where are you going?”

“He’s a doctor at the hospital. His name is Roger Banks. I’m sure my brothers all know him because he’s from Whiskey Run. We’re going to the Whiskey Whistler for drinks…. Keeping it casual.”

She raises her eyebrows dramatically. “What did Gabe say?”

I blow out a breath, remembering the conversation I had with Gabe. He was not happy, and I had to remind him that he didn’t have a say on who I dated, I was just telling him as a courtesy because I told him I would. “Well, what didn’t he say? He thinks Roger is too old for me. He thinks he’s a player and I’m wasting my time with him—”

Haven cuts me off. “How old is this Roger?”

I scrunch my nose up. “He’s forty-three. That’s only ten years older than me, I mean, that’s not a big difference in the grand scheme of things.”

“Oh shit—I mean shoot. I bet Gabe about had a coronary.”

I laugh because what else can I do? “Yeah, he wasn’t happy. He tried to forbid me from going, and even though I was actually thinking of canceling, I’m definitely going now.”

“Why were you going to cancel?”

“Roger and I had lunch in the cafeteria at the hospital the other day. This was after he’d asked me out, and lunch was painful. We didn’t have a lot to talk about, and he was a little… arrogant.”

Haven sits back. “Hmmm. Can you tolerate one night with him?”

I lift my shoulder in a shrug. “Yeah, I guess.”

She nods. “You should go then. This will be good for you and Gabe.”

“Good for me and Gabe?”

She nods. “Yep, you all need to shake things up a bit.”

Before I can ask her what she means, Macy starts to squirm in my arms and wakes up, blinking up at me. And as she looks up at me with her big blue eyes, all I can do is stare back at her.

Haven leans toward us. “Awwww, she likes you.”

My heart is racing in my chest. “You think so?”

“She’s not crying. You have officially made the list of babysitters, Chrissy.”

I swear it feels like she just told me I won a million dollars. “Just call me. I’ll babysit anytime.”

4

GABE

I’m sitting in King’s living room with my brothers and my sisters-in-law. My eyes keep going to the door, waiting for Chrissy to get here. Did she decide to skip dinner and go straight to her date? Did she tell me the wrong day to throw me off?

I’m getting tenser the longer I sit here, so I stand up and move to the big bay windows to look out. There’s no sign of Chrissy’s car, and I turn away with a huff. Where the hell is she?

Haven comes toward me with a tray, and I take it from her. “You shouldn’t be serving us, Haven. You just made me an uncle again.” I say again because even though Cole is not blood related to me, when his mom married my brother, he became my nephew.

She puts her hand on my arm. “I swear between you, King, and the rest of them, I haven’t had to lift a finger.”

I walk with her over to an empty chair. “And that’s how it should be. Have a seat. I’ll serve.” I lean down to show her the tray. “Want one?”

She grabs a cracker with cheese off the tray and whispers, “Chrissy is coming. She said she’s running a few minutes late.”

I don’t even act like I wasn’t wondering about her because I’m so happy to know she’s still coming. Maybe I can talk some sense into her.

I nod to Haven and then move around the room, holding the tray out. When the front door opens, I stand straight up and hold my breath, waiting to see Chrissy.

She walks through the door wearing a tight dress that hugs the curves of her body. She’s smiling ear to ear as she kicks off her high heels. “Where’s my girl at?”

I set the tray on the nearest table and am about to walk toward her when King beats me to it. He’s holding Macy against his chest and puts one arm around Chrissy. “Is this the girl you’re talking about?”

She smiles ear to ear. “That’s her. Gimme, gimme.”

King kisses the top of Macy’s head and gently lays her in Chrissy’s arms. “Oh, she’s so perfect. I wouldn’t get anything done because all I want to do is stare at her. She’s perfect.”

I put my hand to my chest because I know exactly how she’s feeling. I’m perfectly content just staring at Chrissy. Holden comes up to me and elbows me in the stomach. “Close your mouth, bro. Remember, she’s still our sister.”

I groan. “She’s not my sister.”

He nods. “Yeah, but she’s like one to me, so quit looking at her like you want to undress her.”

Haven stands up and announces, “All right, everyone’s here, let’s eat.”

Everyone hugs Chrissy as they pass her, and when I’m about to reach her, she turns and walks with the baby into the dining room. She’s going to try and avoid me, but she has to know by now that’s not going to work.

She sits down between Cat and Haven, leaving me to sit across the table from her. She may try to ignore me, but she’s going to have to look at me while she does it.

She holds the baby through dinner, and you’d think she’s a pro by the way she’s able to eat and coo at the baby at the same time. There’s something stirring inside me, seeing her like this, and it’s taking everything I have to stay on my side of the table.

Dessert is about to be served, and I can tell that Chrissy is getting antsy, meaning she’s about to leave, but before she does, King stands up. “I have a surprise for everyone.”

We all raise our heads to look at him, and he’s smiling ear to ear. He points to a television in the corner of the room, and it’s not the usual décor, so it’s obvious it was brought in for a reason. We all turn to look at the black screen. King is standing next to us, and we hear ringing and then all of a sudden, our brother Ledger’s face appears on the television screen.

We all gasp, and everyone gets up from their seats to move closer. King is holding his phone up at us so Ledger can see us, and he must be airplaying it to the television. Everyone starts talking at once, and Ledger laughs. “Hey everybody! Let me see her.”

We all know who he’s talking about, so Chrissy stands up and moves closer to King’s phone. “Uncle Ledger, this is your niece, Macy.”

He’s smiling ear to ear. “Oh my, she’s beautiful. She definitely takes after her momma.” He searches out Haven in the room. “Hey little Momma, how you doing? My brother taking care of you?”

She nods. “You know he is. How about you, Ledger? You doing okay?”

He nods, and this time his smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “I’m doing good.” He looks around the room. “Wow, it looks like the family has grown since I’ve left. I need to get back more.”

“Next year, right?” Chrissy asks. “You’re getting out next year?”

Ledger went into the military when he turned eighteen, but he’s remained close to all of us. Any time he gets leave, he spends it here in Whiskey Run with us. We’re all ready for him to come home permanently.

“Yep, I should be home in June.” He looks at Chrissy. “Where you going all dressed up, little sister?”

King turns the camera to himself and grimaces. “She has a date.”

“A date? You boys keeping tabs on that?”

Chrissy throws her hands up. “Guys, I’m thirty-three years old. We can stop with the big brother overprotectiveness.”

Ledger leans into the phone. “You may be thirty-three, Chrissy, but to me you’re always going to be the little sister that begged not to be adopted because you wanted to stay with our sorry asses, so now you’re stuck with us. Gabe!” he calls out, searching the room for me. “You on this?”

I cross my arms over my chest. “Yeah, Ledger. You want me to vet the guy, I’m on it.”

Chrissy turns to me and groans as she gives me a look that says, you traitor.

I just smile at her. “Don’t worry, Ledger. I’ll take care of it.”

The conversation goes on with everyone taking a turn to talk to Ledger, and later when he hangs up there is a silence in the room that wasn’t there before.

King stands at the table. “It will be a year, guys. Less than a year if all the paperwork goes through. Then we’ll have the whole family back together.”

Everyone nods in agreement. We were all happy to see him, but also it serves as a reminder of what he’s doing. He’s served our country for the majority of his life, and we want him home with us.

They are about to serve dessert when Chrissy hands the baby to Haven. “I hate to eat and run, but I need to go.”

Haven is smiling ear to ear. “Have fun tonight. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

I growl, literally out loud and move to my feet. “Come on, I’ll walk you out.”

Chrissy walks around the room, hugging everyone, and then I follow her to the front door as she slides her feet into her heels. She’s huffing at me. “You really don’t need to walk me out.”

“We need to talk.”

I put my hand at her waist and guide her out the door. We’re silent until we get to her car, and I stand against the door, blocking her from getting in. She huffs and crosses her arms across her chest, pushing her breasts up, exposing more of her cleavage. I drag my eyes off her exposed skin and look into her eyes, hoping she tells me no. “Are you sure you want to go through with this?”

She opens her mouth and then closes it again. She shrugs. “Why shouldn’t I? Like, do you have a reason why I shouldn’t go on a date?”

Because you belong to me. That’s what I want to say. No, to hell with that, I want to scream it. I want to take out a billboard right in downtown Whiskey Run and tell the whole damn town that Chrissy Aiken is mine… but I know I can’t do that. “I can think of at least twenty reasons why you shouldn’t go on this date, but I’m not going to try and stop you.” I suck in a breath and blow it out. “I won’t stand in your way.”

She reaches for the door, but I’m still blocking it. She laughs. “But you are standing in my way. I’m already going to be late, Gabe.”

Reluctantly, I step to the side and open the door for her. She sits down, and I lean down to look at her. “Call me if you need anything. You got your phone? What about the mace I got you?”

“I have it.” She starts the car, puts on her seat belt, and then looks up at me again. “Are you going to show up at the Whistler?”

“Some of the guys were going to meet up there later.” I hold my hands up. “I won’t interfere. But I’ll be close if you need me.”

“Gabriel.” She huffs in frustration.

I stand up and back away. “I promise. I won’t mess with your date.”

She laughs, and it makes me thankful that she at least finds the humor in it. “I’ll believe that when I see it.”

“Drive safe, Chrissy. See you soon.” With that, I shut the door and stand in the driveway and watch her back out.

It gets harder and harder to watch her walk away from me. I can’t keep this up. Somehow, someway, I need to find a way for Chrissy and me to be together.

5

CHRISSY

I SHOULD HAVE STAYED WITH MY FAMILY.

That’s what I’ve been thinking for the last hour.

I should have listened to my gut and skipped this date because it’s proving to be one of the worst dates of my life. Not that I’ve been on a lot, but the few I have been on have been way better than this one.

If I have to listen to Roger say one more thing about how much money he has, or the country club he’s a member of, or the brand new Porsche he bought with cash, I’m not going to make it. I’m going to have to excuse myself and walk out of here.

It’s not in me to be rude, but Roger is on my very last nerve. He’s been rude and condescending to the waitress, and any time I try to carry on a conversation, he cuts me off like he doesn’t have the time—or the desire—to hear me talk.

Finally, as if he’s noticed my lack of conversation, he stops and smiles at me. “So tell me about you, Christine.”

I barely resist rolling my eyes because I’ve told him at least five times to call me Chrissy. I’m not going to correct him again because I doubt he’s going to listen. “Well, let’s see. You want me to tell you about me?”

I wait to see if he’s going to respond and if he says no because at this point nothing will surprise me. When he nods his head, I tell him, “Well, let’s see—”

Before I can get anything out, he leans forward. “Is it true you’re related to King?”

I cross my arms over my chest. “He’s my brother.”

His eyes light up. “Your brother? You know, I’ve heard that he was hiring an in-house doctor for his company. He wants to offer services for his employees and their families.”

I hate where this conversation is going. I’ve had numerous people befriend me to try and get close to someone in my family. It's either so they can get their car fixed by Dom, they want to date one of the boys, or they want to work for King, and they’re trying to use my relationship with my brothers to get them in. I would never ask any of my family to do something for me as a favor like that. I mean, they would do anything I asked of them, but I would never put them in that position.

I look around the room and notice Gabe coming in the door of the bar. He spots me instantly, and I smirk at him. I’m actually a little surprised it took him an hour to get here. I turn my head back to Roger, wishing this night would end. “Yeah, King is hiring a doctor.”

He smiles like the cat that just caught the canary. “Can you put in a good word for me?”

“Actually, he asked me to work with him on a list of applicants, and he’s already narrowed it down to two doctors.”

He doesn’t like the sound of that. He sits up straight, and his eyebrows practically disappear into his hairline. “Am I one of them?”

Even though I know he’s not, I shrug. “I’m not sure. You would need to call King’s office to find out.”

“But… maybe you could call him. I’d be happy for him to join us here, and he can get to know me.”

This time, my mouth drops. The audacity of this guy. “Uh, King became a father two weeks ago. He’s not going to come down here tonight to get to know you.”

My refusal doesn’t even faze him because he throws a hand up. “But I’m sure once he looks at my credentials and knows that we’re friends, he will want to take a closer look.”

“Look, Roger. I’m not sure how to say this in a way you’ll understand, but I’m not going to talk King into hiring you.”

“But—” he starts, and then his eyes swing over my shoulder. I can feel Gabe’s presence before I can see or hear him. I turn to look up into Gabe’s eyes. The stool I’m sitting on is high enough for Gabe to press his shoulder against mine.

“Hey, Chrissy. How’s it going?”

I grab my beer and stand up. “Roger, this is Gabe. Gabe, Roger.”

Roger just nods his head at Gabriel. I can see Roger judging his long hair and the tattoos on his arms by the frown on his face. The fact that he’s a snob makes me feel even better about what I’m about to do. “Roger, I think we can both agree that this isn’t going to work. Since you asked me out to get a job with King and I’m not going to help with it, I think we can go ahead and call it a night.”

Gabe literally growls when I mention why Roger asked me out, but to his credit, he doesn’t say anything.

Roger leans forward and says, “Chrissy—”

But that’s all he gets out. He looks up at Gabe, and Gabe must be giving him a look because Roger’s tone weakens. “Yeah, okay, sure.”

Gabe puts his arm around my shoulder and leads me away. He doesn’t stop until we’re across the bar and he pulls out a stool, picks me up by the waist, and lifts me up to put me in the chair.

He then walks around the small table and sits down across from me. I look to where his fireman friends are all sitting, and I gesture to them. “You don’t have to babysit me, Gabe. You can go back to your friends.”

He gives me a look like I’m crazy. “Yeah, that’s not happening. But if you want to give me permission to kick in the doctor's teeth, I’ll be happy to do that.”

I shrug. “He’s not worth it.”

He grits his teeth. “It would make me feel better.”

I reach over and wrap my hand around his forearm. “It’s fine, Gabe. It’s not a big deal. This isn’t the first time someone has asked me for a favor or befriended me to get close to one of you guys.”

He rears back in surprise. “Excuse me?”

I shrug like it’s no big deal, but I’m obviously bothered by it. “Yeah, I have nurses that suddenly become friendly because they want to date you.”

He frowns. “You’ve never told me that.”

I nod. “Yeah, well, I never fixed you up with one of them. I assumed you wouldn’t appreciate that kind of behavior, but I mean, I can always—”

He holds his hand up. “No, I don’t want any part of that. I’m sorry, Chrissy. Roger is a dumbass. He doesn’t know how bad he screwed up.”

I laugh at that. “Yeah, he does because he’s not getting a reference from me to King.”

Gabe reaches across the table and puts his hand on my chin. “Look at me.”

I blink my eyes and look into his. I’m trying to hide it, but there’s no hiding anything from Gabe. Sometimes I think he knows me better than I know myself.

Gabe smiles softly. “He screwed up because he had a date with the most beautiful, the most special, the most big-hearted woman in Whiskey Run, and he fucked it up. You were right there in front of him, and he didn’t see it. Fuck, he has to be blind.”

My heart is racing, and I take a deep breath because I can feel the flutters in my stomach. Sometimes the things he says to me make me think he feels more for me, but I have to remind myself that this is Gabe. This is who he is. He knows I’m hurt, and he’ll say and do anything to make me feel better. I try to make light of the situation. “Fine, you’re forgiven.”

He releases his hold on me, but he doesn’t go far. He wraps his hand around mine. “What do you mean, I’m forgiven?”

I laugh. “You’re forgiven for showing up at yet another one of my dates.”

He laughs with me. “Well, first of all, I told you I was coming, so it should be no surprise, and second of all, don’t do that. Don’t make light of this, Chrissy. You deserve better from people.”

All of a sudden, I’m exhausted. It’s been a long day—and night—and I’m ready to go home, get in my pajamas, and call it a night. “I think I’m going to get out of here. I have to work in the morning.”

He stands up and throws some money on the table. “How much did you have to drink?”

I point at the beer bottle I carried over with me. “I’ve nursed the same beer since I got here.”

He looks at the half-full bottle. “Okay, I’ll follow you home.”

I hold my hand up. “No, you will not.” I point to his friends. “You had plans, and I’m not letting you change them because you feel sorry for me.”

He sounds aghast. “Feel sorry for you? I don’t feel sorry for you. I just want to make sure you make it home safely.”

I string out his name. “Gabriel.”

He puts his arm around my shoulder and walks with me through the bar. I look over at where Roger is sitting, and he’s found some woman to keep him company, but she looks just as bored as I felt when I was sitting with him. As we get outside, I don’t even try to stop Gabe from walking me to my car because I know the argument will be pointless. “I’m around the block in the back.”

He nods. “Me too. I parked next to you.”

Of course he did.

I clench my hands together. “I know I complain about it a lot, but I hope you know I appreciate everything you do for me.”

He smiles and pulls me into his side a little tighter. “I know you do. We got each other’s back, Chrissy. Always.”

I lean my head against his side, and it’s not the first time that I’m imagining things I shouldn’t be. Like what would happen if I told him how I really feel? Would he freak out and turn me away? Or would he react the way I’ve dreamed about and tell me he feels the same way?

We stop next to my car, and he opens the door for me. “I’ll follow you home to make sure you get there okay.”

“Gabe, that’s ridiculous. It’s the opposite direction for you.”

He just laughs, and I push his stomach, pulling my hand back as soon as I feel his abs flex under my palm. He waves for me to get into the car. “Come on, Chrissy. You know there’s no talking me out of it.”

I nod, but I’m not ready to leave yet. “Ya know, I’m sorry you’re always getting landed with looking out for me. It’s not fair to you. Your friends are all inside, having a good time.”

He opens his mouth, and I’m sure he’s going to say it’s okay, but I hold my hand up to stop him. “And don’t say it’s okay or that you haven’t been landed with me when we both know it’s true. You heard Ledger tonight. He and everyone else just assumes that you’re going to be the one to look out for me.”

He shrugs. “Because I am.”

I suck in a breath and sit down in my car. “But this isn’t the way it’s supposed to be… I’m not your responsibility. I don’t want to be someone you have to take care of.”

He squats down so he can see me in the car. “You know that’s not what I meant. I want to be here, honey.”

I reach for the door to try and get him to move, but he doesn’t budge.

He just smiles at me. “Come on, you can’t be mad at me just because I want to make sure you get home.”

“I’m not mad at you. Look, it’s been a shitty night. It sucks knowing that the only date I can get is because of who my brothers are. I’m not mad at you. Follow me home, I know you’re going to.”

“Chrissy, please…”

I let out a huff. “Please, Gabe. I just want to go to bed.”

He searches my face, obviously frustrated, and I can’t blame him. I’m taking out my attitude on him, and I shouldn’t be. None of this is his fault, just like it’s not his fault that he thinks of me as a friend.

He reaches into the car and puts his hand on my bare knee. He squeezes me gently, and my whole body reacts. His thumb brushes across my skin. “Okay, but I want you to know that the doctor is a dumbass. This is his loss, baby.” When I don’t say anything, he huffs. “Okay, drive safe. Tomorrow evening me, Cole, Holden and Dom are going to play pickleball if you want to join us after work.”

“I need a good workout, but I’m working a long shift tomorrow. Thanks, though.”

He searches my face under the interior light and then nods. “Okay. See you then.”

“See you.”

He squeezes my knee again and then releases his hold on me and stands up.

He shuts the door, and I watch as he walks to his truck.

6

GABE

Usually I love to play pickleball with my brothers, but today I can’t seem to get my mind off of Chrissy. I know she said she is working a long shift and wouldn’t be able to be here, but that doesn’t make me miss her any less. Everything is better when Chrissy is with me. It’s like I’m calmer.

“Get your head out of your ass, brother. We’re about to lose to these two jokers, and we won’t hear the end of it if we do.”

I turn to look at my brother Holden, and as soon as I do, I’m hit in the stomach by a speeding ball that is followed by whoops and hollers from the other side of the court.

“Yes! We won!” Cole hollers.

“Hell yeah, we did!” Dom joins in.

Holden points his racket at me. “Really? You get to go home. I gotta live with the kid, and all I’m going to hear all night is how he stomped us.”

Usually, I’d mess with my brother, but instead I apologize. “I’m sorry, man. Look, my head is somewhere else.”

He rears his head back. “You’re apologizing right now? What the hell is going on with you?”

Dom and Cole are still celebrating, and I just shrug my shoulders, not ready to get into all of it standing in the middle of the pickleball court. Holden points to the other two. “Gabe and I are sitting this one out.”

Cole cackles. “Yeah, that’s what you two need to do, rest up so Dom and I can beat you again.”

Dom is huffing and puffing and pleadingly asks, “You sure one of you doesn’t want to take my place?”

Holden just shakes his head. “You got this.”

I follow my brother over to the bleachers, and we sit down, both of us grabbing towels to wipe ourselves off.

I’m lost in thought when Holden grunts at me, “Spit it out.”

I look out at the rows of courts instead of at my brother. There are rows of people hitting the ball back and forth, and I act like I’m interested in the games in front of us. Holden knows me better than anyone, and it’s impossible to hide anything from him. “Spit what out?”

He hits me on the shoulder. “You might as well say it. I’m going to get it out of you anyway.”

I rest my elbows on my arms and act like I’m completely enthralled by what’s happening in front of me.

Holden leans toward me. “Does this have anything to do with Chrissy going on that date last night?”

I still don’t answer, but that doesn’t sway him. He nudges me with his shoulder. “Go ahead, admit it. You tracked her down last night.”

I blow out a breath, pissed off just thinking about the asshole from last night, but I remain silent.

“Fuck, man. What is it? Did he try and kiss her or what? You’re freaking me out.” Holden sits up and looks around the park. “I mean, are the police going to be coming for you or what?”

I crack my knuckles. “Why do you think the police would be looking for me?”

He blurts out a laugh. “Oh, I don’t know. Because if her date got handsy last night, then you probably beat his ass. Hell, I don’t know what happened, but something did.”

I’m antsy, and I stand up, stuffing my hands in the front pockets of my shorts. I turn on him and blurt out, “He didn’t touch her. Hell, a part of me wishes he had because what he did hurt her worse than if he tried to touch her.”

Holden tenses. “What do you mean? What the hell did he do?”

“He asked her out because he wanted to get a job from King.”

“I’m sorry. What did you just say?”

I throw a hand up. “He wants a job with King.”

Holden laughs darkly. “Well, he fucked up. King won’t hire him now for sure. Fuck, King will arrange it where he won’t be able to work in Whiskey Run at all. The guy fucked up. Does he know it?”

I’m still amazed by what transpired last night, and I couldn’t just let it go. “Yeah, he knows. I followed Chrissy home last night to make sure she was okay, and then I went back to the Whistler and had a talk with the dumbass. Needless to say, he knows he fucked up.”

Holden nods and groans in frustration. “When are you going to get your head out of your ass and tell Chrissy how you feel?”

I whip my head up and look him in the eye. He doesn’t mean what I think he means, does he? “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Bullshit, Gabe. We all know how you feel about Chrissy. You need to tell her.”

I’m like a deer caught in headlights as I look at him. All this time I thought I was being careful. I thought I was doing a good job of keeping how I feel on the down low.

He leans toward me, nodding his head. “That’s right. We all know. It’s as plain as the nose on my face, brother. Why haven’t you told her?”

Holden implores me with a look, and I want to deny it, but I know it will be useless. “Why haven’t I told her? Because she’s my best friend, and she doesn’t think of me that way.”

His eyebrows raise. “You’re joking with me, right?”

Before I can answer, his phone rings, and the smile on his face tells me it’s Cat. He puts the phone to his ear, and his voice drops an octave. “Hey, honey.”

I can only hear one side of the conversation, but it has me on high alert.

“What? What happened?”

He looks worried. “Oh no! Is she okay?”

Silence and then he’s shaking his head. “Should I come over and see her?” A pause and then, “Yeah, don’t sweat it. I’ll grab dinner for me and Cole, don’t worry about us. No, just take care of my sister and let me know if I can do anything.”

“Chrissy? Something happened to Chrissy? Is she okay?”

Holden puts a hand up like he’s trying to silence me, but I don’t mess around when it comes to Chrissy. I grab the phone from his hand and put it to my ear. “Cat. This is Gabe. Chrissy okay?”

Cat tries to calm me, but she’s whispering. “Yeah, she’s going to be okay. She lost a patient today, and she’s taking it pretty hard.”

“I can come over.”

Chrissy must be right next to Cat because I hear her ask, “Hon, Gabe wants to know if you want him to come over.”

The next thing I know, I hear Chrissy on the phone. Her voice is thick, and it’s obvious she’s been crying. “Hey Gabe. I’m going to eat dinner with Cat and we’re going to hang out for a while. Why don’t you go to dinner with the guys and then come by. I mean, if that’s okay.” She sucks in a breath. “You don’t have to…”

I grip the phone tighter. “Hell, honey, you know that even if you told me not to, I’d come anyway. What time do you want me there?”

I hear Cat talking in the background. “I’m going to leave here around eight.”

Fuck, that’s like two hours from now. “Okay, I’ll be there at eight. Call if you need me before then, baby.”

She mutters softly, “Okay.”

I wait for her to hang up, and then I hand my brother his phone. “Here, let’s go eat.” I look over at Cole and Dom. “You guys want pizza?”

Cole pumps his fist in the air. “Yes!”

Dom practically sprints off the court, huffing. “Thank God because I wasn’t going to last much longer. This kid is wearing me out.”

Cole pats him on the shoulder. “You’ll be thanking me later when we continue to beat the brakes off these two old guys.”

Holden shouts. “Old?”

Cole takes off running, and Holden runs after him. Dom is stretching out his back. “Fuck, I’m getting old. You doing okay, brother?”

I nod. “Yeah, Chrissy had a patient die today.” Before he can ask, I fill him in. “Cat’s with her now, and after we eat, I’m going to check on her.”

Dom shakes his head. “Let me know if I can do anything.”

I nod, and we start walking through the parking lot to our cars. All I can think about is having Chrissy in my arms and making sure she’s okay. The next two hours are going to be grueling. The only thing that makes me feel any better is knowing she has Cat with her now, but I’ll be staying the night with her, holding her so the nightmares don’t come.

7

CHRISSY

“Thank you for hanging out with me.”

I’m walking Cat to the front door, and she squeezes my hand. “Of course, anytime.” When we get to the door, she pulls me in for a hug, and I do my best not to start crying again. When she pulls back, she searches my teary eyes. “I can stay until Gabe gets here.”

I shake my head and wipe at the wet streaks on my face. “No, it’s okay. I’m sure he’ll be here any minute.”

As soon as I get the words out, the doorbell rings, and I swear a calm comes over me. It’s always been like this. Gabe has always been the one that can bring me peace.

I open the door, and Gabe just stands at the threshold and stares at me. He’s worried about me, that much is obvious. His forehead is creased, and the little lines by his eyes are heavier as he looks at me pensively. I put a hand to his chest, and he takes both of his and moves my hand over his heart and just holds it there. I can feel the steady thump, and for the first time today, I feel like I can finally catch my breath.

“Uh, okay well, it looks like you’re in good hands. I’m going to get out of here, but you call me if you need anything. Gabe, call if she needs us, okay?”

He nods and agrees but never takes his eyes off me.

I turn my head to look at Cat. “Thank you again.”

She just smiles at me. “Anytime, you know that.”

Cat leaves, and Gabe steps into the house, shutting and locking the door behind him. He brings one hand up to my cheek. “You could have called me earlier, ya know. I would have come.”

I sigh because I know I could have, and no matter what he was doing, he would have come running. “I know, but you had plans, and I didn’t want to—”

He cuts me off, shaking his head. “You call me from now on. I mean, if you need me or want me, you call me. It’s as simple as that. Don’t think about what I might be doing because no matter what it is, I would rather be with you.”

As I look into the depths of Gabe’s eyes, I can’t help the way I feel. Everything he says—everything he does—I wonder if it has a different meaning. This is the same way he’s always treated me, but it feels different now, and I wonder if it’s my feelings that are the reason I’m questioning everything.

I back away from him. “You’re going to ruin me for other men, Gabe.”

I turn away from him and take a shuddering breath, and I swear I hear him say, “Good.”

I stop and spin around so fast, I grab onto a chair to keep myself steady. “What was that?”

He rubs his hand across the stubble of his chin. “Nothing. You want some tea? Ice cream? What do you need?”

I shrug, feeling the weight of the day. “Nothing, really. I want to lay down and try to forget about today.”

He nods, and his jaw tightens. “Go ahead, get in bed.”

I don’t move because I don’t know how to tell him I don’t want to be alone, but I don’t have to say a thing. “Go ahead, honey. I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to get some waters, and I’ll be right there.”

My eyes widen. “You’re going to stay the night?”

He rolls his eyes. “You really think I’d leave you alone?”

“I hope not.”

He reaches for me, but before he touches me, he stops and pulls his hand back. “Go ahead. I’ll be right there.”

I walk down the hallway to the bathroom off my bedroom. I take care of business and brush my teeth, averting my eyes from the mirror. My eyes are still red-rimmed and my lips are swollen. When I finish, I walk into the bedroom, and Gabe is looking at the pictures on my bedroom wall. I stop next to him. “Did you see the new one?” I point at the picture of him from two months ago. “When you got promoted to captain and we all went to celebrate.”

I look at the picture I took, and it’s him with all our family. He nods, but he’s not smiling. “You’re not in it.” He turns his head to look at me. “Yeah, I have one with the two of us that night. Holden took one and sent it to me. I’ll send it to you.”

I nod. “I didn’t know he took one. That sounds great. Send it to me.”

I walk over to the bed and climb under the covers. We have slept in the bed together hundreds of times through the years, but for me, it feels different now. I look up at him and wonder if it’s different for him.

He pulls off his T-shirt and tosses it on the chair in the corner of my room. I shouldn’t be staring at him, but a bomb would have to go off in order for me to look anywhere else. He undoes his pants and pulls them off before laying them on the same chair. My heart is racing, and I pull the covers up over my chest to hide my erect nipples.

He’s smiling at me as he walks toward the bed, and I force my gaze from his black boxers up his chest to his eyes. He doesn’t seem affected at all, and I try to calm my nerves. He lies down on the bed, pulls the covers up over him, and then holds his arm out. “Come here.”

I move over to him and rest my head on his bare shoulder. His hand comes down on my arm, and he holds me to him. “You wanna talk?”

“No… yes,” I answer him with a soft laugh. My mind is working overtime, and I’m not sure what to make of anything today.

He doesn’t laugh; he just strokes my arm with his hand, waiting patiently.

“She was an elderly woman. She came in with chest pains, and she was all alone. I asked her if I could call anyone, and she said there was no one.” I suck in a breath, trying to keep the tears at bay. “She was having a heart attack, but we were able to get her stable. Dr. Jane was amazing; she was so patient with her and tried to calm her nerves. We were going to move her to a room and run more tests. We thought she was stable.”

“I’m sorry, honey.”

I inhale long and hard and let it out slowly. “The ER was crazy like usual, and I kept thinking of her… I didn’t want her to be alone, so any chance I got, I would go in there to check on her. Throughout the day, she opened up to me. She told me about how she didn’t have a mom or dad and she was raised in foster care.”

Gabe pulls me to him, holding me tighter.

“She did get married, but she couldn’t have kids. Her husband died last month, and she was alone in the world. She kept saying that she missed him and she wanted to be with him.”

I wipe the tear off my cheek before it hits his chest. “I tried to tell her that she had so much to live for, and she told me she didn’t. She has no one that would care if she lived or died.” I sniff loudly in the quiet of the room. “But I told her I cared, and I wanted her to live.”

I clench my eyes shut as I relive the moments after that. “There was a code blue, and I had to go. I told her I’d be back. I was doing CPR, waiting on the doctor to come when I heard another code blue called. It was her… her heart gave out, and nothing they did could get it pumping again.”

I start crying in earnest then, and he pulls me until I’m practically on top of him. He’s kissing the top of my head, stroking my back. “Oh baby, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry that you had to go through that.”

“She died alone, Gabe. She died believing that no one cared about her and no one loved her.”

“No, honey. She didn’t. It was her time to go. You told her you cared and that you wanted her to live.”

He’s rubbing his chin across my head softly, and we’re both quiet for a few minutes.

“Can you promise me something, Gabe?”

“Anything,” he answers without question.

“When I die… I mean, I don’t…”

I let my voice trail off, unsure how to say what I want to say.

He brushes the hair off my face and lifts my chin. We’re so close to each other, I can feel his warm breath on my cheek. “You’re my person, Chrissy. Do you know what that means?”

I just blink up at him.

He strokes my hair with his hand, twirling it in his fingers. “It means that no matter where you are, I’m going to be with you.”

“But you’re going to have a family one day and—”

He cuts me off. “You are my family, Chrissy. I’m going to be by your side forever, through the good and the bad. You will never once think that no one cared about you or loved you… because I care about you… I love you.”

There’s so much emotion in his eyes and in his voice that it is almost overwhelming. I lay my head down on his chest because I’m afraid he’ll be able to see exactly what I’m thinking if I don’t. “I love you too, Gabe.”

He locks his hands together around my waist. “I know you do, honey.”

We lie quietly, and I can feel myself getting more tired. “Are you staying the night?”

His voice is groggy. “Yep, I’m here for the duration. No nightmares on my watch.”

When we were younger and I had nightmares, Gabe would always stay with me until I went to sleep, and he’d always say the same thing: “no nightmares on my watch.” To this day, I’ve never had a nightmare any time he’s been with me. I smile against his chest and burrow deeper into his side, knowing that I’ll be able to sleep through the night.

8

GABE

It’s like heaven and hell, all wrapped into one. Heaven because I have Chrissy in my arms. She was able to sleep through the night, and any time I tried to move away, she held me tighter. It is hell because my cock is hard, and I can’t do anything about it. I want to push her to her back and slide into her, but I don’t have that right. Hell, she’d probably freak out if I even tried it.

Chrissy is sprawled on my chest, and as she lifts her leg higher, her thigh grazes against my hard manhood, and there’s no holding in the groan that erupts from me. I know the minute she wakes up and realizes what’s happening by the way she tenses against me. I gently untangle myself from her and move to the edge of the bed, head in my hands. “Sorry,” I mutter.

The bed shakes as she sits up behind me. “There’s nothing to be sorry for. It’s a natural reaction for a man to wake up with nocturnal penile tumescence, also called morning wood.”

I groan again. There’s no way I can sit here and listen to her talk about my erection, even if she’s talking about it in a medical way. “Just give me a minute, huh?”

She gets out of the bed, and the sight of her walking away with her tight booty shorts just makes me harder. I force my gaze to the wall in front of me and try to think about the most unsexy things I can think of. Fuck, this is embarrassing. She’s Chrissy, for fuck’s sake. I shouldn’t be reacting this way to her.

When I’m finally going flaccid, she comes out of the bathroom and has changed into another pair of shorts and a tank top. She’s without a bra, and her nipples are pressed against the tight shirt. Fucking kill me now.

I grunt as she passes by. “I’m going to start breakfast. Take your time.”

I swear I hear her giggle as she walks down the hallway.

When I seem to have calmed down, I get up and make my way over to the chair where my clothes are. I grab them and get dressed before going into the bathroom. There’s two toothbrushes in the holder, and for just a second, I panic, but then I remember that it’s the same toothbrush I used the last time I was here. I get cleaned up and then make my way out to the kitchen.

“I’m hoping that was my toothbrush in there because I used it.”

“Yep, it’s yours. Whose else would it be?”

All I do is nod because it feels good knowing that there isn’t some other guy spending the night here. I lean against the counter. “How you doing?”

I watch as she pours black coffee into a mug and hands it to me. “Here you go. Just like you like it.”

I take the mug from her hands. “I’m supposed to be taking care of you, not the other way around.”

She shrugs and turns back to the stove. “You took care of me last night. The least I can do is feed you.”

She turns off the stove and dumps the eggs in a bowl and sets them on the island. The toast pops up, and she sets them on a plate and butters them before sitting them next to the eggs. “Have a seat.”

“What can I do?”

She laughs and points to the stool. “Have a seat.”

I listen to what she says and sit down. This is how she is. She enjoys taking care of people, and I’m not going to fight her on it. I serve food onto the two plates and then pat the seat next to me. As she sits down, I pour from the orange juice carafe into our glasses. “This is perfect, honey.”

“I didn’t have any bacon.”

I shrug. “I don’t need bacon. This is perfect. I usually eat a granola bar for breakfast.”

She gasps. “You eat one granola bar?”

“Okay, maybe two… or three.”

“Gabe, you have to eat more than that. You can’t do your job and just eat a granola bar.”

I know she’s going to keep on, so I grab her hand and thread our fingers together and then hold her hand on my leg. “I’m fine, don’t worry about me. Now eat.”

She’s smiling up at me. “I need my hand back to eat.”

Reluctantly, I release her, and she picks up her fork. We’re both silent; she’s probably thinking about her day, and I’m thinking about her.

She breaks the silence. “I don’t think I’m cut out for working in the ER.”

I take a drink of the coffee and then spin my seat so I’m looking at her. “First of all, you’re cut out for anything you want to do. You’re the best at your job. You remain calm and do what needs done. And I know you don’t want to hear it, but I’ve thought about it all night. That woman wanted to be with her husband, and it was her time to go. Neither you nor the doctors could do anything to help her, but you know what? I bet after your talk with her, she felt at peace. She had someone tell her they cared about her. That made a difference to her, Chrissy.”

She creases her forehead. “So you don’t think I should change jobs?”

I brush the hair that has come out of her ponytail off her face and tuck it behind her ear. “I think you should wait a few days to make any decisions about your future. I know you love your job, but I also know you’re thinking about having a family and kids, and maybe a job where you’re not on call and working crazy hours would be a good move, but you should think about it, honey. Don’t do it because of what happened yesterday.”

She juts her chin at me. “I’ve been thinking about it for awhile.”

I chuckle. “Oh, I know you have. And I’m sure you have a pros and cons list, highlighted and color coded. You know that whatever you want to do, I support you one hundred percent. You need to do what makes you happy.”

That seems to satisfy her because her face softens, and she smiles at me. “Being a nurse makes me happy, but I feel like I need a change.”

I nod. “I get it. I understand.”

She keeps looking at me, and because I’m drawn to her, I’m practically inches from her face. I lean back, grab my empty plate, and go over to the sink. “You done?”

She grabs her piece of toast. “Yep.”

I take her plate and start to load the dishwasher.

“How come you haven’t been dating anyone?”

I heard the question, but I act like I didn’t. I never lie to Chrissy, and that’s a hard question to answer without telling her the truth. I mean, what am I supposed to say? Because I love you and I don’t want to date any woman but you? I can’t say that to her.

“Gabe, you ignoring me? How come you haven’t been dating anyone?”

“I date.”

She laughs as she comes around the island and stops next to me. “Right. Well, you haven’t dated anyone in three years.” She grabs the pan off the stove and stops next to me. “I mean, unless you’re dating and you just haven’t told me about it.”

I resist rolling my eyes. Hell, she knows everything about me. She probably knows me better than I know myself. “No, I haven’t been dating and not telling you.”

She puts the pan in the dishwasher, grabs our juice glasses, and hands me mine. “Want to finish that?”

I chug the orange juice and then put the glass in the dishwasher.

She’s wiping down the counter, and I’m hopeful that we’re done talking about my lack of dating, but I should have known that Chrissy wouldn’t just let it go. “So why aren’t you dating?”

I shrug. “You want the truth?” Or half the truth anyway, because I can’t tell her everything.

She nods her head, and I lean against the counter. “None of the women I’ve dated are okay with our relationship.”

She gasps and pokes her thumb against her chest. “Me? Our relationship?”

“Yes, our relationship.”

She puts a hand on her shapely hip. “But why? I don’t understand. Your girlfriends have a problem with me?”

I stand up and put my arms across my chest. “First of all, they weren’t my girlfriends. Second of all, I tell any woman that I’ve dated that you come first. Some of them say it’s okay, but as soon as they indicate they’re not okay with it—and their true colors always come out—well, I break it off.”

She’s still pointing at herself. “Because of me?”

I just look at her. How can she not have a clue how I feel about her?

She stomps her foot. “Well, that’s not right. I don’t want to stand in your way of finding…” She starts choking and then clears her throat. “A girlfriend. I want you to be happy, Gabe. I can’t believe you’ve never told me this before. Oh my God, this is all my fault.” She starts pacing the kitchen and stops. “Alison. You were dating Alison, and I called you when Otis died and you came and spent the weekend with me.”

“Honey, your dog died. Of course I was going to stay with you.”

She gasps and puts her hand over her mouth. “Oh my God, I was the reason you broke up with her?”

I hold my hands up when I see her getting visibly upset. “None of this is your fault, Chrissy. I let them know upfront, and if they can’t handle it, that’s on them.”

“Oh my God, I’m so stupid. That was three years ago… that was the last girl you dated… and it’s all because of me.”

“Stop. Trust me, it’s no big deal.” I mean it’s really not. But I can’t tell her why I don’t care.

She walks toward me. “What are you doing Friday night?”

“Nothing. Why? What’s up?”

“We’re going on a date… a double date.”

For just a second, I let myself get excited until I fully process what she just said. “Wait, what did you just say?”

“A double date. Bethany has been begging me to fix you up with her. Can you find me a date?”

I shake my head and walk to the door to start sliding on my shoes. “No.”

There’s hurt in her voice. “You can’t find me a date?”

I squat down and tie my boots on. “What? Yes, of course, I can find you a date, but we’re not going on a double date. That’s ridiculous. Forget it.”

She walks over to me, and I rise to my feet. She grabs both my hands and holds them in hers. She knows I never want to tell her no, and with her touching me, it’s going to be impossible.

“Do this for me.”

“Chrissy, please, I don’t want to go on a double date.”

She steps toward me, and she’s so close she has to lean her head back to look up at me. “Please, I can’t believe that I’m the reason you haven’t been dating. We can go and have fun. You like Bethany, you guys always laugh and have a good time together when you come see me.”

“I really don’t want to.”

“Please? I feel so stupid that I never put two and two together with what happened with you and Alison. I never want to interfere with your happiness, and—”

I swear she’s starting to tear up, and there’s no way I can handle her crying again. “Okay, okay, fine. I’ll go, but just remember I didn’t want to do this.”

She’s not listening, though. She lets out a squeal and does a little jump, and I watch as her breasts jiggle and then I’m completely fuckin’ lost after all that. She throws her arms around my waist. “Thank you, Gabe. We’re going to have so much fun. What do you say? Seven o’clock at the Whistler?”

I nod, knowing I need to get out of here before I confess everything, throw her over my shoulder, and take her back to bed. “Yes. Sounds good.”

“Who are you fixing me up with?”

I growl. I fuckin’ growl because fixing Chrissy up with someone is the last fucking thing I want to do. I’d rather jump in front of a bus. Walk on hot coals. Fight a forest fire. Hell, fucking anything would be easier than fixing Chrissy up with some guy. “I dunno. I’ll figure it out.”

She nods happily, and I give her a hug. “I gotta go. See you. Call if you need anything, okay?”

She assures me she will and then I’m walking out the door to my truck, thinking the whole way that I’m crazy and there’s no way I’m going to survive being front and center with Chrissy on a date with another man. Fuck me, shit is getting real.

9

CHRISSY

WHAT WAS I THINKING?

I felt so guilty knowing that I’m the reason Gabe and his girlfriend broke up three years ago that I convinced him to do this double date. I should have taken the time to think about it and I would have realized what a bad idea this truly is. I was not prepared for how I’d feel, sitting at a table with Gabe while he was on a date. And Bethany is my friend, she’s amazing, and she is pulling out all the stops. I suck in a breath. Oh my God, am I going to have to listen to her at work talk about how she had sex with Gabe? I won’t survive it.

Gabe shifts in his seat and is smiling at Bethany, but it’s not the same smile he gives me. I know that look, and it’s one he saves for people when he’s forced to be nice. That’s the only thing that gives me any peace of mind right now.

“How was work today, honey?”

It’s like a hit to the solar plexus when he calls Bethany honey. I stare down at the drink menu, acting like I’ve never seen it before when Gabe snaps his fingers in front of my face. “Chrissy.”

I lift my eyes up to him, and I’m sure they’re green with envy. “What?” I ask him, surly.

He just smiles patiently. “I asked you how work was today?”

I sit up a little straighter. “Oh, you were talking to me? It was better…” I gesture to Bethany. “Bethany and I were paired today, and we work well together.”

Bethany is smiling, but she’s giving me a curious look.

I have to force myself to give my date some attention. “So, Mark… how long have you been at the fire department?”

He looks to Gabe, and Gabe nods his head as if he’s giving him permission to speak or something. Before I can comment, Mark answers. “I’ve been with the department two years, ma’am.”

I sit back in my chair. Ma’am… did he just call me ma’am?

Bethany stands up. “Come on, Gabe. Let’s dance.”

Gabe stands, albeit reluctantly, and gestures for Bethany to walk ahead of him. He practically glares at Mark, doesn’t even offer me a glance, and then walks off.

Well, there’s no way I can just sit here in awkward silence for the whole night. Mark is nice and seems to be a perfect gentleman, but he also seems to be lacking in the personality department. I stand up. “Come on, let’s dance.”

Mark doesn’t seem thrilled by my suggestion, but he gets up and follows me. I position us across the dance floor from Gabe and Bethany because I’m not trying to torture myself even more than I already am.

I put my hands on Mark’s shoulders, and he brings his hands up, but I can’t even feel them on my waist. I look down and his hands are there, but he’s not touching me. “What are you doing?”

He clears his throat. “Dancing, ma’am.”

“Okay, drop the ma’am. I’m pretty sure you’re older than me.”

He nods. “I am older than you. I’m thirty-four.”

I grit my teeth. What the heck is happening here? “Right, so uh, quit calling me ma’am, and when you dance, you put your hands on the girl’s waist.”

I release his shoulders long enough to push his hands onto my waist, and then I put my hands on his shoulders again. He’s completely tense, and I’m not sure what is happening because he acts like he’s being punished or something. I hear Bethany’s squeal of laughter from across the room, and I grit my teeth. I’m not even going to look over there.

Mark is looking over my head, holding himself tensely, and I’m starting to get a bad feeling about this. “Mark?”

“Yes, ma’am? I mean, yes, Christine?”

I clench my eyes shut and then peel them open. “Mark, did Gabe have to beg you to go on this date?”

He shakes his head. “No, ma’am.”

He’s about to apologize for calling me ma’am again, but I wave him off. “Okay, did he pay you?”

“No, ma—”

I hold my hand up. ‘Stop with the ma’am. Okay, what are you doing then? Because you sure don’t seem happy to be here.”

He’s still tense, standing like an oak tree. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

I chance a look over at Gabe and Bethany, and Gabe has positioned them so he’s staring at me. He’s scowling, and I nod at him, but his gaze doesn’t falter. I look back at the man in front of me, and I know something is up. “Okay, so it’s obvious you don’t want to be here. What happened? How did Gabe talk you into doing this?”

He shakes his head. “He didn’t talk me into it.”

“Right.” I blow out a breath. “Okay, so what’s going on here? Did Gabe ask you to be my date?”

He scrunches up his nose. “Not exactly.”

Half out of patience, I demand, “What do you mean, not exactly? What did happen?”

He blows out a breath. “Gabe got us all together and said he wanted someone to go out with you.”

“Oh my God. And? What? Did you draw the shortest straw?”

“No, ma’am.”

I growl. “Okay, I’m over this. Tell me what happened. How did you end up here tonight?”

He doesn’t want to tell me, that much is obvious, and I’m having to drag it out of him. Slowly, he shakes his head. “The captain said he needed a date for you. Over half the squad volunteered. Even Jack Peters volunteered.”

I search my mind trying to recall who Jack Peters is. “Jack Peters? Isn’t he married to Raemi, who works at the grocery store?”

“Yes, he is.”

I nod. “Okay, and then what happened?”

He speaks slowly, like he’s not sure if he should tell me or not. “Well, Gabe automatically told some of them no. Like Rick and Keaton. I told them they messed up because they’re always coming into the station talking about their conquests from the weekend, and I knew there was no way Gabe was going to fix one of them up with you. A few of them were maybes.”

Still confused, I shake my head. “Maybes?”

He nods. “Yeah, he then brought us all in the room and went over the rules.”

I gasp. “The rules? He had rules? What are these rules?”

“Uh…” Mark looks around the dance floor. “Maybe you should ask Gabe.”

“Oh no, we’re this far into it now. Spill it. What are the rules?”

He shrugs. “They were pretty simple and straightforward.”

He’s looking over my head, and it’s obvious he’s searching for Gabe. I spin us around so he’ll have his back to his boss. “Give it up, Mark. What were the rules?”

He swallows hard. “Well, for starters no touching, and I’m already breaking that rule, so I’m probably going to be without a job by tomorrow.”

“No touching? We’re dancing.”

“He didn’t care. He said absolutely no touching.” He takes a deep breath and then starts to ramble. “I’m not allowed to be alone with you. I could ask you questions but nothing too personal. Don’t get attached to you. No kissing. No hugging. No asking for your number. Compliments are okay, but nothing sexual. And if I break a rule, if I touch you, I’m done.”

Aghast, my mouth drops. “I’m sorry. Do you have that memorized?”

He nods. “Yes, it was a requirement.”

“Oh my God, okay, you know he’s not going to fire you.”

“Ma’am, I’m not worried about him firing me. I’m worried about him killing me.”

I practically screech. “Kill you? That’s ridiculous. He wouldn’t…”

For the first time, his voice is firm and secure. “Actually, he would. I believe his exact words were ‘If you touch her, I will end you.’”

I peek around Mark and look at Gabe. He’s moved closer to Mark and me, and as soon as he sees me looking at him, he calls out to us, “Everything okay over there?”

I glare at him, and Mark drops his hands from my waist. “Everything’s good, sir.”

I continue glaring at Gabe while Bethany twirls away from Gabe and then rolls back into him, pressing her body against his. I roll my eyes. Is this really how this night is going to go? There’s no way I’m going to be able to watch this all night.

I turn my glare to my date. “Do you want to get out of here, Mark?”

He stutters. “Uh, no, that’s not a good idea.”

“Fine… maybe I should get out of here.” I release my hold on him, but before I turn away, Mark stops me.

“Please, please, please don’t leave. I’m not sure what I did. Look, I’m trying here, and I don’t want to lose my job… or die. And if Gabe thinks I’ve upset you, then I’ll do both before the night is over with.”

The pleading in his voice stops me. This is not his fault. Nope, this is my best friend's fault, and he’s going to hear about it. But first, I’m going to mess with him.

“Fine, then dance with me, Mark.” I press my body against his, resting my cheek against his chest. He’s trembling, and I know it’s not because I have that effect on him. No, he’s worried about how his boss is going to react to it. Well, I can handle his boss, and before the night is over, I’m going to have to set him straight.

10

GABE

Bethany spins in my arms again, and she’s laughing, completely clueless to the fact that I’m just standing here as she dances around me. I’m staring at Mark and Chrissy, and it’s taking everything in me to stay where I’m at when what I want to do is go over there and push them apart.

The dance floor is getting busier, and I’m having to jostle Bethany and me around so I don’t lose sight of Chrissy. She’s glaring at me now, so her date must be going badly.

Bethany tugs at my shirt. “Hey, so why did you agree to this date?”

Still looking over Bethany’s head, I shrug. “Because Chrissy asked me to.”

“Right. But you don’t want to be here.”

I finally look at Bethany. “Look, it’s not you.”

She laughs and flips her hair. “Oh, I know it’s not me.”

I’ve always liked Chrissy’s friend. She’s fun to be around and always has a great attitude about things. “Right, well, Chrissy asked me to go on a double date. She had a rough day at work, and I couldn’t tell her no and all that, so yeah, here we are.”

She looks over at Mark and Chrissy. “So you think they’re hitting it off?”

I grunt. “They better fuckin’ not be.”

She laughs. “Okay, there, fire captain. Relax a little. I like you, but I’m not covering up any murders for you or anything. So here’s what I’m thinking. Let’s go cut in.”

She doesn’t have to tell me twice. “I’m sorry, Bethany. You’re an amazing woman—”

She cuts me off. “Yeah, yeah, we both know I am. Just remember you owe me one.”

We move closer to Chrissy and Mark, and Bethany slides between them. “Can I cut in?”

She doesn’t wait for an answer; she just maneuvers herself between Chrissy and Mark and starts dancing with him. She slides away from us, and Chrissy is just staring at me angrily. “Really?”

I hold my hands up. “Dance with me?”

“No.”

I take a step toward her. “Please?”

She rolls her eyes and puts her hands on my shoulders. I put mine on her waist and tug her toward me. I know I shouldn’t, and it’s pure torture having her this close to me, but I can’t deal with her being angry. “Are you mad at me?”

She won’t look up at me. “What the fuck, Gabe?”

If I didn’t know already, I know now. Chrissy barely ever cusses, and the fact she is now tells me she’s pissed. “What?”

She laughs. “Don’t what me. Did you threaten to kill Mark if he touched me?”

“Please, he knows I wouldn’t kill him.”

She slaps my chest. “So you did threaten him?”

“I did, and I don’t feel bad about it.”

She finally leans her head back to look up at me. “What were you thinking? Why?”

Shit, I know I’m digging myself in deep. “You know how I am about you, and you asked me to fix you up on a date. Did you really think I would just fix you up and not lay down any rules?”

She stops swaying side to side and looks up at me. “I feel like I’m just repeating myself. I’m thirty-three years old. You’re not my father. You’re not my brother. You’re not responsible for me.”

Any other time it wouldn’t bother me if she said I’m not her brother, but right now, it bothers me. She’s acting like I’m nothing to her and like I’m just supposed to stand back while some guy paws her. At this point, we’ve both stopped dancing, and I’m just trying to calm my racing heart. I know why she’s mad, and I understand it, but it doesn’t make it any easier to accept. “Okay, so—” I’m shoved by someone in the back, and I instinctively put my arms around Chrissy.

She pushes against my chest, and right at that moment, Mark and Bethany come over to us. “Hey guys, so we’re going to get out of here.”

“But—” Chrissy starts.

Bethany waves her off. “Is that okay? I mean, if you don’t want us to, we can stay, but Mark and I were talking about going over to the drive-in and catching the new action flick.”

Chrissy nods her head and looks at me. “Gabe… do you have something to say to Mark?”

She’s giving me that look and she doesn’t even have to explain what she wants from me. I turn to Mark and hold my hand out. “I’m sorry.”

Chrissy clears her throat, and I grunt. “Right. Well, I’m sorry for threatening you. Your job is safe.”

When I stop this time, Chrissy stomps her foot. “Gabriel.”

“Fine. I’m not going to kill you either.”

Mark starts to stutter, “Sure, boss. So, uh, we’re going to get out of here.” He nods at Chrissy. “It was nice meeting you, ma’am.”

He and Bethany walk away hand in hand, and Chrissy points to the tables. “Can we sit down for a minute?”

I walk behind her, and I have an uneasy pit in my stomach. This doesn’t feel right, and when we sit down, the way Chrissy is fidgeting makes me even more nervous. “Talk to me.”

She wraps her hands together and holds them on top of the table top. “We need to talk, Gabe. A serious conversation.” She looks around the bar at the people laughing, talking, and having a good time, and then she looks at me with a grimace on her face. “Maybe we should do this somewhere else.”

I’m too impatient for that. “Just tell me.”

She opens her mouth and then closes it again and shakes her head.

“Look, I know I probably went a little overboard. I shouldn’t have threatened Mark, but I wasn’t going to just fix you up with some guy that—”

She cuts me off. “Why not? Why couldn’t you just fix me up with a guy?”

I rest my elbows on the table and lean toward her. “Because I couldn’t. I want you safe.”

She rolls her eyes. “Safe? This was a double date that you were going to be at the whole entire time. How would I not be safe? That doesn’t make sense.”

“Chrissy, listen, you know how I am about you, and you can get mad at me all you want, but I can’t change who I am.”

“No, you listen to me, Gabe. Do you have any idea how it makes me feel that you were in a relationship? You were happy, and because of me, she broke it off with you. She broke your heart, and it was all my fault.”

I blurt out a laugh. “Broke my heart? Please, honey, we were fucking. That’s all that was, and it was three years ago.”

She leans back in her chair and crosses her arms over her chest. “We need… we need to think about the future, and if our relationship is going to hold you back from having a fulfilling relationship, then we need to fix that.”

I hold my hand up. ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa. This is nonsense, Chrissy.”

She’s indignant and shakes her head. “It’s not nonsense. No woman in her right mind is going to be okay with you dropping them to save the day for me. No woman is going to be okay with you… with you sleeping in my bed!”

She yells the last part, and the people all around us stop talking and look at us. Chrissy’s face is bright red, and I should feel like an ass because I’m glad she just announced I slept in her bed. It will be all through town before the end of the day tomorrow.

She leans closer and starts to whisper. “Gabe, we can’t keep going on like this. It’s like you’ve put your life on hold for me, and that’s not right.”

I reach for her, and she pulls her hand back. “No, listen to me. Do you remember the first time I was supposed to be adopted and I ran away because I didn’t want to go?”

With my stomach in knots, I nod. I hate thinking about our past. Growing up for us was hard, but the fact I had Chrissy and my brother and foster brothers made it easier. Still, none of us want to think about our lives in the foster home.

“You promised me then that you wouldn’t let them take me. You promised me that you would always take care of me. You were twelve years old at the time, and thinking about it now, that was a huge promise to make as a twelve-year-old boy.”

I squeeze my fists. “What are you saying, Chrissy?”

She lifts her head, and I can see the quiver of her chin. “It means that it’s time I release you from your promise.”

I shake my head. “Fuck that.”

She holds a hand up. “Gabe, listen to me.”

I reach for her this time, grab her hand, and hold it between both of mine. “No, you listen to me. You can ask me to do a lot of things, but stopping me from protecting you is not one of them.”

She looks so sad. “Gabriel, I’m not asking you to stop protecting me. I’m asking you to move on with your life. I don’t want to hold you back, and you deserve to be happy.”

“You’re not holding me back… I am happy.”

She shakes her head. “You know what I mean.”

She pulls her hands back from mine and crosses her arms over her chest again. “We need a break, Gabriel.”

Panic starts to set in, and I grip the edge of the table. Everything inside of me is telling me to pick her up, throw her over my shoulder, and carry her out of here. Should I tell her that I love her? And not just how a foster brother loves a foster sister. This is different, and just the thought of losing her is making me crazy. “No.”

She blinks at me, confused. “No? What do you mean, no?”

I point between the two of us. “It means that a break is not an option for us.”

Right at that moment, my phone starts to ring, and I hit the decline button without even looking at it. Not a second later, my phone rings again. “What?”

“Hey boss! Two crews are out, and we have another call. There’s a wreck out near the highway. Want me to have Jasper’s Fire Department take it?”

“Where at on the highway?”

“At the edge of Whiskey Run.”

Fuck! “We’ll take it. I’ll be there in five.” I hang up the phone. “I have to go.”

Chrissy has already stood up, and she walks with me through the bar and outside. She doesn’t argue with me when I walk her to her car. She opens the door, and before she gets in, she tells me, “Be careful, Gabe.”

I nod. “This isn’t over. We’re not on a break. I’ll talk to you soon.”

I wait until she’s in her seat, and I shut the door. I want to kiss her. I want to tell her I love her and that’s why a break is not going to work for me, but I can’t do that right now. No, I have to go to work. But that doesn’t mean I won’t be talking to her later because it’s time to come clean. There’s no way I can stand by and watch her with another man. Never again.

11

CHRISSY

I check my phone again, and when I don’t see a missed call or text from Gabe, I huff and stuff it back in my pocket. I had figured he would come by the house last night after he went on his call, but he never showed up. I was able to get it through the grapevine that the wreck shut down the highway for almost ten hours and we have six new patients at the hospital from it.

I hated the way last night ended. I should have told him to forget what I said, but I didn’t, and so I regretted it last night. Of course, I want Gabe to be happy and I don’t want to interfere with his relationships, but I don’t want us to be on a break. I honestly don’t know what I’d do with myself if I didn’t have Gabe in my life.

I take a drink from my water bottle as Bethany comes in. “There you are.”

She’s huffing like she’s out of breath, and I can’t help joking with her. “Really? Are you here to brag some more about your night last night?” I hold a hand up. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad you two hit it off but—”

Bethany is just staring at me wide-eyed, and I stop mid-sentence. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

She puts her hand over her heart. “Gabe is here… he’s looking for you.”

But the way she says it has me on high alert. “What’s wrong?”

She puts her hands together, under her chin. “Oh honey, he’s down by the director’s office. Go talk to him.”

I walk over to Bethany and grab her by the shoulders. “Is he okay?”

“Chrissy.”

“No. Tell me, is Gabe okay?”

She nods, and I release her. “Okay. Okay.”

I walk out of the room, and as I get down the hallway, I start to walk faster. Instead of waiting for the elevator, I run down the stairwell and come out next to Director Paxton’s office. Gabe is standing next to the door, his arms over his chest. He’s not smiling—heck, he looks so sad it’s like a punch in the gut. “What’s wrong? Are you okay? What’s happening?”

He puts his hands on my waist. “It’s Ledger, honey.”

I suck in a gasp. “What happened? Is he okay?”

He shakes his head side to side. “No honey, he’s not. There was an ambush, and his Humvee ran over an IED.”

I put my hand to my mouth. “A bomb?”

He nods softly.

“What hospital are they bringing him to? Where do we need to go?”

He walks toward me. “He didn’t make it, baby.”

I gasp and then shake my head quickly. “No. No, that’s not true. We just talked to him, Gabe. We just talked to him on the phone and—”

I stop and just stare at Gabe. He’s hurting, and it takes me a minute, but then it sinks in. Gabe waits patiently for me to process it all, and when he opens his arms, I dive against his chest. He holds me to him, and I let the tears fall. His arms go around my shoulders, then around my waist and then one at my shoulder and one at my waist. It’s like he doesn’t know how to hold me close enough. I cry into his chest, soaking his shirt with my tears. He’s whispering to me, “I know, baby. I know it hurts. I’m so sorry.”

I lean back and look up into his face. He’s hurting too, and it’s not right that he has to comfort me. I reach up and put my hands on each side of his face. His hair is out of its ponytail and wild around his face. He hasn’t shaved in a day or two, and he’s got a short beard on his chin. “I’m sorry, too, Gabe.”

A tear escapes and starts to roll down his cheek. I pull him down, kissing his tear-stained cheek and then lean my face next to his. My lips are touching his ear as I whisper, “I’m so sorry, Gabe.”

We stand here for I don’t know how long. We’re holding on to each other, breathing in unison, relying on each other to get us through this.

Gabe voice is soft. “I talked to your director and told her what’s happened. She has someone covering your shift. Bethany said she would do it if they couldn’t get someone else. We’re all meeting at King’s house.”

“Okay. Good. That’s good.”

He pulls back to look at me. “You need to grab your bag?”

I nod, looking back at the door I just came from and then back at Gabe. “Will you go with me?”

He grabs my hand. “Yeah, honey. I’ll go with you.”

We walk toward the stairwell, the two flights up and down the hall. We walk into the lounge room ,and luckily there are only a few other nurses in there. I nod at them, and they must have already heard from Bethany because they all give us some space. I walk straight to my locker and open the door. Gabe reaches in and grabs my pink bag, putting it over his shoulder. “You need anything else?”

I shake my head side to side.

He shuts the door, and on our way out, one of my friends calls out, “Call if you need anything, Chrissy.”

I smile and wave at her and then walk out of the lounge. The whole way through the hospital and into the parking lot, Gabe is holding my hand. It’s not until he’s leading me to his truck that I remember my car is here. “My car is over in the employee parking.”

He opens his truck door, picks me up, and sets me in the seat. “I’ll take care of your car.”

“But—” I start, and he doesn’t let me get it all out.

“Chrissy, please, let me do this for you, okay? This is what I need… please?”

I nod, and he puts the seat belt around me and buckles it, shuts my door, and then walks around to his side of the truck.

We ride in silence into Whiskey Run. It’s a thirty-minute ride from the hospital, and it gives me way too much time to think. I’m overwhelmed, thinking of all of it. It’s not until we get to King’s house and are about to pull into the driveway that I tell Gabe what has been on my mind. “Thank you for not listening to me last night.”

He slowly pulls into the driveway and parks toward the end of the driveway. It looks like all my brothers are already here. “When I told you I thought we should take a break. I couldn’t handle this without you.”

Gabe turns off his truck and twists in his seat to look at me. “Honey, there’s not going to be a break for us. And we’re going to handle this together, okay?”

I sniff, trying to hold back the tears. “Okay.”

He gets out of the truck and comes around to help me out. He holds my hand the whole way inside, and as soon as we get through the door, King, Holden, and Dom are coming toward us. They each hug us, and I’m trying to hold back the tears, but no matter what, I can’t do it. They start to fall freely, and I’m back in Gabe’s arms.

We all gather in the living room, sitting on the couches. Haven, Cat, and Luciana are in and out, taking care of all of us, bringing us food and drinks while we reminisce about Ledger.

From the time I was eight, I don’t have a childhood memory that doesn’t have Ledger in it. He was probably the wildest one of all of us, and when he went into the Army, it made him grow up fast. But when he was with us, he was the Ledger we all grew up with. He was the jokester and the instigator. He was the most competitive of all of us, even more than Dom and Holden, which is saying something.

Gabe is sitting next to me, his hand on my back. We’re squished next to each other on the couch, but neither one of us seems to want any distance between us.

Holden leans up in his chair. “Do you remember when Chrissy went on her first date at the movies? What were you, fifteen or sixteen?”

I laugh, thinking back on it. “Sixteen, and that was not a date.”

As if just remembering it, Dom laughs. “Oh yeah, that was hilarious. It was with that twerp… what was his name?”

“Miller, and he wasn’t a twerp. He was captain of the chess team.”

King laughs. “Yeah, by the end of the night, I felt sorry for the dude.”

I nod in agreement. “You should have felt sorry for him. He had no idea what he was getting into.”

Dom waves his hand in front of his face. “Come on, it wasn’t that bad.”

I lean forward. “Ledger was on leave, and when he found out you guys were”—I hold my hands up to make quote symbols—“‘letting me’ go on a date with someone, he freaked out. He had been in the Army for three years by then, and he was all jacked. He answered the door and scared the crap out of Miller. And then when all of you showed up to the movies and sat right behind us, he was literally shaking.”

Holden starts laughing. “He was so nervous he spilled his Coke all over you and then ran out of the movie theater because he was scared Ledger was going to kick his ass for ruining your dress.”

I lean back on the couch, and Gabe’s hand moves to my shoulder. “Yeah, and I didn’t get asked out again all through high school. You all ruined my dating life.”

King just cracks his knuckles. “I wouldn’t change a thing, sis.”

“I was mad then, but looking back on it, I’m thankful I had all you guys looking out for me. I wish…” I let my voice trail off, but Gabe’s not going to let me keep it in.

He squeezes my shoulder. “You wish what?”

I shrug and look down at my hands in my lap. “I wish Ledger was here, bossing me around and telling me what to do.”

Gabe releases his hold on my shoulder and brings his hand to mine. He threads our fingers together and rests our hands on my thigh. A calm comes over me, and I lean my head on his shoulder. After the stress from last night and then working most of the day, and now everything with Ledger, I’m feeling the exhaustion. I burrow into Gabe and wonder if I can convince him to stay with me because I have no doubt the nightmares are going to come back tonight.

12

GABE

I see the way my brothers are looking at me and Chrissy, but I don’t care. Right now, the only thing that matters to me is that Chrissy is going to be okay.

She fell asleep a little while ago. She started next to me, but the longer we’ve sat here, the more she’s burrowed into me, and it’s then I realized that she needs me just as much as I need her. Eventually, I moved her onto my lap and held her against my chest. She’s curled up on my legs, and my arms are locked around her. Her face is pressed against my neck, and I can feel her hot breath on my skin.

King continues talking. “So Ledger will be here on Wednesday. I’m planning the funeral for Thursday, is that okay?”

I nod, and so do Holden and Dom.

“What can I do, King? This shouldn’t all fall on you.”

King just shrugs. “You know Ledger. He had it all taken care of. Everything was laid out how he wanted it.” King nods toward Chrissy. “Does she know that he made her his beneficiary?”

I think back a few years ago when Ledger got King, Dom, Holden, and me together. He wanted to know what we thought about him putting Chrissy as his beneficiary. It’s what he wanted to do, but he didn’t want any of us upset with him about it. We all agreed and thought it was a good idea. “No, she doesn’t have a clue.”

King nods. “She’s not going to be happy about it.”

I nod in agreement.

Holden gestures to Chrissy. “She going to be okay?”

I shrug. “Yeah. She’s an empath, so she feels things ten times more than any of us do. Plus, she’s stressed anyway.”

Dom shakes his head. “Yeah, with her patient the other day and now this. Cat said she was thinking about changing jobs.”

I nod, recalling our conversation. “Yeah, she’s talked about moving from the emergency room to another department. She told me what she was thinking after her patient died and she was stressed out, and I told her not to rush into anything. I told her she should take some time and think about it.” I let out a breath. “Maybe I should have told her to just quit.”

None of the guys say anything, making me believe that they’re not sure what the right thing to do is either. We all know Chrissy, and for the most part, her job makes her happy. None of us want her to lose that.

Needing to change the subject, I ask King, “Did Ledger say where he wanted to be buried?”

King nods his head and leans forward. Haven, Luciana, and Cat all come into the room before he can answer. They each sit down with my brothers, and it brings me some peace to know that they each have someone to lean on right now.

King clears his throat. “So last year when Ledger came into town, I talked to him about this, and I know I should have talked to you all, but well, I dunno. If you don’t want it, you don’t have to take it, but it’s yours if you want it.”

Holden is the first to ask. “What is it?”

King is never uncomfortable, but he seems to be right now. He shifts in his seat. “I bought a few acres on Whiskey Mountain. It’s off Hidden Hollow.”

We all wait for him to continue. “Anyway, Ledger is going to be buried there. I got us all plots on the side of the mountain…” His voice drops, thick with emotion. “So we can always be together.”

Holden wraps his hand around Cat’s. “And our families?”

King smiles and nods. “Yeah, there's enough space for everyone in our families since it's getting bigger.”

I let out a breath. It's a weird thought, I know, but it makes me happy knowing we'll all end up on that same mountain someday. “Yeah, I’m good with it.”

My brothers look at their wives, and they nod, so my brothers agree too.

Chrissy shifts in my arms and starts mumbling, and I whisper to the room, “I should probably get her home.”

They all nod, and I gently wake Chrissy up. “Honey, we should go.”

Everyone stands up and Dom says, “Yeah, we should go too.”

Holden nods. “Yeah, we need to pick up Cole from his friend’s house.”

Chrissy stretches in my arms, then stands up and goes around hugging everyone and apologizing for falling asleep. We all walk outside, waving at King and Haven while we go. Chrissy’s house is just down the street, so the trip takes no time. It’s not until we pull into her driveway that Chrissy says anything. “I know this is going to sound really crazy. I mean last night I’m asking for a break, and then well, now… I don’t want to be alone.”

I’m worried about the way her voice is void of emotion. Chrissy has been through a lot through the years, and I’ve never seen her like this.

I get out and walk around to help her out, but she meets me at the front of the truck instead. I grab her hand and pull her with me to her house. “I’m not leaving. Can I stay here with you?”

She nods, leaning her head against me as we walk toward the house.

We walk in, and she has her head down as she walks along the hallway to her bedroom. I lock the front door, remove my boots, set them by the front door, and then follow her. She’s sitting in the chair in the corner of her bedroom, and I squat in front of her. She leans back in the chair. “You think I can sleep here?”

I smile at her as I take off her shoes and socks. She always takes her shoes off by the door, and I’m surprised she didn’t this time. “Baby, you can sleep anywhere you want, but why would you sleep in this chair and not in your bed?”

She shrugs. “Because I worked today.”

I crease my forehead, trying to decipher what she means. “What does that have to do with it?”

She pulls at the scrubs she’s still wearing. “Because I have the filth of the hospital on me. I can’t lay down on my bed like this.”

I stand up and pull her with me. I know that more than anything else, Chrissy needs a good night’s sleep, and she’s not going to get it in this chair. It’s going to be pure fucking torture, but I don’t have a choice. If a shower is what she needs to get into her bed, then she’s going to get a shower. “Come on.”

She doesn’t even hesitate to follow me, but she does ask, “Where are we going?”

I’m trying to figure out how in the hell I’m going to do it, but for Chrissy, I can do anything. “I’m going to give you a shower.”

She does stop then. “What?”

I look at her, taking in the circles under her eyes. “I’m going to give you a shower, Chrissy.”

She doesn’t cringe, seem upset or worried. She just looks up at me. I’m not sure what to make of her lack of a response. “Unless you want me to get Haven or Cat or Luciana over here. If that would make you more comfortable, I can call one of them.”

She just shrugs. “I can shower on my own.”

I put a hand on her shoulder. “You’re dead on your feet, honey. I can do this.” I shrug my shoulders. “I mean, do you trust me?”

She rolls her eyes. “Really, Gabe? Do you even have to ask me that? I trust you more than I trust anyone.”

I nod and huff out a breath. My whole body feels like it’s electric, but for Chrissy, I will pull myself together and take care of her like she deserves. Even if it kills me.

13

CHRISSY

“I’m sorry, Gabe.”

I’ve made everything about me, and I know he’s hurting as much as I am. He and Ledger were close, and he’s going to need to grieve too. He shouldn’t have to keep it together just for me.

He puts his hands on my shoulders and squeezes me gently. “What do you have to be sorry for?”

I sniff and try not to tear up again. “You lost a brother, too. You shouldn’t have to be here taking care of me. I’m fine, Gabe. You should be out with your friends—”

He cuts me off by putting his finger over my mouth. “This is where I should be.”

I pull back and smile at him. “You should be where you want to be. You should be taking care of yourself, not having to take care of me.”

“This is where I want to be, honey.” He releases me and then walks toward my bed. “You still leave your pajamas under your pillow?”

It always amazes me the things he remembers about me. “Yeah, old habits die hard.”

He picks up my pillow, and it’s not until he pulls out my sleep shirt that I remember the shirt I slept in last night. I was mad at Gabe, but I felt guilty that our conversation ended like it did, and I wanted a way to be close to him. I’ve hoarded tons of shirts of his through the years, but I’m not sure if he knows it. Heat rises up my neck and across my cheeks. Oh my God, a hole could open up and swallow me now because this is embarrassing.

He unfolds the shirt and holds it up. “This is my old academy shirt.”

It’s a navy blue T-shirt. The fire academy’s logo is on the chest, and on the back, Gray is spelled out in big red letters. Holding it in one hand, he asks, “Is this what you are wearing to bed, honey?”

I nod, looking over his shoulder instead of into his eyes. It scares me how good Gabe can read me sometimes, and I don’t want him to see what I’m thinking right now. He puts a hand at my waist and guides me to the bathroom. He stops next to the shower stall, reaches in, and turns on the water.

When there is steam coming from the water, he turns to me. “I’m going to help you, okay?”

My breath comes out in little pants. How many times have I dreamed about this scenario but it was never like this, not for these reasons. “I can shower myself, Gabe.”

He puts one of his big rough hands on my cheek gently. He wipes his thumb under my eye and wipes a tear away that I didn’t even realize was there. The emotions are so heavy they are weighing me down.

He pulls me toward him and presses a kiss to my forehead. “Let me take care of you, Chrissy. I need to do this, okay?”

When he releases his hold on me, he searches my eyes, and I give in. I can’t tell him no—heck, I don’t want to. “Okay.”

He squats down in front of me and puts a hand on each side of my waist. He tugs the material of my scrub pants down, and I put my hands on his shoulder as I step out of them. He does my underwear next, and I’m holding a breath as I step out of them and his head is right there next to my nether regions.

He stands up then, and I avoid his eyes. He takes off my shirt and then my bra. He’s very methodical about it all, and the whole time, I feel like my heart is going to explode from my chest. Gently, he helps me into the shower. First, with my back to him, he washes my hair. The hot water is beating down on my chest as he pulls his fingers through my hair. He’s standing in the shower with me, fully clothed, avoiding the spray of water. He turns me to rinse my hair, but then as soon as he’s done, he spins me so my back is to him again.

He grabs a washcloth off the rack, and I hear the squirt of the soap. He’s gentle as he washes my body. Never in my life have I had someone treat me the way Gabe does. He loves me, and of course I want him to love me, but it’s not the kind of love I want from him. I’m not sure when the tears start, but they start to pour from my eyeballs. The emotions from the last few days have finally caught up to me, and I can’t control them now. My body starts to shake with convulsive sobs. “Oh honey,” Gabe says, and before I know it, I’m wrapped up in his arms and he just holds me. He doesn’t tell me to stop crying or that things are going to get better; he just holds me while I let the emotions take over.

We stand there until the water starts to turn cold, and only then does he let me go. He finishes washing me, and then we both step out of the stall. Gabe takes off his clothes until he’s standing in his underwear, and then he wraps a towel around my head first and then my body. I feel numb as I just stand here and watch him as he dries himself off.

When he’s done, he grabs the nightshirt and slides it over my head. “I’m going to grab your panties. I’ll be right back.”

He walks out of the bathroom, and it’s only when he comes back with tinged cheeks do I think about the fact he probably saw my battery operated toy in my underwear drawer. He leans down, holding up my panties, and I step into them. He pulls them up my hips and then pulls my shirt back down.

“Come on, honey. I’m going to blow dry your hair.”

He grabs my brush off the top of the counter and my blow dryer from under the sink and then walks out of the bathroom. I pad behind him, and he pulls out the chair at my vanity. I sit down and look at him in the mirror. He smiles at me and then gets to work. He takes off the towel wrapped around my hair and then brushes it easily. As he dries it, he’s pulling it tight with the brush and curling the ends. It seems like he’s had a lot of practice with this, and I don’t want to ask him how. Since my hair isn’t that thick, it dries quickly, and before I know it, he’s walking me to bed and tucking me in.

I grab on to his hand. “Don’t leave, Gabe.”

He sits down on the edge of the bed and puts a hand on my shoulder. “Do you really think I’d leave you alone tonight?”

I shake my head.

“I’m going to get myself cleaned up, okay? And then I’ll be right back.”

I’m so selfish. I didn’t even think about him. He probably wanted to shower too. He worked all night, and who knows what his day was like. I didn’t even ask him. “Yeah, okay. I have a drawer of your stuff. You have some underwear, socks, and clothes in there.”

He nods and stands up. “I’ll be right back.”

He stops next to the dresser, and I call out to him, “It’s the bottom drawer.”

He opens it and pulls out a pair of underwear and then closes the drawer. When he disappears into the bathroom, he shuts the door, and I lay my head back down. I replay the events from the day and how through it all, I knew I wouldn’t be able to make it without him. Gabe makes everything in my life better, and no matter what, I can’t lose him. I wish I could make him see we're perfect for each other.

14

GABE

As soon as I walk into the bathroom, I close the door and bang my head against it. I’m going on no sleep, exhaustion, grief, and desire. It’s a hard mix of emotions to deal with, but I know I can’t succumb to them all now.

I turn the water on, but it doesn’t heat up. The hot water tank must be empty, which could be a good thing because a cold shower is what I need right now. I step under the spray of the ice cold water and let it run down my body. I close my eyes, and I’m thinking of Chrissy’s naked curves. I shouldn’t be thinking about her, and guilt weighs heavily on my chest. I get cleaned up, not wanting to be away from her long. I’ve never seen her hit this hard, and I don’t want to be away from her.

I wash quickly, get dried off, and pull on the clean underwear, and then before I open the bathroom door, I try to get myself together. I can do this. She needs me right now, and I can put my needs to the side.

Determined, I walk out of the bathroom and go over to the bed, pull back the covers, and lie down. Chrissy turns to face me, and I wait to see if she wants to be held or not. When she doesn’t move any closer, I try not to be disappointed. “You doing okay, Chrissy? I know that’s a stupid question but—”

She is resting her head on her hands. “It’s not stupid. I’m okay, I guess. I feel numb, if that makes sense.”

“Yeah, honey. It does.”

She scoots toward me, but she doesn’t reach for me and stops before we touch. “Gabe, can I ask you something?”

I turn to my side to look at her. The only light in the room is coming from the moon through the window, and I see her looking at me. “Yeah, you know you can ask me anything.”

She opens her mouth and then closes it. “Forget it.”

I reach over and tap a finger on her chin before drawing my hand back. “Tell me. What are you thinking about?”

Her eyes widen, and her voice is strained and nervous. “Have you… I mean, have you ever thought about us getting together?”

My heart literally starts to slam in my chest. “What do you mean, getting together?”

She shrugs. “You know… have you ever thought about having sex with me?”

Fuck. How do I even answer that? She’s been through so much, and she’s talking out of her head. I can’t take advantage of this situation. She must see the conflict on my face because she continues. “You’ve never lied to me before, please don’t lie to me now.”

I take in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I think about it every damn day.”

She lifts her head up, and there’s no hiding the surprise on her face. “Really? You’ve thought about me like that?”

I’m probably going to regret this later or tomorrow. “Yeah, I have. How could I not?”

She leans up and moves toward me, and I have to put my hands out to stop her. “Honey, not like this. You’ve been through so much these last few days and—”

She looks at me, and as if she’s made a decision, she uncovers her body. I watch as she pulls her panties off first and then her T-shirt. When she’s completely naked, she presses her body to mine, and I let out a guttural groan.

She is resting her head on my chest, drawing patterns on my abdomen with her fingers. “Hear me out. I need this, Gabe. We both do.”

“Yeah, but—”

“You’re always trying to protect me, but you don’t need to protect me from this. I want to feel close to you. I want to be with you.”

I tilt her chin up so she’s looking at me. “Chrissy, we are close. Hell, I’m closer to you than I’ve ever been to anyone in my life, and I can’t let you do this and then regret it in the morning. That’s not how this works.”

“Do you want me, Gabe?”

Fuck, there’s so many things I’m thinking right now. I can’t lose my best friend. I should tell her no just to buy us some time until we can talk about this, but I can’t bring myself to lie to her. “Yeah, I want you. I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life.”

She blinks up at me with her big eyes. “Kiss me.”

And because I’ve wanted this for so long, I don’t hesitate. I press my lips to hers. I intend to go slowly, but as soon as our lips touch, I lose control. It’s like I’ve wanted this for so long that I’m letting all my pent-up desires take over. She slides her tongue with mine, and I groan. We kiss until we’re both breathless and I pull away, panting. I push her to her back and hover over her. Her eyes are wide, her lips swollen, and there’s no doubt she wants this, but I need to hear her say it. “Are you sure about this, Chrissy?”

She widens her legs and lifts her hips to meet mine. My hard manhood, which is still covered by my underwear, presses between her legs, and she groans. “I’m sure. I’m really sure.”

I kiss her again and then kiss, nip, and lick down her throat. She moans as I suckle her breasts, laving one with attention before moving to the other. As I suckle her, she lifts her hips, seeking the friction that she needs.

I kiss down her belly, and she sucks in a breath. “Gabe.”

I’m lying between her legs, my mouth almost to her mound, and I’m practically salivating. “Do you trust me?”

"Yes!" is her immediate reply.

I nuzzle the soft curls at the apex of her thighs, and she whimpers. I press my tongue to her core and slide it along her wet heat. Her legs tighten around my head, but I don’t stop. She’s so wet and responsive, there’s no way I can stop now. I press my thumb to her swollen clit, circling it until she’s panting, begging me for a release.

Her fingers dig into my head as she holds me to her. I fuck her with my tongue as I circle her clit. She comes in an instant, saying my name, and the sound of it is the best thing I’ve ever heard. Covered in her arousal, I lick her once more and then sit up, disposing of my underwear. My cock is hard, swollen, and angry. I look at Chrissy, and she looks satisfied, her eyes hooded. I could stop and continue this another day, after we’ve talked. That’s what I should do.

She must realize what I’m thinking because her legs lock around my hips, and she pulls me toward her. Her hands go to my shoulders. “Don’t even think of stopping now, Gabriel Gray.”

“Are you sure?” I ask her again.

She nods, and I position myself at her core. I slowly enter her, giving her time to adjust to me. I look down at where we’re connected, and the jolt of what we’re doing hits me hard in the chest. She may not realize it, but she is mine now. There’s no going back from this. She already has my heart, but I’m not going to stop until she has my ring on her finger.

“Don’t stop,” Chrissy begs of me.

I’m panting from holding back, giving her time. “There’s no stopping now. Fuck, you feel good, baby.”

She’s so tight, and the more I say to her, the tighter she clamps down on me. When I enter her completely, she gasps and tenses. “Breathe, baby. You gotta breathe.”

She exhales a big breath, and I pull back my hips and then plunge back inside her. She throws her head back on the pillow and moans. “Yes!”

I drive into her with complete abandon. She puts her feet on the bed, meeting me thrust for thrust. When she closes her eyes, I lean over her, pushing her knees to her sides. She takes me deeper, and her eyes fly open. “Yes, keep your eyes on me, Chrissy. I want you to look at me while I claim you. I need you looking at me, baby.”

She leans up, putting her hands on my shoulders, and then she kisses me. It’s a smashing of teeth, filled with grunts and sliding of tongues. It’s messy and perfect. When she pulls back, she’s smiling at me, and it takes me close to the edge.

I bring my hand up between us, sliding my finger to her swollen nub. “Can you give me another orgasm? One more. I want to come with you.”

I swear she gets hotter and slicker. I punch my hips, and the instant her orgasm hits, she tenses. I pump my hips as the orgasm takes over my body. I don’t stop until I’ve completely filled her up, painting her insides.

I’m hovering over her, trying to keep my weight off her, and she puts her arms around me and pulls me until I’m lying on top of her. We’re both panting and our bodies are slick, but I could stay just like this forever.

Reluctantly, I lift up.

“Where are you going?”

She can’t think I’m leaving after that. I lean over her and kiss the tip of her nose. “I’m going to get something to clean us up.” She’s looking at me worriedly. “I’ll be right back.”

She nods and releases me.

I pull out of her, get off the bed, and walk into the bathroom. After cleaning myself up, I grab a cloth and soak it under the warm water and then go back to where she’s lying. She has her legs together, and I push her knees apart. She seems surprised. “Gabe!”

I just shake my head at her. “Honey, I don’t think now is the time to be shy.”

When I try again, she lets me push her knees apart. Her pussy is swollen, and I take my time cleaning her up. After tossing the cloth in the hamper, I lie down beside her.

She’s on her side and I’m on mine, but that’s not going to work for me. “I figured you for a cuddler.”

She turns and looks at me. “I wasn’t sure if—”

I hold a hand out to her. “Come over here, baby.”

She scoots over to me, and I help position her until she’s lying halfway on top of me and our legs are wound together.

She lets out a sigh of relief, and I hold her tighter. I know we have a hundred things we need to talk about, but right now, but I want to just lie here and hold her. When her breathing deepens and slows, I know she’s falling asleep. I rest my chin against her head and think about how this could be my life. This right here is what I want, and I’m going to do everything I can to make it happen because being with Chrissy and loving her is one of the best things I’ve ever done. I’m going to do everything I can to be the man she needs.

15

CHRISSY

It’s early in the morning, and normally I’d be up by now, but I’m not moving. Heck, I’m afraid to even take a breath because I don’t want to wake up Gabe. He is holding on to me like he never wants to let me go. I want to lie in his arms and imagine that this is my life and that from here on out, we’re going to be together.

Last night meant everything to me.

There’s a nagging feeling inside me, but I refuse to give in to it. Not until Gabe and I are able to talk will I give in to it, and then hopefully I won’t have to.

Gabe’s phone rings, and he just groans and tightens his hold on me. When the phone rings again, I murmur, “That’s your phone.”

He grunts. “Fuck.”

He sits up and leans over to pick his phone up off the nightstand. He is still holding on to me as he speaks into it. “Yeah.” He’s quiet for a minute. “No, no, it’s okay. I’ll be there. It’s fine. Hold on.”

He covers the phone and says to me, “Honey, will you be okay if I go into work? Chris’ wife went into labor, and they’re going to be a man short.”

I sit up, holding the cover to my chest. “Yeah, sure. I’m okay.”

He nods and then brings his phone back to his mouth. “Yeah, I’ll be in soon.”

He hangs up and tosses his phone on the nightstand and then lies back down with me in his arms.

I wait for him to say something, anything, but he remains quiet for so long I’m wondering if he’s fallen back asleep. Eventually he groans. “I have to get up. I don’t want them to get a call and be short-handed.”

I disentangle my legs from his and scoot away from him. He says my name, but before he can say whatever he was planning on saying, I interrupt him. “I fell asleep at King’s and missed talking about everything. What can I do to help with planning Ledger’s funeral?”

Gabe gets out of bed and grabs the clothes he had on last night. They’re at least dry now. “King said Ledger had everything planned out, and he just had to make a phone call. We just need to show up.”

I search my memory. “Thursday, right?”

“Yeah, honey. Thursday. I’m not sure what’s going to happen at the station this week. I have a few people out already, and with Chris now, I’m not sure what my schedule is going to be, but all you have to do is call me, and I’ll be here. Or you can come by the station.”

He’s worried about me, but that is nothing new. “I’ll be fine, but I’ll call you if I need anything.”

He clears his throat. “We should probably talk about last night, don’t you think?”

I pull his shirt that I was wearing over my head, find my panties, and put them on. “Yeah, we probably should but not right now. You have to go to work, and I’m supposed to work this afternoon.”

He’s shaking his head. “Take the day off. Your boss will understand.”

“I need to stay busy. It will keep my mind off things.”

I can see he wants to try and talk me out of it, but I don’t stick around to find out. As I walk out of the bedroom, I call out to him, “Can I fix you breakfast before you go?”

He follows behind me. “No, I don’t have time. I’m sorry to just run, Chrissy. This is not how I pictured this morning would go.”

I shrug like it doesn’t bother me when the truth is, it’s killing me. I want to ask him what last night means, but I don’t have the guts to do it. I’m standing at the kitchen island, and he’s by the front door putting his boots on.

I grab one of my hair ties out of my catch-all on the counter and take it over to him. “Here’s for your hair.”

He takes it from me and smiles as he gathers his long hair in a bun on his head. I just stand here and watch him, not sure what I’m waiting for. He reaches for me, and it’s awkward as he hugs me. Neither one of us says anything while he holds me to him. I breathe him in, waiting for what he’s going to say and hoping he’s going to say something to make me feel like I made the right decision last night.

But all he does is kiss me on the forehead. “I’ll talk to you soon, okay? Don’t work too hard and call me if you need anything.”

I nod, forcing a smile to my face. “You too, Gabe. Take care of yourself, okay?”

I walk out onto the porch with him and spot my car in the driveway. “My car is here.”

He’s walking backwards to his truck. “I told you I’d get it.”

“Thank you!” I call after him.

He gives me a smirk and then gets into his truck. I walk back into the house and shut the door because what I really want to do is stand on the porch and watch him leave, but I feel like that would make it even weirder.

I lean my back against the door and stare at the ceiling.

I don’t even have to think about it. I messed up last night.

I thought it would change things, but I had no idea it would make it awkward between us like it was this morning.

One of my favorite things about Gabriel Gray are the hugs he gives me. And now even that was awkward. I shouldn’t have let my desires or the things I want take over. I should have let it go on like it has been and suffered the consequences. It may have been torture to watch him with another woman eventually, but I would still be the Chrissy that he loved and wanted in his life.

Right now, he’s probably trying to figure out how to end this.

But just as soon as that thought hits me, I know I’m wrong.

I move over to the couch and draw my legs up under me. That’s not who Gabe is. He has always looked out for me, and he’s not going to stop now. No, he’s going to think back on last night, and even if he has regrets—and after this morning, I’m sure he has—he still won’t break it off with me. No, he will stay with me because that’s what he thinks he is expected to do. I may not have the most experience about things or be the most knowledgeable about the world, but I do know that Gabe will do what is expected of him when it comes to me. He will feel obligated to stay with me and take care of me like he always has.

16

GABE

I pull at the collar of my shirt.

I didn’t put a tie on, and knowing my brother, Ledger, he wouldn’t have expected me to. The service is almost over, and I’m surprised by the number of people in attendance. I’m sitting in the front with Chrissy by my side and all my brothers and their families beside us. I held Chrissy’s hand through the service and offered her my handkerchief when she started to cry. Other than that, she’s avoided me.

The preacher ends the service, and everyone rises.

People are coming to us, offering their condolences, and I try to keep an eye on Chrissy to make sure she’s okay. Her friends are gathered around her, and that makes me feel a little more at ease.

“Gabe.” Walker stops in front of me with his hand held out.

I accept his handshake. “Walker. Thanks for coming.”

He nods. “Ledger was a good man.” He runs his hands through his hair. “I don’t know if you know this or not, but he’s helped me out a time or two through the years.”

Surprised, I rear back. “No, I didn’t know that.”

He looks a little dazed as he gets lost in thoughts of the past. “I was in a bind, and I needed a pilot. Me and half my men would have died if Ledger hadn’t shown up when he did. I was indebted to him. If any of you or your family need anything, let me know.”

I know Walker—hell, everyone in town knows Walker. And there are rumors about what he does with his Ghost team on the edge of town, but no one really knows for sure. “Thank you. We appreciate that.”

He nods his head and then backs away, stopping to talk to a group of men in the corner.

One after another, people that loved Ledger or who came to support us walk through the line. By the time it’s over, I’m exhausted, and I’m glad that there’s not a big dinner after this. Our family is having dinner at Holden’s house, but that should be stress-free.

I’m finally making my way out of the church, and I catch up to Chrissy before she gets into her car. “Hey, you doing okay?”

She nods without looking me in the eye. “Yeah, it was a good service.”

“Ledger would have hated all the attention.” I reach for her arm, and finally she lifts her eyes. “Hey, I’m sorry. It’s been hell at work the last few days. Everyone is passing around that stomach bug—”

Her eyes widen in alarm. “Are you okay?”

I pat my stomach. “I have an iron stomach. I’m good, but that’s why I haven’t been by. I’ve tried calling you a few times.”

“I know. We talked, remember?”

She answered one of the three times I called, but that’s not like her. If she’s busy, she calls me back, and this time, she didn’t. She talked to me after calling her three times, and she seemed off on the phone.

I put my hand on her door because I feel like she’s trying to leave, and I refuse to go another day without having this conversation. “What’s going on with you, Chrissy?”

She crosses her arms over her chest defensively. “We just left our brother's funeral. I don’t know what you want me to say.”

As I stand her with one arm on the door and one hand on her shoulder, I know I should do the right thing and give her some space and time. But doing the right thing has never been my strong suit. “But why are you avoiding me? And don’t tell me you’re not because we both know you are.”

She bites her lip and just looks at me. I’ve had a bad feeling since I left her house the other morning, and I know I have to ask what I’m thinking. “Do you regret the other night?”

She blinks and softly asks, “Do you?”

“Fuck no!” I say too loud as people walk pass us. I dirty look them until they walk past and then I lean in to Chrissy. “Hell no, I don’t regret it. Do you?”

She puts a hand on my chest, and it’s obvious she’s trying to calm me down. Hell, is this where she gives me the boot. She tells me it was fun but it’s over already. My heart is racing, and I can’t catch my breath. “This is not over, Chrissy.”

She smiles, shaking her head. “It never started, Gabe. It was one night.”

“It meant more than a one-night stand, and you know it. You were there, Chrissy, and don’t act like it didn’t mean anything to you. I don’t know what this is, but I’m not letting you end it because you’re scared.”

She juts her chin at me. “I’m not scared.”

I’m practically panicking at the way she’s keeping her emotions on lockdown. I’m just going to say it. I should have said it to her the other day before I went into work. “I love you.”

She doesn’t seem happy or surprised by my statement. She just nods her head. “I know you do. Since the day we met you’ve taken care of me.”

I lean my back against her car door and cross my arms over my chest. It’s either that or I’m going to reach for her. “It’s more than that, and you know it.”

She looks so sad. “It’s not. You feel obligated to me. I’m like your little sister—”

I cut her off and hold a hand up. “No offense, honey, but there’s not any part of me that thinks of you as my sister.”

She clenches her eyes shut and opens them again. “Think about this, Gabe. We have sex a few times, and then you meet another girl—”

“That’s not going to fuckin’ happen!”

She stomps her foot. “Gabe, listen to what I’m saying. I’m giving you an out.”

I grit my teeth. “I don’t want or need an out.”

She sighs, tilting her head. “Will you please hear me out?”

“Fine,” I grunt.

She nods. “If you met another woman, you wouldn’t leave me.”

I nod, because finally we’re getting somewhere. “You’re right there. I wouldn’t leave you. I’m not a cheater, Chrissy. I would think you know that about me.”

She rolls her eyes. “That’s not my point. My point is that you would never let yourself hurt me. You couldn’t do it.”

Dumbfounded, I stare at her. “I’m lost. How is that a bad thing?”

She takes a step back from me. “You’re not hearing me. Even if you were unhappy with me, you wouldn’t leave me. You would just stay with me because you wouldn’t be able to bring yourself to hurt me. You’d feel obligated to stay with me.” She sucks in a deep breath and lets it out. “I don’t want to be an obligation to you.”

“Chrissy, baby, this is—”

She shakes her head. “You had sex with me because you felt bad for me. I practically threw myself at you and didn’t give you much of a choice—”

I take a step toward her and don’t stop until we’re toe to toe. This is getting ridiculous. “I didn’t sleep with you because I felt bad for you. I slept with you because for the past three years you are all I think about. You wanted to know why I haven’t been dating, and I only told you half the truth. The other part of it is the fact that you’re the one I wanted. I told myself I couldn’t lose you as a friend, and that’s why I never acted on it, but trust me, feeling bad for you never had anything to do with the other night.”

She opens her mouth and then closes it. I lift my hand and cup her cheek, and she shakes her head, stepping away from me again. “I can’t do this right now, Gabe.”

“Look, I know this is the absolute worst time to deal with this, but I can’t handle you ignoring me. We’ve never…” I suck in a breath. “You’ve never ignored me, and honestly, it’s freaking me out a bit because I don’t want to lose you either, Chrissy.”

Her face is void of any emotion. “I can’t do this right now, Gabe. We have to go eat dinner with our family and act like everything is normal. They don’t need this stress of me and you arguing on top of everything else.”

Tears start to fall from her eyes, and I pull her to me. She comes to me instantly, and I wrap her up in my arms. “I’m sorry, baby. I’m so sorry.”

I stroke my hand down her back and try to soothe her. “It’s okay. It’s going to be okay. The most important thing is that we get through today. I shouldn’t have pressured you. Fuck! I’m so sorry, Chrissy. I’ve been crazy with worry the last few days, but we don’t have to decide anything right now.”

I keep whispering to her, trying to convince her it’s going to be okay, and when she lifts her head, I use my thumbs to wipe her tears away. “Look, you’re my best friend, and I need you. We’re going to go to Holden and Cat’s for dinner. We’re going to drink, cry, talk, and reminisce about Ledger, and we’re going to do it together. Okay? Forget everything else. Let’s just get through today.”

She sniffs and nods her head. “Okay, yeah, that’s what we should do.”

“Do you want to ride with me? I can bring you back to your car later.”

She instantly shakes her head. “No, I’m fine to drive. I’ll meet you over there.”

I want to argue with her. Hell, I don’t want to let her out of my sight, but I’ve already upset her enough. “Okay, well, I’ll be right behind you, and I’ll see you there, okay?”

She sniffs and nods again, and I open her car door for her. I help her in, put her seatbelt on and then kiss her cheek. “Be safe. See you in a few.”

“You too,” she says, and I close the door. I watch as she drives off and I’m completely unsettled. Did I completely fuck up? I thought the other night was perfect, but she obviously doesn’t see it that way. If I've messed up our friendship and gone about all this the wrong way, I’ll regret it until my dying day because I can’t lose Chrissy… I can’t lose my best friend.

17

CHRISSY

Cat reaches for my hand. “Talk to me. I’m worried about you.”

“I’m fine,” I tell her for the third time. I give her a big smile, thinking that’s going to convince her, but I should realize by now she’s not falling for it.

She squeezes my hand. “I don’t believe you. And I know everyone is grieving for Ledger, but it’s more than that.”

When I don’t answer her, she leans toward me. “You know you can talk to me about anything, right?”

I force a smile. “I know I can.” I look around the Whistler. “I thought we were coming for the five dollar appetizers.”

Right at that moment, Malcolm comes over with a tray of food. “I’ve got fried pickles, mozzarella sticks, nachos, chips and spinach dip, and naked chicken wings.”

My eyes widen at all the food. “Dang, Cat, is all this for us?”

She laughs. “I have a grown man and teenage boy at home that will happily eat whatever we don’t.”

I nod and try not to let my jealousy show. I’m so happy that Holden and Cat found each other. I remind them every chance I get that I played a big part in them getting together since I am the one that asked Cat to be Holden’s physical therapist when he hurt his shoulder. They are so happy together, and Cat’s son, Cole, is a perfect fit for our family.

We both dig into our food, and for a second, I think she’s going to forget she’s worried about me, but I should know better.

She takes a bite of the mozzarella stick, stretching the cheese with a laugh. She’s smiling as she chews, and then she laughs at me. “Spill it, Chrissy.”

I shrug as I take a bite of the chicken. I make a big to-do of chewing and swallowing it. “I’m okay. Really. I mean everything with Ledger and knowing I’ll never see him again and then work is crazy and I’m worried about all my brothers. It’s just… a lot.”

“And?” she asks.

I grab a fried pickle, dip it into the ranch, and pop it into my mouth. “Isn’t that enough?”

“Well, after the funeral when everyone was at our house for dinner…” She lets her voice trail off.

“What? Just say it.”

She scrunches up her nose. “It’s just… I don’t know… you and Gabe seemed off. I don’t know, are you two okay?”

I dip a chip into the spinach dip and eat it as if I’ve never eaten before. “Wow. This is good. Did you try this?”

She gives me a pointed look. “Yeah, I’ve had the spinach dip here at least ten times, Chrissy. If you don’t want to answer me, just tell me it’s none of my business.”

I stare at her, and she waves her hand between us. “Forget it. You’ll tell me when you’re ready.”

I shrug my shoulders. “What are you talking about?”

“You and Gabe.”

Like a fish, I open my mouth and close it. “Uh, what about him?”

I swear she rolls her head as hard as she rolls her eyes. “Oh, I dunno. The fact he loves you.”

I sit up a little straighter. The funeral was a few days ago, and I haven’t been avoiding Gabe, but he still hasn’t been around much. It seems everyone at the fire department has been sick, and he’s working nonstop. I’m worried about him. Usually I would have checked on him, and I’m feeling guilty that I haven’t. “Of course he loves me. I love him… and my brothers.”

She holds a hand up. “So help me if you say he’s your brother, I’m going to scream. I can barely be in the same room as you two.”

“What do you mean by that?”

She wiggles her eyebrows at me. “You two are a whole vibe.”

“We’re friends. Best friends and he’s always looked out for me.”

“Yeah, but—”

She stops talking and is staring over my shoulder at the front door. I turn to see what’s got her attention, and my stomach does a flip when I see Gabe coming in. He goes straight to the bar, and that’s when I realize he’s not alone. There’s a woman with him, and she’s smiling up at him. It’s like a punch to my gut, and even though I try to act like I’m not affected by seeing him with another woman, I am.

“Gabe!” Cat hollers across the restaurant.

I half-whisper, half-yell at her, “Cat, no! He’s here on a date or something.”

Cat looks at me like I’ve grown two heads just as Gabe and his friend comes over to us. “Hey, you two.”

He hugs Cat and me, and when he raises up, he gestures to the woman next to him. “Lainey, this is Cat and Chrissy. Lainey is a rookie. She just got transferred from the Jasper FD.”

I try to smile, but I’m almost queasy as I look at the two of them. Thankfully, Cat takes over the conversation. “So you’re new to Whiskey Run? That’s exciting! Are you here permanently or just helping out?”

Lainey looks at Gabe and smiles. “Permanently.”

“Gabe, food’s ready!” Malcolm calls out from behind the bar.

Gabe gives him a thumbs-up before he tells us, “I’m going to grab the food. I’ll be right back.”

Lainey stays with us, and Cat uses the time to get to know her. Usually I’m friendly to people, but all I can do is sit here shell shocked. “So how are you liking Whiskey Run?”

Lainey looks over at the bar at Gabe and then smiles at Cat. “Really good. Gabriel has been amazing and has been showing me the ropes. He’s something else.”

Cat nods in agreement. “Yeah, Gabe is one of the good ones.”

My throat feels thick, and all I can do is nod my head in agreement. I recognize the look Lainey is giving Gabe because I’ve looked at him that way for more than half my life. He’s one of those people that is just fun to be around. He makes you feel special and like you’re one of the most important people in the world.

Gabe is smiling when he walks back over to us, but his smile falters when he looks at me. He lifts up the bag he’s carrying. “The food is all ready. We should probably get back before Rich tries to fix something and everyone gets food poisoning.”

Lainey laughs like it’s some kind of inside joke, and I can’t hide the reaction on my face. Gabe puts a hand on my shoulder. “You doing okay? I know you’ve been busy at work.”

I feel guilty for an instant because I have been busy at work, but I should have been talking to him and returning his phone calls. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I feel like I screwed up our friendship, and I should be working to get things back to the way they were, but I just can’t. It hurts to see him. “I’m good, yeah.”

Lainey grabs one of the bags from Gabe. “Here, let me help you.”

He hands her the bag, and I watch as their hands touch and Lainey laughs. Kill me now.

They tell us bye, and Gabe tells me he’ll call me later, but as soon as they walk out of the bar, I push my plate away and bang my forehead on the table.

Cat just continues to eat, watching as I make a spectacle of myself. “Ready to talk now?”

It’s not until I raise my head and she sees the tears in my eyes that the smile on her face drops and she looks at me worriedly. “Oh honey…. Talk to me. What’s going on in your head?”

I grab a napkin and wipe at my eyes. “Cat, I messed up. I messed up so bad, and now there’s no fixing it.”

She moves around the table to sit next to me instead of across from me. “How did you mess up?”

“I had sex with Gabe.”

She sits up, and I swear she looks as if I just told her I was moving to Spain or something. “I’m sorry, what?”

I nod. “Yeah, I pretty much convinced Gabe to have sex with me, and now everything is messed up.”

She pushes the hair off my face. “How is it messed up?”

“He was my best friend, and I’ve messed it all up. I threw it all away for one night of sex. I mean, don’t get me wrong. It was good. Like, really good. Oh my God, tell me to shut up.”

She doesn’t seem to understand. “But he’s still your best friend.”

I roll my eyes at her. “Cat, he’s not going to tell me no, and now it’s all weird and I’ve lost my best friend.”

She covers my hand with hers. “I think you’re the one making it weird because that man is so in love with you, anyone and everyone can see it.”

I point at the door that Gabe and Lainey just walked out of. “He was on a date—”

She cuts me off and practically blurts out, “He wasn’t on a date. You’re crazy.”

Malcolm comes over. “You ladies need anything?”

I shake my head. “I’m stuffed.”

Cat smiles. “Can we get some to-go boxes?”

“I’ll grab some and be right back.”

As soon as he’s gone, Cat reaches for me. “Gabe loves you.”

I sniff. “I wanted more… I thought we would be together, but the next day was weird, and I told him I didn’t want to be an obligation to him, but I didn’t know.” I suck in a breath. “I didn’t know it would feel like this to see him with another woman.”

Cat’s just shaking her head. “He’s not with another woman. He was with a work colleague. He said they were picking up food. It was not a date.”

I point a thumb at the door. “Did you see the way she was looking at him?”

She rolls her eyes. “No, because I was too busy watching the way he was looking at you. He loves you, Chrissy.”

“Here you go, ladies. Let me know if you need anything else. Cat, I put in some of the secret sauce Holden and Cole love.”

“You’re too good to us, Malcolm. Thank you, I’m sure they’re going to enjoy it, and I know I will because I won’t have to cook later.”

He nods and walks away. As soon as he goes, Cat leans toward me. “Listen to me. Gabriel Gray loves you. Don’t throw away your friendship and the future I know you two can have because you’re scared.”

“I’m not scared! Why does everyone think I’m scared? I’m not scared.”

She tilts her head at me. “Who else thinks you’re scared?”

“Gabe.”

“Right, well, honey, if there’s ever a man worthing fighting for, it’s one that loves you the way he does. You need to talk to him.”

I stand up and grab the bill off the table. Cat tries to take it from me, but I hold it out of reach. “No way, I got this. I owe you for the therapy session.”

“You never owe me. I just want you happy, sis.”

I put my hand over my chest. “Sis? I like that.”

I go up to the cashier to pay before I start crying again. I know Cat is right. I need to talk to Gabe and fix things. And I will as soon as I get the image of him and Lainey out of my head.

18

GABE

Two more hours, and the end of my shift can’t come soon enough. I feel like I haven’t had any time to breathe this last week, and I feel like I could sleep for days, but that’s not why I am ready for my shift to end. I’m ready because as soon as I get out of here, I’m going straight to Chrissy’s, and we’re working this out.

We can’t keep going like we are, and the truth is, I miss her. I miss talking to her, joking around with her, hell, just being around her. Somehow I need to show her that we can be good with one another. I need to show her that we are meant to be together.

I’m sitting in the dining hall, looking between the clock and the television. Everyone is just hanging out, and I’m praying we don’t get a call in the next two hours. The door to the station opens, and all heads turn.

All the guys get to their feet. “Holden!”

“Go Bears!” someone hollers.

I just stand up and watch as everyone talks to my brother. I’ve gotten used to him being some sort of celebrity. He was the best catcher in the professional league for a long time, plus he’s an amazing guy. He always gets noticed when he goes places, and even though he’s here at the station a lot, the guys still get excited to see him.

When he finally reaches me, he’s smiling, and he hugs me. “How you doing, brother?”

I nod and look around the room. All eyes are still on us, so I gesture to the door. “Want to go outside?”

He nods and talks to a few more guys on his way to the door. I’m shaking my head when he finally gets outside. “You’re a superstar, brother.”

He shrugs. “Not really. I throw a ball. You save lives.”

I point to the lawn chairs that one of the guys had brought and set up out here. “Want to sit? To what do I owe this visit?”

Holden gestures to the mountains in the distance. “Is that something to worry about?”

I look at the smoky sky. “It’s a brush fire in the mountains. Jasper FD is on scene, and they say it’s almost contained.”

“That’s good,” he comments.

I nod. “Yeah, is that what you came to talk about?”

Holden sits down next to me and leans his elbows on his knees. “So Cat came home telling me how upset Chrissy was after seeing you today, and I thought I should come talk to you.”

I know Chrissy has been through a lot the last week, and I thought with time it would be okay, but it kills me to know she’s upset. “Fuck, I messed up, Holden!”

I stand up and start pacing back and forth. I didn’t think I was messing up, but now I do.

Holden stands up, and the happy lighthearted look is completely gone from his face. “Did you… shit, I don’t even know how to ask you this… did you take advantage of Chrissy?”

I stop, and my mouth drops. “Is that what she thinks? Is that what she’s saying? I knew I should have made her wait. Ledger died, and we were both hurting, and one thing—”

“Gabe, what were you thinking?”

“I love her.”

He stands up and just looks at me, and I nod my head. “I love her and don’t say like a sister or some shit like that. I mean, I’m crazy in love with her. I want to marry her. I want her to be the mother of my kids. I want to spend the rest of my life with her.”

He hesitates, but it doesn’t look as if he’s surprised. He asks me as if my answer is going to change, “You love her?”

“Of course, I do. You can’t tell me you didn’t know!”

He throws a hand up in frustration. “Well, I thought I knew, but hell, for the last three years you guys have denied, denied, denied, so I wasn’t sure, and then Cat comes home saying you’re seeing someone and—”

“Seeing someone? What the hell are you talking about?”

He points toward the station. “The girl you were with today?”

“Bullshit. She’s new, we work together, and she offered to go with me to pick up food for the guys.”

Holden laughs. “Look, I’m not sure what’s going on, but I did tell Cat that there’s no way you’d hurt Chrissy. You need to fix this.”

“Oh, I will. I have—” I lift my arm and look at my watch. “An hour and twenty-five minutes until my shift is over and then I’m going straight to Chrissy’s.”

He sits back down in his chair. “Listen, you're my brother, I support you, but you gotta handle this. This is our family you’re messing with.”

“I’m not messing with anything. I promise I’ll fix this.”

He searches my face and then nods his head. “Okay.”

Holden and I hang out until it’s time for me to clock out, and then I drive across town to Chrissy’s house. I barely put my truck into park before I jump out and run up to the front door. I knock almost frantically, and Chrissy comes to the door. “Gabe! What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

She’s blocking the door, and I gesture inside. “Can I come in?”

She moves to the side, and I walk past her, not stopping until I’m inside her house and across the room. I know I need to keep some distance because we need to talk, and if I put my hands on her, it’s over. I need her more now than I ever have.

She has on short shorts and a tank top without a bra, and her hair is up in a high ponytail. She looks beautiful, and I clench my hands at my sides.

When I don’t say anything, she looks at me worriedly. “Gabe, you’re scaring me. What’s wrong?”

I look at her and only now notice her red-rimmed eyes, swollen lips, and red nose. “Have you been crying?”

She shrugs without answering.

I take a step toward her. “Answer me. Have you been crying?”

She just purses her lips and stares at me.

“Chrissy, I’m not dating Lainey.”

She gasps, and I continue. “I’m not interested in her. She wanted to go with me to pick up the food, that was it. She’s new, and I was showing her the ropes.”

Finally, she responds. “Our family talks too much.”

I take another step toward her. “You should have asked me. If you thought something like that, which is insane by the way, you should have talked to me about it. I don’t know how to convince you of this, but I don’t want Lainey.”

Chrissy puts her hand to her chest. “I knew it would hurt, Gabe. I mean, I thought I knew how it would hurt, but I had no idea it would be this bad. And okay, maybe you don’t want her, but there will be some woman, some day, and then—”

I can’t take it another minute. The insecurity on her face is killing me. I take the last few steps and then cup her face in my hands. “You are the woman for me, Chrissy. I love you. I love you. You’re the woman I want.”

I lean in to kiss her, and when she kisses me back, it’s like a shock to my system. We need to talk, but I think we both need this. I pull my lips from hers, and in between kisses, I tell her, “We can’t go on like this.” Kiss. “You can’t avoid me.” I lick that soft spot on the side of her neck, and she moans. I whisper in her ear, “You talk to me if you’re upset.”

I pull back, and she whimpers. “Are you going to talk to me if you’re upset?”

She throws her arms around my neck. “If I tell you yes, will you do something for me?”

I lock my hands at her back and pull her flush against my body. She presses her hips against my erection, and I groan. “You know I will do anything for you.”

She releases her hands from my neck. “Prove it.”

She grabs my hand and pulls me down the hallway. We’re walking into her bedroom when I pull her to a stop. “Honey, we need to talk.”

“I don’t want to talk. I want to make love to you.”

Even though she didn’t say she loves me, hearing her say the “L” word has my heart beating wildly. “Take your clothes off.”

She lifts her chin up defiantly. “You take my clothes off.”

I don’t waste any time removing her clothes. When she’s naked, I lift her up in my arms and lie down on the bed with her. I lift her chin to look at me. “You are so beautiful, Chrissy. I could look at you like this all day, every day.”

Her smile practically lights up her face. “Oh yeah, well, I’m afraid that’s not possible.”

I frown. So help me if she tells me this is only for one night or some shit like that, I’m going to lose my mind. “Why not?”

She smirks. “Because eventually I’m going to have to go to work, and I don’t think my birthday suit would align with the hospital's dress code.”

I let my hand slide down and palm her breast, flicking my finger across her nipple. “Plus, I would have to cut out any man’s eyes that looked at you.”

Her smile gets bigger, and I tug on her nipple. “You like that, don’t you? You like that I’m jealous.”

She hisses out a breath. “I do because then I don’t feel so bad that I’m jealous of all your women.”

I trace my finger in circles around her nipple. “I don’t have any women… just you.”

She rolls her eyes. “You obviously don’t see all the women ogling you.”

I can’t stop the smile, and she smacks me on the chest. “You like that, do you? You like knowing that women ogle you?”

I push her to her back and then stand up. As I remove my clothes, she watches my every movement. “I don’t like that other women ogle me. I like it that you look at me. I like that you don’t like it that other women look at me.”

She goes up on her elbows to watch me, and I take down my pants and underwear in one swoop. My cock is hard, pointing right at her, and she’s practically salivating looking at me. “Turn over.”

“No.”

I’m not sure if I’m going to like this game she’s playing. “What do you mean no?”

She sits up. “I mean I want to touch you, Gabe. I didn’t get to last time, and I’ve thought about it ever since. I told myself if I ever had the chance, I’d—”

She stops, and I hold my breath. “You’d what?”

She lifts her head. “I’d taste you this time.”

Fuck me. Blood rushes to my cock, and I feel like I’m almost delirious. I shake my head. “I’m sorry, did you just say you want to taste me?”

She nods and gets off the bed, sliding to the floor in front of me. She circles her hand around my cock and grips me.

My hips surge forward, and she kisses my tip. When she licks along my length, I groan until she takes me in her mouth, and then I lose all sense of reality. She sucks me in, stroking me with her tongue, and I can barely contain myself. My hips pump even though I try to keep them under control.

She smacks my thigh. “Don’t hold back from me, Gabriel Gray.”

She sucks me in, and when I hit the back of her throat, she swallows, taking me deeper. I tangle my hand in her hair and gently tug until she pops off my cock.

She looks up at me with arousal in her eyes and swollen lips.

“I need to be inside you, baby.”

She hesitates and I pick her up off the floor and then lay her face-down on the bed. She tries to lift up, but I hold her down with a hand to her back.

Her eyes widen as she looks at me over her shoulder. “But…”

I shake my head. “You trust me?”

She nods, and I tell her, “Good. Because I want to see this ass, Chrissy.”

I groan seeing her plump bare ass. I can’t stop myself from palming her cheek and squeezing it and then giving it a slap. She lets out a grunt but turns her head to smile at me. “I didn’t know you were a butt guy.”

I grab both her cheeks in my hands. “I like your butt.”

After another smack, she widens her legs, and her cunt is dripping for me. I pull her toward me, until her legs are hanging off the side of the bed. I slide my thumb through her slit and then up by her ass, and she twitches.

“Gabe!” she admonishes me.

I can’t resist touching her. “Don’t worry, honey. One day, I’m going to take you here too, but right now, I need inside that pussy.”

“Gabe!” she says, surprised.

I lean over her and whisper in her ear, “I need to be inside you, baby, and when I take your ass, I need to take it slow. I can’t go slow tonight. You’ve kept your pussy from me for too many days. I don’t want to wait.”

She sticks her butt out, and my cock lies along her crevice. I kiss down her back. When I get to her butt, I kiss and gently nip at her skin, and then I squat down and kiss her, stroking my tongue through her slit.

“Gabe,” she pleads with me.

I lift up and wrap my hand around my girth. I line my cock up at her entrance and slowly enter her. I try to take it slow and give her time to adjust, but she’s not having it. She rears her hips back, taking me deep, and gasps.

When I’ve impaled her with my cock, I have to grab her hips and hold her still before she slams into me again. I need to slow this down.

But she keeps pumping, and I can’t hold back. I reach around her and stroke her clit with my finger. Two more pumps and I’m not sure which of us orgasms harder. My thrusts become erratic, and her groans get louder.

When we’re both satiated, I lean over her and try to catch my breath. I whisper into her ear, “You’re mine, Chrissy. I hope you know that.”

19

CHRISSY

I laugh as I lie on Gabe’s chest.

After the first time, we were hungry, so we ate sandwiches. I hadn’t been to the store in a while, so we used whatever I had in the cupboard. We’re both exhausted, and you would have thought we’d both be asleep, but we showered together, which led to another round of sex and then another shower. Now we’re both lying here, and it seems that neither one of us wants to go to sleep.

He yawns and says, “We should talk.” The serious way he says it has me tensing.

We’re long overdue on this talk, and even though I’ve denied being scared, the talk petrifies me. What if I feel more for him than he does me? What if we date for three months and it doesn’t work out and I’ve lost his friendship? Or what if he does meet someone else? I’d have to leave Whiskey Run.

All of this is overwhelming to me, so I tell him, “We don’t have to talk about it. Can’t we just enjoy it?”

He pulls me tighter against his chest and kisses the top of my head. “No, because I’m not going to leave here again until we talk and we know exactly where each of us stands, Chrissy.”

At that moment, Gabe’s phone rings.

It’s early morning, and the sun isn’t even up. Early morning phone calls are hardly ever a good thing.

“Fuck!” he grunts.

And then my phone rings too.

We look at each other, roll to the opposite sides of the bed, and answer our phones. When I see it’s the director of the hospital, I know it’s going to be bad. “Hey, Dr. Paxton. Everything okay?”

Normally, I only get called in by the charge nurse, so this has to be something bigger. “We need all hands on deck. Whiskey Mountain is on fire, and we’re getting inundated with patients.”

Instantly, I’m out of bed. “Oh my, okay, I’ll get ready and come on in.”

“Thank you. See you soon.”

I hang up the phone just as Gabe stands up. “I have to go back in,” he announces.

I nod worriedly. “Me too.”

He’s tugging on his pants. “Want me to drop you off at the hospital?”

“No, it’s okay, I don’t know how long I’ll be there.” I wrap my loose hair in a bun. “So you’re going in?”

It’s a question, but it’s a loaded question. I don’t have to ask because I know the answer. The mountain is on fire, and of course that’s where he’s going to be. It’s always been hard when he leaves on calls, and this time is no easier.

He tugs his shirt down. “Yeah, we’ve been called in to help. The mountain…”

His voice trails off, and I have a sick feeling in my stomach. We both finish getting ready, and I can tell that he’s trying to time it so that we leave at the same time.

When we walk out the door, he’s carrying my bag. He puts it in the passenger seat and holds the door open for me. “We still need to talk.”

I nod. “I know we do.”

I reach up, put my hands around his neck, and pull him down. I kiss him and put everything I have into it. All the feelings I’m too afraid to say out loud, I try to show him in this kiss. His hands go to my lower back, and he pulls me to him until our bodies are flush together. Breathless, I break away. “Please be safe.”

He nods, searching my eyes. “I will. And you take care of yourself. Eat something, and try not to overdo it.” He shakes his head regretfully. “I should have let you sleep.”

I stroke his broad chest. “You’re the one I’m worried about. You didn’t have any sleep and now you have to go…” I suck in a breath and try to calm myself. “Fight a fire. I’m sorry, Gabe, I wasn’t thinking.”

He tsks me. “No, none of that. Trust me, I enjoyed what we did a lot more than if I was just sleeping. I’ll be fine. What about you? You didn’t sleep either.”

I slide my hand down his chest. “You don’t have to worry about me. You’re the one running straight to an out-of-control fire.”

He doesn’t confirm it, but he doesn’t deny it either. Hell, this is hard. “Promise that you’ll come back to me, Gabe.”

He cups my face between his hands. “I will, and when I do, we’re going to talk. Okay?”

I nod and whisper, “Okay.”

He helps me into the car, and then I start to back out as he gets into his truck. It’s not until I’m almost to Jasper Hospital that I realize I never told him I loved him.

I pick up my phone to do it, but then I realize that I shouldn’t do it over the phone. He deserves to hear it in person with me looking into his eyes.

As soon as I get to the hospital, I barely have time to stow my bag in the break room before I’m caught up in treating patients. By midafternoon, I take a short break. I grab a sandwich from the cafeteria, and I’m mid-chew when the television switches to news coverage of the fire. I’m stunned seeing the mountain and all the chaos.

When the picture changes and the words Breaking News flash on the screen, I move closer to listen.

“This is Katie Peterson reporting live from the foothills of Whiskey Mountain, where a wildfire continues to rage. Fire crews have been battling the blaze for over 24 hours now. It was reported yesterday that it was 95 percent contained, but with winds picking up overnight, there is only 20 percent containment. Just moments ago, we received breaking news: A crew of firefighters has become trapped on the mountain. Details are still coming in—”

She holds her earpiece to her ear. “Yes, okay, it has been confirmed that there are four firefighters trapped. Details are still coming in, but please stay tuned, and we will bring you the latest updates.”

I drop the remaining piece of my sandwich into the trash and frantically pull my phone from my pocket. I have no missed calls and no texts. I call Gabe and hold my breath, hoping and praying that he’s going to answer the phone. When it goes straight to voicemail, I get a pit in my stomach. It’s him. I don’t know how or why I think it, but I know it’s him.

I start walking toward the ER and dial King’s number on the way.

He answers on the first ring. He barely gets my name out and I start. “The fire… I can’t get ahold of Gabe… there are trapped firefighters.”

I can barely form a sentence, and King asks me, “Where are you at?”

I grip my phone tighter. “I’m at the hospital.”

King is normally the guy that is in complete control, but I can hear the fear in his voice. “Okay, listen to me, Chrissy, and I don’t want you to panic.”

Oh God, it’s him. I was right. Gabe is trapped. “It’s him, isn’t it? Gabe is trapped.”

“I’m here on the mountain already. I talked to Walker, and he has air support on the way.”

I gasp. “Oh my God.”

King tries to soothe me. “Honey, listen, we’re not going to lose another brother.”

I lean against the wall and stare at the ceiling. “He’s not my brother, King. He’s my everything.”

King blows out a breath. “I know, Chrissy. I’m going to get him out. I promise. I need you to stay there, and I’ll bring him to you, okay?”

“King, I’m coming there. I want to be close.”

“Don’t!” he demands. “Please, don’t. This is dangerous, and I can’t be worrying about you too. Plus, Gabe will kill me if he knew I brought you up here. Please do as I ask, and I promise you that I will bring him to you.”

“Okay.”

He says he has to go and then I hang up the phone. I’m being paged over the loudspeaker, and I know there are people in the hospital that need my help right now, and there are more people coming in. Somehow, I have to pull myself together and do my job even though it’s the last thing I want to be doing.

I wish Gabe and I had ignored the phone calls this morning and were still wrapped up in each other’s arms in my bed. I would give anything to go back to that moment. Again, for at least the hundredth time today, I think back to when he left and I didn’t tell him I loved him. God, why didn’t I tell him I loved him?

20

GABE

The flames are everywhere. The smoke is thick, and I can barely see anything except for the three men beside me. I take my helmet off and wipe my brow. I’m the captain, and I should be able to figure out a way to get us out of here.

I’m not sure how we got into this mess. Rick and Keaton got separated from the group, and Spence and I went to find them. In that time, the wind picked up even more, and there was no telling which direction to go because flames were shooting up all around us.

These men are depending on me to get them home tonight, but I’m lost on how to do that. We’re completely surrounded, and unless there is a miracle, we’re not going to make it. But I’m not the type to give up, so I’m going to have to figure out something.

My voice is so raspy, I don’t even know if the men can hear me. “We have to hold. Help is coming.”

I raise my eyes to the sky. The only thing that is going to help us now is God or a miracle.

Keaton coughs. “What the hell are we holding for? We’re done.”

We’ve tried to build a perimeter around us. We’ve done all we could to keep the fire at bay, but I don’t know what our next move is. However, I do know we can’t give up. I promised Chrissy I was coming home to her, and I’m going to do everything in my power to keep that promise.

I pick up my radio and try it again. I hit the button, and there’s only static. We can’t call out, and I’m not sure if the rest of the crews know our exact location. At this point, I’m not sure of anything.

Rick shouts, “It’s over. We’re trapped. No one is coming.”

I point at him, trying to keep my shit together. “Rick, you have kids. Don’t you dare give up right now because I’m not going to tell them their dad is dead. Just give me a minute. I’ll think of something.”

The flames and smoke continue around us. We’re barely able to breathe, and we’re running out of time. Spence, who has been quiet through this whole thing, is just staring at me as if I’m about to have some miraculous idea that will get us out of here.

I can see the hope and desperation on his face, and I’m sure it’s the same emotion on mine.

I open my mouth, but before I can say anything, I hear it. It’s a thumping sound, coming somewhere from the valley.

“Do you hear that?” I ask.

Keaton nods. “What is it?”

The sound gets louder and louder, and it takes me a minute, but when I hear the chopping sound of rotor blades, I know exactly what it is. “It’s a helicopter.”

Spence nods. “That’s more than one helicopter.”

We’re staring up at the sky when the helicopters fly all around us. They hover over us, and I scream at the others, “They’re going to drop. Brace yourselves.”

The first one opens their chute, dumping water down the mountainside. There’s hissing as the water hits the flames. There’s smoke, steam, and charred earth all around us, but we don’t have the time to hesitate. “Let’s go! Follow the path they’re making.”

We take a few steps, and I’m screaming instructions the whole way. “It’s going to be slippery.”

“Work together, the terrain is giving away.”

“Keep moving.”

We’re climbing through the smoldering debris, making our way down the mountain. I look back, and the flames have picked back up behind us. Fuck, we don’t have much time. The helicopters keep dumping in front of us, and I’m hoping that they are leading us to safety. “Go, guys! Push it!”

We’re moving as fast as we can, and when I see the clearing in front of us, we all pick up more speed. It’s not until we’ve reached the rest of the crews and are into safety that I fall to my knees. The other three men do the same, and then we’re surrounded by people trying to help us.

Someone grabs me by the shoulder. “Gabe, you need medical attention.”

I jerk away. “Check the other guys first.”

“There are people helping them. I’m here to help you.”

“I’m fine,” I tell him and try to move to my feet. Just as I do, I collapse again, and King is there to catch me. “Hey, brother, you scared us to death.”

“Chrissy?” I mutter.

He helps me to my feet. “I need you to get into the ambulance. I told her that I’d bring you to her.”

I nod, struggling to see with the soot, sweat, and tears in my eyes. “The other guys…”

“They’re getting treatment. They’re all going to the hospital. Come on, let’s go.”

One of them tells me to get on the stretcher, but I refuse. “I’ll walk.”

I wait for King to argue with me, but he puts his arm around me and all but carries me to the ambulance.

He helps me in and then climbs in beside me. They cover my mouth and nose with oxygen, but I pull it off and look at my brother. “Did you get the helicopters here?”

He nods. “I called in a few favors from Walker. He was happy to do it. He said he owed us anyway.”

“Thank you,” I tell him.

He squeezes my shoulder, and his voice is filled with emotion. “I wasn’t losing another brother, Gabe.”

I nod at him in understanding. When I was on the on the side of the mountain and thinking I was going to die, that was one of my thoughts. I thought about Chrissy and leaving her. And I thought about what this would do to my family if they had to bury me so soon after Ledger’s death.

“Is Chrissy okay?”

He just looks at me. “She’s scared to death.”

I close my eyes and lay my head back. Sometime between the mountain and Jasper hospital, I lose consciousness.

21

CHRISSY

“He’s on his way to you.”

That’s the text message I got from King.

I’ve been standing outside by the emergency doors since I received the text, and I’m pacing back and forth, waiting for Gabe to get here. My stomach is churning, and it feels like worry is eating me alive. I keep watching in the distance as if I’m willing the ambulance to appear.

Due to the circumstances, Director Paxton removed me from the floor, and so now all I can do is wait. I argued with her at first, but then I decided that she was right. I need to focus on Gabe. I’m feeling completely helpless, just standing here… waiting.

I hear the sirens in the distance, and my heart jumps in my chest. My knees about buckle when the ambulance comes into view, and I know it’s Gabe. I just know it.

As soon as the ambulance pulls in, doctors surround me. The doors open, and King climbs out first and helps guide the gurney that Gabe is lying on out onto the ground.

The EMT is announcing his patient, and I try to pay attention.

I hear him call it out. “Thirty-seven years old. Severe smoke inhalation, heat exhaustion, and shock. Heart rate 130, blood pressure 80 over 60, respiratory rate 30 breaths a minute, oxygen is eighty-two, temperature is 104. I’ve applied cooling packs, ran IV fluids, and high flow oxygen. He lost consciousness but vitals are stable.”

As he calls it out, I’m taking in Gabe’s closed eyes. His lips are tinted blue, his face is pale, and he has burn marks on his arms. I rush to him as they’re taking him inside. I grab his hand. “Gabe, I’m here. I’m right here with you.”

He doesn’t move. He doesn’t flinch or make a sound, and I try not to freak out. I have to remind myself to breathe.

They get him set up in a room. The world around me blurs as I focus solely on him and on the steady rise and fall of his chest. I assist as much as they’ll let me while the doctors bring in an X-ray machine to take pictures of his chest to find out exactly how bad his smoke inhalation is. King stands beside me the whole time, and he whispers to me, “The others are here. I’m going to go bring them in.”

This is the ICU, and there is only supposed to be one visitor in here, but I’m not going to worry myself with the hospital rules. King can figure that out, and I feel sorry for anyone that tries to go against his wishes.

I hover over Gabe, trying to will him to wake up. The doctor reassures me that the fluids and oxygen will help, that he just needs time, but I’m impatient. I need to see his eyes and to hear his voice so I know he’s going to be okay.

My family all gathers in the room, and I wave or nod at them, but I don’t leave Gabe’s side. It feels like hours, but it’s only minutes that go by. The hospital director comes in at one point. “I’m sorry, but the hospital policy only allows one visitor in the ICU.”

King shakes his head. “We’re not leaving. When he’s awake, we’ll leave Chrissy with him, but not until he’s awake.”

“But—” Dr. Paxton starts, and King doesn’t let her finish. “I’m sorry. When my brother wakes up, he needs to see his whole family is here for him. Then we’ll go.”

She wants to argue with him, but finally she nods her head. “Okay.” She looks at me. “Let us know if we can do anything.”

My friend Bethany comes in a little later and hugs me, asking me if I need anything.

It’s not long after she’s gone that Gabe finally grips my hand. My heart leaps in my chest, and I lean down. “I’m here, Gabe. I’m right here. You’re going to be okay.”

He’s blinking, trying to focus on my face, and he commands me, “Get up here.”

I look around the room, and our family are all looking between Gabe and me, bug-eyed. “Gabe, everyone is here.”

“Woman! I don’t care. Get up here.” He pauses. “I need you.”

I’m not going to argue with him because I need him too. I climb onto the bed and lie next to him. He holds me to him.

“When can I get out of here?”

Oh man, am I going to have to argue with him to get him to stay? I brace myself to convince him. “They did an X-ray to check your lungs. They should be in with those results soon. They will probably keep you overnight.”

He’s shaking his head and tries to lift up, but I put my hand on his chest and push him down. “I’m going to stay here with you.”

He lies back down. “Okay.”

King comes forward. “We’re breaking the rules by being here. We wanted to stay until you woke up.”

The rest of our family comes toward the bed, and Gabe squeezes King’s hand. “Thank you for saving me today.”

“That was Walker.”

“No, it was you. Thank you.”

I start to cry as Holden, Cat, Cole, Haven, Luciana, and Dom all come to hold his hand, touch him, or hug him. Our family isn’t like most families, but it’s a pretty damn good one.

They all start to leave, but King hangs back. “Chrissy, you’ll call if you need anything and let us know what the doctor says?”

I nod. “Yeah, I’ll put it in the group chat.”

King leans over Gabe. “I know you’re in a hospital bed, but when you get out, me and you are going to have a talk.”

“About what?” Gabe asks him.

He gestures to me. “She’s still my baby sister.”

Gabe nods. “I know that.”

King shakes his head. “If you hurt her—”

Gabe cuts him off. “Hurt her? I’m not going to hurt her. I’m going to marry her as soon as I can convince her.”

I gasp because that was the last thing I expected to come out of his mouth.

King just laughs. “Okay, I guess I won’t have to kick your ass then.”

Gabe laughs and then starts to cough. When he catches his breath again, he mutters, “Like you could kick my ass, old man.”

“Old man! You’re going to pay for that when you get back on your feet. I’ll show you.”

“Come on, honey. Let him rest,” Haven says from the door.

King hugs Gabe and me again and then walks out the door with Haven. I lean my head on Gabe’s chest, and his steady heartbeat reassures me that he’s okay. He’s alive.

“I wasn’t kidding, Chrissy. You’re going to marry me.”

I’m not sure what he expects me to say, but I give him my answer, right then and there. “Okay.”

He just holds me tighter, and as he falls back to sleep, I lay my head back on his chest and let myself believe that he’s going to be okay. We’re going to be okay.

22

GABE

I throw my head back in frustration. “I want to leave.”

Chrissy giggles. “No, really? I would never have guessed that.”

She’s smiling ear to ear, and she’s been doing that since the night I survived the fire. I understand it, though, because after everything, I have a new lease on life, and I’m going to live it to the fullest.

I try not to smile at her, but it’s hard to do when she’s looking at me the way she does. “I’m serious. I want to leave.”

She rolls her eyes this time, but she’s still smiling. “Really? You threatened every doctor in the hospital, you got King in here to try and bust you out, and you tried bribing Bethany. I think I know you want to get out of here. The whole hospital knows you want out of here.” I walk over to the bed and take his hand in mine. “They’re doing the paperwork. You’re going to be able to bust out of here as soon as they finish.”

“I’ve been here for three days. It’s ridiculous.”

“Your fever spiked, and they wanted to keep you on the oxygen longer.” She picks my hand up and holds it between both of hers. “Look, you’re good now. You get to go home.”

“Not soon enough. I need inside you.”

She rolls her eyes. “Oh, that’s not happening.”

I’m sitting up before she gets the whole statement out. “Oh, it’s happening. It’s been three days, and that’s not going to work for me.”

“Gabe—” she starts, but she no sooner gets my name out than the door opens.

“Okay, we just need your signature, and you’re ready to go.” The nurse hands me the clipboard, and I start signing papers. I don’t read anything; I just want to get out of here.

The nurse gives me her spiel. “Now even though your lungs look okay, you still need to rest and not push it. The doctor signed off on you returning to light duty in two weeks, but he wants to see you in his office before then.”

I nod, handing her back the clipboard. “Okay, can I leave now?”

“Gabe.” Chrissy admonishes me and turns to the nurse. “Sorry, he’s ready to get out of here.”

“No worries, his friends were all the same way.”

Rick, Keaton, and Spence left the hospital two days ago, and besides some smoke inhalation, they’re doing well.

I refuse to ride out of the hospital in a wheelchair, so I walk out with Chrissy at my side. She puts me in her tiny car and then gets in the driver’s seat.

She pulls out of the lot and starts driving toward Whiskey Run. “Where are you taking me?”

She looks over at me and then at the road again. Her hands tighten on the steering wheel. “Where do you wanna go?”

I lean back in my seat. “I don’t care. You want to stay at my apartment or your house?”

I can hear the surprise in her voice. “You want me to stay with you?”

“Yes,” I answer simply.

She nods. “Okay, well, then my house, if that’s okay. Not that I don’t like your bachelor pad, but…”

Her voice trails off, and I have to ask to make sure she’s okay with it. “So you’re okay with this? With me staying with you?”

She reaches over and squeezes my knee. “Yeah, I want to be with you.”

I cover her hand with mine as she drives us to Whiskey Run. When she pulls into her driveway, she helps me out of the car, and I hate it. “I’m okay, honey. I got this.”

She shrugs and keeps helping. “I’m going to have King or one of the guys go by your apartment and bring you some clothes and stuff.”

We get inside, and she helps me to the bedroom. “You want to take a shower?”

I reach for her clothes. “Yeah, let’s do that.”

She pulls from my reach. “Oh no, mister. Shower and bed. No funny business.”

I reach for her again, and she lets me remove her shirt this time. She helps me by undressing herself and then helping me out of my clothes. She’s the one starting the water and waiting for it to heat up. She’s the one that helps me in and washes my body.

“I like this,” I tell her as she’s running the washcloth across my chest. She points to my hard manhood. “Yeah, I can tell you do.”

I put my hand on her shoulder. “No, I mean I like it when you touch me, but I like this… I like having you take care of me.”

For just a second, I feel weak. Maybe I shouldn’t feel this way, but she just keeps washing me. “You took care of me the night Ledger died. Remember? That’s what this is about, Gabe. We take care of each other. That’s how this works.”

We finish cleaning up and get dried off. She orders me to bed as she quickly dries her hair. She tries to do it in the bathroom, but I want her with me, and I watch her from the bed.

When she’s done, she hovers next to the bed. “Do you need anything?”

I lift the covers. “You.”

She lies down next to me before I can tell her to remove her clothes. I hold her to me, and she leans back enough so we’re face to face. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

I say the first thing that pops in my head. “You're pregnant.”

She gasps and then seems to think about it. “No—well, if I am, it’s too early to know for sure.”

“We didn’t use anything.”

She presses her lower body against mine. “I know. But that’s not what I was going to tell you.”

I press my hand to her lower back, holding her body against mine. “What is it, honey?”

“I love you.”

I smile and nuzzle my chin into her neck and whisper to her, “I know you do.”

She laughs and pulls back. “No, I mean, I love you. Like, really love you.”

“Baby, I know you love me. I was there with you when we made love… and that’s what that was. It was special… it was love.”

She agrees with me. “Yes, it was.”

I pull her up on top of me. “I need you, Chrissy.”

She doesn’t fight me, but she’s not just giving in either. “You have smoke inhalation. You’re supposed to be resting.”

I pull her T-shirt up her body, and she raises her arms so I can take it off. Her breasts are right there in front of my face, and I lean up to suckle her. She arches her back and moans as I move from one breast to the other.

I pull at the waistband of her shorts, sneaking my hand down her pants, palming her pussy. “You’re wet. You been thinking about this?”

She nods. “I’m always thinking about this with you.”

I tug at her shorts. “That’s good to know. Take these off.”

She rolls to the side of me and takes her shorts off. I palm her ass. “Get up here and ride me.”

Her mouth drops open. “You want me to…”

I nod. “Ride me.”

She climbs up on top of me. My hands go to her waist, and I help her lift up to position herself. She wraps her hand around my cock and then slowly lowers herself onto me. “Fuck, you feel good, Chrissy.”

She whimpers as she starts to move. “You do, too.”

She moves her hips front to back, side to side, finding her rhythm.

“Yes!” I groan. “Chrissy!” I say pleadingly. “Look at me.”

She opens her eyes, and they’re a shade darker, filled with arousal. I hold her closer as her movements quicken. She’s taking me deeper, gyrating her hips, rubbing her clit on my pelvic bone. Her breath hitches as the orgasm starts to take over her movements. But still I demand, “Look at me. I want you looking at me when you come.”

Her eyes are wide, focused on me, and she grunts and groans, clamping on to me as she rides the waves of her orgasm. Mine hits me hard, and I pump my hips into her, claiming her again, with no worries of contraception.

She’s panting, sprawled over top of me, and I hold her to me.

“Fuck, you’re so perfect. I don’t deserve you, but I can’t let you go, Chrissy.”

She kisses me, not holding back any longer, and her kiss is filled with the promise of our future together. When she snuggles into me, she yawns. “You’re the best man I know. I don’t want you to let me go.”

“You’re going to marry me, Chrissy Aiken.”

She gasps and lifts her head. “You remember that?”

I lift my head and look at her. “Do I remember asking you and you telling me yes? Of course I remember that, and I’m holding you to it.”

She stares at me speechless, and I shake my head. “Don’t try and change your mind, honey. You told me yes, and you may already be pregnant with my baby. You’re marrying me.”

Her smile lights up the room. “I told you I would.”

I lay my head back. “Good, and just know that it’s going to happen sooner rather than later. I’m about to make all your dreams come true.”

She leans her head on my chest. “You already have, Gabe. You already have.”

EPILOGUE

CHRISSY

Three Months Later

“I can’t believe we’re doing this.”

There’s silence on the other end of the phone. “So help me, if you’re having second thoughts I’m going to come over there and fuck them out of you.”

I can’t help but giggle. I do that a lot these days because Gabe makes me happy. “I would actually like to see that… but you can’t. Everyone is going to be here in ten minutes.”

He grunts unhappily into the phone. “Later then. After everyone is gone, you’re all mine.”

“Forever,” I murmur.

He mimics me, and I hear the wistful sound in his voice. “Forever.”

“Are you almost home?”

I hear the car door slam. “I’m walking in now. I’m sorry about the emergency call.”

“Hey, as long as you always come home to me, that’s all that matters, Gabe. Anything else, we can work out.”

“Oh, honey, I’m going to love coming home to you… coming inside you, coming—”

I giggle again, hang up the phone, and then meet him in the living room, posed and ready. I tried to look my best, and I’m hopeful he notices the effort, but I shouldn’t have any doubts. As soon as he walks in, his mouth drops. “Fuck, you’re beautiful!”

He just stands there, open-mouthed, staring at me.

I start to fidget. “Gabe… say something.”

He stomps toward me, and I have to hold my hand up to stop him. “No way. I’ve been working on this look all day. Afterward, you can do whatever you want to me, but until then, hands off.”

He makes a big deal of winking at me. “I’m going to remember you said that. Word for word, honey. I can do whatever I want to you.”

The doorbell rings, and I push him toward the hallway. “Go get your suit on. I’ll answer the door.”

He kisses me soundly, and it’s so good that I don’t even get worried about my mussed lipstick. I answer the door, and our whole family and my friend Bethany is on the porch. I step back. “Come in, come in.”

They all gasp when they see me, and each one hugs me as they walk in.

King holds me tight. “You look beautiful, sweetie.”

Each of them tell me they think I look beautiful, and I can’t wait for Gabe to get out here so we can let them all in on our secret. They’re going to be so surprised. I can’t believe we’ve been able to keep this from them.

“All right, everyone! We’re all set up outside. As soon as Gabe gets out here, we will go!”

“Where do we put the gifts?” Cat asks.

I throw my hands together. “Gifts? You shouldn’t have brought gifts.”

“It’s an engagement party! Of course, we had to bring you gifts.”

I smile even though it’s killing me to keep the secret.

Everyone is chatting, and I’m practically vibrating on my feet until Gabe comes down the hallway and it’s my turn for my mouth to drop. He has on a suit, and his hair is in a bun. When he smiles at me, I practically swoon. “You’re so handsome.”

He pulls me into his arms and whispers, “Showtime?”

I nod, and he turns us to our family. “Hey everyone! Thank you for coming over to celebrate our engagement, but we’ve changed our minds.”

Everyone collectively gasps, but I just keep smiling. I can tell that my brothers don’t know if they should be angry on my behalf or not, and they’re about to pounce when Gabe announces, “So this is not an engagement party… this is actually our wedding.”

Their eyes widen and mouths drop. “Wedding!” King exclaims.

Dom and Holden follow suit.

All the women are wiping their eyes and wishing us congratulations.

I get everyone’s attention. “King.”

He comes over to me. “Yeah, honey?”

“I hope it’s okay to ask you this. You’ve always looked out for me… heck, for all of us… and I would love it if you would be the one to give me away.”

He pulls me in for a hug and squeezes me until I have trouble catching my breath. “It will be my honor,” he says, his voice thick with emotion.

Gabe pulls me back into his chest. “The preacher is outside. If everyone wants to go with me, I’ll show you where to go.” He turns to me. “And I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

I nod happily, and he leans down. “Don’t forget what I said I’d do if you have second thoughts.”

I kiss him softly. “It’s too bad because I don’t have any second thoughts. I’m ready to be Mrs. Chrissy Gray.”

He kisses me again, and before it gets too hot and heavy, King clears his throat. “Come on now. You’ll see her in a few minutes.”

He sends Gabe outside, and then King turns to me. “You ready for this?”

I suck in a breath. “I’m ready.”

He nods and looks outside where all our family is. “If you were marrying anyone else, I would have to lay down the law and have a come-to-Jesus meeting and threaten him. But I don’t think I’m going to have to worry about that with Gabe. He’s loved you forever, Chrissy.”

I nod. “I love him too.”

King puts an arm around me. “I know you do. I’m just glad to see that you two finally figured it out.”

Everyone is in their seats, and the preacher lifts his hand.

I take a deep breath. “That’s our signal to go.”

“Well, let’s go. If I keep you in here any longer, your soon-to-be husband is going to come in here threatening me again.”

We both laugh as King takes my arm and walks with me down the makeshift aisle into my backyard. We stop when we reach Gabe.

King hugs Gabe, kisses the top of my head and hugs me, and then sits down with Haven.

The ceremony is everything I thought it would be. Gabe was worried I’d want something bigger, but this is perfect. I wanted to be surrounded by all the people that love us, and that’s what we have.

We each say our vows, promising to love each other forever, and when he pronounces us husband and wife, everyone in the backyard hoots and hollers their excitement. Gabe kisses me until my knees buckle, but he’s right there, holding me up.

Our family surrounds us, offering congratulations, and it’s not until hours later, after dinner that was catered in and more celebrating and it’s just Gabe and me alone that I let myself think about the past and how we got here. Gabe and I have been through so much through the years, and it’s only now that I have full appreciation for how far we’ve come.

We’re lying in bed, both satiated and relaxed, when I turn to him. “Thank you, Gabe.”

He holds on to me like he never wants to let me go. “What are you thanking me for?”

I rest my cheek against his chest. “I have at least a thousand things I can thank you for, but thank you for loving me all these years. For showing me that I deserved to be loved and how I should be loved. You make me happier than I’ve ever been in my life.”

“I love you, Chrissy. I love you more every day, and I’m so thankful that I get to spend the rest of my life with you.”

He kisses me then, sealing his devotion with the pressing of his lips. I would never have imagined this would be my life, but I’m so thankful it is. “I love you, Gabriel Gray.”

He smiles and kisses me again. “I love you too, Chrissy Gray.”

EPILOGUE 2

GABE

Ten Years Later

“We’re going to be late!” Chrissy hollers up the stairs.

I pick up our three-year-old off the floor of his room and put him on my hip. “Come on, CJ, we don’t want to make Mommy wait.”

He claps his hands together. “Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!”

I laugh as I jog down the stairs and meet my wife at the bottom. “Okay, Momma! Your two Gray men are ready to go.”

She looks at each of us as if inspecting us. “Wow! Well, I’m one lucky woman to be escorted by my good-looking man and my cute baby boy.”

I lean down and kiss her, holding her to me with my free arm. CJ squeals and leans in too.

“Mom! Dad! That’s so gross.”

I break off the kiss and smile at our nine-year-old daughter. She’s at the phase where anything me or her mom does is gross. “You excited to see your cousins?”

She nods and picks up her thick book. “Yeah, Macy is bringing her books too, and we’re going to read together.”

I scrunch my nose up. “You two are excited to get together to read?”

Chrissy smacks me softly on the chest. “Honey, don’t discourage her. She loves to read.”

I hold my hand up. “I’m not discouraging her. I was just curious.”

I pick up the box of food we’re taking with us. Through the years, our time together as a family has changed. When we were younger, we went to play games. Sometimes it was softball, pickleball, or even basketball. Through the years, we still get together, but a lot of the time, we’re watching our kids play together instead while we parents sit on the sidelines and reconnect. Today, we’re meeting up at the Whiskey Run Park for a cookout and to spend some quality time together.

Haven and King have Macy and three more daughters. All those girls have their dad wrapped around their fingers, and it’s a sight to see. King has always been tough as nails, but those girls have turned him into a big teddy bear.

Cole, Holden and Cat’s son, is twenty-five now, and he’s supposed to be bringing his new girlfriend to the cookout today.

Holden and Cat have been enjoying being empty nesters and traveling all over the world.

Dom and Luciana made up for all the years they were apart and now have two sets of twins, two boys and two girls.

Our family is not a conventional one, but I love it anyway. We depend on each other, and we don’t let each other down. I’m thankful for the love they’ve given me, but more than anything, I’m thankful for the love of my wife.

I put the box and CJ down. “Carrie, can you walk CJ outside and get him in the car seat?”

She takes his hand, and I watch as they walk outside.

Chrissy comes over to me. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

I shake my head, knowing what I want to say, but this emotion is hard for me. “Nothing’s wrong. I love you. Do you know that?”

She looks at me curiously. “Yeah, I know.”

I gesture to where our kids just walked out the door. “Thank you for giving me this life…” I take a deep breath. “Do I make you happy?”

Her eyebrows raise. “Where is this coming from, Gabe?”

I shrug. “I dunno. I’m feeling overwhelmed with gratitude. When I look back on my life, I never would have dreamed it would be this good. I owe it all to you, and well, it just got me thinking. I hope you’re happy… with me.”

She puts her hands at my waist. “You want to know if I’m happy with you?”

I nod, holding my breath, waiting for some kind of assurance.

She kisses my chest, right over my heart. “Yeah, honey. I’m happy. You make me happy. You know sometimes I feel the same way. I think my life is so good, and I wonder if I deserve it, but then I think about you and our family. I may not deserve it, but it makes me appreciate it even more. I love you with my whole heart, Gabriel Gray.”

I feel her words straight to my heart. “Me too, baby. Me too. Come on, let’s go spend the day with our family.”

She puts her hand in mine. “Lead the way, husband. I’ll follow you anywhere.”

I kiss her, tilting her head to deepen the kiss. “I’m going to lead you to bedroom when we get home later.”

She goes to her tiptoes and kisses my cheek. “You got a date, handsome.”

Hand in hand, we walk outside to where our kids are waiting.

“Who’s ready for a good time?” I holler in the truck, and my wife and kids all yell their excitement. Yeah, I’m one lucky man, and I’m going to enjoy this life of mine.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hope Ford is a USA Today Bestselling author of Steamy, Sweet, Satisfying Romance. 

She loves writing about small towns, swoony men, and curvy women that get their happily-ever-after.

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