17. Gideon
17
Gideon
I knew she had gone to see her family. It was the only place she would go—she had no one else. The thought was a sad one. I hoped they accepted her for who she was. Laney was so lovable; who wouldn’t love her? As soon as I could walk, I’d go to Oklahoma to check on her.
“What are you brooding over?” Raven asked, interrupting my thoughts.
“Laney and Haley. I was just hoping they were doing okay. They must be at your dad’s place. Have you talked to them yet?”
“No, but I’m planning to call later. How are you doing?”
“I can’t walk. How do you think I’m doing?”
“The doctor said it’ll take time, but you’ll walk again,” Raven replied patiently. “The swelling around your spinal cord has to go down first. Once it does, you’ll be back on your feet.”
“I know, I know. You’ve told me that a dozen times,” I said, sighing. “I just don’t want to see Laney if I can’t walk. Honestly, I’m relieved she’s gone. When I can walk, I’ll find her. For now, I’m going to bed. See you tomorrow.”
“You’re heading to bed already?”
Before I could answer, Gage walked onto the deck with a tray of food. “I brought you some dinner,” he said.
“You did? Okay, I’ll eat,” I said reluctantly. “Are you two eating with me?”
“Hell yeah,” Gage said, grinning. “I made tacos. Have you heard from Laney?”
“Not yet.”
“I saw her on YouTube,” Gage said casually as he set the food down. “She was fishing with Ron and Mike. She had on cut-off blue jeans and a tank top. I figured you’d want to call and check on Mike.”
Raven and I both pulled out our phones and searched for Fishing with Laney . I smiled when I saw her in the video. She was sitting in her truck, pulling her boat onto a lake property. People shouted, “Welcome back,” and she looked so happy.
“Call your dad,” I said to Raven, “and ask how Mike got out.”
While Raven called, Gage and I sat down to eat. “She looks happy, doesn’t she?” I asked him.
“She’s out on a boat in the middle of a lake with her siblings and her dad,” Gage replied. “Yeah, she’s happy.”
“She’s beautiful,” I murmured, “inside and out. I love her.”
Gage gave me a sideways glance. “Would you like to go there and fish with her?”
“I’d love that, but I can’t walk. What would I do, sit and watch? Nope, I’ll wait until I’m back on my feet.”
“You fish with your hands; you sit on a boat and fish,” Gage replied.
Raven came back after talking on the phone, his expression dark. “Mike’s out of prison. All the charges were dropped.”
“And that makes you angry?” I asked, confused.
“No,” Raven said, shaking his head. “What makes me angry is that the mob boss’s lawyer is the one who got him out. Laney called him to make it happen.”
“So?” Gage said, shrugging. “The boss is dead. It’s fine that the lawyer got him out. Is the lawyer taking over the mob?”
“No, he left the country right before they came to arrest him.”
“So, the FBI is going through Jonah’s files now,” Gage said. “Laney told me the law was in Jonah’s pocket. I just hope they don’t start questioning her. She might punch them in the nose.”
“Are you going to visit your family?” I asked Raven.
“Yeah. Do you want to come with me?”
“Hell no. What part of ‘I can’t walk’ don’t you understand?” I snapped. “But I do want you to bring Laney back here with you. Once they figure out she’s the one who shot the gas tanks on that boat, they’ll be after her.”
“I’d think whoever you’re talking about would be happy she did it,” Gage said, grabbing another taco.
“I’m leaving in the morning,” Raven said. “If you change your mind, let me know.”
“Okay, but I’m not going to change my mind.”
Gage gave me a pointed look. “How do you expect the swelling to go down if you don’t relax? I haven’t seen you rest once since you got back.”
“I know,” I admitted. “I’ll start tomorrow. I have to get better. How can I protect Laney if I don’t heal? I can’t have a life with her if I can’t keep her safe.”
“You will get better,” Gage said firmly. “Just do what the doctor told you. Oh, by the way, Kat went to the hospital. The babies are ready to make their debut. You should’ve seen River—he was running around in circles like a headless chicken. I had to slap him on the back and tell him to get it together.”
That made me laugh. Later, as I lay in bed, I watched a new video of Laney with her brothers and Georgia, fishing together on every trip. She was laughing and having so much fun. I couldn’t stop smiling. God, I hoped her troubles with the mob were over.
I decided to call River. “How’s Kat?”
“She’s sleeping,” he said. “And we have two beautiful babies—a boy and a girl.”
“That’s amazing. Congratulations!” I said warmly. “Can you believe you’re a father?”
“No,” River admitted, laughing. “But Kat’s worn out, so I’m on baby duty tonight.”
“You’ll be the best dad. I’m happy for both of you.”
“Thanks, man. Have you heard from Laney?”
“She’s at her dad’s place,” I said. “She’s already making videos for Bass Pro Shop. Check out her channel, Fishing with Laney .”
“I will,” River said. “How’s the swelling?”
“Still there,” I replied.
“Rest, man. You’ll get better. Good night.”
“Good night,” I said, chuckling as I hung up.