Chapter 56
CHAPTER
FIFTY-SIX
GUNNER
All seemed calm downstairs, but once I’m on the second floor, I smell the distinct scent of smoke.
Breaking into a full-on sprint, I pound on Rebel’s door.
“Rebel, open up!” I bark.
I press my ear to the door.
There’s no sound.
I imagine Rebel sprawled on the floor, knocked unconscious by Uncle Stewart or tied up and gagged by masked cronies that Uncle Clarence hired.
My mind about to split open, I ram my shoulders against Rebel’s door.
“Rebel! Can you hear me!”
The door in the neighboring apartment cracks open and an old woman croaks, “Who’s making all that racket… Gunner Kinsey? Is that you?”
A moment later, a beautiful voice sounds from inside Mrs. Reynold’s apartment.
“Remember not to light your granddaughter’s scented candles with the windows closed. It sets off the smoke detector and makes everyone really worried.”
“Yes, yes, I understand,” the older woman replies impatiently.
I almost fall to my knees with relief when Rebel walks out. She’s dressed in a soft pink tank top, white shorts, and the bunny slippers from last time.
Rebel notices me. “Gunner? What are you doing here?”
I move on autopilot. In three steps, I’m in front of her. Then I wrap her in my arms and bury my face in the crook of her neck and shoulder. “Thank God you’re okay.”
Rebel melts against me. As her hand settles on my back, my chest loosens and I take my first real breath in what feels like days. Finally. I squeeze my eyes shut, bundling her closer, closer, closer. Like I’ll never get enough.
Because I won’t.
“Oh, oh my,” a thin voice warbles. “Gunner Kinsey, how dare you rub your love in the face of an old, single woman! Go! Hug it out elsewhere. Shoo!”
Rebel laughs when the door slams shut behind the old woman.
I stare at her.
She blushes slightly. “What?”
“You’re beautiful,” I say simply.
The blush gets a little brighter as she rubs at a stain on my collar. “My lipstick got on your shirt.”
I swoop in and give her a quick peck.
Rebel blinks, stunned.
I pull back. “Fixed it.”
“Huh?”
“Now my lips match my shirt.”
Rebel swats at me, laughing softly. “Gunner Kinsey.”
Man, I love when Rebel says my name.
I take her hand and lead the way to her apartment.
Rebel swings my hand back and forth, her eyes sparkling. “Why are you here? Did Theilan and Watson tell you I was in trouble or something?”
“Something like that.”
“Well, I wasn’t.”
I grunt.
“You need more reliable spies, Gunner.”
To be fair, we’re good at hockey, not security. I wanted dad to put a protective detail on Rebel, but he can’t legally dispatch officers until my uncles threaten or actually hurt Rebel.
Ridiculous.
I, legally, have to wait until the woman I love gets hurt before doing anything about it? Not a pig’s chance in a frying pan. The Lucky Strikers were not the best option, but they were the only option.
I take my shoes off at her door and trek in socks through her pink living room.
“I was going to call you tomorrow,” Rebel says, sitting in the couch.
Unfortunately, her seat of choice is not on my lap.
But at least she hasn’t released my hand yet.
“You should have called.”
“With the last game of the playoffs right around the corner, I wasn’t sure it was a good idea. And looking at you now…” Rebel scoots closer and my heart picks up speed. “You seem tired.”
I’ve been stalking my uncle every night.
But I’m not telling her that.
“The coach worked us extra hard today since Max cancelled practice yesterday.”
“I heard about that.” Rebel tucks one leg underneath her. It’s crazy the way she looks ready to pose for a photoshoot when all she’s doing is getting comfortable. She runs her fingers through her hair and the strands fall perfectly over her shoulder again. “I heard Max was meeting with a new sponsor.”
I nod. Max dragged Chance and I along to a few potential sponsorship meetings while we were away from Lucky Falls. The sponsor he ended up connecting with seemed like the eccentric type, but Max was convinced by her offer and took the investment.
I’m happy if it’ll work out for him and for the team.
“What were you planning on talking about tomorrow?” I ask.
Since she’s holding my hand, it wasn’t to break up with me. I don’t think.
Rebel straightens her shoulders and looks at me head-on. “I asked you for a few days so we can think about us.”
I dip my chin slowly.
“I’ve done enough thinking and I wanted to know if you were done thinking too.”
“What was your conclusion after thinking about it?” I prod.
She scrunches her nose. “You first.”
“I’ll be honest… I made up my mind the moment I put this around your neck.” I swipe my thumb over the pink gemstone.
“Seriously?”
I nod.
She looks away guiltily.
I grip her chin and turn her face back to me. “I don’t mind that you needed space. I want you to make the decision that’s right for you, that makes you happy. More than anything, Rebel, I just want you to be happy.”
“And I want you to be happy,” she says earnestly.
I open my mouth to say that I will be, but she speaks first.
“Do you know how difficult it’ll be for you to date the girl who ruined your family? Can you imagine the awkwardness at family gatherings? The disdain on everyone’s faces? You’ll see the ugliest side of people you’ve known all your life, people you cherish. People you respect. It’ll be uncomfortable for me, but it might destroy you.”
“Then I’ll be destroyed.”
“Gunner…”
“No matter what I lose, if I have you, then I have everything.”
Rebel’s mouth parts on a stunned gasp.
I brush my thumb over her soft-as-lilies skin. “I’m ready to tell you now.”
She blinks in confusion. “Tell me what?”
“The answer.”
It takes a minute but realization soon dawns. “How long?”
“Since I was seven.”
She jerks back and away from my hands. “But… we stopped being friends when you were seven.”
I tell her about Uncle Clancy’s warning.
Color rises in her cheeks and she spits irritably, “That awful man! So that’s why you started treating me like I was invisible?”
“I was young, but I knew I had to protect you.”
“Gunner, I had no idea.”
My lips curl up at her big reaction. I knew she’d be surprised. “I stopped talking to you, but I never stopped watching you. I have a clear memory of finding you at the daisy field. I hid from you when every part of me wanted to run over.”
Her eyes turn red with unshed tears. “I wish you had.”
“I couldn’t. Not then.” I smile sadly.
She smiles back. “What about now?”
“Now… I’m not that little boy, hanging in the shadows, watching you weave daisy chains. I’m not afraid anymore, Rebel.” I take her hand. “Home for me is wherever you are.”
Her bottom lip trembles. “It’s the same for me, Gunner. I’ve never felt more safe, more heard, more respected in my life. You are…” She dabs at the corner of her eyes, “the ultimate pink flag.”
I laugh. “A pink flag?”
“Yeah. That’s my version of a green flag.”
“Isn’t pink just red mixed with white?”
“So?”
“Isn’t that… kind of still a red flag?”
“Don’t ruin my speech, Kinsey. You know what I mean.”
I bite back a laugh.
“I’ve thought a lot about it, and honestly, I don’t know how we’re going to solve this problem with the will. What I do know is that wherever things end up, I want to be with you. You’re more important to me than the money, than revenge, than any bad blood between me and the Kinseys.”
“I love you, Rebel,” I say, leaning forward. “I mean that from the bottom of my heart.”
“I love you too, Gunner.”
My heart explodes with fireworks and I can’t hold back. Her pink lips curling up in a smile is the last thing I see before I close my eyes and kiss her. She kisses me back, wrapping her arms around my neck.
I pull her into my lap and keep kissing my sweet, sweet first love.
Rebel Hart has always been the girl for me.
And all I ever want to be is the daisy in her hands.