Chapter Thirteen
“Happy birthday to you!” They finished the song for little Ethan’s first birthday as many guests gathered for the little birthday boy.
It had been a tremendous day. With most of their troubles behind them, they wanted a nice, joyful, and uncomplicated day.
All of the ranch hands even took a minute from their busy day to celebrate.
Alex and his wife Willow came along with the happy grandma who was getting every bit of the birthday boy’s celebration on camera.
“Let’s cut the cake,” Gage cheered. Ethan bubbly clapped as he drooled, but Hope stood by with one hand gripping onto the edge of the dining room table.
“Ah,” Hope groaned out, her face scrunched and her other hand on her belly.
“Hope!” Gage was at her side. It was time for the baby, and from the sudden pool of water on their dining room floor, everyone else knew it as well.
“Go. Get her to the hospital. We’ll watch Ethan,” Grace said.
“I’ll drive,” Denver said, taking the prepared bag that had been in the front closet.
They knew it had to be a matter of time.
Her due date passed a week ago. She felt the pain start two hours ago, but she refused to not have a party for Ethan.
Gage called Dr. Hart to meet them at the hospital.
Everyone at the party wished them luck and promised to clean up.
Hope cried and apologized profusely as she left, feeling sad that she let everyone down.
“Sweetheart, I’d say that’s the way to throw a party,” Alex cheered. “Besides, if you’re lucky, they’ll have the same birthday, and that’s pretty cool.”
Forty-two minutes later, they were in labor and delivery holding their little guy.
Birthday twins a full year apart was insane.
“You two were not playing, but I’d say take it easy this time and maybe space it out.
She’s not a heifer and she needs a little rest unless you’re planning to hire a nanny full time. ”
“There won’t be another woman in my house,” Hope hissed.
She’d already tried having two different women in her home and neither worked out.
First the whole fiasco with Rhoades who had been kidnapped.
Of course, afterwards, she had no intention of ever coming to work for them.
Then the other woman was too busy flirting with Gage that he was uncomfortable.
He fired her before Hope dragged her out to meet the new bull.
****
“Sparks, how did you get in here?” Hope cried out, clutching her brand-new bundle in her arms. It had only been a day since she’d given birth to their second son, and she was going to be discharged that afternoon.
Her body trembled, knowing her had nowhere to run and the man who tried to kill her family was standing inside her hospital room with the door closed.
“It’s the only way I could get to you,” he snarled at Hope. “I want my life back and since you don’t know how to die, I’ve been on the run for too long. Not anymore.” The venom in his voice would terrify anyone especially a mother protecting her newborn, but she had to do her best.
“There were guards outside my door.” Denver had been at the ranch with Ethan and Mike was forced to remain outside the hospital. The hospital security staff were supposed to be monitoring Hope’s room.
“People aren’t as observant as they believe. I got in here pretty easily. Your husband fell for the issue on the ranch and left you all alone. God, I’m going to enjoy his pain when he realizes he couldn’t protect you.” He laughed and pointed a .22 semi-auto with a makeshift suppressor at Hope.
“I’ll scream, and they’ll come for you,” she challenged.
He only laughed at her threat. “I don’t care about me. I want Gibson to suffer.” The deadly smirk on his face caused all the color to drain from her face.
“Why? What did he do to you?” she asked.
“His father killed my mother. He raped and killed her. I’ve worked my entire life to get revenge on the bastard and yet he continued to go unscathed.” The vehement disgust couldn’t be hidden in Sparks voice. He truly hated Gage’s father and in turn, Gage as well.
She remained composed, trying to talk him down. “So this is what it’s all about? Do you have kids?”
“Yes. One, but he lives with my mistress.”
“So one day you want my son to go after him? You’re no better than Gage’s father, the man Gage hated more than anyone else until my father,” Hope spat out, wanting Sparks to see the similarity in his actions.
“Don’t try to make me feel guilty. He deserves this and so do you.” He sneered at her. Rage built inside him as he thought about how happy Gage was with Hope. The bastard didn’t deserve it.
“Why?”
He loaded the chamber and with a finality in his voice, he answered, “Fraternizing with the enemy.” And just like that everything happened in a flash.
****
Gage knew that the call had been a setup, and had been waiting for this moment.
Everything He called in a favor and planned the whole takedown of Sparks, but this time he wanted it well recorded.
The gun had been given to Sparks by a detective posing as a gang member.
It had blanks and had been rigged to misfire into the shooter’s hand.
Gage wasn’t a fool. Sean’s security team had done a deep dive into Sparks’ background and last night Gage learned why he became Sparks’ obsession.
His father was still haunting him from the afterlife.
When he learned the connection, Gage knew it wouldn’t be over until Sparks had gotten the revenge he sought.
Sparks had been tracked the moment he entered the hospital.
Per Gage and Alex’s orders, Sparks was allowed to slip past the guards while they watched his movements on the hospital cameras.
Gage had a personal hookup via a hospital tablet while he took his position.
At one point the smirk on Sparks’ face actually made Gage crack up.
He thought he was getting the best of security, but he had been the one fooled.
Listening in, Gage, Alex, and the team of officers waited for their moment to strike. They wanted her to keep him talking and he did just that.
They all heard the metal click. “Fraternizing with the enemy.”
Gage rushed out of the closet, coming up behind Sparks with his gun pressed to the back of Sparks’ head.
“You’re an idiot. The piece of shit that was my father was also yours.
He didn’t rape her, they were lovers. We could have gotten to know each other as family, but I guess you inherited too much from the old bastard.
” He slammed Sparks’ body over the foot of the bed, sending the prop gun flying.
“Hope, love. Did you get all of that?” Gage asked, smiling at her.
“Yes, I did.” She grinned, taking the fake baby from the blanket with the recorder.
“Great work, you two,” DA Jones said as he entered the room.
“This time, make sure the tapes don’t disappear. In fact, we’ll be needing a copy,” Ranger Savage added.
One of the officers pulled out the cuffs and grabbed Sparks wrists, but he was too quick and before he could react, Sparks wrapped one of the cords from Hope’s machines around the young cop’s neck.
“Let him go, Sparks,” Savage demanded.
“No way.”
Gage had had enough. He pulled out his gun and shot Sparks in the arm.
“God, thank you,” the officer gasped.
“You can’t underestimate crazy.” Just as he said that, Sparks tried to come at them and another officer shot him on the spot, sending Sparks’ lifeless body crumbling to the ground.
“You could say that again. Let’s get this mess cleaned up,” Alex ordered. A panic alert went off around the hospital after the shots range out. It took a few minutes to stop the chaos, but thankfully most of the people understood that the situation was contained and hadn’t reacted in fear.
Hope sighed and then grunted. “I’m so hot.” She fixed her hair up in a ponytail and then took off the protective vest they put on her before Sparks showed up.
“That you are,” Gage grunted.
“Six weeks, Mister,” Alex teased.
“You two, we’re in the middle of a crime scene.”
“What? We didn’t do anything DA Jones.” It took another forty minutes before they cleared the room, leaving Gage and Hope alone.
“Someone was looking for his mommy,” the nurse said as she walked in, pushing a wheelchair with their new baby strapped into his car seat.
“I’m ready to go home,” Hope said with a tired smile.
“Come on, Mrs. Gibson.” Gage kissed her lips and then helped her into the chair.
Three hours later, Gage, Hope, Ethan, and the baby rested in their own bed at home. “It’s all over,” he whispered, laying Ethan on his chest. He leaned down and kissed Hope’s temple as she cradled their new addition to the family, Alex Gibson.