Chapter Nine #2
He touched one lightly with a fingertip. Felicity’s face flickered in his mind—her soft smile in the truck, the tremble in her voice when she called the cops, the way she’d leaned into him without thinking.
Just like this flower, she was delicate, but also stubborn. She’d lost her staff, her confidence and now the final lifeline to her friend Henry—the journal. Yet she kept finding ways to straighten her shoulders and stand upright.
He plucked the little cluster. The stems were surprisingly tough compared to the petals.
He didn’t know what he’d do with them—press them inside the folded note maybe. He only knew leaving them behind felt wrong.
“Gabe?” Carson called out. “Any last-minute ideas?”
He carefully slipped the flowers in his inside pocket next to the note and eyed the blueprint Pat held stretched between both hands. “Any changes before we pour concrete? Once it’s down, there’s no going back. At least not without great expense.”
Gabe gazed at the land, then at the mountain peaks beyond. “This would make a great place for mountain warfare training.”
Carson arched a brow. “Go on.”
He pointed toward the steeper side. “That’s perfect for vertical movement drills.
The brush cover is good for concealment.
You’ve got natural rock for ambush scenarios.
You could simulate rough terrain infiltration.
And the winters aren’t easy up here. It’s also isolated enough for explosives training. ”
“Damn. That would mean moving the site of the facility.”
The contractor blinked. “That…is actually doable.” He waved a hand toward the east. “That flat area was our second choice for the site.”
Carson nodded. “It seems like we’ve got a new plan.” He turned to Gabe, eyes gleaming with approval. “And I think we just found our reason why you’re here.”
Whether it was for the ranch, the security agency, the training center…or the woman carrying too much on her shoulders…Gabe wasn’t going anywhere.
* * * * *
As soon as Felicity slipped into the house, Honor appeared, wiping her hands on a dish towel. Her sharp gaze zeroed in on Felicity, brows already pinched with concern before she ever asked what was going on.
Felicity bypassed all of Honor’s concerns with a question. “Is that brownies I smell?”
The rich aroma hovered in the air, reminding her of those happy weeks when Honor came to visit.
A smile stretched over her sister’s face. “Mom’s recipe. C’mon. You can lick the bowl.”
“Ooh!”
Visiting their parents was just another thing on Felicity’s to-do list that probably wouldn’t happen until things settled. But brownies she could do. She set her bag out of the way and followed her younger sister to the kitchen.
As soon as she entered, her gaze fell on the baby seat on the floor. Strapped into it was Carson and Layne’s newborn. CJ had just a dusting of hair on his perfectly round head, and his father’s gray eyes—Malone eyes.
“Forget the bowl. Let me at this baby!” She forgot her own cares as she sank to the floor beside the infant.
“I’m watching him for a few hours while Layne gets some sleep. Little master CJ here has his hours turned around and is keeping his parents up all night.”
“He doesn’t look tired after being up all night.”
“I suppose he’s like his Uncle Gray. That man can burn the candle at both ends and two points in the middle and still function at peak.”
“Oh really?”
A faint pink flush crept into Honor’s cheeks. She started to sputter a response, but Felicity laughed.
At the sound, CJ’s bright eyes turned on her, and she leaned in to capture his little hand and babbled to him.
Hugging the brownie bowl, Honor leaned against the counter. When Felicity paused in her very important conversation with the infant, Honor jumped right in.
“How are things, Felicity?”
She opened her mouth, then closed it again. How to express any of the things going on? She was frightened. She was pissed off. And…each time she saw Gabe, her stomach tumbled with excitement.
“I’m holding it together.”
Honor abandoned the bowl and came to sit on the floor with her and CJ. Sunlight slanted through the big windows, washing everything in warmth. Felicity tucked her legs beneath her and ran her thumb over CJ’s little fingers in a gesture meant to soothe herself as much as him.
Then she launched into the recounting of the long day she had, including the stolen journal, the useless police and the awful bakery shop owner, but leaving out the part where she and Gabe fell to the floor in the cookbook section in a tangle of bliss.
When she finished, Honor’s eyes were wide. “I can’t believe someone took the journal. This is getting scary.”
“I know. I wish whoever’s doing this would just show his face, the way your ex did. But I have no idea who would be interested in me.”
“Whoever took it, they’re not just breaking in for random things. They want something.”
She nodded.
“You’ve told me so much about Henry.” Honor pitched her voice low. “How he started as your auction rival and turned into one of your favorite people.”
She issued a shaky laugh. “He made me furious at that event. He outbid me on the edition I’d been tracking for months.”
Honor smiled in memory of the story. “And then he apologized and offered to let you borrow it.”
Felicity swallowed the tightness in her throat, little CJ’s face blurring in her teary vision. “Yeah. That was Henry.”
“And he sent you that chicken soup package the winter you got sick. The one with seven teas and the ridiculous fluffy blanket.”
Her chest warmed. “He always knew how to make someone feel cared for without making a big deal of it. He was like the favorite uncle I never had.”
Honor squeezed her hand. “Have you tried to contact him? You’re positive he’s…gone?”
She wagged her head. “I emailed him a few times over the past three months. I got no response, but I didn’t follow up because…well, my shop was sinking fast.”
“And it was your number one priority. Understandable.”
“Now someone stole his journal, and I didn’t even get a chance to read more than a couple entries.”
“I know that has to be difficult. Not knowing what you missed.”
Before Felicity could speak, Willow breezed into the kitchen with a mug in hand, and Layne right behind her.
Willow stopped. “Do I smell brownies?”
Honor laughed and pushed to her feet. “They’re in the oven.”
Willow went to peek through the glass on the oven door. “There’s nothing like a warm brownie fresh from the oven. I have a horse therapy session in a few minutes. By the time I get back, they’ll be cool.” Her lips turned downward in a disappointed pout.
Honor grinned. “That’s the same face your brother makes when he doesn’t get what he wants. I’ll bring you one in the paddock. And one for your vet too.”
“Oh, that would be so sweet of you!” Willow’s eyes danced. “Crew will appreciate a snack too. I’m glad the good ole Malone charm worked.”
They shared a laugh.
Layne, looking fresh and restored by her nap, swooped in to unstrap CJ from the seat. As soon as he saw her, he started to fuss and root around to nurse.
Layne was always stunning, but the tender, maternal expression made her the most beautiful woman on the planet. Cradling her son, she threw them all a look. “Someone’s hungry. I’m going to slip out and feed him. Good to see you, Felicity.”
“You too, Layne. CJ and I had a nice chat.”
She smiled down at her boy. “He is a good listener. Let’s hope he keeps that trait and doesn’t turn into a Malone man.” She made a face that had them all chuckling as she left the kitchen.
Willow announced she was going to be late for that session and followed right behind her, leaving Felicity alone with her sister again.
“C’mon. Let’s go to the library and have a closer look at those books.”
“Sounds great.”
They walked together to the beautiful space, Honor’s presence comforting beside her. “So…Gabe.”
She sent her sister a sidelong look. “What about him?”
“I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”
It was her turn to blush. Her cheeks heated, and she knew they were brighter than her sister’s.
“I’ve seen the way you look at him too.”
“All right, matchmaker.”
“What? He’s nice to look at. A protector.”
She couldn’t deny either.
“He follows you with his eyes like you’re his favorite problem. You’re allowed to notice.”
“That’s the issue.” They entered the library and closed the door. “I’m not sure where he’s at in life. I mean…is he sticking around the Black Heart? Or does he plan on going back to his sister’s?”
Honor moved to the window seat and sank to the cream-colored cushion bathed in sunshine. “I know how your mind works and I see how that’s a concern for you.”
“Exactly. The other concern is me. Where am I in life? My business is in chaos. I feel like an emotional mess. The last thing Gabe needs is me dragging him down.”
Honor’s stare softened. “What if he doesn’t see it that way? What if he sees it as supporting a woman who’s worth his time?”
She began to respond, but her gaze landed on a little cluster of flowers on the pillow she slept on the previous night.
Pale blue petals with tiny yellow centers, the stems bundled in a bit of thin twine.
Honor’s gaze fell on them too. Her back stiffened. “Don’t touch those.” Her voice dropped to a commanding tone Felicity had never heard from her little sister. “We need Gray—dammit. He’s in California. Okay—Carson.”
Felicity swung toward her. “Honor?”
Honor grabbed her arm, eyes wide. “Juliette got flowers from her stalker. Willow too. I’m not ignoring that pattern!”
“These aren’t from a stalker.” Felicity’s tone came out gentle, and she couldn’t stop the small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “They’re from Gabe.”
She froze. “How do you know?”
“Because it’s exactly the kind of thing he’d do.” She walked to the stack of blankets and the pillow at one corner of the sofa and carefully picked up the bouquet. “He’s…old-fashioned.”
Honor’s shoulders dropped as the tension flowed out of her. “Old-fashioned. Like someone else I know.”
“Honor.” The warning was edged with warmth.
“Let’s get a glass of water for them.”
They found a small juice cup in the kitchen and then Felicity arranged the flowers and set them on the mantel where the light caught the thin petals.
She wrapped her arms around her middle, examining the pretty blooms and thinking about a gorgeous man picking them for her.
Honor stood beside her. “Perfect. Now let’s go to dinner.”
She ducked her head to hide her excitement at seeing Gabe there. “I told Gabe I’d see him at dinner.”
“Oh really?” Honor mocked her tone from earlier, and they both broke out laughing.
Felicity smoothed her hair and followed her sister to the dining hall in the lodge. When they entered, her gaze zoomed right to Gabe. He was already seated but scanning the doorway like he’d been counting seconds to the time she arrived.
Honor gave her hand a squeeze. “I’ll be sitting with some of the guys.”
“Okay.” She headed straight for Gabe like he was carbon steel and she was a magnet, helpless against him.
She slid into the seat beside him.
“Thought I was getting stood up.” His warm chuckle washed through her.
She studied his eyes. “Sorry. I had to put the flowers in water.”
A hint of shyness crept into his expression. “I should have gone to the florist and bought you a proper bouquet. I found those growing under a rock on the ridge.”
She settled a hand on his arm, the muscles strong and firm beneath her touch. “I love that you thought of me when you saw them, Gabe. That’s more meaningful to me than any elaborate bouquet.”
His eyes sparkled. “I found your note.”
Her heart fluttered.
“It means a lot to me too. I’m going to keep it…always.”
The air between them was still charged with the electricity of their attraction and a lust that hadn’t even begun. But beneath it she sensed their relationship had shifted into a connection every bit as meaningful as notes and flowers.