AllFreeNovel
Share Us
By the time Harrison took them to the station for a meeting that afternoon, the two agents did indeed look like vacationers dressed casually in jeans and T-shirts, blending in.
* * * *
Over the next few days Karissa was going stir crazy with boredom. She was used to being on the go and working. It didn’t take long to clean Gabe’s small cottage and cook dinner each day. Yesterday Gabe had dropped her off at Casey’s and she babysat her nephew so Casey and Roy could get out of the house for a little while. After Gabe’s shift he had gone to her sister’s house to help her babysit. She watched him talk to Jonathon as he walked up and down the living room and her heart melted. After they got married she hoped they had children right away. She understood Liz’s comment about the clock ticking. She was going to be thirty in a few months and she didn’t want to wait to be a mom. Later that night at home she had brought the subject up to Gabe and he wholeheartedly agreed and suggested they practice and Karissa agreed with that idea.
“Just so we get it right.” He had grinned as he’d taken off his clothes in a hurry, scattering them all over the bedroom.
But now she was bored and Gabe was working late again. He hadn’t told her a lot of details but she knew they were quietly gathering evidence against Cantrell and his men and wanted to catch him red-handed to make sure he didn’t get away this time. Kelly, one of the waitresses, said that two of the men had been at Thorn’s drinking last night and Karissa was so glad she hadn’t been there. They had gotten drunk and harassed one of the waitresses and Rex threw them out.
Then she thought of the diner. Surely there would be no harm in hanging out there with Lacy, Stella, and Ryan’s mother Ally. Lacy had just been complaining over the phone that Ryan or Logan were becoming regular features at the diner, refusing to let her be alone for too long. She said even Harrison’s DEA friends had become regular customers.
She picked up the phone and set it up with Lacy first. Lacy was excited to hang out with Karissa so then she called Gabe at the station hoping he’d say it was okay.
“Okay, sweetheart. I’m going on lunch. I’ll pick you up and take you to Lacy as long as you promise to not wander off anywhere,” he said sternly.
Karissa rolled her eyes even though he couldn’t see it. “I’m a big girl, Gabe, but yes I promise I won’t go wandering off all by myself.”
They walked into Ally’s diner and Stella and Lacy hugged her as if it had been years since they had seen her and pulled her off to sit at the counter leaving Gabe alone to have lunch with Ryan and Ethan.
Ryan looked at him with sympathy. “Don’t worry, I got my mom and Lacy lecturing me about how I don’t need to be in here every five minutes. Even Henry, my mom’s cook, told me he knew how to pick up the rifle my mom has hidden back there and show those young scoundrels a thing or two.”
Ethan nodded and laughed. “Liz got so fed up with my hanging out at the store with her she finally stomped her tiny little foot and said, ‘Unless you have proof these guys are cross-dressers get out of my store now.’ I suggested she go see her parents in Chicago but she refused, damn stubborn woman.”
Gabe chuckled and shook his head. “Jason and Harrison said they think we’re pretty close to wrapping this case up. They have enough evidence to make an arrest and hopefully catch them in the middle of the switch. I want life to get back to normal so I can plan a wedding.”
Lacy heard his comment. There weren’t too many people in the diner at this hour since the lunch rush hadn’t started yet. “No worries, Gabe. We got this wedding planning taken care of,” she yelled across the room. The few customers there started clapping and yelling out their congratulations. Everyone felt tense with the drug smuggling ring and some good news was what people needed to hear.
“Karissa wants a simple wedding, so that’s easy to plan.” Stella smiled happily. “You men go off and take care of these bad guys so we can get this show on the road.”
The women customers in the diner laughed and offered to help in any way possible, offering up many ideas to Karissa.
“I’m on the board committee that handles the events held at the community hall,” Mrs. Johnson, one of Lacy’s favorite customers offered. She took her bill up to Lacy and smiled at Karissa. “You give me a date and I’ll make sure it’s reserved for you, sweetie. I remember you and your sister Casey. You’ve become a beautiful young lady and that rascal better keep you happy or else he’ll answer to me.”
Gabe walked up behind Mrs. Johnson and kissed her wrinkled cheek. “You better believe I’ll make her happy, Mrs. Johnson, she’s my treasure. Thank you for that offer of the hall. As soon as we have a date I will call you. Now let me walk you home so we can talk some more, it’s been too long since you’ve had lunch with me. I think you’re ignoring me.”
Mrs. Johnson laughed. “You are such a charmer, Gabriel Wilson, and I would love to have an escort home. What is the world coming to these days?”
Karissa loved that Gabe was so kindhearted to those around him. She kissed Gabe’s cheek good-bye and hugged Mrs. Johnson and told her thank you.
Lacy watched them leave as Gabe was telling Mrs. Johnson to keep her doors locked. “I’m so glad she sold that huge house she lived in and moved to town. It took me forever to convince her. I worry about her falling and being so far out of town, especially in the winter.”
“Mr. Johnson passed away years back and she was driving here every day so she wouldn’t have to eat alone.” Stella gave Karissa the updated news. “The house was so big and so far from town.”
Lacy nodded. “I was so worried for her safety. She is so sweet but her health isn’t the best these days. I helped her put the house on the market and she picked a little house a few blocks from here and now she can walk or drive here. And it’s easier for me drop off her groceries for her and check up on her. We have tea every Monday and Thursday. She is like a grandmother to me. I tried to convince her to stay with us for now but she wouldn’t hear of it.”
Karissa loved the feeling of a small town compared to the anonymous life you could
live in a big city. People cared for one another and helped those in need, pulling together in times of trouble. She had missed this feeling of belonging to a community and she would be proud to raise her family here in Appledale.
Ryan and Ethan finished their meal and lectured the girls on being careful and alert at all times.
“If you see them coming, go in the kitchen, Karissa, and you call me right away, Lacy,” Ryan ordered in his stern sheriff’s voice, then kissed his wife lovingly on her lips. “I love you, Lacy.”
“I love you, Ryan, and I will be careful, I promise, babe. I have no desire to deal with these guys any more than I have to. The lunch rush is about to start and it will be packed full of people. We’ll be okay.” Lacy comforted him. “You are the one that needs to be careful.”
“Is Liz coming by today?” Stella asked Ethan.
Ethan shook his head letting his concern show. “She was sick again last night and this morning so she went out to Golden House where Aunt Mary is pampering her. She’ll make sure Liz does nothing but rest today while Amy runs the store. She also hired a new girl that Amy is training.”
