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Here goes nothing.His palms were sweaty, clenched in a white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel as he approached Cade and Daniel’s house from the long gravel drive. He pulled to a stop next to Cade’s truck and cut the engine. He sat there a moment, staring out the windshield, still wondering if he was doing the right thing when two young boys ran out the front door and greetedCade.
“Uncle Cade, look what mom let us bring!” They held up something Grant couldn’t see from where he sat in the car. He was astonished at how much the McLendon twins had grown in the year or more since he’d first met them. Judging by the looks of it, Gabby had grown quite a bit, too. Again he was struck by how odd it felt not to call her Claira. She was as beautifully innocent as ever standing on the front porch, her hand shielding her eyes from the early morning sun as she tried to make out who hewas.
There was no use in prolonging this disaster. With a deep, anxious breath, he opened the door and pushed to his feet. Gabby’s excited, inquisitive expression fell from her face. He didn’t miss how her hand instinctively covered her swollen belly, her maternal instincts warning her of danger. He tried not to take it personally, but he couldn’t deny that it stung alittle.
“Grant?”
He nodded silently, hanging back by the car to give her some space and time to adjust to his unexpected appearance. To his complete and utter shock she let out a squeal and ran down the steps, engulfing him in a hug with more strength than a woman her size shouldhave.
“Grant Kendal, I’m so glad to see you.” When Mason McLendon stepped onto the porch, Grant carefully set her on her feet, unsure of how he would be received by her three protective husbands. They hadn’t exactly hit it off the last time he washere.
“Matt! Grey! Get your butts out here! We have company.” Mason descended the stairs and came to stand by his wife’s side. “Grant. Long time no see.” He held out his hand and Grant took it, giving it a stiffshake.
“Yeah, I uh…Jesus, is the entire town here?” This was a mistake. He couldn’t do this. Not in front of so manypeople.
“Already? Matt, did you put the wrong time on the invita—?” Grey McLendon’s words trailed off when he locked eyes with Grant, his footsteps faltering to a stop at the edge of the firststep.
“Nah, not the whole town. Not yet anyway.” Mason turned and waved for his brothers to join them. “It’s Con and Car’s birthday. We’re having a pool party here this afternoon because, well, Cade and Daniel’s place has the pool. Daniel’s out picking up the cake and some other supplies. He should be back aroundlunchtime.”
Grant heard what Mason was saying, but his eyes never left Grey’s as he made his way down the steps and stood behind Gabby, slinging a protective arm around hershoulders.
“Grey.Matt.”
“Grant, nice to see ya again.” Matt shook his hand, but he could still feel Grey’s icy stare. “I gotta say I never thought I’d be sayin’that.”
He looked back at Grey and nodded. “Never thought I would be hearingit.”
“Oh, stop it. Both of you.” Gabby shrugged off Grey’s arm and took Grant’s hand, pulling him into another embrace as she steered him toward the house. “He’s still a little over protective, especially since, well, I guess there’s no sense in hiding it. The moment we found out I’m carrying twins he’s pretty much been impossible. Give him a few minutes. He’ll comearound.”
By the time Daniel handed him a glass of whisky later that night, Grant was ready to find the bottom of the bottle. There must have been a thousand screaming kids in that pool at one point in the afternoon. Between Gabby barking out orders to both the kids and her men, and expecting Grey to corner him at every turn, his nerves were shot. He’d take a sniper rifle and drug lord any day over thischaos.
“You’re looking a little fried.” He took the glass from his friend’s hand and gulped down the amber fire in a single swallow. Daniel laughed and poured himanother.
“Gabby has changed. A lot. I didn’t expect her to be so…comfortable around me. It’s a far cry from the last time I saw her.” Christ! They had skirted talking about Thalia all day, but it seemed impolite not to acknowledge the people who had played such an important role in her recovery. The tension in his neck eased only marginally as the alcohol began to burn through his veins. It’s not that he didn’t care about Daniel and his new family, but he needed to know what the hell was going on with Thalia. No one had even mentioned her and it was driving himmad.
“That she has.” Daniel raised his glass in a mock toast before he threw back his head and drained the glass. “I haven’t seen the ghosts in her eyes in very long time. Those men keep them prettyspooked.”
“I bet they do.” Fuck, he sucked at small talk. “What about you? I assume the surgery went well or you wouldn’t be standinghere.”
Daniel chuckled, lifting another glass of whiskey in the air. “To outstanding spinal surgeons and kick-ass physical therapists.” He placed the cap back on the bottle and stashed it back inside the cabinet below the bar. “She’s been gone for nearly twomonths.”
Grant froze, the glass half way to his lips. Thank fuck they were done ignoring the hell out of the elephant on the room. “What do you meangone?”
He watched as Daniel paced to the window and peered into the darkness. “She’s improved a lot since we last spoke. Started seeing a therapist in Billings once a week. She eventually came out of her shell and began socializing with the family. She and Gabby hit it offimmediately.”
Grant’s heart sang with the news, but he’d always known she would come out of that nightmare stronger than she’d ever been. “Where did she go, Daniel? I have to see her.” He felt a sudden, incredible sense of fear. One moment he was holding his breath waiting for Daniel to tell him, the next he was praying he wouldn’t, because that meant getting on another plane and starting the process all overagain.
“I don’t know where she is.” Daniel hung his head, turning away from the window. He paced to the large desk that dominated the room and opened a folder lying on top. “I get a postcard from her about once a week. Sometimes twice. They’re from places all over the map. Chile, Nicaragua, Spain, Australia.” He pulled out one in particular, studying it for a moment before he handed it to Grant. “They stopped about two weeks ago with this one. I haven’t tried to find her. She needs to find her own wayback.”
A painful knot formed in the back of Grant’s throat when he looked at the picture on the card. A sandy, white beach surrounded by calm turquoise water. The face of the most annoying monkey he’d ever known smiled back at him. He flipped the card over, feeling his heart beat against his chest for the first time since that day in Navi as he read the words written on theback.
It’s not the same withoutyou.
“I take it you know where that wastaken.”
Grant looked up through a stream of tears and nodded, unable to hold back the smile that pulled at his lips despite them. “Uh…” He cleared his throat and wiped the back of his hand over his eyes, a little shocked when more tears took their place. “Yeah…uh, I do,actually.”
His feet were in motion before his brain had reengaged. The sound of Daniel’s voice was the only thing that could have stopped his run for the door. “Try to bring her home in time forChristmas.”
