LITMIR.BIZ

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Will had died and Liam had been life-flighted to Germany, almost losing his own life alongside his best friend.

      He tried to shake off the memories and instead focus on the road. The last thing he needed to do was run into a deer on the long stretch of winding road toward town. Gabby was fine. One of them had just gone through a no-service patch. He’d meet up with her, see what she needed, then go on with his own life.

      Because if he were honest with himself, seeing Gabby was the last thing he wanted to do. Months of therapy had finally gotten him to the place he needed to be physically, but emotionally the scars were yet to completely heal. And seeing Gabby again... He knew it was only going to be a reminder of what happened that night to his best friend. But he couldn’t let emotion rule his thoughts. He owed Will his life on more than one occasion and if that meant ensuring Gabby and her baby were safe, then he planned on doing anything in his power to keep them that way.

      Memories from the night of Will’s death refused to leave him alone, bringing back the all-too-familiar panic. They’d been ambushed that starless night only a few miles from the base while out on a routine patrol in Afghanistan. But there was nothing routine about what had happened that night. By the time he got to Will, his friend was already dead.

      Mercifully, his memories of that night were few and far between. The following minutes and hours had dragged by as comrades fought to get him to safety. Over a year later, there were still moments when he wished he’d died instead of his friend. Will had a wife and daughter. He should have lived. And yet, for some reason God had taken Will and let Liam live. The guilt of that loss had yet to let go of him completely. But if he could help Will’s widow, it seemed the least he could do to make amends.

      He tried to call her again, but for a third time, the call wouldn’t go through. This time he called a different number.

      “Griffin?”

      “Hey,” his older brother said. “I was just planning on calling you. Are we still on for tomorrow night—”

      “Yeah, but listen. I’ve got a problem, and I’m going to need your help. Do you remember Gabby Kensington?”

      “Of course. Will’s wife.”

      “Yes. She’s on her way into town now to see me. I’m not sure exactly what’s going on, but apparently her house was burglarized. She’s scared, and our call got disconnected.”

      “You know how sketchy phone service is in the passes leading up here. I’m sure she’s fine.”

      “I know, but I’m still worried. I’m on my way into town now, but you’re closer than I am.”

      “What kind of vehicle is she driving?”

      “She owns a yellow jeep.”

      “Don’t worry. I’ll head south out of town right now and see if I can find her. Keep me updated on your location and we’ll meet up. In the meantime, try to keep calling her, but send me her number so I can try as well.”

      Twenty minutes later, Timber Falls began to show above the horizon. He’d grown up in this town. Graduated from the local high school. And for the past few weeks, it had been the place where he could work on the family ranch alongside his older brother, Caden, while he continued to heal. He wanted to go back to active duty, but the doctors still hadn’t approved him. Which left his future in the military hanging in the balance.

      Liam’s phone rang, jerking him from his thoughts. “Griffin?”

      “I found her.”

      “Where is she?”

      “First of all, she and her daughter are both fine,” Griffin said, answering Liam’s next question before he had a chance to ask it. “We’re heading back into town now.”

      “What’s going on?”

      “You did the right thing to call me, because there are a couple things you need to know before you see her.”

      Liam felt a shot of adrenaline rush through him. “What do you mean?”

      “I haven’t had time to take an official statement yet, but someone rammed into her from behind while she was on her way here.” Griffin hesitated. “From the way she described it, this wasn’t an accident.”

      “But she’s okay?”

      “She’s fine. Just meet me at the sheriff’s office.”

      Five minutes later, Liam parked in front of the square brick building on the edge of town, then hurried inside.

      “Liam...” Angie Baker, the department’s secretary, looked up from her computer as he stepped into the lobby. “I just got off the phone with Deputy O’Callaghan. He’s almost here.”

      “Thank you.”

      He started pacing the white tiled floor while Angie went back to her computer. The clock on the wall ticked by the seconds. But he couldn’t find a way to shove aside the guilt. If anything happened to Gabby, he’d never forgive himself.

      “You’re going to wear a hole in the floor.” Angie stood up and grabbed a file from a tray. “Can I get you some coffee?”

      “No. I’m fine.” He stopped pacing and forced a smile at the offer. “But thanks.”

      Ten minutes later, Griffin finally walked into the lobby from the back. The two of them might be brothers, but while Griffin had brown hair, brown eyes and a knack for management, Liam had blond hair, blue eyes and an affinity for strategizing and problem solving. Though their looks and even personalities might be different, there was one thing they had in common. They both had a strong sense of duty and justice neither could ignore.

      “Griffin...” He didn’t even try to curb his impatience as he crossed the room. “Where are they?”

      “I took them directly through the back door to the conference rooms. Thought she might be more comfortable there. I also asked Mom to come over from the clinic, so she could check them out.”

      “But Gabby’s really alright?”

      “She’s shook up, but yes. Apparently, the car that hit her spun out in the snow, and she managed to lose them.”

      “Do you have any idea who hit her?”

      “I’ve got a deputy looking into the incident, but the chances of us finding them are slim in this weather. What about you? She didn’t say much except that she’d been threatened before. Did she give you any clue as to who might be after her?”

      “No. That’s why I need to talk with her.” Liam weighed his options, then made a decision. “I’m going to take her out to the ranch until we can figure out what’s going on. A burglary is one thing, but almost getting run off the road means all of this isn’t random. And from what I can tell, she doesn’t think so, either. I’ve known Gabby for several years and she’s not the kind of woman to borrow trouble. Something is very wrong.”

      “I agree.” Griffin pulled off his deputy hat and scratched the back of his head. “You can come back with me now. Then as soon as she’s given her statement and Mom has cleared them medically, you can take them out to the ranch. If we need her for anything else, I’ll know where she is.”

      And he’d be able to ensure she stayed safe.

      A minute later, Liam walked into the small conference room where Gabby was standing near the window. He crossed the room, then pulled her into his arms and hugged her. “Gabby... I’m so, so sorry.”

      “I’m fine, really. Just shook up.”

      She looked at him with those big brown eyes of hers. He’d gone to visit her half a dozen times since Will’s death seventeen months ago, but his own physical therapy had kept him out of the loop for the most part. She’d changed little on the outside, but he knew the emotional toll had been high.

      “Wow...she’s grown up so much.” He knelt

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