Page 52 of The Secrets She Keeps

Her oldest brother practically hissed at that. “Don’t give her ideas!”

Powell listened to her family talking, trying to decide what she was going to say to Gunnar. She wanted to see him—to make sure he was okay, for one thing.

For another, she’d told him she was having hisbaby.Shouldn’t he have at least told her he was back in thestate?

They hadn’t spoken about the baby at all since that night in her hotel room in Wyoming. He’d texted her a few times, asking how she was feeling and if she was okay, and that had been it.

She studied him through the window. His arms were crossed over his beautiful chest. He had a dark look on his face as he said something to his friends. Those were very beautiful people out there. Heather and the two gorgeous men were the kind that garnered attention. Just by standing there. There was a man walking down the sidewalk, eyeing Heather now and everything. He hurried on past after Commander Rodriguez watched him for a moment.

But there was something dark in the way they stood now. She shivered.

“I’m going to go say hello. See if I can hold that beautiful baby. She’s still so tiny,” Powell’s mom said. “Powell? Are you coming with me or not?”

“I’ll go, Mom. There are things I want to ask Detective Gunnar Erickson,” Mac said. His tone had Powell’s eyes widening. It was all big-brother-going-to-kick-butt-right-now. A tone Mac had perfected years ago. And used just when she wanted himnotto the most.

She wasn’t ready forthis.Not by a long shot. “You had better not, McKinley Barratt. Do not be an ass. Do not. You do not sayanythingto Gunnar about the baby. It’s between the two of us what happens next. Period.”

“Well, we can’t always stand at the window, staring at the neighbors like voyeurs or anything,” Powell’s mother said. “Let’s go say hello. It is the polite thing to do.”

Powell just followed along.

She wasn’t stupid—her mom wanted to hold the baby. She suspected Melissa Barratt was going to go baby crazy before the Viking grandbaby got there.

Powell wouldn’t mind a few Ember cuddles herself. Frankie hugs either.

She wanted to know what was going on. What had put that look on Gunnar’s face. And what she had to do to help. To make things better.

Gunnar didn’t really have anyone else, did he? Just a handful of friends. Like Miguel Rodriguez, Gunnar didn’t have any family at all.

Well, he hadhernow. Her and their Viking baby. What that meant for the future, she didn’t know yet. But maybe it was time to find out?

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Gunnar sawpeople he recognized coming out of the house next to the park. And there Powell Melissa was. Right beside to her mother. Walking toward him with a hesitant look on her beautiful face.

He straightened. He practically hadn’t had two minutes since she’d told him about the baby to even think about anything of a personal nature. It had been all TSP the entire time.

And he was getting sick of it, damn it.

He wasn’t going to let this job consume him the way it had Daniel. He just wasn’t. His future was walking across her mother’s front lawn right now.

He looked at Miguel. “We’ll have to talk more later.”

“After dinner.” Both he and Miguel had been invited to dinner. By Heather’s sister, Bonnie. Gunnar had been reluctant until Bonnie had asked him to stay personally. He suspected the sight of him upset her sometimes, considering.

He’d been the one to find her that day Eastman had abducted her.

Gunnar had opened the rear door of the building Eastman’s accomplices had set on fire—and Bonnie had practically falleninto his arms. Almost dead from smoke inhalation and beaten all to hell and back. He’d ridden in the chopper with her to the hospital.

He’d never forget those big brown eyes looking at him, asking if they’d found her daughter yet. If he’d just go back to find her daughter for her. That was all she had needed, she had told him. To know if her baby girl was okay.

He’d been the one to tell her that her daughter was safe, had already been found by the good guys. The relief on her face in that moment had stayed with him ever since. It would forever.

He’d never forget that night. What hell she had been through. He didn’t want to bring up painful memories if he could prevent it. But she had been insistent that he stay for dinner.

Then Miguel had pulled in, and his kids had run right to “Aunt” Heather and “Grandma” Bonnie. Then, little Raine Rodriguez had looked up at Gunnar and called him “Ungul Gunnuh,” reaching for a hug.

Gunnar had been a total goner in that moment.

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