Page 69 of Missing Marcus

Leo stood. “Let’s let Gabby rest. We’ll head back to the facility to run down these leads and see if Victoria and Ivan’s men have heard any chatter.

Saint neared Gabby. “I’m sorry G-girl. I won’t be able to take you into town with these new leads. I don’t know how long it’ll take to follow up on them.”

“I’ll take you,” Knight volunteered. His jaw clenched and he stood stiffly, waiting for her to reject him in front of the men. He reminded her of a lost little boy.

“All right. I’ll nap, then we can head to town.”

Saint and Patch glanced at Knight and nodded as if they spoke in code. Gabby yawned as she rose from the chair and padded her way to her room. After the restless last night and the morning’s excitement, she needed a small rest before she power-shopped. The baby kicked as if it knew her thoughts dwelled on Knight’s dinner offer. She closed her eyes and the comforting smell of sandalwood relaxed her as she felt a quilt cover her before she fell asleep.

33

Gabby glanced at Samantha and Bryanna as they dressed her up for a shopping trip and dinner. “I thought this place didn’t have many stores. I appear like I’m dressed for an evening out.”

“You’re having dinner at Ty’s. You’ll want to look nice. It’s not fancy, but the food’s quite good.” Bryanna tucked a curl around Gabby’s shoulder as Samantha produced a pretty shawl to cover her if she felt cold in the restaurant.

“What time do I need to arrive at the party on Saturday?” she asked as the women continued to fuss over her. Kassie sat on the couch rubbing her hand over her stomach and smiling as if all felt right in her world. She envied the woman whose husband doted on her every move and the women in the room seemed genuinely excited for the mom to be.

As she peered at Kassie, she felt almost jealous. The woman acted extremely kind to her and it made her feel guilty. Gabby wanted to experience her pregnancy around her friends and with an attentive husband. Instead, she lost Jackie, regained Bryanna, and Marcus and her returned to California next week to finalize their divorce. She turned away from staring and saw her friend, Bryanna, smiling and caressing her stomach, another punch in the gut for her. She felt happy for her friend, but it became another reminder of all she lost. Samantha waddled over with a pair of sensible shoes.

“These will feel comfortable for walking and still give you some style.” The pretty blonde bent and smiled at her as her arm rested on the top of her protruding belly. It seemed as if the entire town grew its population from the women on the mountain alone. “You’re beautiful, Gabby. I’d love to use you as a model for some of my salon products. Of course, Whiskey refuses to allow me to fly anywhere after Leo discussed how he watched a video of a woman who went into labor early and she gave birth in the middle of the aisle with the entire plane watching. I think since Catherine decided to procreate with him, we reserve the right to staple his mouth shut for the next nine months. The man loses his marbles as her stomach grows,” she giggled.

“Isn’t he the leader of the team?” Gabby asked as she slid the shoes on and sighed at the memory foam inside them.

“Yes. He’s a fantastic boss for our men but gets a bit psycho about Catherine’s pregnancies,” Kassie informed her. “He’s like an older brother to me and I love him. I don’t live with him, and he drives me insane.”

Bryanna turned to Kassie. “Did Chase talk to you about the rental car situation?”

Kassie glanced at Gabby’s belly. “The team offered a minivan for them to use. It’ll be the most comfortable for Gabby since she’s too far along to fly. Chase assured me they worked out the details.”

“Marcus mentioned it,” Gabby said.

Someone knocked on the door, and Bryanna rushed to answer it, waving Kassie back into her seat. The older redheaded woman, Victoria, appeared. She pointed her finger at Kassie and wagged it. “Maddie and I left you home to rest, not to galivant all over the mountain. Tori went down for a nap and Emma asked if Melody and Nugget might come over to play. Of course, we assumed you rested at home and said yes. Imagine my surprise at not finding you in bed.”

Kassie rolled her eyes, making Samantha and Bryanna giggle. “Sorry ladies, the warden found me. I’m not sure Leo’s the worst after all.”

“Oh, Luv, don’t compare me to the insane porpoise. I can always call Chase or let Joe and Ivan know you didn’t rest this afternoon…”

“Okay, okay.” Kassie wiggled her way up, hugged her friends and Gabby, and turned toward the sofa to pick up her purse when the older woman beat her to it. Kassie rolled her eyes at the ceiling as if counting to ten as Victoria led her out.

“Who’s an insane porpoise? Why does she need to rest so much? Almost everyone seems to hover around her.” Gabby asked as Bryanna sat on the couch.

“Victoria calls the team porpoises instead of SEALs. Kassie and Chase struggled with getting pregnant. They all but gave up when she discovered herself expecting at Christmas. We’re happy for them. She’s experienced several miscarriages and expecting twins is high risk. Her husband’s worried about her carrying them to full-term because of her history,” Bryanna explained.

“How heartbreaking. My mom died giving birth to me. I asked my doctor about it when I moved here. I can’t imagine it’s not worrying Kassie about carrying them full term.” Gabby sat in the oversized chair as Samantha went into the kitchen to bring them a snack of tacos from Tess and Lizzy sent a tray of homemade granola bars.

“Ohhh,” Gabby moaned as she bit into the taco. “Tell Tess I love her. I think this baby will come out holding a taco in his hand. She keeps sending a tin pan of these daily. Yesterday, I finished off the entire thing before Marcus got two down.”

Bryanna bit into a granola bar and smiled. “You snooze, you lose is my favorite motto right now. I finished my plate and ate part of Saint’s. I’ve never eaten this much in my life and now I feel like one of those zombies on that TV show. If I get a whiff of something, stay out of my way.”

Samantha laughed. “I’m not feeling hungry, but I crave the weirdest things. I woke Whiskey while I plundered the fridge for stuffed olives and pineapple. I hate olives.”

Gabby didn’t reply. No one worried about her cravings or if she needed naps. She kept Marcus at a distance, not knowing what to expect after the last year. He ensured her favorite juice stayed in the fridge, and today, her favorite fruit and veggies. She wondered if things turned out different, what he might be like. She shut the thought inside a box and filed it away. Her focus must remain on how she planned to work after the baby was born and how to support the two of them. As soon as the team and the authorities arrested her boss, Gabby’s job ended.

The door opened and admitted Saint, Whiskey and Knight.

“It appears we arrived in time. Tess brought tacos,” Whiskey announced, practically drooling from the smell. The three pregnant women glanced at him, making him retreat. “I dunna think I’m hungry after all.”

Samantha smiled serenely. “Can you take me back home? I want to check on the spa before it closes for the day, and Lizzy asked us to watch Caleb and Tyler while she goes to her check-up. We’ll feed them dinner and give them baths.”

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