Page 70 of Missing Marcus

Bryanna glanced at her husband. “Victoria stopped by and mentioned Nugget asked to play with Melody and Em. Did you give her permission?”

“Yes. Since you visited Gabby and I stayed later at work, it worked out,” he replied as he gathered his wife’s things. “Mama put a roast on and invited us for dinner.”

Bryanna turned to Gabby. “I’ll introduce you to her at the shower on Saturday. Miss Edie makes the pecan pies and since we’re blessing her with another grandchild, she makes dinner for us at least twice a week and always has some healthy snack she put together for me,” Bryanna gushed, the love for her mother-in-law evident in the way she spoke about her.

“Are you ready to go to town?” Knight asked as his gaze took her in and heat rose to her cheeks.

“Yes. I’ll see you on Saturday,” she said as she rose and hugged her friend and Samantha. “I’ll grab my purse and be ready in a minute.”

“Take your time,” he assured her. “We aren’t in a hurry.”

The truck easedout of the subdivision and down the mountain road. Gabby watched out her window, entranced by the view.

“Do you know where you want to stop first?” he asked.

“I saw a couple of boutique shops at the end of the street. Maybe we start there,” she suggested as she fiddled with the shawl’s ends to keep her hands busy. Somehow going out felt different than staying at the cabin. She didn’t have a place to retreat when he attempted to talk to her.

“Did you turn in all your work today? If I haven’t mentioned it, I’m proud of you, Gabby. You’ve done really well for yourself,” he complimented her.

“Thanks. I’m a complete success. Kicked out of my home, moved to Seattle for a fresh start with a top accounting firm trafficking humans, got my only friend killed and forced to stay in a cabin with my soon-to-be ex, whose baby I carry.”

Knight glanced at her and cocked his head, “When you put it that way…” He struggled to keep from chuckling at her cheeky response. “I meant you worked hard for your degrees and you made it to manager status within months of moving here. You always worked magic with our budget. I’m not surprised.”

She turned toward him. Tears threatened, but she held them back. “Listen. You volunteered to take me shopping and feed me. Let’s not ruin it with a walk down memory lane.”

He frowned as he saw the glistening in her eyes. “I’m sorry. Let’s find a present for my sister. Maybe you can help me find something for her, too? I don’t know what she needs.”

“Neither do I. Do you think I automatically know because I’m a woman? In the time you’ve known me, how many babies have you seen me with?” she asked, her voice grew higher.

“No. I hoped Bryanna mentioned what she needed,” he defended himself.

“We’ve spoken a few times. I’m certain we can find something.”

Knight pulled into the parking spot and helped her out of the truck. He scanned the area and noticed Patch on one corner, Leo standing in front of his sister’s bakery, Doc Winters sitting on a bench two stores down, and Taco, Shadow, and Ragu congregating at the coffee shop. The men didn’t let him go alone. They covered his back.

Gabby walked around the first boutique, searching for something for her friend. Knight followed her. He picked up a machine with two bottles attached and stared at it. Shaking his head, he put it down and came across a matching mother-and-daughter outfit. He smiled as he pictured Gabby holding a little girl’s hand, wearing cute matching outfits. Excitement grew as he marveled at a tiny Seahawks outfit with a miniature football. Glancing at Gabby, he caught her watching him and grinned at the outfit.

“Bryanna might like it,” she suggested.

He liked it.“It’s still early, I want something special.”

She glanced longingly at the tiny jersey before walking away. He made a mental note to pick it up later. Gabby browsed the baby books and picked up three. Two of them contained the same title and she paused and put one back. A pair of tiny tennis shoes caught her eye and she smiled as she admired them.

Damn, she was beautiful.Knight walked behind her and held out a shopping basket for her to add them. Wistfully, she put them inside. They circled the toy section and she picked up a stuffed giraffe with a teething toy attached. Then the elephant caught her eye. Grinning, she picked it up and caressed the furry ears. A sad expression crossed her face as she set it down and added the giraffe. When she finished, she headed to the cashier.

Knight pulled out his wallet to use his card.

“No. It’s my stuff. I’ll pay for it,” she insisted.

“If you’ll excuse us for a moment.” Knight addressed the older woman behind the counter. He gently pulled Gabby away to keep from getting overheard.

“I’ll pay. We don’t want you using your credit cards. They may try to track you,” he explained. “I’ll take care of it. I know you’ll keep all the receipts, Miss Accountant.”

“It won’t come from me then,” she argued as she pulled out her purse. “Maybe I still have some cash…”

Knight took a deep breath. He knew she tried to distance herself from him. “How about a compromise? Since I don’t have a freaking clue what half the stuff is and what that torture machine does over there, you pick the gift and put my name on it. I promise to let you pay your share when we finish this,” he coaxed.

Gabby giggled. “It’s a breast pump. All right. I’ll keep the receipts. We can divide it up later.”

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