Chapter Nine

As he pulled into her driveway, Lorna flung open the door and grabbed her belongings, stepping out of the truck. He also reached to open his door, but she stopped him.

"Don't bother," she spat before slamming the door shut.

Lorna marched around the front of the truck and onto her porch. She unlocked the door and stormed inside, slamming it behind her. Her anger was so intense, she could practically feel steam coming out of her ears.

"Damn him," she muttered through tears as she dropped her case on the floor and collapsed onto the sofa in frustration.

Letting out a deep sigh, she eventually got up and headed to the bedroom to unpack, take a shower, and go to bed. She hoped she would be able to sleep but doubted it with all the emotions raging inside her.

The next day, she made the drive to her father's ranch to pick up Lily. She dreaded facing her father because she knew she looked like shit after a night of no sleep. After parking her car by the porch, she quickly got out and ran up the steps to knock on the door. Her father greeted her as she entered the kitchen.

"Mama!" Lily ran toward Lorna with her arms open for a hug. Lorna scooped her up and held her close.

"Were you a good girl?"

"I'm always good, Mama."

Lorna chuckled. "Of course, you are."

"I didn't expect you this early, Cookie," her father said. Lorna could see his smile falter when he noticed how tired she looked.

"What happened?"

"I'm not seeing him anymore." She shrugged.

"Lorna? What did you do?"

"What did I do?" she snapped before lowering her voice. "He waited until the last minute to tell me that he's going on a dangerous case tomorrow. Hunting down some rustlers they've been chasing for months, and he just decided to tell me now."

"Maybe he was worried about your reaction, and it seems like he was right."

Lorna sighed and took a seat at the table. She shook her head in frustration.

"He told me he'd be fine, but I told him not to tell me that because he couldn't be sure. We argued and I ended up having him take me home."

"Cookie, you're being irrational. We talked about this already. If something were to happen to him, how would you feel? You walked away from him because you were scared to take a chance on someone who loves you."

"His job—"

"Damn it, Lorna—"

"Grampa!" Lily scolded him.

"Sorry, Lilypad. Why don't you go color some more while your mama and I talk?"

"Okay." Lily ran off to the living room, leaving Lorna and her father alone.

"Dad, please don't."

"He loves you, Lorna."

"I know," she whispered.

"You know?"

She nodded. "He told me."

"And what did you tell him?"

"That if he truly loved me, he would quit his job."

When her father didn't respond, she looked at him to see disbelief in his eyes. He shook his head, pulled out a chair, and sat down next to her.

"I'm sure that wasn't what he was hoping to hear. Lorna, your mother and I didn't raise no fool. You could be happy with Eli but you're too stubborn to try. You will live to regret it if something does go wrong on this case. You should have stood by him. You always did with Mac."

"And look where Mac is now," she said.

"You are so much like your mother. You two were made from the same mold. The two most stubborn women I have ever met."

Lorna swiped a tear on her cheek. "I'm so scared to lose him."

"Cookie, you already did." He stood. "I'll get Lily's bag packed."

As she sat there, she knew he was right. She had already lost Eli and she wanted to have a good long cry, but she'd wait until tonight. She didn't want to upset Lily.

****

Monday morning, Eli entered the office and strode to his desk. He removed his hat, wet from the rain pouring down, hung it on the coatrack, then sat down. He was exhausted and his eyes felt like they were filled with sand.

"Eli? Once Beau gets here, we'll go to the conference room to discuss this case," Dave said as he stopped by his desk.

"Alright, Dave."

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, sir. Just didn't get much sleep."

"I need you at your best, Eli."

"I am. I'll be fine."

Dave nodded, then went to his office and closed the door. Eli ran his hand down his face. The weekend sure hadn't gone the way he'd planned. He tells her he loves her, and she tells him to quit his job. What the fuck was that all about? But she did say she refused to bury another man she loved. She loved him but didn't want to.

"What the hell is wrong with women?" he muttered.

"Hell, that is the sixty-four-thousand-dollar question," Beau said as he passed his desk. "Come on, we need to head to the conference room. I want these bastards."

Eli pushed his chair back, stood, and followed Beau into the room. They took seats at the table. Then Alex, Luke, and Creed entered and sat down to wait for Dave.

When he entered the room, they were given the details of the rustlers and the address of the property where they could be found.

"Beau will take lead on this one. Make sure you have your vests on and be damn careful. We don't know what kind of ammo these men have or how far they're willing to go. Do not make me have to bury another agent."

Eli sighed. Almost word for word what Lorna had shouted at him. Once Dave finished, the men stood, walked out, and headed for the supply room to get what they needed. Each man put on a protective vest, loaded their weapons, and grabbed more ammo. Taking a deep breath, Eli followed Beau out the door, with Alex, Creed, and Luke behind them.

When they arrived close to the property, they pulled into a driveway next to it. Eli sat in the truck watching as Beau knocked on the door. When it opened, he showed the man his badge, and Eli saw him pointing toward the property the rustlers were. He saw the man nod, then closed the door. Beau walked back to the truck, and climbed in.

"He said he didn't know anything about them, but they seemed to like to party. He said it was fine to use his property because, to use his words, rustlers need their balls cut off." The men laughed. "We'll follow this road and walk to the top of the incline. We should be able to see the house from there. He said there is a lot of woods around the house, but a clearing behind it. We'll have to keep an eye out that they don't make a run for it. Keep your radios on. Any trouble, call out." Beau looked at each man. "We good?"

Everyone nodded, then Beau drove to the hill above the other property. Once they arrived, everyone got out, walked through the tall grass, and lay down. Eli removed his binoculars and looked through them.

"Nothing like laying in wet grass," Creed muttered.

"At least it stopped raining," Beau said.

"It looks quiet," Eli said in a low voice.

"That's not always a good thing," Alex said.

"There's someone on the porch," Creed said.

"I see him. What the hell is he doing?" Luke asked, not expecting an answer.

"It looks like he's having a cigarette," Eli said.

"Yeah, like not a care in the world. Jackass," Beau said.

"I see the cattle," Alex said. "They're in the field behind the house. Looks like all twenty are there. But there's a hauler there, along with a couple of pickup trucks."

"Once we get these guys, we'll get a truck here and round up the cattle." Creed raised his binoculars to his eyes.

After watching the house for almost an hour, Beau signaled for everyone to move and spread out.

Taking a deep breath, Eli made his way down the hill, and hid behind a group of trees. Suddenly he heard shouting and gunfire.

"Shit." He ran toward the sounds.

"They're running," Beau's voice came over the two-way radio. "Heading for the back field."

Eli pushed the button on his radio. "They're running for those trucks. I'm on my way."

"Eli, go through the trees. The rest of you split up and go along the edge of the field. If anyone's close enough, shoot those damn tires. I'm right behind you, Eli," Beau said, and gunfire sounded as one of them shot the tires out on the trucks.

Eli tore through the dense woods, his breath ragged as he chased the men. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, adrenaline coursing through his veins. The men split up.

"Stop! Montana department of livestock!" Eli yelled, but they ignored him and continued to run. "They split up," he said into the radio.

"I'll go left. Alex, take the right," Luke said through the radio. Without waiting for a response, Eli focused on the man ahead of him. He couldn't afford to lose sight of him.

As they reached the edge of the woods, Eli stopped and scanned the surroundings. The man had disappeared. Eli's muscles tensed as he hesitated to step out into the open field. He had no idea if the man was waiting for him or still running.

Taking a deep breath, Eli cautiously stepped into the clearing, his senses on high alert. The air smelled of the recent rain, and he could hear birds chirping in the distance. But amidst all this serenity, danger lurked.

He heard a noise behind him and spun around, holding his weapon ready. Relief flooded through him when he saw a deer dart across the field. Trying to shake off the tension, Eli started walking toward the pasture.

But before he could take another step, a gunshot rang out behind him to his left. His heart skipped a beat as he hoped that Luke was okay.

"Luke," he said into the radio.

"I'm good," Luke answered.

Just as Eli took a step forward, another shot pierced through the air and struck his vest. He grunted in pain as it knocked him to his knees. Gasping for air, he fought through the agony and pushed himself back up. Though the bullet didn't penetrate his vest, it still packed a powerful punch.

A string of curses came from his lips as he struggled to rise, dirt and twigs clinging to his clothes. He turned to flee into the dense woods, but a sudden searing pain erupted in his back at the instant he heard a shot. He tumbled forward, the ground rushing up to meet him with merciless force. This one had either penetrated the vest or hit him between the vest and jeans. Grimacing through gritted teeth, he fumbled for his walkie-talkie hooked on his belt and pressed the button.

"I'm hit," he managed to gasp before another wave of agony crashed over him.

"Eli? Where are you?" Alex's frantic voice crackled over the radio.

"In a clearing at the edge of the woods," Eli replied between clenched teeth.

"I'm on my way."

"I can't breathe. Hurry," Eli pleaded, dropping the walkie-talkie as he struggled to take shallow breaths. The pungent smell of blood mingled with the sharp tang of gunpowder filled his nostrils. The world began to spin around him as he fought to stay conscious.

****

Lorna sat on the sofa, trying to distract herself from thoughts of Eli. He was working on a dangerous case and her anxiety was overwhelming. Every moment she expected a call telling her he was gone.

"What would I do without him?" she whispered. The thought alone brought tears to her eyes. Her father was right, she had already lost him in some ways, but if something happened to him now, how could she live with herself?

"Please keep him safe, God. Please. I'll beg him to take me back if I have to. I can't imagine my life without him. I want to make the most of our time together while we have it. Please, please keep him safe."

Her phone beeped, signaling a new text message. She smiled when she saw that it was from Abbie and eagerly opened it. But her smile quickly faded as she read the words.

Eli is here at the emergency department.

Lorna's heart sank and she felt like she couldn't catch her breath. She typed out a frantic response.

Is he okay?

The reply came back almost immediately.

It's too early to say. He was shot. They're taking him into surgery.

Panic washed over Lorna as she read the message. Not again. She quickly called her dad.

"Daddy," her voice broke.

"What is it?"

"I need you to come get Lily. I have to go to the hospital. Eli's been... shot."

"Is he going to be, okay?"

"I don't know yet. Can you come here please?"

"I'm on my way. Try to stay calm, sweetheart. We don't know how serious it is."

"They're taking him into surgery." A sob escaped her throat.

"Just take deep breaths, honey. I'll be there soon." He hung up and Lorna collapsed onto the couch, crying uncontrollably. Her phone beeped again, and she grabbed it.

Lorna, are you on your way to the hospital?

I'm waiting for my dad to get here then I'll be there.

Okay, find me when you arrive, and I'll take you up to surgery.

I will.

Once her father arrived, she rushed outside, got into her car, and drove to the hospital. She had to wipe away tears so she could see the road. When she finally reached the hospital, she parked and ran inside. She looked around frantically for Abbie.

"Lorna? What are you doing here?" another nurse asked her.

"I need to find Abbie."

"She's in room two. Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not. I'll find her. Thank you."

Lorna quickly located the room and peered through the curtain to see Abbie.

"Abbie," she whispered.

Abbie turned to her with a concerned look. "Lorna, just try to stay calm."

"I can't." Lorna shook her head.

Abbie stepped closer. "There's nothing you can do right now except wait. Let me finish with this patient and then I'll take you upstairs."

Lorna nodded and anxiously paced while Abbie worked. Once she was finished, she informed the nurse at the station where she would be and led Lorna to the elevator. As soon as the doors closed behind them, Lorna collapsed against the wall and sobbed uncontrollably. Abbie wrapped her arms around her.

"You're going to make yourself sick," Abbie said softly.

"Oh God, Abbie. He told me he loved me and all I did was tell him to quit his job. I didn't tell him how much I loved him or that I wanted to spend whatever time we had together. I'm such an idiot. If he doesn't make it..."

"Don't jump to conclusions. Let's see what happens first. He's in good hands."

The elevator doors opened, and Lorna ran to the nurse's station, her heart racing with fear.

"May I help you?"

"I need to know how Eli Hawkins is doing."

"Are you a family member?"

"No, I'm not."

"I'm sorry, but if you're not immediate family, I cannot give out that information."

"Lorna, come sit down. Let me see what I can find out for you."

Lorna followed as Abbie led her to the waiting area and motioned for her to take a seat on one of the plastic chairs. She clasped her hands together in her lap, trying to hold back tears, but it was no use. She watched as Abbie walked back to the nurse's station and spoke with the woman behind the desk. However, she shook her head and Lorna knew she wouldn't reveal anything to Abbie either. Abbie returned and sat beside Lorna.

"She didn't tell me anything other than he was heading into surgery. I'm sorry. Would you like me to take you home?"

"I'm not going anywhere until I know how Eli is."

"Did you say Eli? As in Eli Hawkins?"

Lorna looked at the woman who had spoken and knew it was Eli's mother. She recognized her from the photo.

"Yes, are you his mother?"

"Yes, I'm Sylvia Hawkins. What is your name?" She smiled at Lorna, but there was a hint of sadness in her eyes.

"Lorna Carter."

"Well, Lorna, you can stay here with me. My husband is speaking with the doctor to find out more details about Eli's condition; he needs surgery. The bullet is lodged in his lower back."

Lorna gasped. "Oh my God."

Sylvia took her hand reassuringly. "Take a deep breath. We will get through this together."

Lorna looked into her eyes and said, "I love him."

"I can tell. And does he feel the same way?"

"Yes. Well, he told me he loved me before I jumped all over him about this case. He may have changed his mind."

Sylvia smiled. "I highly doubt that." She looked up. "Oh, here comes my husband now. Wayne?"

"They just wheeled him into surgery. We'll know more once they finish." He sat down next to his wife and took her hand. Sylvia introduced him to Lorna.

Lorna saw a woman with dark curly hair and piercing blue eyes emerge from the elevator, and she knew it was Eli's sister. She could see the worry etched on her face.

Sylvia hugged her, then introduced Lorna to her and they all sat together in silence, waiting for an update.

Two hours later, a doctor approached them.

"The surgery was successful. We were able to remove the bullet and he is resting comfortably now. He's damn lucky. No internal organs were hit."

"I need to see my son," Sylvia declared.

"He's asleep—"

"I don't care. Where is he?"

"He's currently in recovery, Sylvia. A nurse will inform you when he has been transferred to a room."

"Thank you, Tom." Eli's father shook the doctor's hand. "We'll wait right here."

"Okay, Wayne. You should get some coffee. It could be a long night."

As Lorna sat there, she began to shake uncontrollably. Memories came flooding back to her, and she couldn't bear the thought of losing him. She had to let him know how she felt.

"I'm going to grab some coffee from the cafeteria. Would anyone like anything? I can bring it back," Chelsea offered.

"We both would like some coffee, honey. Thank you. Lorna? Would you like some coffee? Lorna?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. What did you ask me?"

"If you want coffee?"

"Uh, no thank you."

Chelsea nodded and headed to the elevator to go down to the cafeteria.

****

Eli opened his eyes and blinked against the bright lights. He looked around the room and knew he was in the hospital. He moved to sit up but hissed in a breath as pain ripped through him.

"Stay still."

He saw his mother sitting in a chair beside the bed.

"Mom," he said in a scratchy voice.

"Let me get you some ice, honey." She picked up a cup, then dipped a plastic spoon into it and put it to his lips. "Ice chips are better than water for you."

"Are the other agents, alright?"

"Yes. You were the only one shot. They were all here earlier but had to leave. I told them you'd call them when you felt up to it. Beau said to tell you they got them."

Eli nodded. "I'm sorry, Mom."

"For what?"

"Doing this to you again."

"Yeah, how about you don't do it again?"

Eli smiled. "I'll try."

"You'd better do more than try, son," his dad said as he entered the room.

"Yes, sir. Was the surgery a success?"

"Yes. Luckily, you were shot with a small caliber rifle. It hit you below your vest in the back and no organs were hit."

"So, it wasn't armor piercing ammo?"

"No. If it would have hit your vest, you wouldn't be in here."

Eli nodded and tried to keep his eyes open but he was so tired.

"Go to sleep honey. We'll come back tomorrow."

"Okay. Mom?"

"Yes?"

"Could you call… someone for me?"

"Who would that be?"

"Lorna Carter. Her number is in my phone."

"No, I'm not going to call her."

"Why not?" He couldn't understand.

His mother smiled. "Because she's in the waiting room. I'll let her know you're awake, but after you see her, you get some rest."

"Yes, ma'am."

She kissed his head, turned and walked out with his father. He was anxious to see Lorna, but he sure didn't want to hear her tell him she couldn't stay with him. Why was she here? She'd said all she needed to. He closed his eyes.

"Eli?"

He opened his eyes and saw her in the doorway. Tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Lorna."

She practically ran to the bed and sat in the chair. She took his hand in hers.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry," she said.

"For what?"

"For our argument. I keep thinking about you telling me you loved me and all I said was quit your job. I'm sorry. I don't want you to quit your job."

"Lorna." He cleared his throat. "Could I get some ice chips?"

"Of course." She picked up the cup and fed him some chips.

"Thank you."

"Eli, I want to say something."

"It's alright, Lorna. I know you don't want to be with me because of my job. I don't blame you because you buried a husband in this line of work. I get it."

"Don't put words in my mouth, Elijah Hawkins. What I want to say is, I love you and I will support you in your line of work. I want to be with you for as long as you'll have me."

"That's a damn long time, sweetheart. I love you, Lorna. You and Lily are everything to me."

"We love you too."

"My job?"

"I'll be on pins and needles anytime you go on a case, but I'll be thankful for any time we have." She smiled. "I look back at my time with Mac, and I wouldn't change it for the world. At least we had time together and that's all that matters. I want time with you, Eli."

"I want that too, darlin'. I want to marry you."

"You do?"

"Of course, I do. Unless you don't want to marry me."

"Oh, you're not getting out of this, Agent Hawkins. You will marry me, and we'll have some babies."

"I'd like that." He yawned. "I'm sorry. I'm so tired."

"Your body went through a shock. Get some rest. I'm going to head home, but I'll be back tomorrow."

"Can't wait." He closed his eyes and smiled when Lorna kissed his lips.

"Sleep. I'll see you soon."

He nodded but didn't say anything as he fought to stay awake, but he lost the battle and fell asleep.

****

Lorna suppressed a grin as Eli argued with his father.

"I can walk, Dad."

"Prove it. Go ahead," Wayne challenged, folding his arms and tilting his head toward the steps to his house.

Eli tried to take a step but winced in pain. Lorna shook her head in amusement.

"You are one stubborn man, Elijah Hawkins."

"It's even more effective if you use his middle name," Sylvia chimed in.

"What is it?" Lorna asked with a smirk.

"Mom..." Eli groaned.

"Wayne, after his father," Sylvia explained with a smile.

"I'll have to remember that." Lorna chuckled.

"Thanks, Mom," Eli grumbled, making them all laugh.

"Do you want my help or not, son?" Wayne asked with a hint of amusement in his tone.

"Yes. Damn it," Eli admitted defeat.

Wayne chuckled and put his arm around Eli as they made their way up the steps, into the house and onto the couch. Eli let out a groan as he settled onto the cushions. Lorna noticed sweat forming on his forehead and grabbed a tissue to gently dab at it.

"I'll be here with you," she whispered reassuringly.

"Thanks, sweetheart. Where's Lily?"

"At home with dad. Once you're better, I'll have him bring her over. She keeps asking about you," Lorna said with a smile.

"We can't wait to meet her," Sylvia added.

"Well, we should probably get going so that Eli can rest," Wayne said.

"Yeah." Sylvia kissed her son's cheek. "I'm just glad you're okay."

"I'll be fine, Mom," Eli assured her with a small smile.

"We love you. See you soon. Take care of him, Lorna." Sylvia smiled warmly at her before turning to leave with Wayne.

"Don't worry, I promise to take good care of him," Lorna called after them.

After his parents left, Lorna got Eli a glass of water and a pain pill.

"I don't want the pill," he muttered stubbornly.

"Oh, for God's sake, save the macho bullshit for another time. Just take the damn pill," she snapped, making him laugh before wincing in pain.

"Damn it, don't make me laugh."

"It's what you get. Take it now." She pushed the pill toward him.

"You're worse than my mother," he grumbled playfully before finally taking the pill and gulping down some water.

"Yeah well, get used to it," she teased with a wink, earning a smile from Eli.

"I will," he said, reaching out for her hand. She took it and sat on the edge of the couch.

"Now go to sleep, Eli. I have to go back to my house to get some clean clothes for Lily and then take them to dad's place."

"Okay. I'll see you when you get back," he mumbled drowsily.

"I'll probably be back before you wake up. But if I'm not, do not try to get up by yourself. Do you hear me, Elijah Wayne Hawkins?" she warned him with a teasing grin.

"She just had to tell you," Eli muttered, his words slurring as the pain medication started to kick in.

Lorna leaned in and kissed his lips before getting up and leaving. She drove toward her home but as she passed the road leading to the cemetery, she pulled over and turned back onto it. After parking her car, she walked over to Mac's grave and stared down at it. It had been a long time since she last visited him but today felt different; she needed to be here. Looking around and realizing that no one else was there, she got down on her knees in the grass and ran her fingers over his name, Macauley ‘Mac' Carter, carved into the stone. A tear escaped her eye as she thought about their memories together.

Tears streamed down Lorna's cheeks as she whispered her words to the headstone. "I miss you, Mac. I always will and I'll never stop loving you." She closed her eyes, trying to push back the memories of their life together and focus on the present.

"But I love Eli now," she continued, her voice cracking with emotion. "I'm going to spend the rest of my life with him. It's scary, but it feels right. He loves me and your daughter." A sad smile tugged at her lips as she thought about how much he would have loved his daughter.

"I wish you could see her, Mac," Lorna said, plucking at the grass as she stared at the headstone. "She's so beautiful. She has your stubbornness, but she also has a piece of Eli in her heart." She let out a small laugh, tinged with sadness. "Life never goes as planned, does it? My mom used to say, ‘want to hear God laugh? Tell Him your plans', and that's so true." Lorna grinned wistfully.

As she stood up and brushed off her knees, Lorna looked down at the headstone once again. "I hope I see you again one day," she whispered, touching the top of it gently. "You were a good man, Mac. You loved me so much." She took a deep breath and turned to walk back to her car.

With one last glance at the site, Lorna climbed into her vehicle and started the engine. She set off for home with a heavy heart but a sense of peace. She knew Mac would want her to move on and find happiness again.

"Be happy for me, please," she whispered as she drove away from the cemetery. "You know Eli's a good man, and he will take care of us. Of that, I have no doubt." And with that thought in her mind, Lorna drove toward a new beginning, guided by the love and memories of the man she had lost but never forgotten. She was more than ready to start the new chapter in her life, with Eli.