19. Hadley

19

HADLEY

G age: Red Bend. 7.

This guy really had a way with words, but when he called, she went.

After she finished apologizing to Gage last night, she and Brett headed to Blake and Everly's house where Brett told them the good news about the marriage. Some of Everly's excitement about planning a celebration with their friends at the ranch had rubbed off on Hadley, and sleep hadn't come easy.

With the way things stood, Gage wouldn't be able to come to the celebration and neither would their mom. Nothing about that sat well with Hadley.

At least she had someone to talk to about it. Blake and Everly didn't grow up in Blackwater, so they had no idea about the Howards and Pattons. Hadley spent at least an hour filling them in on everything going on.

Hadley stretched her arms over her head and rolled out of bed. She had to get going if she was going to meet Gage before heading back to the ranch. Remi asked her to watch Abby and Ben today, so Hadley had a full day of running and playing ahead of her.

She fired off a quick response to Gage just as another text came in.

Thea: Hey! Can you take me to my follow-up appointment today in Cody?

Hadley: I'm supposed to keep Abby and Ben, but I'll check. What time?

Thea: Around 3.

Hadley made a quick call to Vera confirming the kids could hang out with her in the kitchen until Colt and Remi got back in the afternoon. Once that was arranged and approved with Remi, she texted Thea back.

Hadley: You got it. Meet me at the dining hall at 3.

Tossing her phone onto the plush bed, Hadley took an extra-long shower in Blake and Everly's ridiculously luxurious guest bathroom. Blake used to be a professional sports agent, and apparently the pay was sweet because he definitely wasn't living like a wrangler.

With her wet hair in a braid, she headed downstairs where the smell of cooking sausage and bacon sent a wake-up shot straight to her stomach.

The bacon in the pan sizzled as Hadley stepped up beside Blake. "Can I get some of that to go?"

Blake jerked his head toward the pantry where Everly appeared carrying a Tupperware bowl. Her long blonde hair was already styled in beautiful waves, and she wore a white blouse and tan slacks.

"Got it," Everly said as she handed over the bowl.

"Can I get two?" Hadley asked with a wiggle of her eyebrows.

Everly's mouth opened wide before asking, "Who might this be for?"

"Um, remember Thea has a brother?"

Blake whipped around to face them, not even bothering to act like he was sorry to interrupt. "You're seeing Thea's brother?"

"Kinda." Hadley shrugged.

Everly stepped closer to whisper, "Is he…"

"He's not like the rest of them. He's doing everything he can to look after Thea. He's gonna be there when Brett goes to talk to Thea's family today."

"How are we expecting that to go?" Blake asked.

"It's anyone's guess. I'm glad Gage will be there though. He won't let anything happen to Brett."

Blake abandoned the bacon and turned to join the conversation. "Do I need to be on standby?"

"I think they've got it covered. Surely, the Howards won't do anything in broad daylight. "

Okay, that rationale was ridiculous. What did the time of day have to do with crime? The garage was far enough away from everything else that no one would be around if Gage and Brett needed backup. "On second thought, maybe keep your phone close-by."

Everly handed Hadley another bowl. "Just be careful."

"I will. I hope things will change after today. Brett's a good guy. I hope they listen to him and put this mess in the past."

Everly wrapped Hadley in a hug. "We're here for you. Always."

The warmth of Everly's kindness had a sting of emotion crawling up Hadley's throat. "I know."

Blake pulled the bacon out of the pan and handed the plate to Hadley. "Load up. There's plenty."

"Thanks for letting me crash here. I'm sure Brett and Thea appreciate it too."

"You're welcome here anytime! It's always nice to have friends over," Everly said.

Hadley finished loading up the bacon, sausage, and a biscuit for each of them. "I gotta run, but I'll see you at the ranch later."

"Be careful!" Blake shouted over his shoulder as Hadley headed out.

She sang along with the radio at the top of her lungs as she drove out to the road where she'd met with Gage twice now. As before, Gage's truck sat in the middle of the road waiting for her. She turned down the path and parked in the same place as before.

Gage parked beside her and met her at her door. She handed over the food and drinks before following him to the tailgate of his truck. He set the food down and turned to wrap her in his arms.

The warmth of Gage's embrace was like the calm after a storm. Tension she'd been silently carrying seeped away as his heart hammered against her ear pressed to his chest.

"Good morning," she whispered against his clean shirt.

His voice rumbled against her ear. "Good morning. What are you doing to me?"

"Hugging you. This is what people sometimes do when they just want to be close to someone."

"No, I mean… I don't even know what I mean. I can't sleep. I can't stop thinking about you. I miss you all the time. I'm worried being with me is going to get you in trouble, but I don't know how to fix that besides letting you go."

Hadley squeezed him tighter. "Good luck with that. I'm not going anywhere."

Gage cupped his hands on both of her cheeks and turned her attention up to him. His gaze roamed over her face, and his throat bobbed as he swallowed. "I'm selfish enough that I can't send you away, even if that's what I should do."

"Not going anywhere," Hadley repeated slowly. There were a lot of reasons why she should run, but leaving Gage wasn't an option anymore. "I just want to point out that Thea didn't leave either."

Gage huffed. "Stubborn women."

"Proud of it," Hadley said as she patted Gage's back. "We should eat. I have to get back to the ranch."

Gage released her and opened one of the containers before handing it to her. "I can't believe Brett married Thea."

"I can. I've seen them together. Those two are made for each other."

"My family is gonna flip when they find out. I can't see this meeting going well today."

"You'll help Brett if he needs it today, right?"

Gage leveled her with a stare that sent shivers down her spine. He never just looked at her. His attention was magnetic, and he listened to every word she spoke. "Anything you ask, sunshine."

"Anything?" If he was giving her free rein, it would be a waste to let the opportunity pass. "Can I say a prayer?"

There was a beat of hesitation, as if she'd caught him off guard, but Gage nodded. "Yeah, go ahead."

Hadley bowed her head and gathered all of her bravery. "Lord, thank You for this food. Thank You for our friends and those You sent to help us. I pray You would go with us today. Keep our friends safe and let Gage and Thea's family listen to Brett. I pray You'll allow healing for these families like only You can. Amen."

When she opened her eyes, Gage was smiling at her. She'd seen him smile a few times, but the joyful expression always hit her square in the chest.

"You think it'll work?" Gage asked.

Hadley picked up a piece of bacon and took a bite. "We'll see. We can always ask God for the things we want, but ultimately He has a plan."

"So praying doesn't mean you get what you're asking for?"

"Nope. It means we have a relationship with God and can talk to Him. No matter what we think is right, only He knows what's best."

"If things go wrong today, that could be for the best?"

"Believing in God doesn't mean life is always a bed of roses and we get what we want. It means trusting and having faith that we'll always have the strength to handle the tough times because He is on our side."

"He is on whose side?" Gage asked.

"The ones who dedicate their lives to Him. He's the Creator, but He gave us free will. All I can say is that my life has been better since I chose to love Him. I have a peace now that I didn't even know existed before."

Gage stared out at the forest surrounding them as he chewed on his breakfast. "I can't say I know anything about peace."

"But you can. Don't you want that? To be free of all the hatred and the fighting and the sneaking around?"

He took a deep breath and turned to her. "It sounds too good to be true."

Hadley shook her head. "It's real. It's nice having a Father who loves me after having one who didn't."

Gage reached for her hand and lifted it to his lips. The contact was a sweet balm to her soul as he abandoned his breakfast and kept his hold on her hand. "It's his loss. He has no idea what he's missing."

"I doubt he cares." She'd spent too many years convincing herself she didn't need a dad in her life. None of her mom's boyfriends had even come close to being a good father figure, so the easiest thing was to learn to be her best self without one. "I've been doing okay without him."

Gage's grin was back, and the twinkle of pride in his eyes was enough to lift the weight off her shoulders. "That's my girl."

Oh no. Gage's possessive words had her heart doing a ridiculous dance in her chest. "Your girl, huh? "

"If you'll have me," he added. "Ask your boss when I can meet him. I won't be able to go to the ranch unless things today go perfectly, so it'll need to be somewhere private."

Hadley's heart rate skyrocketed as she stared up at him. "Really?"

He brushed a hand over her hair and down her braid. "I'm going all in on this fight for peace, so I guess it's time to make plans to move forward."

"Fight for peace. That sounds a little contradictory."

"Not really. This is war in the name of love." He turned his attention back to the food. "I probably need a Bible. I don't have one."

War in the name of love. Was this a dream, or was Gage talking about the actual four-letter word that she was only beginning to understand herself?

"I'll get you one. I'm sure Mr. Chambers has one too. I actually haven't been to church myself in a few weeks. We've been having Sunday morning services at my place since Thea can't go out in public."

"How does that work?"

"Brett arranged it. Mr. Chambers is a pretty good teacher. We've been doing a lot of praying for Thea and her family. Well, your family too."

Gage rubbed a hand over his face. "I hope Brett knows what he's doing."

"I don't think any of us do because we can't predict what your uncles will do today. All I know is that we have to do something if we want things to change."

Gage's lips pulled up on one side. "You're amazing. You know that?"

Hadley's breath hitched as his words caught her off guard. "What?"

"You're brave. This isn't even your fight, and you're standing up for us. You're so optimistic, it makes me want to believe in the larger-than-life things you think are possible."

"I don't know what else to do," Hadley said.

Gage rubbed the pad of his thumb over her chin. "Don't change. You're perfect just the way you are. I thought I had things handled until you came along. You're showing me how to do things differently, and I'm a better man for it."

Staring up at him, Hadley searched for words and found none. No one had ever pointed out her determination or boldness. No one even mentioned the things Gage saw and appreciated.

Gage closed up his empty bowl and handed it back to her. "Thanks for breakfast."

"My friends Blake and Everly sent it. I stayed with them last night. I work with them at the ranch. Maybe you can meet them soon." She looked at her watch. Time was slipping away already.

"You have to go?" he asked.

"Yeah. What time is Brett planning to visit your uncle's? "

"He said around nine. I need to get my head in the game."

Hadley grimaced. "So you'll be acting like you're on your family's side?"

"At least until Bruce and Tommy agree to a truce. Even then, I'll need to play devil's advocate. They can't know I'm a double agent yet."

A kindling of fear stirred in her middle, but she bolstered her defenses against it. This was only the beginning of the things Gage would face as he worked to free Thea and himself from his family's bonds.

"You'll be careful, right?"

Gage cradled her cheek in his hand, and the roughness was a stark contrast to her smooth skin. His gaze roamed over her features before his dark eyes locked with hers. "No one has ever cared about me before," he whispered.

"I care." The truth was as easy as breathing.

His fingers slid into her hair as he stepped closer until her body was flush against his. His other hand gripped her waist, holding her firmly yet gently.

"I haven't always been careful when my life was on the line. I didn't have a reason to, but I do now. I care about you. I care about you so much that I don't understand it."

Hadley wound her arms tighter around him. How could either of them understand it when the relationships they trusted were so few and fragile ?

Her voice was low, but her words were sure. "You're not alone. I'll stand by you."

His gaze fell to her mouth, and his chest heaved before he angled his mouth against hers and pressed their lips together.

The breath in Hadley's lungs exploded as she inhaled the charged air around them. Every brush of Gage's lips against hers stoked a fire in her middle, and his grip in her hair tightened. There was a carefully controlled power behind his kiss that drew her closer, yet kept her barely breathing on the edge of a cliff.

She slid her hands around his back and clung to him, desperately craving the connection she'd been searching for all this time.

Gage's phone rang, startling a gasp out of Hadley. She leaned back, but he followed her, reconnecting their kiss with the same intensity as before.

The phone stopped ringing only to start again. A growl rumbled in Gage's chest.

"That might be important," Hadley said as Gage slowed their kiss to a steady adoration.

"Not as important as you," Gage answered before touching deliberate kisses to the edges of her mouth and down to her jaw.

A cheerful laugh bubbled up Hadley's throat. Her heart was lighter than air in the peaceful moment. "When did you become a romantic? "

"About two minutes ago. You were there," Gage said as he pressed sweet kisses below her ear.

She suppressed a giggle as his lips brushed over a sensitive spot on her neck. "We really have to go."

Gage's phone rang again, and he huffed as he pulled it out of his pocket. "This better be good."

Gage rolled his eyes as whoever was on the other end of the call spoke. He mouthed, "Blah, blah, blah," as he listened.

"Got it," Gage finally said before shoving the phone back in his pocket. "I have another reason to hate Brett now."

"Why?"

"He interrupted us."

Hadley held up a finger. "To be fair, I think I interrupted him and Thea a few times when they were staying at my place."

Gage pressed a kiss to her forehead and grabbed the empty bowls. "He's on his way to the garage."

The unease was back, but she wouldn't let it take root. "Duty calls."

Gage flipped up the tailgate and followed Hadley to her car. "I'll call you this afternoon. Probably after five. Brett might be able to give you an update before then, but I don't want to risk making a phone call while I'm there."

Hadley lifted up onto her toes and pressed a quick peck to his lips, but Gage wrapped her up and delved into a slow, deep kiss that had her fingers tingling within seconds.

When he released her, she swayed on her feet, trying to get her bearings again. "Um, I'll see you soon."

"Soon, sunshine," Gage promised as he closed her door and took a step back.

She watched him in her mirror as she drove back out to the main road. Leaving Gage felt wrong, but she wasn't sure if it was the impending meeting or an instinctual urge to cling to him.

Whether she liked it or not, Gage was defining all the feelings and emotions she'd never understood before. He was teaching her to trust and nurturing a bond that begged to be solidified between them.