Chapter 33

33

Gunnar saw people 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 fallen into 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.

Miguel had told him if the Colesons asked him to stay, they meant it. They did that. And randomly adopted people when they needed it too.

He and Heather and Miguel and some of Heather's nieces had been given the task of taking the kids to the park to get them out of the way of the dinner preparations, he suspected. It had given him and Miguel and Heather a chance to talk. He'd filled them both in quickly on everything he knew so far. It wasn't much more than they'd had that morning. They just kept circling everything they already had.

Of course, they were. Some of the people they were after were cops. Those bastards knew how to play this game. To hide everything they did.

"How is Powell doing?" Heather asked quietly while they waited for the Barratts to reach them. "Still sick?"

He'd told her about the baby on the flight back yesterday on Luc's private jet. She'd been the first person he had told he was going to be a father. That had mattered. "I haven't had a chance to talk to her since we came back."

"Don't put it off too long. The TSP just isn't worth it," Heather said, shifting Ember a bit. "It isn't worth what it keeps costing."

The baby babbled something at Gunnar as if she was agreeing. Looking just like the aunt who had almost been another casualty of this war.

That was all they said.

Powell stopped right in front of Gunnar. "You're back."

"I'm back. Been going non-stop since we landed at eight this morning." He studied her for a moment. He loved it when she wore jeans like this. They always made his hands want to cup feminine flesh and pull her closer. She had her hair up in a ponytail. It was a similar style to what Heather wore habitually. But he had never wanted to run his fingers through Heather's hair at all.

He wanted to touch Powell however he could.

"I told my parents at dinner. About the baby. My brothers too," Powell told him, somehow almost in his arms. How had that even happened?

It took him a moment, but Gunnar realized he had been the one to move closer, as Powell's mother and father had begun talking with Heather and Miguel. "How did they take it?"

Her father was side-eyeing Gunnar right now. And her brothers were moving closer. Like they were going to rip his hands off for touching the baby of the Barratt clan.

Gunnar's hands were on their baby sister right now, after all.

Well, they'd just have to get used to it. Gunnar deliberately put his hand on her waist. He pulled her even closer. Hell, he had missed this woman. She smelled perfect, felt perfect, like everything he ever wanted.

"They are planning to feed you to the wild bears, I believe, if they can just find some around this place," Powell said into his chest.

"Great. I'll keep that in mind."

"They are probably going to behave tonight, considering you have Commander Rodriguez with you, and he looks a little scary. And, well, Mac is deathly terrified of Heather, after all. I'm almost sure of it."

"I see." It took everything he had not to pull her closer and hold her. So he gave in and pulled her as close as he could get her. He buried his face in sweet-smelling hair and just breathed her in. "Are you doing okay tonight?"

It took everything he had not to touch where their baby rested.

"Yes. I ended up taking a nap in my old room for a few hours today before dinner. I'm feeling fine now. Just really tired, but Mom said that was normal. The nausea wasn't too bad today." Her hand rose. Fingers brushed against his cheek so lightly. "I heard what happened. Are you okay?"

"Just a little bruised. Idiot driving too fast on the ice, we think. Maybe. Verdict's still out. Wyoming is going to chase the guy down. Got a little scary when I looked in the back seat and saw Heather, though. Charlotte's cousin Miranda was driving. Impact was on their side. But everyone came out okay, thankfully. Miranda's a bit more scuffed up, but her stepmother is keeping an eye on her."

"So, what are you doing here tonight? Besides playing at the park with Heather?"

"Looking for Miguel, actually. We're going over a few things. With Heather's help. Even though she is officially still suspended. I have been invited to dinner, and I didn't want to tell Bonnie no. She seems to be the sweetest woman on the planet. I can walk over and get you after we finish. Can drive you home." He wanted nothing more than to be with her tonight. The damned TSP could just wait for morning.

"I came in a company car, but Alex is going to drive me on his way. You can come over to my house tonight. I think we need to finally have that talk, don't you?"

"I think that's a good place to start."

Gunnar just went with it. Maybe because her brothers were both glaring at him like they were going to thrash him or something. Gunnar couldn't resist the challenge. He used his hold on her and pulled her up off her feet. And kissed her. Right in the middle of the park. With her family all around.

He didn't regret it at all. Especially considering his woman kissed him right back and everything. Immediately. No hesitation.

Damn, he loved this woman. Gunnar was starting to suspect he always would.