In a Killer’s Sights (14 page)

But that time was over now. Dean had come after her when she’d left, so that must mean he still loved her. And he had put himself at risk today to save her life. They had a future together, and she intended to do everything she could to make it happen.

“Gwen.” The sound of her name being called pulled her from her thoughts, and she looked up to see Ben standing in front of her, his big Stetson hat in his hand. “Have you heard anything?”

She stood and shook her head. “Not yet, but it should be anytime now. It feels like he’s been in surgery for hours.”

She’d no sooner finished speaking than the doctor walked into the room. He pulled off the surgical cap he still wore and smiled as he came toward her. “Miss Anderson, I wanted to let you know that Dean came through the surgery successfully. There was some damage to the leg, and he’s going to need some physical therapy. But the good news is he’s going to be fine.”

Gwen turned to the ranch employees, who had all got to their feet when the doctor walked in. “Did you hear that? Dean is going to be fine.”

The tension they’d been radiating dissolved with a collective sigh of relief. They grinned at each other, but Shorty swiped at his eyes. “That’s good news, Miss Gwen. Good news indeed.”

“What about Mr. King?” Ben asked.

The doctor exhaled and shook his head. “He was more badly injured than Dean. He had a punctured lung, but we think he’ll recover.”

Ben’s face hardened. “Good. He needs to stand trial for all the things he’s done. I’ll have to post a deputy here to guard him until he’s well enough to be taken to jail.”

The doctor nodded. “I understand. I’ll take you to meet the head of our security so you can work out the details.” He turned back to Gwen. “Do you have any more questions?”

“Yes. I wanted to ask about Dean’s foreman, Emmett Truitt. How is he doing?”

“He’s doing fine. I checked on him earlier, and he was fussing because he had to stay another day here.”

Gwen smiled as she envisioned a frustrated Emmett wanting to be up and on his horse again. “I’ll go see him later. When can I see Dean?”

“He’s in recovery now, but we’ll be moving him to a room in an hour or so. I’ll have the nurse come get you, and you can stay as long as you like. He’ll be sedated for a while, so don’t expect to talk with him until morning. He should be awake then.”

For the first time in days Gwen felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders. She smiled and shook the doctor’s hand. “Thank you.”

“I’m glad I could be of service and glad it turned out so well for my patient. Now, you have a good night, and I’ll see you tomorrow. If all goes well, you may get to take him home, but he’s going to be incapacitated for a while.”

“That’s no problem,” Gwen said. “Between the men who work at Little Pigeon Ranch and me, we’ll see that he’s well cared for.”

The doctor smiled and glanced at Ben. “If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to meet our security chief now.”

Ben nodded. “I’ll see you later, Gwen. When Dean wakes up, tell him I’ll see him tomorrow.” He started to leave, then stopped and turned back to her. “By the way, I received word before I got here that the state lab had phoned. They’re releasing James’s body tomorrow. So tell Dean he can go ahead and plan his grandfather’s funeral. If he needs me to help, I’m there for him.”

“Thanks, Ben. I’ll tell him.”

Shorty stepped up beside her. “Don’t worry, Miss Gwen. We’re all here to help Dean during this rough time, but we need to get on back to the ranch now if you think you’ll be all right by yourself. We’ve got chores to do before dark. Dean wouldn’t want us hanging around here and lettin’ his animals go hungry.”

Gwen chuckled as she gave the cook a quick hug. “Go on. I’ll call in the morning and let you know how Dean and Emmett are. Hopefully, we’ll have both of them home soon. Then we can plan James’s funeral.”

Shorty nodded and took her hand in his. “That sounds almost like you’re beginning to think of the Little Pigeon as your home, too.”

A warm feeling engulfed her at the kindness shining in his eyes, and she realized it really was her home now—hers and Maggie’s. “I can’t imagine anywhere I’d rather be, Shorty.”

“That’s good news,” he said. “James would be mighty proud you were coming home. That’s what he always wanted.”

She swallowed the lump in her throat and shook hands with the men as they filed by one by one. Then she was alone.

A while later a nurse came for her, and Gwen followed her to Dean’s darkened room. “Call if you need anything,” she said before she hurried away.

Gwen nodded and stared down at Dean, whose chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. After several minutes she pulled a chair to his bedside, covered his hand with hers and settled in to keep watch. She had wasted too many years, and if he’d let her, she was going to be with him the rest of her life.

It’s going to be a long night
,
she thought as she waited to find out whether he wanted the same things she did.

FOURTEEN

F
or a moment when Gwen opened her eyes, she couldn’t remember where she was, but then it came to her. She was in Dean’s hospital room, and she’d been asleep with her head resting on the side of his bed. She felt a hand caress her hair, and she slowly sat up. Dean stared at her as his palm slid down the back of her head to the side of her face. He trailed his fingers across her cheek and grazed his thumb across her lips.

“Good morning.” His voice sounded very much like the croak of a frog, and she couldn’t help but smile.

“Good morning to you, too,” she said. “How are you feeling this morning?”

“Hungry. I have a craving for some of Shorty’s pancakes. How about you?”

Her stomach growled in answer, and she laughed. “I guess I’m hungry, too. Come to think of it, I didn’t have dinner last night.”

His eyes darkened, and he frowned. “Were you here all night?”

She nodded. “Yes, I didn’t want to leave you alone. I had company for a while. Ben was here, as well as Shorty and some of the ranch hands. And a couple I hadn’t met before—Steve and Betty Price—heard you’d been hurt, and they came by to check on you after everyone had left. They said to tell you their son, Jason, was going to be fine and that they’d be praying for you.”

“I’m so glad to hear that. I met them in the waiting room while I was here with Emmett,” Dean murmured. The hand that had been caressing her face slipped to the back of her neck, tightened and pulled her head closer. “I’m so glad
you
weren’t hurt. I nearly died when I got that picture of you, and then when I saw you in that arena...”

She put a finger on his lips to silence him. “Don’t think about that now. Let’s be thankful that it all turned out well for us. We made it through, and the doctor says you’re going to be all right. You’re going to have to take it easy for a while, but I’ve promised him that I’ll take good care of you.”

Dean’s eyes searched her face as if he was trying to determine if she was being truthful. “Does that mean you’re thinking about staying?”

“Only if you want me to.”

His Adam’s apple bobbed, and his eyes sparkled. “If I want you to? My prayer for the last five years has been that God would bring you back to me. Then when He did and you told me about Maggie, I made a mess of everything. I’m so sorry.”

Gwen shook her head. “No, it was my fault. I was wrong not to tell you about Maggie years ago. Can you ever forgive me for that?”

His hand stroked across her back and up again to her neck. “Both of us made mistakes. I’ve already forgiven you for keeping her a secret, but I need to know if you can forgive me and trust that I will never, ever put you or our child through the agony that I did when we were married. I love you, Gwen, and I want you with me. Marry me again, and let’s spend the rest of our lives making up for the years we’ve lost.”

Her heart pounded in her chest, and she smiled through her tears. “I’ve always loved you, Dean, and I want to be your wife again. But I have to warn you. Your life is about to change drastically. Living with two females in the house can be a challenging experience. Are you sure you’re up to it?”

He grinned up at her. “I think a guy who has taken on a raging bull and lived to tell about it is up to the challenge. Bring it on.”

Then he pulled her down to him until their lips met. Gwen framed his face between her hands as his arms circled her. They clung together, pouring all the loneliness and hurt of the past five years into their kiss.

When they finally pulled apart, Dean smoothed Gwen’s hair back from her face and stared into her eyes. “For the last five years I’ve lived a half life. I’ve been adrift without hope that we could ever be together again. God’s given us a second chance at happiness. I realize what a precious gift that is, and I promise I’ll be worthy of you.”

“And I of you,” she said as she lowered her lips to his again.

* * *

Three weeks later Dean, Ben and Emmett sat on the front porch, staring down the driveway for the first sign of Gwen’s car. Although he’d wanted her to fly from New York, she’d insisted on driving because she wanted to bring her car. But where was she? It had been an hour since she’d called and said they were headed toward the ranch. Dean was growing more impatient by the minute.

“Did Gwen get everything taken care of in New York?” Emmett asked, without taking his eyes off the road.

Dean nodded. “Yeah, but she had a lot to do. It’s not easy packing up all your belongings and moving to another part of the country. She had to decide what she wanted to put in storage and what she wanted to bring here. Plus she had to give the network two weeks’ notice and finish out her work there.”

“Sounds like she’s been busy,” Ben said.

Dean glanced down at his leg and frowned. “Yeah, and I should have been there helping her, but she insisted I stay for my physical therapy.”

“She was right about that. I can tell you’re getting better every time you go. Besides, I want you to be able to walk down the aisle without a cane at your wedding, and you haven’t got much time left before the big day.”

“I can’t believe it’s this weekend,” Dean said. They had talked about getting married before Gwen went back to New York, but had ultimately concluded that they wanted Maggie to be present. So they’d decided to wait until Gwen had settled all her affairs back East, which included getting her mother on board with their decision to remarry.

Thankfully, that hadn’t been as difficult as they’d feared. She loved Gwen and Maggie and wanted them to be happy. She was flying in the day before the wedding.

“It’s gonna be different having two women around the ranch,” Emmett said. “You think your daughter is gonna like it?”

Dean wiped at the perspiration that popped out on his head. “I don’t know. Gwen assures me that she will. Of course, it’s going to be different than city life.”

Ben waved his hand in dismissal. “She’s gonna love it here. What kid wouldn’t? Besides, with a mother like Gwen, she’ll adapt in no time.”

Emmett nodded. “Yeah. That Gwen is something else. I never will forget how she saved my life that day at Rattlesnake Creek. She fired that gun like she was a pro. And the funeral she planned for James was a real tribute to his life.” He stretched his legs out in front of him and sighed. “Yeah, I think it’s going to be great having two females around.”

“It will be if they ever get here,” Dean said as he glanced down at his watch. “Where could they be? It’s been over an hour since she called to say she was almost here.”

Ben and Emmett looked at each other and chuckled. “Relax,” Ben said. “You know the roads are always crowded with tourist traffic this time of day. They’ll get here soon.”

Dean turned an anxious glance in Ben’s direction. “What if Maggie doesn’t like me?”

Emmett laughed and wagged his head. “Don’t go looking for trouble before she even gets here. She’s gonna love you.”

Dean started to speak, but a car turned off the road at that moment and began the drive up the lane. Dean straightened to his full height, grabbed his cane and hobbled down the steps with Ben and Emmett following. Behind him Dean heard the front door open. He turned to see Shorty coming onto the porch. All three men looked as anxious as Dean felt. He took a deep breath as the car pulled to a stop in front of them.

Gwen jumped out on the driver’s side and ran around to where they stood. “This is quite a welcoming committee. It’s good to see all of you.” She gave Dean a swift kiss on the cheek and stared into his eyes. “Are you ready?”

He swallowed and nodded. “I haven’t slept in a week thinking about what this moment is going to be like.”

Smiling, she stepped back to the car and opened the back door. Dean tried to see the child buckled in the safety seat, but Gwen blocked his view. He heard the click of the restraints as she released them, and then a child’s voice drifted from the car. “Is my daddy here, Mommy?”

“Yes, darling. He’s waiting to meet you.”

Dean’s throat closed up, and his chest tightened so much he didn’t think he could breathe as Gwen stepped back and helped the most beautiful child he’d ever seen climb from the backseat. He almost gasped at the first sight of her.

Gwen had been right. Maggie’s hair was the same shade as hers, but their daughter’s eyes were identical to the ones that stared back at him from the mirror every morning. She wore a red dress with white polka dots, and her ponytail was tied with a red bow. When she smiled at him, dimples creased her cheeks as if they were extending a welcome just for him.

For a moment he felt as if his breath had been stolen from him, and then he moved toward her. He wanted to wrap his arms around her, but didn’t want to scare her. He held his hand out to her, and she looked up at her mother. Gwen nodded and gave her a little nudge in the back, and Maggie took a step toward him.

Ignoring the pain in his leg, he dropped to his knees and smiled at her. “Hello, Maggie. I’m so glad to meet you.”

She stared at him a minute, as if unsure what to do. Then she put her hand in his. His heart raced as he closed his big fingers around her small ones. “Are you really my daddy?” she asked, tilting her head to one side.

He cleared his throat and nodded. “I am. I’m sorry I haven’t gotten to meet you before.”

She smiled, and his heart skipped a beat. “Mommy said you had to be away from us because you had important work to do.”

He glanced up at Gwen, who was staring down at both of them, and she nodded. That was the explanation they had decided to tell Maggie now. His important work had been trying to reclaim his life from alcoholism, and he’d accomplished that. When Maggie was older, they would tell her the full truth, but for now they needed to start rebuilding their family.

“Yes, Maggie. I had important work to do, but that’s all over now. It’s time for you, your mommy and me to be a family.”

She sighed. “I’m glad, Daddy. I’ve missed you.”

Before he knew what was happening, she had thrown her arms around his neck and was hugging him with all her might. He turned his mouth to her cheek and kissed her. “I’ve missed you, too, darling, but I’m here now. Welcome to Little Pigeon Ranch.”

After a moment she pulled back and stared at him, an excited look on her face. “Mommy said you have puppies. Can I see them?”

“Of course you can. Sadie has been waiting to meet you and let you pick out the one that’s going to be your very own.”

Her eyes grew wide. “Really, Daddy? I’m going to get a puppy?”

He smiled. “Of course you are. All girls who live on a ranch need a dog, and a horse, as well. I’m going to teach you to ride, and your mommy and I are going to take you on trail rides all over these mountains.”

Maggie’s face grew animated, and she squealed in delight as she turned to her mother. “Mommy, did you hear? I’m going to have a puppy
and
a horse.”

Gwen smiled and wiped the corner of her eye. “I heard. That sounds wonderful.”

Behind him Dean heard a sniffle, but he didn’t turn around to see how his friends were dealing with the scene that had just played out. It was enough that they were here with him today to witness this reunion. His only regret was that his grandfather wasn’t, but the love he had given Dean still lived in the house James had built for his wife so many years ago. He’d be happy to know that his prayers had been answered—to have the next generation of the Harwell family living on the ranch he’d loved so much.

Gwen dropped on her knees and leaned toward him. Dean kept one arm around Maggie and wrapped the other around Gwen, then pulled them both against him. He closed his eyes for a moment, said a silent prayer of thanks and asked God to bless their family.

“I love you both,” he whispered. “Welcome home.”

* * * * *

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