Mending Hearts (The American Soldier Collection 11)

“I’m not alive. I’m dead. Go away, Alana. Just leave me alone.” He limped away.

“No. Why are you doing this, Gabe?” she cried, and the person holding her shoulders turned her around. She locked gazes with Jaxon. His bold blue eyes bore into hers.

“How do you know Gabe? Who are you?” He questioned her as if he were interrogating her.

“I thought he was dead,” she whispered.

“Where does he live? How long has he been here in Salvation? Is he okay? What happened to him? Why is he hiding from his family?” Deanna rambled on.

Gator rubbed his chin and looked fierce and sad at the same time.

Jaxon ran a hand along Alana’s hair and then cupped her cheek.

“How do you know Gabe? Are you family?”

She shook her head.

“He was my boyfriend. We were going to get married.” She then began to sob.

Jaxon pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight. She didn’t care that she didn’t know him or these other men. She knew they knew Gabe and were friends of his, perhaps men he trusted to be around.

“Put that phone away. Don’t call anyone,” Jeb ordered, and Alana looked to the side and saw Deanna with her cell phone in her shaking hand.

“His parents need to know that he’s alive and well. We’ve all been sick and thought he was dead,” Deanna told them.

“He doesn’t want anyone to know that he’s alive,” Jaxon told them as they heard the truck pull away with Gabe and the other man whose name Alana didn’t know.

Alana’s heart was pounding inside of her chest. She could hardly catch her breath as the situation played out over and over again in her head.

Gabe isn’t dead. He’s alive, and he wants nothing to do with me. Nothing.

* * * *

Jaxon walked Alana toward the set of outdoor chairs so she could sit down. So many thoughts were going through his head. Gabe had never mentioned Alana. He never once brought up a woman from his past that he had been in love with and was going to marry.

“Oh God, Alana, this can’t be real,” Deanna stated.

Jeb was standing there, and Gator squeezed Alana’s shoulder.

“He looked so angry and his eyes… His eyes were dark, dull and hollow. Why wouldn’t he want to see me? Why would he pretend to be dead?” she asked and sniffled.

Jeb knelt down and placed his hand on Alana’s knee. The sight stirred something inside of Jaxon. They had all been checking Alana out when she came outside, but then the two women recognized Gabe.

“Gabe’s been through a lot. It took all of us to get him to come out here today to volunteer to help. He usually doesn’t go anywhere,” Jeb whispered.

Alana’s shoulders shook as she sniffled and then wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her sleeve.

“We just had our yearly memorial for him in town. It’s been three years,” she said.

Jaxon was shocked as Jeb reached up and wiped away the tears.

“I couldn’t even imagine how hard this has been for you. For both of you,” Jeb said, looking at the other woman.

“I’m Gabe’s cousin, Deanna. My mom is his mom’s sister. My God, Aunt Marcy and Uncle Mike are going to freak out when they find out that Gabe is alive. I have to call my husbands. They were close to Gabe too.”

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” Jaxon said.

“Definitely not a good idea,” Gator added.