Ryan grabbed his wife’s hands and kissed her palm lovingly, giving her a sexy wink. “I already promised you I’d protect you from any wild animals, darlin’. Don’t you believe me?”
Lacy laughed and looked at Karissa’s confused expression and explained. “I’m a total city girl from Detroit. We camp out in hotels or nicely stocked cabins, not in the dark woods in a tent where Jason and Michael Myers hang out waiting for unsuspecting campers.”
Gabe chuckled and scolded Ryan in a playful manner. “I told you not to let Logan bring those horror movies over to watch with Lacy. He’s corrupted her and it’s all your fault.”
They all laughed and spent the time remembering old camping trips, trying to make Lacy feel more at ease. Gabe had taken Karissa camping on many weekends but she didn’t want to think of those romantic memories. They were bittersweet memories better left alone.
Stella looked at her watch. “I have to go and pick up Lily from my aunt’s house. Have fun camping, Lacy, and it was nice seeing you again, Karissa. We’ll have to get together soon and catch up.” She waved to them and clocked out.
Lacy brought Karissa her burger a few minutes later. “Mmm, this is good,” Karissa said after she bit into the juicy burger. “Just like I remember.”
Gabe almost groaned out loud at Karissa’s words. Talking about camping and remembering how they had made love under the stars made his jeans feel tight and uncomfortable. He had to think of something else or he’d never be able to get up and walk out of the diner.
Karissa enjoyed her time talking with them and didn’t feel as uncomfortable around Gabe as she thought she would. Maybe they could at least be casual friends. It’d be hard to hide her attraction to him but she didn’t want to trust her heart to him again. He had laid his arm on the back of her chair and she could smell his cologne. He was one sexy man still but after Jordan’s betrayal she had decided to stay alone for a while. She excused herself to go to the ladies’ room once she was done eating so she could leave for work. When she came out she came around the corner and stopped in her tracks. She walked back to the door of the women’s restroom, out of sight from the dining room. The man that had banged on her window that awful night was sitting down at a table with another man. She couldn’t go back in there. He’d recognize her for sure!
Think, she told herself, then peeked around the corner. She couldn’t even make it to the front door without being seen. Lacy was at their table taking their order. When Lacy walked back toward the kitchen, Karissa waved Lacy over to where she was hiding.
“What’s wrong, Karissa?” Lacy asked, seeing Karissa’s pale face and scared look.
“The skinny guy that just came in with the red T-shirt is the one who chased me and Toby. He’ll see me if I go back out there. What should I do?” Karissa’s heart was racing fast. That had been a very frightening night and she didn’t want that man to see her. She didn’t recognize the second man, but he must be involved, too.
Lacy thought for a second then smiled and wrote on one of her tickets to Ryan letting him know those were the men they were looking for. Karissa smiled and whispered, “You’re a genius, Lacy.”
Lacy walked up to Ryan’s table and set the ticket in front of him like he was just another customer and walked behind the counter like she was busy making coffee. Karissa admired Lacy’s calm demeanor as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Karissa already felt her stomach being tied up in knots from nervousness.
Ryan showed it to Gabe and both their expressions hardened immediately and their eyes narrowed coldly. Ryan leaned back and gave the men a polite smile. “You fellows know any good fishing spots around here by chance?”
One of the men looked nervous then pasted a polite smile on his face. “We’re just passing through. Maybe you should try the state park, it’s a few miles from here.”
“Okay, thanks. I will,” Ryan said, getting up and going to the cash register as if he was going to pay his bill. Gabe got up and walked over to where Karissa was hiding. He hugged her tightly and she was grateful for his presence, snuggling into his hold and calming down. She knew she would have panicked if he hadn’t been there. It felt amazing to feel his arms around her again after so many lonely years and she couldn’t help the shiver that went through her at his closeness. Damn, she hadn’t been this aroused in a long time.
“How do I get out of here, Gabe?” Karissa whispered and looked up at him with trust in her eyes. “My sister’s car is right in front of the diner window and I’m afraid they’ll see me if I try to leave.”
“We’ll go out of the back door and wait for Ryan. I won’t let them hurt you, honey,” he whispered in her ear, his warm breath tickling her neck. Gabe grabbed her hand and led her into the kitchen where Ally Clark, owner of the diner, and her assistant cook Henry were cleaning up for the day since it was almost closing time. Gabe explained what was going on and Ally nodded, leading them out the back doorway that led t
o an alleyway. There were some stairs that led up to an empty apartment where Lacy used to live, Gabe explained. He led her to the steps so she could sit down. He could see she was still unsettled by seeing the men that had chased her and Toby. A few minutes later Ryan came out of the restaurant and walked up to them. He smiled at Karissa letting her know everything would be okay.
“I called Logan from the kitchen phone. He’ll be here with Harrison and they’ll follow them to see where they go. You take Karissa out of here, Gabe. I’m not leaving Lacy alone with those assholes,” Ryan’s voice was firm and determined as he went back into the restaurant to keep an eye on his wife.
Gabe nodded in agreement. “Come on, Rissa. My Jeep is parked down the block and they won’t see us.”
Karissa followed Gabe to his car and didn’t relax until they were in it and driving away from the diner. Gabe looked over at her and squeezed her hand in a reassuring grip. “Doing okay, honey?”
Karissa nodded and looked over at him as he drove away and smiled. “Now that we are away from them I feel much better. But I need Casey’s car to get to work tonight.”
“Let me take you to work. Casey’s car will be safe there and I’ll have Logan drive it back to your sister’s house. I’m worried they might go to the bar. I heard one of them mention they needed a beer, I’ll stick around for a while just to make sure it’s safe for you.”
“Are you sure? It’s supposed to be your day off, Gabe.” It made her feel warm inside that he would spend his day off watching out for her, but he had always been so caring of her and others around him. That had been one of the many qualities she had loved about Gabe. Maybe that was why she had taken the breakup so hard. She had put all her trust in him and had been shocked to the core that he had rejoined the military without even talking to her about it or giving her a warning.
“I’ll just worry all night knowing they could show up at Thorn’s and see you. All I had planned was sitting home tonight and watching TV,” he said and gave her a flirty smile. “I’ll watch you work instead. It’ll be more entertaining.”
Karissa heard the loneliness in his voice and her heart ached. It was hard to not feel anything for this man. He had been her first love and first lover, she would always feel something for him. “Gabe, you’re a handsome man. I’m sure you have plenty of women in this town running after you.”
He shook his head in denial. “Nope. Logan says I don’t know how to look friendly or flirty, whatever that means, and they’re too nervous to approach me. I’ve been wanting to spend time with you and here is my chance.”
She looked at him with genuine surprise. “Me? You didn’t want me anymore, remember, you got bored with me really quick.”
“I always wanted you, Karissa, that was never the problem. I was just too young and full of my own ideas to take our relationship seriously back then. I thought I needed adventure to be happy but traveling from base to base year after year made me realize that all I wanted was a life with you but by then it was too late,” he was as sincere as he could be, he owed her the truth.