Tom really drown? Be honest with me.”
Gabe’s expression remained the same. Calm, cool, and completely unreadable. “Yes. He drowned. It’s a common way to die.”
She shook her head in disbelief and turned back to the window, trying to fight the tears rushing to the surface. Her whole body trembled. Why did she have to be leery of everything? She wished she was strong enough to throw caution to the wind and be like everybody else who didn’t give a shit about action versus consequences. She cared too much about every little thing it physically pained her.
A hand touched her shoulder and she jerked around in horror. “Jesus, you scared me,” she panted. “You guys are always sneaking up on me.” She backed away. “Don’t do that anymore.”
“I’m sorry.” Gabe stepped back and looked down at her with what appeared to be sympathy in his eyes. “I would never hurt you, and Terry wouldn’t either. He’s not an evil man.”
Mary swallowed the lump in her throat. What was the true meaning of evil anyway? A man who hit his wife or a man who took another man’s life?
Gabe frowned. “I’m confused. I thought you two were really hitting it off? He hasn’t shut up about you since the doc took that bullet out of his shoulder.”
Mary couldn’t look him in the eye. “I don’t know what to tell you.” She blew out a deep breath and stared out the window again, her gaze lost in the endless sway of green. Knowing Terry talked about her lifted her spirits, but there were still many questions left unanswered. “He made me feel like I was beautiful.” She bit her lip, realizing she’d said that out loud, and turned back to Gabe with her shoulders square. “But now I know better than to believe anything a player says.”
Gabe appeared to be taken back by her words but didn’t say anything else in Terry’s defense. “Would fifty-grand make it easier on you?”
She’d just taken another sip of coffee and nearly choked on it. “What?”
“I’ll pay you to babysit him. Think of yourself as an innkeeper, or bed and breakfast hostess . . . whatever.”
Mary threw her hands up in frustration, cursed out loud, and opened the cupboard door. “I’d have to cook for him too?” She grabbed a bottle of liquor and added three fingers to her coffee. The bottle rattled against the cup. She sorely needed hair of the dog.
Fifty-thousand dollars. Holy shit.
Gabe stood there completely silent as she took a shaky drink. “And if I say no, then what? People come banging down my door anyway, like I have no say in the matter?” Why am I shaking so much? “I don’t think I’ve ever seen fifty-thousand dollars before.”
She set her coffee cup down, unable to keep a steady hand. It would take her several years of hard work to earn that much money.
Gabe shrugged as if he was talking about beer money. “Put it this way, if after his little vacay is over and you still want him gone, then I understand. Take the money and run if you want. Nobody is telling you what to do. I’m just asking for your help.”
She breathed a little better knowing she wouldn’t be forced into anything, yet this whole situation was so crazy she didn’t even know what to say. Gabe’s proximity, and the fact that he was such a huge guy didn’t help either, even though he let her have her own space.
A long, awkward silence fell over them until Gabe cleared his throat. “Ben has been dealt with.”
Mary swallowed. The mention of that psycho’s name made her skin crawl. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because I want you to trust me, and Terry couldn’t tell you himself. He can’t call you and report our actions.” He lifted a teasing brow and Mary wanted to hit him. “I’m sure he’ll make it up to you somehow. So, what do you say?”
She took a shaky breath. Why am I even having this conversation with him? Fifty-thousand dollars. Maybe she could skip town and go on a vacation or something. Let Terry stay here on his own and fend for himself.
“I don’t know, Gabe. This is insane.”
“Not really.” He chuckled. “It’s not like he’s a complete stranger to you. Think of all the fun you could have.” He waggled his eyebrows then winked, showing that strange humor she was still trying to get used to.
“I . . . .” She turned and moved a safe distance away, her cheeks burning knowing he was right. “I have a hard time trusting people, especially after what happened.”
“You can trust me, you know.”
She whirled around. “Why? Why does Mima trust you after everything that happened? We had a simple life until you guys showed up.” Tears filled her eyes from the harsh memory of Ben cutting her breast. Almost of its own will, her hand lifted to the scar, a small ridge about an inch in length above her right breast. Physical proof of how crazy some men really are. It didn’t seem to matter who set foot into her life, if he was a man, he was bound to eventually hurt her both physically and emotionally.
Gabe glanced around the room, perhaps trying to find the right words. “Terry and I both feel horrible about what happened. I certainly didn’t plan to crash my plane, and we didn’t know what Ben was up to.”
She blew out an impatient breath. Her hand settled back to her side, but the scar would never be forgotten. “I know, but still. Our lives aren’t the same anymore. I’m not the same anymore.”
“None of us are the same anymore. Look, all I can say is Mima’s my world. I truly believe fate brought us together, and I’m about to give her this.” He reached into his pocket and when he opened his enormous hand a gorgeous diamond ring twinkled in his palm. “I’m going to ask her tonight, but I thought I should tell you first.” He shrugged, but Mary saw the color of embarrassment in his cheeks. “Kind of like asking your permission, I guess, since you’re her only family.”
Her throat felt tight. Her heart felt empty. What did Mima see in this man? She eyed him critically. He was built like a brute and had the face of a man weathered by a harsh life. He may be handsome in his own way, but nothing to die for. In her eyes Gabe wasn’t a sex symbol, he was a symbol of take it to the death by any means necessary kind of man. But Mima fell in love with him. She was attracted to him, and Mary would probably never understand why. Maybe they were perfect for each other. Big versus small. Harsh versus soft.
A slow smile touched her lips. “You don’t need my permission. I know she loves you. I have no idea why, but I know she does.”
Gabe nodded, his grin almost childish. “Not all men are assholes, Mary. You’ll find out soon enough.”
She cleared her throat and wiped her eyes. “My answer is no, Gabe.” Fifty-grand you idiot! But Mary walked him to the door before she changed her mind. “Please tell Terry I’m sorry, but I can’t do it. Good luck with your proposal tonight. I know what her answer will be.”
Gabe nodded and let the screen door smack behind him. “Take care, Mary. We’ll see you soon.” He started his old Ford pickup and backed out of the driveway.
Mary returned to the kitchen with a heavy heart. How lucky Mima was to have such a big and powerful man love her so much. She was envious, even knowing Gabriel wasn’t exactly a model citizen. Not everybody is perfect, and not everybody gets what they want. Mary was well aware of the brutality of people and life in general.
When she heard the truck pull away she returned to the kitchen and polished off the rest of her Irish coffee.
A vision of Terry filled her mind. He was the opposite of Gabe. Terry had a long and lithe body, and his face could grace any popular magazine. He was tough but he had class. He could be deadly, but he could kiss her into liquid, too.
She closed her eyes and allowed herself to imagine how pleasurable it could be in his arms. It was just a fantasy. A dream. Nothing good could ever come