Pros & Cons (30 page)

Jenna and I exchange a look. I have money stashed in accounts all over the world, so it’s not like we’ll have to find regular jobs. But I
would
. I’d do it in a heartbeat if it meant we could start a new life together.

“We can live anywhere we want?” Jenna asks.

“Interpol prefers you stay in the continental United States, but yeah, anywhere you want.” Shane’s face turns a little green. “Are you staying here? I mean, that’d be cool, and I know Hank would be happy, but I might need to hire more deputies.”

We laugh.

“No, we won’t stay here,” Jenna replies, looking at me with those big brown eyes I love so much. “Will we?”

Thank God she loves the cabin as much as I do.

“I go wherever you go, Miss York.”

“Well, I go wherever you go, Mr. Summers.”

With a groan, Shane heads for the door. “How sweet. Excuse me while I go puke.”

We can’t stop smiling at each other, not even when Shane leaves and Dad comes back to take another blood pressure reading.

“Better,” he says, nodding approvingly. “Not perfect, but better. I take it Shane brought good news?”

The news about Gabe isn’t the best, but the rest is phenomenal. We’ll be free to live boring, ordinary lives.

And we can do it in Tennessee.

For the first time in my life, boring sounds absolutely perfect to me.

Two days later—with my blood pressure still a bit elevated but decent enough for Dr. Summers to give his consent—Ethan and I drive to the police station. In the backseat are two lawyers from Nashville. Angela Ellis has curly blonde hair and an icy glare that intimidates all of us. Next to her is Nick Manning, another attorney in her firm. Both come highly recommended by Dr. Summers, but I’m really partial to Angela. I liked her immediately. She’s smart, feisty, and eager to kick someone’s ass in court.

Kicking someone’s ass is exactly what we need.

All we have to do is cooperate with the agents and we’ll walk. It’s a technicality at this point, and Angela assures us that Nick can handle our case. Gabe, on the other hand, needs a cut-throat attorney if he has any chance of making bail and avoiding jail time. Ethan promises to triple her fee if she can find a way for Gabe to walk.
Is that even legal?
I hope so. I’d hate to screw up our deal with the Feds before we even sign on the dotted line.

Shane is waiting for us when we arrive at the station. We introduce him to the attorneys before he leads us toward the interrogation room.

“That blonde is hot,” Shane whispers.

I nudge his shoulder. “Stop it. You’re a married man.”

“So?”

He walks on, leaving me speechless. Once again, I’m so grateful Shane cheated on me all those years ago. Is that what marriage does to you? You have a few good years and then your eyes begin to wander?

When everyone files into the interrogation room, Ethan tugs my hand.

“We’re not all like that, you know.”

“What do you mean?”

He smiles and presses his forehead against mine.

“I heard what Shane said. Not all guys are like that.”

It’s official. The man is now a mind reader.

I shake my head. “You don’t know that, Ethan. I’m pregnant. I’m going to get fat.”

“Won’t matter.”

“I’m going to be cranky and sensitive and irrational.”

“Won’t matter.”

“And I’ll probably still be all those things even after the baby comes.”

He bows his head to hide his grin.

“Ethan, I’m serious.”

I wipe away a tear as it threatens to spill down my cheek.
Stupid hormones.

“So am I.” He pulls me close and kisses my temple. “We’ll talk about this later. Are you calm?”

I nod and take long, cleansing breaths. Nothing’s keeping me from seeing Gabe today.

Ethan takes my hand and leads me into the interrogation room. Gabe’s already there, seated and talking to the lawyers. He looks ragged and tired in his orange, county-issued jumpsuit, but his face morphs into a megawatt smile when he sees us walk through the door.

My hormonal heart can’t take it, and I promptly burst into tears.

“He’s okay, sweetheart.”

“He’s right, Jenna,” Gabe says softly. “Now, you can’t get upset or Ethan won’t let you stay.”

With a nod, I sniffle quietly and sit down in one of the chairs. I want to hug him, but Shane already warned us that contact with the prisoner is forbidden.

Being a law-abiding citizen really sucks.

Angela smiles kindly at me and hands me a tissue. “How far along?”

“Not far enough.”

Everyone laughs.

Am I going to be a gigantic crybaby throughout this entire pregnancy?

It’s suddenly all business as the lawyers talk to us about the day inside the church. We tell them everything, and they take pages of notes—Angela on her legal pad and Nicholas on his laptop.

Angela turns to Gabe. “So you felt that Jenna was in danger?”

“But I was holding the gun,” I remind her.

Angela tilts her head toward me.

“Work with me here, Jenna.”

Shit.

“Sorry.”

Gabe’s face turns grave. “Look, I appreciate the help, but I understand how bad this is. Jenna was in no condition to shoot anyone, but I could see it in her eyes. She was determined to end it once and for all.” He then turns toward me. “I couldn’t let you do it, sweetheart. If you’d pulled the trigger, you’d be having your baby in prison. I couldn’t let that happen. You deserve better. You both do.”

“What about you?” I ask.

He shrugs. “What about me? I have no family.”

“You have us,” Ethan says.

“I know, and it will make me happy knowing that the two of you are in your house in Tennessee—happy and healthy and raising your baby. Ethan, you and I have been together a long time. You’re like a brother to me. Maybe even a son. I saw how devastated you were when Coop was killed, and I saw the change in you when you fell in love with Jenna. You’re a good man, and you deserve a good life. You can have that now. You can have it together.”

Ethan squeezes my hand.

“And you,” Gabe says, smiling softly at me, “you were an absolute breath of fresh air. You challenge him. You understand him. You’ll take care of him. Now, I’m not going to lie, taking care of him can be a full-time job . . .”

We all laugh. Ethan smirks and nods in agreement.

“But you can do it, Jenna. You’re really the only one who can.”

A brief look passes between us, and it breaks my heart.

“You sound like you’re giving up.”

Ethan nods. “Yes, it does. Don’t you want to fight at all?”

Gabe looks at his lawyer. “Is there a reason to fight?”

“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think so,” Angela says firmly. “I’ll talk to the agents. Maybe they’ll be in the mood to negotiate some kind of deal—even one with minimal jail time.”

I’m heartbroken. Even Angela thinks Gabe will have to spend some time in prison.

As we begin to leave, I watch as Ethan and Shane share a look. I can’t read it, but then Shane turns his back on all of us and pretends to search through a filing cabinet.

“Hug him,” Ethan whispers. “I know you want to.”

I chance a glance at Shane before rushing around the table and throwing my arms around Gabe.

“Thank you.”

“Take care of that baby,” Gabe says, hugging me tightly.

I nod and step away, unable to control my tears any longer. Ethan then pulls Gabe into a hug. They whisper something, but I can’t hear a thing. I’m crying too hard. Angela hands me another tissue.

“Please try to help him.”

Angela smiles.

“I promise to try,” she says.

It’s just past midnight, and the house is finally quiet. Naturally, my visit with Gabe upset me so much that my blood pressure spiked, and Dr. Summers sent me straight to bed. My dad and Mrs. Summers hovered all night long, too.

I’m not used to so much parental attention. It’s beginning to get to me.

“What are you thinking?” Ethan whispers in the darkness.

“Thinking I want to go home.”

“Me, too. Nick said we’ll meet with the agents within the next couple days. They’ll finish taking our statements, and then we can sign off on the deal. Once that’s done, we’re free to go, if Dad says it’s okay . . . and if that’s what you want to do.”

“Don’t you?”

“Yeah. I just thought you might like more time with your father.”

I nuzzle his chest. “I’m ready to go home. The great thing is we can come back to visit whenever we want. No more looking over our shoulders.”

“That’s right.”

Ethan smiles down at me and kisses me softly. Sighing contently, I rest my head against his chest.

“So, I was thinking about our discussion at the police station. About men who cheat.”

I stiffen. “What about them?”

“You need to know I’m not one of them.”

“I didn’t think Shane was, either. Don’t get me wrong. It didn’t really break my heart, but still, it was a surprise.”

Ethan lifts my chin so that I’m forced to look into his eyes. They’re so blue and pure. I pray our baby inherits them.

“You’re my Abby,” he whispers, as if that explains it all.

And it does.

“You’re my Coop.”

He kisses me tenderly, and his tears mingle with mine.