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“No need?” her mother practically yelled. “That man made you miserable when you were married. He almost destroyed you. As it is, he’s turned you into somebody who distrusts every man you meet.”
“Mom, let’s not go there right now.”
“And why not?”
Gwen pulled the phone away from her ear and rolled her eyes in frustration. She’d never yelled at her mother but sometimes felt pushed to the limits. With only a curtain covering the opening into the room, she tried to lower her voice so no one could hear her conversation.
“Because I don’t want to talk about that. I just wanted you to know what happened to me today.”
She heard her mother’s short intake of breath, and then her voice became gentler. “I’m sorry, darling. I’m upset because you were hurt and threatened, but it’s more than that. You know what’s at stake here.”
The guilt she’d carried for the past five years surfaced, and Gwen bit down on her lip. “I know. Don’t tell Maggie about this, okay?”
A loud gasp rippled in Gwen’s ear. “You don’t think I’d tell her that her mother was almost killed, do you? I wouldn’t frighten her like that. I love her. And I certainly wouldn’t tell her that her mother’s now with the father who doesn’t even know she exists. Do you have any idea what that would do to a four-year-old child?”
“Of course I do, Mom. You don’t have to worry. She’s my main concern, and I’ll do whatever it takes to protect her.”
“Then keep that in mind. No matter what Dean says, don’t let him worm his way back into your life. Remember how his drinking almost destroyed you. He’ll always be an alcoholic. Don’t let him mislead you into believing any differently.”
“Mom, please—”
Her mother interrupted before she could finish her sentence. “Let me remind you that when you made the decision not to tell Dean you were pregnant, you said you never intended to see him again. Now you have, and there’s no telling what he’ll do if he finds out about Maggie.”
“I know that, Mom,” she whispered.
“Good. Maybe this is the push you need to rethink your relationship with Rick.”
Gwen gritted her teeth. “Please don’t bring up Rick today. I’ve told you over and over that we’re just good friends. We work together and enjoy going out every once in a while, but that’s where it ends.”
Her mother sighed. “I know he cares about you, and he’s a good man. At least you could give him a chance.”
Gwen closed her eyes and rubbed her hand across them. How many times had she had this conversation with her mother? Lately she’d found her resolve slipping, and sometimes it seemed her life would be simpler if she’d just do as her mother asked and try to think of Rick as more than a friend.
“Mom...”
“All I’m asking is that you think about it.”
Gwen tightened her grip on the phone and gritted her teeth. “Mom, please, I can’t do this now. My head hurts, and I don’t want to talk about Rick. We’ll talk about it more when I come home.”
“You’re right,” her mother said. “Right now you need to get yourself checked out and make sure you don’t have any injuries. You take care of yourself, and I’ll take care of Maggie. She’s very eager for you to come home. When do you think that will be?”
“As soon as I finish my research. It should be a few more days.”
“Let me know, and we’ll meet you at the airport.”
“I will. And, Mom, thank you for everything you’ve done for me. I love you.”
“You don’t have to thank me. Just promise me that you’ll think about Maggie’s future. She needs a father.”
“I know that.”
Her mother was silent for a moment before she spoke again. “I hope you know that I only want what’s best for you because I love you.”
“I love you, too, Mom. I’ll talk to you later.”
Gwen ended the call and laid the phone beside her on the table, then scrubbed her hands over her face in an effort to relieve the anxiety talking with her mother always provoked. The curtain over the door moved, and Dean called out from the other side, “Gwen, may I come in?”
She glanced back at the phone with wide eyes. How long had he been standing there? Had he heard her speak about Maggie or Rick? She shifted on the table and crossed her arms over her stomach.
“Come in, Dean.”
He pulled back the curtain before he stepped into the room. A sad look shadowed his dark eyes, making them stand out in his pale face. His gaze traveled over her before he inhaled. She tried to determine if he had heard her conversation or not, but couldn’t tell. He held her gaze for a few seconds before she glanced down.
“I was just talking with my mother.”
“And how is she?” he asked.
“She was concerned about what’s happened today.”
He slipped his hands in his pockets and took a step closer. “I suppose that means she’s upset that I’m here with you.”
Gwen shook her head. “Dean, please...”
“It’s okay, Gwen. I understand how she feels about me, and I don’t blame her. But neither you nor your mother have anything to fear from me. All I’ve ever wanted is for you to be happy. I wouldn’t do anything to interfere with that.”
She blinked back the tears that filled her eyes and smiled. “I believe you, Dean. No matter what your problems were, you never lied to me.”
He took a step closer. “No, I never did, and I’m not going to start now. I’ve been talking with Ben, and we’re both concerned about the attempts on your life today. We think you need to go home while Ben searches for this guy. When he’s caught, you can come back and finish your research.”
Her eyes widened. “I can’t do that. I’m on a schedule to get this project under way. I can’t wait while the police look for a murderer they may never find.” She shook her head. “No, I’m going to finish my job, and then I’ll leave.”
“Gwen, listen to me,” he said. “You’re still in danger. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
She eased off the table and walked over to face him. “Thank you, but I have a job to do. I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
He glared at her and raked his hand through his hair. “I’m not going to let you do this.”
Her mouth gaped open and she shook her head. “Are you serious? Do you really think you can order me around? We aren’t married anymore. I don’t have to listen to you.”
He couldn’t have looked more shocked if she’d slapped him, and she immediately regretted her harsh words. His shoulders sagged and he nodded. “I know I don’t have any right to control what you do, especially after what I just overheard.”
Panic ripped through her, and it was all she could do not to run for the door. She clasped her hands together and tried to keep them from shaking. “What did you hear?”
He jammed his hands in his pockets again and rocked back on his heels. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I walked up just as you were saying something about a guy named Rick. Are you involved with him?”
She breathed a sigh of relief. If that was all he’d heard, then he still didn’t know about Maggie. Gwen nodded. “No. My mother wishes I was, though. He and I work together, and we date some. He’s a good man, and I enjoy spending time with him.”
Dean’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “I see,” he said. “I realize you have another life now, and I’d like for you to be able to return to it safely.” They stared at each other, neither speaking for a few seconds, and then he sighed and rubbed his hand across his eyes. “So, if you won’t go home, how about this? Stay at my dude ranch until you’re through with your assignment. I’ll have one of my employees accompany you to all the locations you want to visit. That way I’ll know you’re being protected.”
She frowned. “You want me to stay at your ranch? I can’t do that.”
“Why not? I have other guests there. You’ll have your own room with a private bath, and you can have as little to do with me as you want. I promise I’ll leave you alone.”
“I’m not worried about being around you. Our marriage ended years ago, and we both know we can never get back what we once had. I’m just afraid it will be uncomfortable for us.”
He smiled. “Then we’ll have to make sure to keep things pleasant between us. No rehashing what can’t be changed. Just an attempt to be friends. What do you say?”
She thought about it for a moment. It really would make her feel safer if she had someone to accompany her on her research trips. And she had to admit she was curious about the life Dean had made for himself. If she did this, she would have to be careful, though, and guard against letting any word or action give away the secret she’d kept hidden.
Finally, she smiled and nodded. “Thank you, Dean. I’d like to stay at your dude ranch.”
A big smile pulled at his lips. “Good. I promise you won’t regret it.”
Gwen’s stomach clenched at his words, and she almost groaned. Something told her Dean was mistaken. She had just made a decision that she might regret for the rest of her life.
FOUR (#ulink_f44784a4-9159-55ea-b444-875cb7d4a312)
An hour later Dean stood in the doorway of Gwen’s motel room and smiled at the sight of her on her knees, looking under the bed. He tried to push the memory of earlier times like this from his mind, but it was no use. He chuckled, and she glanced up at where he leaned against the doorjamb, his arms crossed.
“Are you sure you have everything?” he asked, a smirk pulling at his lips.
She pushed herself to her feet, brushed her hands against the knees of her jeans and glared at him. “You’re not going to bring that up again, are you?”
He smiled and straightened. “I can’t help remembering how no matter where we went, you always managed to leave something behind. Do you recall the time you left your makeup case in the bathroom of that St. Louis hotel, and you made me drive two hundred miles back to get it?”
She arched an eyebrow and shrugged. “Only because it was cheaper to pay for the gas to go back than to replace everything that was in that bag.”
“So you said.” He smiled again. “But I didn’t mind.”
She started to reply, but the expression on her face suddenly changed to one of uncertainty. With a sigh, she sat down on the bed. Her chin dropped to her chest and she shook her head. “I can’t do this, Dean,” she said.
He walked over and stared down at her. “Can’t do what?”
“I can’t go with you if you’re going to bring up the past all the time. I’ve moved on, and I don’t want to look back at what we once had.”
He nodded and looked at the floor. “I’m sorry. It’s just that I thought I’d never see you again, and then all of a sudden you’re here and there’s a guy pointing a gun at you. In all my years in police work I was never so scared as I was when I woke up on the floor of that ambulance and thought he was going to shoot you.”
“I know. I was scared, too.”
There was a time when he’d been the one she’d turned to when she was frightened or upset. Then his drinking got bad enough that he became the one who was scaring or upsetting her most of the time. No doubt this Rick guy was the one who comforted her now. The thought left a sour taste in Dean’s mouth.
He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck as he eased down to sit beside her. “And I’m sorry for dredging up the past. I guess the news that there’s another man in your life was a bit more difficult to take than I thought. But you’re correct. I don’t have any right to remind you of what used to be. I promised you that I wouldn’t do that if you went out to the ranch with me, and I won’t.” He stood and stretched out his hand as if to help her up, but then thought better of it and curled his fist at his side. “I’ll wait for you outside. Come when you’re ready.”
Without another word he headed toward the door. Once out in the sunshine, he blinked and pulled a pair of sunglasses from his pocket. His mind whirled with a hundred different reasons why he shouldn’t take Gwen to his ranch. He wasn’t over her—probably never would be—and it would be incredibly painful to see her regularly and know that he wasn’t welcome around her anymore. She might say she’d moved on, but she still resented him for how he’d ruined their lives, and he couldn’t blame her.
However, there was one overriding reason she should go. Someone had tried twice to kill her, and she’d be safer with Dean than she would be left alone in that motel room.
He turned at the sound of her walking from the room and closing the door behind her. She headed toward her rental car, which one of Ben’s deputies had delivered to the hospital. Dean had just stepped over to open the door for her when he heard a man’s voice ring out.
“Gwen! Wait!”
They both turned to see a man jogging across the parking lot toward them. The T-shirt and running shorts he wore were wet with perspiration. His sun visor looked drenched, and sweat poured down his face. He grinned as he stopped in front of Gwen, gulped for breath and leaned over with his hands on his knees.
She smiled in welcome. “Mark, how far did you run today?” she asked.
He took a few more breaths before he answered. “I did five miles. I thought you were coming with me this afternoon. I checked before I left, but you weren’t in.”
Dean’s heart did a nosedive into his stomach at the way the man’s eyes raked her face, but Gwen only tilted her head to one side, smiled and stared up at him. “I’m sorry. I got involved in scouting locations and was detained.”
His forehead wrinkled. “Nothing serious, I hope.”
She shook her head. “No.” Dean stepped up behind her, and she glanced over her shoulder at him. “Dean,” she said, “this is Mark Dyson. He’s in the Smokies for a few days.” She turned back to Mark. “And this is Dean Harwell, an old friend I ran into today. He owns a dude ranch outside of town, and he’s invited me to stay with him for the rest of my visit.”
Mark wiped his sweaty hand on his shorts before he stuck it out. “Nice to meet you, Dean.”
Dean studied him for a moment before he nodded and shook his hand. “You, too, Mark. So you’re a visitor to our mountains, like Gwen?”
He laughed. “Yeah, I guess you could call me that. I live in Knoxville and come here every chance I can. I spend a lot of time hiking the trails around here. I thought Gwen was going to go with me up to Clingman’s Dome this afternoon. But when I couldn’t find her, I went on a run by myself.”
Dean narrowed his eyes a bit and let his gaze travel over Mark, taking in all the details he’d been trained as a police officer to notice. Mark’s well-toned body told Dean that this guy must spend a lot of time in the gym. His hands with the manicured fingernails said he didn’t do any kind of manual labor, but that wasn’t what caught Dean’s attention. The indentation on the ring finger of his left hand did. Dean knew what that was from his own experience: Mark was used to wearing a ring. Could it be a wedding ring?
“So, Mark,” he said. “You live in Knoxville. Have you lived there long?”
“I got a job offer there when I graduated from college, and I took it. I really like the city and plan on staying.”
“College, huh? Where did you graduate?”
Mark fidgeted from one foot to the other and glanced at Gwen before responding. “Harvard Law.”
Dean’s eyebrows arched. “Wow! That sounds impressive. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who graduated from there.”
Mark wiped at the sweat that trickled down the side of his face. “It’s a great school.”
“What kind of law do you practice?”
A slight frown puckered the man’s forehead. “Mostly corporate stuff. Too boring to talk about.” With a smile, he turned back to Gwen. “So you’re checking out of the motel?”
“Yes, but I’m not going home. I’ll still be here for a few days.”
“Good. Then maybe we can do that climb to Clingman’s Dome another day.”
“Maybe. It depends on how much work I get done.”
He cast a quick glance at Dean, who had inched closer to Gwen. “So, I guess if you’re leaving right now, this means we aren’t going to have dinner together tonight.”
She smiled. “Not tonight. I’m too tired, but you have my cell-phone number. Call me, and we’ll see about another night this week.”
“I will. I’d like to hear more about that TV special you’re working on.” He looked back at Dean. “Nice meeting you. Maybe I’ll see you again while I’m here.”
