His grin widened, and he half turned toward the porch, clearly expecting Willow to step out.
Gray jogged over and clapped him on the shoulder, careful of the bandaged arm. “Show-off. You’re making the rest of us look bad. Well, all but Colt.”
He glanced over Gray’s shoulder to see Colt standing on the porch, legs braced, looking as normal as ever, though a little paler beneath his cowboy hat.
Gabe dropped his gaze to his boots. They weren’t annoyed that he showed up out of the blue and took a place on the team. They weren’t distant. They were…happy to see him.
Dutch eyed him from beneath his own hat brim. “Heard you had a hell of a trip. You good?”
Gabe’s throat grew even tighter as Felicity grabbed his hand and the guys surrounded her too in what could only be called a circle of protection.
A cry carried on the breeze, and Gray stepped aside just as Honor barreled into the group and hurled her arms around her sister. Felicity let out a watery laugh and grabbed her sister in a tight hug.
Then all the Malone women flooded out, Navy toddling behind them carrying a toy horse by the tail and Layne cradling her newborn wrapped in a blue blanket.
For the first time in a long time, Gabe felt a knowing settle inside him. What he’d only guessed at when he climbed behind the wheel of his old truck and ended up on the Black Heart that night.
He was home.
Home wasn’t just the ranch or the Wyoming mountains. It was the woman he loved at his side and his brothers on his six.
He looked up and saw Crew, one of his good friends from the program, hanging back, away from the group.
Gabe broke free from the crowd and wandered up to him.
“You good, brother?” Crew asked low.
Gabe felt the weight of the question. He wasn’t only a good friend from the program. He knew the hell it took to get here too.
“Yeah. Haven’t been this good in a long time.”
Crew understood. He held out a fist, and Gabe bumped knuckles with him. Then he slanted a look at Felicity. “I can see why.” He smiled, genuine but maybe a little sad, and turned and walked back toward the barn.
He watched him go for a moment, thinking about how all of them had their own path to walk, some rockier than others.
“Gabe.” Carson’s voice cut through the noise.
He turned.
The boss man stood there, hands in his pockets, expression hard to read. His gaze swept once over Gabe, catching on his bandaged arm as if searching for holes the doctor hadn’t found.
“Got a minute?”
Gabe dipped his head in a nod. He sent a look at Felicity, who was catching up with the ladies.
He followed Carson into the office. Carson closed the door behind them and gestured to the chair.
Gabe sat, suddenly feeling way too much like a kid called into the principal’s office.
“I was wrong to take that order to pick up a vet at the airport and not question the origin,” he began.
Carson dropped into his own seat across the desk. “I have more important things to discuss.”
Gabe swallowed.
“I got a call from the Denver PD that one of my men tackled a suspect in a millionaire’s study.”
Some of the weight eased from his shoulders. “I heard my boss greased a bunch of wheels to get pathology reports that ended with an arrest.”
