Marcus nodded and hugged her.
Gunner waited while Flick heated up the food. Stella checked Rachel’s pulse. Flick returned with the food and waited until Rachel took her first bite.
Gunner now understood how these men he’d gotten to know could be so upset. Gunner didn’t want to stand here helpless. He wanted to wrap Rachel in his arms and fix whatever was wrong with her.
And little Marcus and Chelle. He wanted to make sure their loser of a dad was out of the picture because Gunner wanted to be their dad. He wasn’t sure how, in less than twenty-four hours, he’d fallen in love with the woman of his dreams and with her kids.
If Rachel’s husband or ex-husband, Gunner wasn’t sure which, was available—Gunner wouldbe teaching him a lesson about threatening children. Ripping him apart piece by piece might get rid of the anger Gunner had toward him.
“Rachel, I’d feel better if someone stayed with you tonight. Would it be okay if I slept on your couch? I promise I won’t check on you every hour, but I’d like to check on you at least once,” Stella said.
Rachel finished chewing her last bite. “Umm, sure, I guess. I think I’m fine, though.”
Stella patted her shoulder. “I’m sure you are but I’d like to be sure. Both my girls are living far away, and I know if they’d had this happen, I’d want someone with them overnight.”
“Then it’s settled. Let’s have you stand up and see how steady you are. If everything is good, I’ll help you get Marcus settled back in bed and then you,” Stella said.
Gunner held out his hand to help Rachel up, and Marcus held his out for her other hand. Gunner hid a smile at Marcus being such a little man. Rachel stood up and seemed steady on her feet.
“All right. We’ll shoo the men out except for Marcus. I’d love it if you could get a good eight to ten hours of sleep tonight,” Stella said.
“But the shop,” Rachel protested.
“Nope. You sleep in. I got a message that the guys are almost done but need at least tomorrow morning to finish. Then I have a crew going in to clean. Tomorrow afternoon at four p.m. is the earliest we can go into the place. Sleep in. Relax. Let me know if you need any food delivered but rest,” Gunner said.
Her smile was all the reward he needed.
“Thank you,” she said.
Stella led them back to the bedrooms, and Gunner headed toward the door with Stone and Flick. Leaving her was the hardest thing he had to do tonight, but Stella would take care of her.
Rachel and the kids needed to know that they had support from all of Bluff Creek.
Flick patted his back. “Way to be the bigger man. Stella will take care of her, and you can work on winning her heart tomorrow. See ya,” Flick said, heading home.
“You okay?” Stone asked.
“I want to tear his father apart piece by piece,” Gunner muttered as they walked down the steps.
“I have a key to the gym if you want to go punch something,” Stone said.
“Why do you have a key to the gym?”
“Sometimes the only thing that calms me down at night so I can sleep is beating the hell out of something. Locks figured the punching bag at the gym was better than asking the members to let me hit them,” Stone said.
Gunner chuckled. He appreciated Locks thinking of them.
“Yep, I think I need that,” Gunner said. At least he could expend his anger if he couldn’t solve the issue.
Chapter Five
Gunner threw his arm over his eyes to block the bright sunlight piercing into his brain. Where had he gone to sleep? There wasn’t any bright sunlight in his room at the clubhouse.
He lay still, taking stock. His head hurt, and his mouth tasted like he’d dipped it in the farm’s manure pile. He stayed still, trying to remember what he’d done.
The smell of brewed coffee tickled his nose. He pulled his arm down and cracked an eye open. Stone held a cup of steaming coffee in front of his face. He accepted it, groaning at the protest his muscles made as he sat up.
“Will you keep quiet? You snored all night. It was like a freight train with asthma was in the room,” his brother Brody growled.
