Within seconds, someone was handing Nate the room’s small, plastic trashcan. Positioning it beneath her, just in case, he brought his gaze back up to hers.
“Easy, sweetheart. Slow your breathing.”
A set of beautiful, golden eyes pleaded with him as she drew in several slow, deep breaths.
“Who would do something likethat”—she glanced up at the blank screen— “to him?”
Nate hated that he didn’t have the answers she was looking for. “We don’t know yet, but we’re going to find out.”
Taking several more long, controlled breaths, Gracie nodded. When she blinked again, another tear fell down across her cheek and Nate had to fist his free hand to keep from brushing it from her flawless skin.
Kole came back into the room, carrying a glass of water. Nate had been so focused on Gracie he hadn’t even realized his friend had left.
“Here, honey,” Kole held the glass out to her. “I called Sarah. She’s on her way up.”
At that, Gracie lifted her eyes.“What? Why?”
“You’re obviously upset. I figured you’d probably want to go home. You rode here with Sarah this morning, so I asked if she could drive you back to your place.” Kole looked to Jake for his belated approval, which their boss gave with a nod.
“No.” Gracie shook her head and set the glass down onto the table. Sitting up straighter, she wiped her face dry and looked at Jake. “I’m fine. I can still work. This was just very…unexpected, that’s all.”
With the same gentle tone Nate had heard him use with his wife, Jake asked Gracie the one question running through the mind of every man in the room.
“How did you know Craig Wyatt?”
“H-he’s…” She drew in a shaky breath and let it out slowly before correcting herself. “Craigwasa patient where I used to volunteer.” Sniffing, she looked at Nate. In an almost-whisper, she added, “He’s the one who organized my going-away party.”
Gracie’s beautiful face crumbled, then more tears began to fall, each one causing the unfamiliar pressure in Nate’s chest to increase. Unable to keep from it, he pulled her into his arms and held her close.
He wanted to cry with her when he felt her small hands gripping the back of his shirt. It was as if holding onto him was the only thing keeping her together.
I’ve got you, baby.
Nate looked over her shoulder to Jake and offered a more detailed explanation to him and the others.
“Gracie volunteered at a VA hospital in Maryland. She’d go there a couple times a week to keep some of the Vets who didn’t have family close by company.”
Jake nodded. “She shared that with me when we first spoke on the phone.”
“That’s a really nice thing you did, Gracie,” Matt told her kindly. Gabe and Zade muttered their agreements.
She pulled away from Nate and wiped her face dry again before giving Matt and the others a watery smile. “Thanks.” She then looked up at Kole and said, “Call Sarah back and tell her I’m fine.”
“You just found out a friend of yours was brutally murdered. You’re not fine.”
Gracie grimaced at Kole’s words, making Nate want to kick his friend’s ass.
“Kole’s right,” Jake intervened. “With Alpha Team already indisposed on another op and Bravo going wheels up within the hour, I wasn’t planning on staying at the office, anyway.”
“But, what if someone calls or comes by?”
“I’ll re-route the number to ring into my business cell, and I’ll put a note on the door that says we will be back in the office tomorrow morning.”
“But—”
“What did I tell you when I first offered you the job here, Gracelynn? About taking care of my staff?”
Looking a little embarrassed, Gracie whispered, “That everyone at R.I.S.C. is like family.”
