“It was truly my pleasure.” Gillian wrapped her in a hug and held on tight, wishing with all her heart for Sienna’s health to be restored.
“Thank you,” Jacqui said with tears in her eyes. Smiling back at Gillian, she led Sienna over to the candy apple stand.
At that moment, Gillian’s heart filled with so much love, she thought it might burst. Maybe meeting this sweet, little girl was a sign from the powers that be of good things to come, to teach Gillian to embrace the future without expecting the other shoe to drop. If Sienna could hold onto hope after everything she’d been through, then Gillian could too. Maybe there was a chance at a future with Garrett after all.
* * *
Garrett stood outside the fence of the park with his mouth hanging open. He had been unable to keep from staring in stunned silence when the little girl took off her hat. He’d tuned into her conversation with Gillian, listening to every word and getting choked up.
Watching Gillian interact with Sienna made one thing clear—she was a natural with children, a born nurturer. He’d been standing there for several minutes, checking out the scene to make sure Gillian was okay. Turning his head, he glanced at the uniforms trolling the park. They should’ve made him feel safe, but they didn’t, not really. There was no way to know who Lawrence would send after her, especially now that they were closing in. The Council had the bank put a freeze on all affiliated assets and accounts linked to Malcom’s credit cards.
His eyes, of their own accord, flew back to Gillian, and his chest grew tight. No matter how much he wanted her, if he stuck around, he’d take her dream of a family away. He’d give anything to be human again, and be able to make all of those dreams come true. But it was only a fantasy. He’d heard the wives’ tales and myths about witches creating elixirs and spells to turn a vampire human again, but none had unlocked the mystery of a true cure. If they did, he’d know. There was only one thing he could do to save Gillian from heartache in the long run.
When he tried to take a step, it felt as though his shoes had been filled with lead. He glanced over at the kids marching in the parade, some hobbling on crutches, others in wheelchairs, with pallor complexions. Life had never seemed more unfair. He could only imagine what these families would do to find a cure for their child’s illness. What they wouldn’t give for a guarantee of more time with their loved ones, while he stayed cursed, frozen in immortality.
With a heavy sigh, he walked past the gate and into the festival area. Garrett approached Gillian’s table and whistled. He admired how the blue, flowing dress hugged her curves. The sight of her lightened his dark mood.
“Let me guess, there’s no place like home? You’re the most beautiful witch I’ve ever seen.”
“Garrett? When did you get here?” The way Gillian said his name, breathless and excited, warmed a part of his soul. She came around the table to brush a kiss on his cheek. “How was the debriefing? Is everything set for tonight?”
“We have a lot to go over, but we can discuss all the details and your role on the drive over. There’s one thing I need to tell you, and I know you’ll be happy about it. The MBI sent a drone to do surveillance of the house. We got footage of Brooke. She’s there and she’s all right, Gillian.”
“Thank God.” Gillian burst into tears. She wrapped her arms around his neck and crushed her face to his chest. Sobs of relief shook her body while he rubbed her back. “Thank you.”
“Hey, it’s okay. Let it all out, baby,” he whispered. When her sobs began to subside, she pulled away, and he handed her a handkerchief.
“I see you came prepared for the occasion.” She dried her eyes, rubbing off her smeared mascara.
“I’d rather see you smile, than cry.” He grabbed his wallet and pointed to the raffle tickets. “How many will these buy?” he asked, handing her three, crisp hundred dollar bills.
“All of them with some cash to spare. Thank you. It’s very generous of you.” She walked to the table and stuffed the money in the raffle can, picking up a few books of tickets and handing them to him. “Hold onto these. Who knows, you could get lucky,” she whispered in a breathy voice.
Hell, he could still taste her on his lips—hear the rush of her blood through her veins. He couldn’t make love to her again in good conscience, not when he planned to break things off. “On second thought, we should go,” he said, resisting the urge to return the quip.
He’d never been so connected to another woman in his life, not even with Lilly. But this time he wouldn’t be selfish. He’d wait until after tonight to end things. She would be reunited with Brooke and happy. It would hurt less then. He refused to let anything get in the way of the op. He had to stay focused on saving Brooke and those women. In the end, he’d bring Lawrence down for good.
“There’s still a lot to discuss for tonight, and I’m not planning to stick around.” Such prophetic words were never spoken. Guilt twisted his gut, but it was misplaced. Breaking it off with her was the best thing he could do for her in the long run.
“We’re just finishing up here. Let’s wait for the raffle to be called, and then, we can head home.” The moment she said the words, she froze. “I meant your home of course, not mine.”
He could never give her the kind of home she wanted—one with a family. What kind of self-centered bastard would he be if tried to take her dream away from her? “I know what you meant.” He shot back in a voice laced with anger, not at her, but the situation.
“What’s wrong? There’s a strong, negative vibe coming off you all of a sudden.” She studied him like a puzzle piece that didn’t fit anywhere.
“It’s nothing.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I have a lot on my mind, and I just want to get out of here.”
Her gaze narrowed, looking him over. “Don’t say it’s nothing when clearly something’s bothering you. I can tell by your breathing and the change in your voice. I thought we got past this, Garrett, and we could be honest with each other. Did I freak you out when I said let’s go home? Is this part of your commitment phobia?”
His anger flared. “I thought you were a psychic, not a therapist.” He didn’t want to do this here.
Hurt flashed in her eyes and made him feel like something he wiped off the bottom of his shoe on the way over. “Can we go somewhere and talk about this in private?”
With a nod, he led her by the elbow to a quiet corner of the park, away from the crowd, but where officers patrolled the perimeter. Once he made sure they were alone, he exhaled. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean what I said. It was cruel and effusive of me.”
Her chest rose and fell with heavy breaths. “What’s going on? Does this have to do with Brooke? Is there something you’re not telling me?”
He shook his head. “No. Everything’s in place.” If he was attached to her now, what would he be like in a month or a year? How could he just walk away when being with her made him feel alive? She brought light and color into his dark, dreary world. Ever since she fell into his arms, his heart seemed to beat again.
