Code Name: Nanny (SEAL and Code Name #5)(103)

Abruptly he turned, his eyes searching the darkness until they locked on her face. Summer realized he was carrying a cane, gripping it hard with gloved fingers.

“Why did you come?”

The blood drained out of her face.

Because I missed you like I’d miss part of my own body. Because I probably love you, but I’ve got no yardstick to measure by, and if it’s true, the possibility terrifies me.

But now that she was here, inches away from him, with every word so precious, Summer couldn’t think of one that was true enough for the storm of emotions she was feeling.

Trust your heart, she’d advised Sophy once, and the advice may have saved Cara O’Connor’s life. Summer decided to follow her own advice now, even if it terrified her. “I came because I had to. It wasn’t finished, Gabe.”

“For me it was.” His voice was harsh.

Summer stared into his eyes, unflinching. “I don’t believe you. Being a good liar must go with being a SEAL.”

“SEALs are good at a lot of things,” he said grimly.

“What happened to your hand?”

His gloved fingers tightened on the cane. “Skin grafts.” He didn’t look at her, his shoulders stiff. “How’s your head?”

“My quantum physics research is on hold, but otherwise I’m fine. The headaches aren’t so bad anymore.”

He turned at that. “What headaches?”

“It doesn’t matter.” Summer felt dizzy just looking at him, overwhelmed by emotion. Odd, because she had always prided herself on being perfectly controlled, completely logical.

But that was before Gabe.

That thought left her terrified, too.

“Izzy didn’t tell me about the headaches.” Gabe stared at her, unmoving. “You okay otherwise?”

“Fine. Don’t expect me behind the wheel of a car, though. When I try to drive, I get a little crazy. Remembering, you know? Details about the road, the cement at the end.” Summer forced a smile. “I should be going back to work in a few weeks.”

Something crossed his face. “Glad to hear it.”

Silence fell. Why were they talking about everything but what mattered? Summer wondered.

“You got those cuts taken care of?” Gabe turned away, back to the window. “The ones on your neck and chest. Izzy told me about them.”

Summer shrugged. “He pulled some strings. So did Tate Winslow. The specialist they found did a great job. He wanted to take a few extra nips, make me into Julia Roberts, but I told him the cosmetics didn’t matter.”

“You don’t need to be made into anything else.” Gabe’s voice was gruff. “You hear from Izzy a lot?”

“About once a week.” Summer managed a smile. “How do you think I got your address and your key?”

“I figured something like that.”

Summer summoned her courage, standing up slowly. “I keep remembering something you told me, Gabe. You said that I had to trust someone, and it might as well be you.”

“I say a lot of things.” Gabe stared out at the boats hugging the curve of the shore. “Most of them are pure stupidity.”

“No, I learned to trust you then, and I trust you now. That’s a new experience for me.” Summer laughed tightly. “Of course, my dance card hasn’t exactly been overbooked, if you know what I mean.”

“Summer, you don’t have to—”

“Let me get this out, Gabe. I came to find you because I needed answers and finality.” Summer took a breath. “I wanted to see if—”

He cut her off, gripping the cane as he turned. “Look, you may as well know this up front. I’ve got someone coming over tonight. She should be here any second.”

“‘Coming over’?” Summer tried to smile. “As in, cleaning your apartment? Delivering your groceries?”

“No. Not like that.”

This pain was worse than what she’d felt waking up alone in the emergency room, and she had a sudden sense that it was never going to get better. “Oh.”

Funny how the world could shatter around you and all you could say was oh.

“I’m sorry, Summer. I should have told you sooner.”

“No problem.” She closed her eyes. Gabe was entitled to his choices, just as she was entitled to hers. There had been no commitments made, no declarations, no vows of any kind. “That’s wonderful, Gabe. Actually there’s . . . there’s a man back in Philadelphia. Someone I met in the hospital.”

“A doctor?”

Summer nodded. “Surgeon. He took care of my arm. Talk about a cliché.”

“No.” He cleared his throat. “That’s—good, Summer. That’s great.”

He needed to be free, Summer thought. He had someone else, and she was determined to be happy for him. “So we’re clear about everything.”

“Sure. Absolutely. He’s a lucky man.”

Summer’s chest ached, as if someone were drilling slowly right down through her skin and into her heart. “Thanks.”

There was a knock at the door. “That must be Nickie.” Gabe turned as the door opened. A tall woman in cutoff blue jeans stood in the doorway, carrying a bag of groceries. She had very white teeth and perfect abs beneath a cropped yellow polo shirt.