Angel's Rest(83)

“Like a hero?”

“I’m no hero, Nic. Don’t think of it as some big sacrifice, because it wasn’t. It wasn’t like we all lived in the same town and got together for Sunday dinners. The truth is that when John Callahan died, I found my life.”

“You act as if John Callahan and Gabe Callahan are two different people.”

He shrugged. “It’s been two different lives.” At least.

“I seldom think about John Callahan’s life. It’s easier that way. Although I do like to drink a toast in my brothers’ honor on their birthdays. I imagine they do the same for John.”

“It’s weird how you speak of yourself in the third person.”

“Makes me feel like a pro athlete,” he dryly replied.

She grinned. “You’ve talked about your brothers before. There are three of them, right? Do you have any sisters?”

“No sisters. I’m told the guys have all married now, though, so there would be sisters-in-law. My … um … manager, I guess you could call him, updates me when I ask.”

“You don’t see your family at all?”

“No.” Gabe drew in a deep breath, then exhaled heavily. “My family is politically connected. For the plan to work, they had to believe I was dead. The black hats were well aware of the Callahan family’s response.”

Nic’s eyes rounded in shock. “That’s horrible. That’s just so sad.”

She took his hand in hers and gave it a comforting squeeze. She seldom touched him casually, though it was something she did with others all the time. It made him realize just how careful she was around him, and he found comfort in her spontaneity now. He turned his hand, linking their fingers, and they sat holding hands and swinging gently back and forth.

After a time she asked, “Was it worth it? Are you glad you made the choice you made?”

He couldn’t tell her about the high-level Al Qaeda operative whose defection his own “death” had provided cover for, or that the information the terrorist had offered up thwarted a terrorist attack on America, so all he said was, “Yeah, I am.”

“Would your family think it was worth it?”

He didn’t hesitate. “Yes. They would. They are patriotic to a man. I only wish …”

“What?” she prodded.

“At the time it all went down, I didn’t know how much it hurt to lose someone. I might have looked for another way.”

“So this happened how long ago?”

“Over ten years now. It’s hard to believe so much time has passed, that I’ve gone so long without talking about them. Other than my contact, you are the only one I’ve told.”

Surprise widened her eyes. “Jennifer didn’t know?”

He hesitated, then shook his head. “No, not the whole story. When I met her, the situation was such that I couldn’t. After that … well, it was complicated.”

“So you lost your Callahan family, then you lost your wife and son. I think I’m finally beginning to understand why you have trouble with …” She held up the baby name book.

Gabe closed his eyes. “You married a head case, I’m afraid.”

She tightened her hand around his, then released him. “Sorry, Callahan. I’m of the opinion that you’re the strongest man I know. I’m glad you told me about your brothers.”

The conversation lulled, but he didn’t leave. He could almost hear the wheels spinning in her mind. Eventually, she picked the baby name book up again and opened it. “What are your brothers’ names?”

He winced.

She noticed and said, “What?”

“It’s so, well, corny. Let me put it in context. My parents were married a long time before my mom got pregnant the first time. They thought they were infertile. She named my oldest brother Matthew. Yes, my Matty was named for him. Then, when she had the twins, she decided to continue the biblical theme. They’re Mark and Luke.”

Nic pursed her lips, holding back a laugh. “Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John?”

“In our hometown, they called us the Holy Terrors of Texas.”

Without conscious thought, she placed her hand over her stomach. “Did you all have celestial middle names?”

“Nah. Our middle names had no special meaning. Mom said she just liked the name Gabriel.”

She thought about it a little longer than said, “Celeste would say it’s no coincidence that you ended up in Eternity Springs. She’d say that Gabriel was meant to find his way here, where Angel Creek runs at the center of the valley.”