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P atch handed Gabby a cup of chamomile tea before sitting in the recliner beside her.

“I’m happy with your BP. I texted Kassie the numbers. Did you know I used to stay here? The view from the deck brings peace to the most troubled souls.”

“Do I appear troubled?” she asked as she watched him remove the cuff and slide it into his bag.

Patch nodded toward the door. “Seems you and the asshole have some unfinished business.”

“Not really. He decided for us. I didn’t know he moved here, too. Why do you call him an asshole?”

Patch grunted. “It takes one to know one, I guess. For a man insisting on getting a divorce, he broke record speeds searching for you. Maybe he’s a man who regrets his decisions.”

“I doubt it. Once Marcus makes up his mind, he stays committed. It doesn’t matter. Things progressed to a point of no return. He’s helping because of the baby.”

The corpsman shook his head. “Again, it takes one to know one. We can be a stubborn sort. Hell, Claire practically took a club to my head before I got my shit straight. I nearly lost her.”

“You did?”

“Yep. Sometimes, a man consumed by war never leaves the battle, even when he returns home. Did Knight discuss his missions with you?”

She shook her head. “He spun up for the last year nearly nonstop. When he returned home, he seemed so far away. Our wedding anniversary came and went. He didn’t even acknowledge it. He deployed the morning of my birthday without wishing me a happy one. When I learned he returned earlier than expected on his big day, I made all his favorites, went to the Italian bakery and bought pignoli cookies for him. He doesn’t like cake. Instead of returning home, he spent the evening at the bar. Whenever I tried to talk to him about anything, he picked a fight. I guess I stopped asking.”

“Hey. Don’t be hard on yourself. Living with an asshole ain’t easy. You and Claire should compare notes. She still busts my balls when I need it. Don’t tell her I said that. I’ll never hear the end of it.”

Gabby giggled. “Have you always lived here? The people seem genuinely nice.”

“No.” Patch chuckled. “I’ve lived here a little over six months. If you want to visit, you only have to search for the house coated in pink stomach medicine.”

“You live in a pink house?” She laughed out loud at the thought of the huge man walking into his home.

“Claire purchased it around the time I showed up. We discussed changing the color, but some of the residents of Serenity protested the idea, saying it’s one of the town’s historic homes. No one seems to knowwho painted it the atrocious color and a bunch of Karens presented us with a petition to keep it as is.”

“Can they do that?” she asked.

“I don’t know. It seems far more of an embarrassment than history. What do I know,” he muttered.

The doorbell rang and he went to answer it. Bryanna stepped into the room with a basket looped around her arm.

“Saint mentioned he and Marcus planned to go to Seattle. I baked some mini apple pies and wanted to see if you felt up to some company.”

“Uh, I’m afraid I’m here to guard Gabrielle. It’s under my scope of commitment to the team that I must eat one of those to ensure they aren’t tainted in any way.” He arched his eyebrow, hopefully, making the women laugh.

“Gee, Patch, you sound like my husband. It’s a good thing I brought extra.” Bryanna handed him her load and he grinned like a child at Christmas.

“I’ll take these to the kitchen,” he offered while Bryanna settled beside her friend. As they started chatting, the doorbell rang again. Bryanna started to rise when Patch came around the corner with his mouth stuffed with one of the pies and waved her down and answered the door.

Taco came in with a metal pan in his hands. “Hi, Gabrielle. Tess sent tacos for you and Knight. Since I needed to speak with Patch, I volunteered to bring them up while they’re still hot.”

The smell made Gabby’s stomach growl loudly, making them laugh.

“It appears I arrived in time,” he quipped as he placed the pan on the counter and pulled plates from the cupboard. “Bryanna, may I make you a plate? You know how Tess cooks. She made plenty.”

“Thanks, I’ll take two,” Bryanna responded as she winked at Gabby.

He brought each of them a plate with a napkin and returned to the kitchen. A minute later, he reappeared with two glasses of milk.

“What about me?” Patch whined.

“Tess sent a batch to the facility and the guys will arrive shortly. Can I speak to you on the deck, please? Sorry ladies, I’m working a confidential case.”

Bryanna shooed them away. “Gabby and I need time to catch up and eat. Go do your thing.”

The men walked down the hall.

Gabby picked up her plate from the coffee table and inhaled the scent of the tacos. She thought she died and went to heaven. “Oh my gosh. These smell incredible,” she gushed.

“Oh, wait until you taste them,” Bryanna told her as she bit into one, closed her eyes and moaned.

Gabby’s moans joined hers as she licked the delicious juices running down the side of her hand. “I apologize if this is TMI, but I think I experienced an orgasm in my mouth.”

“If Saint hadn’t taken care of me last night, I’d say I joined you. Tess makes awesome food. Wait until you taste her empanadas and her churros,” Bryanna crooned.

“Nothing tastes better than tacos. It’s the baby’s favorite food. I think about them all the time. I can be bribed by tacos,” Gabby admitted.

Bryanna laughed. “I haven’t craved them. I asked Saint to smash potato chips into creamy peanut butter and hot fudge. I resembled a wild animal as I licked the bowl clean and he stared at me like I grew two heads.”

“Men. I swear this kid yanks on the umbilical cord with its demands. I got out of bed and drove to an all-night burger joint for a burger and fries with a large strawberry shake. I sat in the parking lot and ate it because I couldn’t wait until I got home. Then I returned for a warm chocolate chip cookie.” Gabby giggled.

Bryanna smiled. “If we don’t have it, Saint drives to the team facility. Tess keeps a ton of stuff there. He admitted he woke her up in the middle of the night because I wanted cornbread and black bean soup. Luckily, she made it the day before and saved leftovers. Now I watch what I say. I don’t want him waking people up. They’ll start associating him with Leo.”

“Oh yeah. I heard about him. Does he really make his baby do PT with rattles shaped like dumbbells? Someone mentioned he’s teaching her to become a SEAL. I must’ve been half-conscious and misheard the conversation.” Gabby finished her second taco and gazed mournfully at her plate.

“Nope. You’re correct. He reads military books to her. Leo brings Grace to the facility to allow Catherine time to sleep in. She’s pregnant again.” Bryanna wiped her hands and sighed. “You still hungry? I didn’t eat breakfast. My stomach sometimes doesn’t settle till noon.”

“Yes. Bring the pan. I believe there’s a trivet in the drawer by the stove.” Gabby licked her lips, already anticipating more of the fantastic food.

“Good idea,” Bryanna exclaimed as she pulled out the drawer and searched. When she located the item, she carried everything into the living room and placed it on the coffee table.

Bryanna turned to Gabby as she settled her plate on her stomach. “I didn’t realize how hungry I am. Tell me, do you know what you’re having? Nugget already informed you I’m having a boy. Kassie gave us a sneak peek. They’re throwing me a shower this weekend. Do you want to come?”

Gabby slowly lowered her taco. Bryanna finally shared something with her. Now she invited her to the shower. If she hadn’t ended up in Serenity, she doubted Bryanna ever planned to extend an invite.

“I know what you’re thinking. Don’t go there. Kassie and Catherine planned the showers. We held off on them because Samantha was admitted to the hospital, our men spun up to save Avie and her son, and Kassie discovered her pregnancy with twins. She asked me today about having it this weekend.”

“I’d love to come,” she murmured.

“Great. I’ll let the ladies know. You didn’t answer me. Do you know what you’re having?” Bryanna grabbed another taco. Gabby stuffed her mouth full and snagged another.

When she finished chewing, she faced her friend. “I don’t know what I’m having. I always dreamed of Marcus sitting beside me, holding my hand when we found out together. Since we’re going through a divorce, I anticipated discovering the gender. It felt like my only joy.”

“Oh, honey.” Bryanna sniffled and took out another taco. “My brother can be such an ass.” She sobbed.

Gabby nodded as she picked up another taco. “I can’t believe he told you I cheated. I never gave him any reason to doubt me. It really hurt when you didn’t return my calls.”

Bryanna wrapped her arms around her friend and hugged her tightly. “I’m sorry for acting like a shitty friend. It runs in the family apparently. He’s my big brother, and I’m blaming him for teaching me how to act like a butthead.”

“I forgive you.” Gabby clung to her friend’s arm and patted it. “I’ve missed you.”

Bryanna handed her another taco. “Feed the baby. I apologize, Gabby. My head went straight to what my dad did to our family. I don’t have a single memory of the man. Yet, he left such a crappy lasting impression. Marcus remembers him and blames him for how hard our mom worked to feed us. I baked to make extra money and he worked after school to make sure I didn’t go without.”

Gabby swallowed her food. “He never let me go without. My bookbag ripped and I carried my stuff in a recyclable grocery bag. When he saw it, he didn’t say a word. The next time we went out on a date, he bought me a leather backpack, guaranteed not to rip, and he even waterproofed it.” She sniffed at the sweet memory.

Bryanna dabbed her eyes as she placed another taco on Gabby’s plate. “He’s an ass but he’s a caring one.”

“No.” Gabby shook her head. “He’s acted like a complete jackass. Marcus hurt me and walked away like I meant nothing.” She handed her friend another taco and took another for herself. She hiccupped as she wiped her mouth.

“I don’t understand. I know he loves you. Don’t you love him anymore? Why go through with this divorce?” Bryanna gazed at her friend, as if she knew the answer.

“I’ll always love him,” she whispered. “I must focus on what’s best for the baby and me. Too much has happened now. I can’t forget how he treated me. It hurt Bryanna. I don’t have family and when I tried to tell him about the baby, he told me to talk to his lawyer. I’ve spent the last six months in a crappy apartment, penny-pinching to have enough money to take off for maternity leaveand preparing myself to go it alone. I’m scared. Most of all, I’m lonely. At this point, I want this divorce done and over with. It will almost be a relief.”

“You’re not alone. You’ll have me, Saint and my Serenity family. We’ll find you a place here and help you,” Bryanna informed her.

Gabby shook her head as she licked her fingers. “I don’t know if I can see Marcus and get through this. I hoped we might use you as a drop-off point to share custody.”

“Oh, Gabrielle. Of course, you can. I hoped you and Marcus might reconcile before the baby arrived.” Bryanna handed her another taco and bit into her own.

“Marcus made it clear. He doesn’t want me.” Gabby sobbed. “My heart hurts and I can’t get over the pain. There’s nothing he can do to make me feel different. He even doubted he fathered our baby,” Gabrielle confessed as Bryanna squeezed her hand.

“Love is worth fighting for. If you still care about him, you’ll find a way to forgive and start anew.” Bryanna peered into the pan and laughed. “Uh, Gabby, we ate all the tacos.”

The two women laughed as they hugged. Gabby softly cried on her friend’s shoulder. Feeling the weight of the loss of Marcus and not experiencing the joys of pregnancy with him caused her chest to ache.

They heard the two men coming in from down the hall. Gabby swiped at her face and straightened as Bryanna passed her a napkin.

Taco stopped at seeing the tin sitting in the middle of the table. “No way,” he said in awe. “You ate all the tacos. The guys won’t believe me.” He took out his phone and snapped a picture of the two women sitting in front of the empty container. “They weren’t lying when they said pregnant women ea?—”

Patch elbowed him sharply in the ribs. “Knight pulled in. We’re heading out. Gabby, keep up the good work. If you need anything, my number’s on the fridge. By the way, I punch assholes for free.”

“I better get going, too. Nugget’s making a report on me and the bakery. The kids discussed women role models in class and how they make a difference.”

Taco helped Bryanna up and held open the door. Patch followed behind when Taco whispered a bit too loudly, “They beat my record.” Patch hit him upside the head as he closed the door.

Gabby rubbed her stomach, feeling full. Knight walked in. He seemed a bit pale and avoided her gaze. The distance between them grew wider with his absence, and she struggled to say something. When nothing came to mind, she stood, picked up the empty taco container, and entered the kitchen.

Knight pulled up to the cabin and got out of the truck. At hearing two of Saint’s teammates’ voices outside, he walked behind the cabin. They stood on the deck overlooking the beautiful mountain view and faced him as he came around the corner.

“How did the office visit go?” Taco asked as Patch nodded at him. He’d say the man was a grade A asshole if Knight hadn’t set the tone by pushing him when Gabby cried out on the helo. He blamed himself for the bad impression.

Knight bucked up, taking the judgmental stare from Patch. “Saint and Shadow caught a tail. I lost them before returning and Matthew ran the plates while they followed my tail to see where they stopped.”

“It’s a good lead. Bryanna stopped by and we came out here to give them a few minutes. Your sister expressed how badly she felt about Gabby and our women suggested she spend some time alone with her.”

“It’s my fault. Bryanna isn’t to blame for the issues,” Knight made it clear to the men.

“What a surprise,” Patch snarked.

He took a deep breath. “Listen. I apologize for my behavior on the helo. I know you tried to help my wife and I didn’t make a good impression.”

Patch smirked. “No, you didn’t. I’m more concerned about your impression on the woman sitting in there. She’s pregnant with your kid and it seems like she’s carrying the load alone. What do you plan to do about it?”

Knight bristled. “Gabby and I aren’t in a good place. It doesn’t mean I won’t help her.”

“The woman sitting in there feels terrified. Her BP went down, butshe isn’t out of the woods. I’m not your brother-in-law. Idon’t need to practice patience or worry about hurting your tender feelings. If you want a healthy baby, I suggest you figure out how to make her feel better about her situation,” Patch advised.

Knight bit back the scathing remark on the tip of his tongue. Everything Patch mentioned was the truth. He walked past them and entered the cabin. He made it halfway down the hall when he heard Bryanna and Gabby talking.

“I’ll always love him,” she whispered. “I must focus on what’s best for the baby and me. Too much has happened now. I can’t forget how he treated me. It hurt Bryanna. I don’t have family and when I tried to tell him about the baby, he told me to talk to his lawyer. I’ve spent the last six months in a crappy apartment, penny-pinching to take off for maternity leaveand preparing myself to go it alone. I’m scared. Most of all, I’m lonely. At this point, I want this divorce done and over with. It will almost be a relief.”

“You’re not alone. You’ll have me, Saint and my Serenity family. We’ll find you a place here and help you,” Bryanna informed her.

Gabby’s voice sounded despondent. “I don’t know if I can see Marcus and get through this. I hoped we might use you as a drop-off point to share custody.”

“Oh, Gabrielle. Of course, you can. I hoped you and Marcus might reconcile before the baby arrived.” Bryanna responded.

“Marcus made it clear. He doesn’t want me.” Gabby sobbed. “My heart hurts and I can’t get over the pain. There’s nothing he can do to make me feel different. He even doubted he fathered our baby,” Gabrielle confessed.

She only spoke the truth yet the knife twisted inside his chest. The bullet wound he received hurt less than her words. Gabby held little hope for them and he only had himself to blame.

He turned to leave only to discover Patch and Taco standing inside the door. By the thunderous expressions on their faces, he knew they heard his wife’s admission. They parted, allowing him to slip past them and outside. He stood on the deck, sucking in the cold air as he bent over, holding his knees. How did he let things get this far?

Determined to speak with Gabby, he stormed back to his truck, grabbed her bag and walked to the door as his sister and the men came out the front. He hugged Bryanna, not wanting to meet her gaze after hearing her conversation and ignored the guys.

He found a red-eyed Gabby on the sofa, holding her stomach. When she saw him, she straightened and picked up an empty pan before entering the kitchen. Words failed him. He already apologized, knowing it didn’t mean anything to her. As a SEAL, he prepared for everything, thought about every possible outcome and knew his way out of situations. For once in his life, he felt overwhelmed by chaos. Knight didn’t know how to stop the hurricane of destruction threatening to overtake him and harm the ones he loved the most. Knight went to his room to escape the tension. He didn’t want to cause her more stress. His phone dinged with a text.

The plates were stolen, registered to an eighty-year-old woman outside of Seattle.

Saint reported.

Where did they go?

He asked.

Two suspectsstopped at a bar and drove to an abandoned warehouse by the port area. Leo and Jose are staking it out. Shadow and I will relieve them in four hours.

Saint replied.

Do you want me to come help?

Knight offered, hoping to fix some of his mistakes.

Three dots appeared, then disappeared.

No. Stay with Gabby.

Saint ordered.

Knight swiped along his jaw nervously as he paced the room. He turned the handle to his door and stepped into the hallway. When he heard nothing, he entered the kitchen area where he last saw his wife. When he didn’t see Gabby, he turned and headed toward her room. Noticing the closed door, Knight slowly approached and placed his hand on it to knock when he heard Gabby crying. He leaned his forehead against the wood in frustration. Would she welcome him or shun his efforts to comfort her if he walked in?

In the end, he returned to his bedroom. Knight didn’t know how to fix the lives he shattered. Without any friends and his sister mad at him, he felt the loneliness weighing him down. He deserved every bit of it after causing Gabby to spend months alone, believing herself unloved and saving for their child’s future. He only focused on how badly she hurt him. Knowing the truth of the situation didn’t make him feel any better. In fact, it made him feel worse. The demons he fought alone whispered in his mind and he accepted he’d never win Gabrielle back.