Page 40 of Sanctuary

Lori smiled and allowed herself a certain smugness. “Not so bad, I guess. I’ve communicated my feelings, my past, and my reservations to Gabe, and she’s accepted all of it without… Huh,” she muttered when the penny dropped. “Without judgment. And I can’t remember the last time I didn’t feel judged about the failure of my marriage and my reaction to it. Apart from you, of course.”

“That’s great, Lori. Usually you like to identify a new goal to work toward at the end of each session, but this wasn’t a scheduled one, so what are your thoughts on that?”

Lori nibbled the inside of her lip while she considered Rae’s question. Gabe was the source of her conflict, but she could also be part of the solution, especially for Lori to overcome the workshop obstacle she hadn’t even realized was on her path to healing. “My goal is repurposing the building for something positive.”

“A physical, achievable goal. Wonderful. And you have a plan that’s already in motion with both the car renovation and the veterinary clinic,” Rae said. “Do you want to set an emotional goal?”

Lori sighed deeply. This was the big one, the emotion at the root of her inability to move beyond the lawyer and the key for her to consider embarking on a new relationship. “Trust. I have to be able to trust again.”

“And do you have a plan that will help you work toward that goal?”

“I think so. And it revolves around Gabe,” Lori said. “I’ve agreed to be her friend, but I have to make the time and space for that to evolve. In spending more time with her, I can begin to share myself again. The real me behind the walls and the hurt. And hopefully, Gabe will be someone who can hold that vulnerability, which will mean that I can keep sharing. Eventually, that turns into trust.” And after that, who knew? Maybe it could turn into something deeper. Maybe she could share her heart again.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Gabe backed the tow truck out of the driveway, barely missing the trash cans on the sidewalk.

Lightning leaned out of the passenger side window and chuckled. “You sure you don’t want me to drive?”

“Nope.”

“Seems like your mind might be elsewhere,” Lightning said. “Anything you want to share with me before I put my life in your hands on the interstate?”

Gabe put the truck in park. “If you don’t feel safe, you’re welcome to swap out. You know Solo wanted to ride shotgun. I could give her a call and see if she’s free.”

Lightning gestured for Gabe to move on. “Solo always wants to ride shotgun alongside you. I thought that marrying Janie might’ve curbed that hero worship thing she’s got going on with you, but so far, I’ve been disappointed.”

“It’s not hero worship, it’s just respect,” she said and glanced sideways. “Like everyone apart from you gives me.”

Lightning winked. “You wouldn’t want me any other way.”

“I guess not.” Gabe shrugged and headed up the street. Lightning wasn’t wrong, and that’s what had made her Gabe’s best friend for nearly twenty years. She’d always kept Gabe’s ego in check, especially early on, when Gabe thought she was invincible. One tour in Afghanistan had disabused her of that notion, and she wouldn’t have made it through if it hadn’t been for Lightning.

“No GPS?” Lightning asked after they’d grabbed coffee from a drive-thru and gotten back on the road. “You’ve already memorized the route?”

“It’s signposted off the I-90. Even Woodchuck would be able to find it.” Gabe didn’t need to take her eyes off the road to know that Lightning had arched her brow high enough to touch her braids. She’d been gently probing since Saturday when Gabe had come home late after a night out alone. Gabe had been too drunk to know what she’d said to Lightning, but Lightning’s interest had been piqued, and she wasn’t about to give it up, apparently. In hindsight, Gabe should’ve brought Solo if she didn’t want to be interrogated.

Maybe she did want to talk it through.

“Okay,” Lightning said in the tone she used when she was done pussyfooting around. “You’ve been off since Saturday night, and it got worse when you came home from visiting Max on Sunday. What’s going on?”

Gabe took the on-ramp to the freeway and gunned the truck to the speed limit before she answered. “Cynthia’s come back to haunt me.”

“What? I thought you said she was still in Germany with Nelson?”

“She’s not here physically. I mean the situation is a problem again.”

Lightning shifted and sat sideways in her seat to face Gabe. “How can it be? You got your punishment for that, and you’re out. Nelson can’t touch you now that you’re a civilian.”

Gabe twitched at the return of that unwanted memory. For a relatively small guy, he packed a vicious right hook. And every other boxing strike there was. “It’s about Lori.”

“She knows the Nelsons? You’re not making any sense.”

Gabe gripped the steering wheel hard. “If you’ll let me get it out without all the questions, maybe it will make sense.”

Lightning sucked her teeth. “Easy, sergeant. Remember who the real enemy is.”

“I’m sorry. I’m just tense.” Gabe had often used that phrase to calm Lightning when they were serving, and its repetition did its job. She stretched out her hands and tried to relax.

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