Page 25 of An Alaskan Twin Surprise (Home to Owl Creek 2)

Gabriel let his friend’s words wash over him. For so long he’d been trying to discount his relationship with Rachel because it ended badly. Not all of it had been a huge mess.

“You’re right. It was more genuine than anything I’ve ever known,” he acknowledged.

It had been real. Every instinct in his body told him so. But he hadn’t known his former fiancée as deeply as he’d believed. There had been secrets she’d kept from him.

“How is it possible that I’m still finding out things about her? I thought we were as entwined as two people could be. I didn’t think a single thing stood between us.”

“I wasn’t around when she left Owl Creek, but I know it must have torn you up inside when she took off.” Braden’s expression radiated sympathy.

“You don’t know the half of it,” Gabriel muttered.

“I’m sorry, man. That’s rough.”

Gabriel nodded. He knew Connor must have filled him in on some of the details about Rachel being a runaway bride.

Braden continued. “To an extent I think we all harbor secrets, things we don’t feel brave enough to share with the ones we love. If you’re asking me for my opinion, secrets are kept due to fear and shame.”

Gabriel studied Braden. If he wasn’t mistaken, the other man knew a few things about secrets himself. His presence in Owl Creek had been scant over the last four years and Gabriel suspected there was more to it than met the eye. “I’ve always thought of you as Connor’s little brother. You’ve grown up a lot in the last few years.”

“Life forces us all to mature, whether we like it or not.” Something in the depths of Braden’s eyes hinted at his own transformative experiences, but Gabriel didn’t dare probe even though he was curious about what made a man walk away from a life he seemed to love. Braden wasn’t giving off any vibes leading him to believe he wanted to answer any questions.

“In that case I must be as old as Moses,” Gabriel quipped, trying to keep things on a lighter note. He hadn’t meant to go down the rabbit trail in his discussion with Braden. Lately all he’d done was dissect the past. Frankly, he was sick of it. Now that he had finally received answers from Rachel it was time to move on.

He had always imagined if he ever got the truth from Rachel, the weight on his shoulders would immediately ease up and his heart would feel lighter. He’d really thought he would be able to move past it.

None of it was true. Now, more than ever, he was questioning the whys and why-nots. He was still stuck in limbo. And he feared he might never find his way out.

Chapter Nine

For what felt like the hundredth time since last week, Rachel replayed her conversation with Gabriel over in her mind. She’d come to the realization that confessing all to him had done absolutely nothing to make things better. In fact, it may have made things worse between them, which caused her to feel like a colossal failure.

Gabriel had been a shadow ever since then, managing to steer clear of her when he came to work on the renovation project. Although she could hear the clear signs of work taking place, she never once saw him. It made her sad to think he was avoiding coming face-to-face with her.

It also made it incredibly awkward since he was flying them to Anchorage later this morning.

Last week Dr. Norris had placed Helene’s surgery on the fast track due to a cancellation on her schedule. Although Rachel considered it a blessing, Helene had needed some convincing.

“I really wasn’t prepared to have the procedure so soon,” she had said in a quivering voice. “Perhaps we’re being too hasty about this.” Once, Rachel would have viewed her mother as being ornery, but she now knew it was anxiety.

Rachel had pressed a comforting kiss on Helene’s temple. More than anything else, her mother needed kindness and compassion. Perhaps this was the role she’d been meant to play all along. “Consider it as a blessing from above, Mama. You won’t have to wait weeks and weeks to get it all over and done with.”

“But who will watch Lizzy and Faith while we’re in Anchorage?” she’d asked fretfully.

“Sydney is quite capable of watching the girls overnight. The girls adore her and she’s really great with them. Gabriel will fly us to Anchorage where you’ll have the surgery the following morning. Neil plans to meet us there so he can stay with you until you’re released from the hospital. Then Gabriel will fly the two of you back home.”

Rachel had reached out to her older brother and told him everything with regard to their mother’s health crisis. Wanting to help out, Neil had suggested he stay with her at the hospital while Rachel returned to Owl Creek to be with the girls once the surgery had been completed.

As soon as they’d formulated a plan, Rachel had reached out to Gabriel, who’d been very accommodating yet a bit curt. She couldn’t help but think he was still pondering the discussion they’d had outside on the patio.

She really couldn’t blame him for being upset. It wasn’t fair of her to expect him to process it in such a short time, especially after he’d been in the dark for so many years.

By the time they reached the hangar for Lawson Charters, it was fairly close to takeoff. Gabriel met them there, dressed in his standard aviator gear—brown leather jacket, an oatmeal-colored sweater and cargo pants. He greeted Helene with a warm hug and took their luggage off their hands. Helene had made a big fuss about packing all of her essentials, which meant she’d ended up using two medium-sized suitcases. Rachel hadn’t fought her on it since she didn’t want to rock the boat and jeopardize her decision to make the trip to Anchorage.

Rachel wasn’t sure who was more nervous—her or Helene. Just the thought of getting into the small plane was causing her stomach to do crazy dips. On several occasions during the course of their relationship, Gabriel had flown them to nearby venues in Alaska such as Homer and Palmer. She had always been scared to death. She’d gripped the arm rests each and every time they experienced turbulence, fearful the plane might crash. It had been terrifying.

Maybe this time would be different, but she feared the same terror would hold her in its grip.

Lord, please grant me a spirit of confidence. I’m so grateful Mama is getting the surgery.

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