Page 7 of An Alaskan Twin Surprise (Home to Owl Creek 2)

Gabriel’s kindness only served to make her feel guiltier about her actions. “That’s awfully nice of you to say, considering the way I left town.”

His expression hardened. “I wasn’t giving you a pass for breaking my heart,” he said in a gruff voice. “And honestly, I don’t think I ever will.”

Rachel saw the intensity brimming in his eyes. It caused her to shiver. She wrapped her arms around her middle in a protective gesture. Suddenly she felt tongue-tied. How could she ever adequately explain her actions? Sadly, she’d been so busy running away from Gabriel and all of her fears that she had never taken the time to talk to him in an honest and open manner. In short, she’d been a coward. They both knew it.

Although she’d come back home in order to assist her mother and oversee her medical needs, perhaps Rachel also had an opportunity to heal old wounds. Time had given her perspective. She’d lived a dozen lifetimes since they’d been together. Becoming a mother had given her courage. Perhaps she could make Gabriel understand why she’d left Owl Creek.

Something shimmered and pulsed in the air as they stood facing one another. It seemed as if time stood still and they were the only occupants of the diner. An awareness flared between them.

“Believe it or not, I’ve never forgiven myself for walking away from us,” she said, finally finding the nerve to look him squarely in the eyes without flinching. “And honestly, I don’t think I ever will.”

Chapter Three

Gabriel broke eye contact and looked away from her, his gaze swinging toward the counter. Every instinct told her Piper was standing there. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. When she turned around, a feeling of joy mixed with trepidation fluttered inside her chest. Piper was standing behind the counter flanked by her older brother, Hank Crawford. The look on Piper’s face made her want to cry. She looked nothing like the warm, loving friend she’d known and adored. Her arms were folded tightly around her chest while her expression was mutinous.

“Hey, there,” Rachel said, trying to fill the silence with conversation even though she hadn’t a clue as to how to bridge the gap between them.

Hank nodded at her, his expression shuttered. As town sheriff, he had always been a people person, warm and friendly. At the moment, however, he radiated disdain. Because of her relationship with Gabriel, they had once been friends. It made her sad to realize she’d burned those bridges a long time ago. He was one of Gabriel’s best buddies, and as such, he probably thought she was a horrible person.

“Hank. Why don’t we give them some space to talk?” Gabriel suggested, motioning for the other man to head back to the table with him.

Hank looked reluctant to leave Piper’s side. He turned toward her and his sister sent him a slight smile. “Go on, Hank. I’m good.” When Hank and Gabriel walked away, Rachel stepped toward the counter, all the while praying.

Dear Lord, please give me the strength to face my dear friend and show her how sorry I am for turning my back on her and this town. I promise to do better in all things.

She vowed not to look away from the hurt and anger in Piper’s eyes. It was important to deal with this head-on, regardless of how uncomfortable it felt. “I thought I’d surprise Mama by bringing her a milkshake. She really loves them, especially chocolate and strawberry. These days it’s important that she keeps up her strength.” She let out a sigh. “Coming by also gave me an opportunity to see you.” She bit her lip. “Actually, that’s the real reason I’m here.”

Piper’s lip curled. “Me? Why? We haven’t spoken in years.” Piper tapped her finger against her chin. “Hmm. The last time I saw you I was being fitted for my bridesmaid dress. And then poof, you were gone without a single word of goodbye. You also weren’t reachable by cell phone.” She began slowly clapping. “Nicely done.”

Rachel flinched. Ouch! Piper was putting all the nitty-gritty details out there for everyone in close proximity to hear—she certainly wasn’t pulling any

punches. Rachel hated that their conversation was so public, but in order to win back Piper’s friendship, she would suffer the scrutiny from the townsfolk.

“I’m so sorry about that, along with a hundred other things,” Rachel said.

Piper’s nostrils flared. “You should be. We were friends! You were the older sister I never had. I honestly thought you hung the moon until you took off.”

“I know you’re angry at me! And I totally deserve it. I was broken and confused when I left here. I failed to do what was right and I hurt a lot of people in the process. But I’m back to help Mama through her illness. And to try to make amends if it’s at all possible.” Her voice cracked and she knew she was seconds away from breaking down in a torrent of tears. It hurt so much to realize how many people she’d wounded. She refused to allow this to be her legacy—pain and hurt. “I want my girls to be proud of their mother. I want to be a better person than I used to be.”

Piper’s lips trembled. “I can’t believe you have baby girls.” Her tone had softened.

“Me neither,” Rachel said, laughing through her tears.

“You always did say you wanted a houseful of them,” Piper recalled, a half smile tugging at her lips. “You’re almost there.”

Rachel grinned. It was lovely to hear someone speaking positively about her children.

Piper’s words reminded her that becoming a mother had been her most fervent wish, along with becoming Mrs. Gabriel Lawson and getting her RN degree. Although her matrimonial dreams had gone up in smoke, God had delivered her heart’s desire by giving her Lizzy and Faith.

Rachel wiped away a tear from her cheek. “I want you to meet them. I’m pretty biased, but they’re fairly incredible, just like their honorary auntie.” Piper and Rachel had promised each other long ago that they would become aunties to each other’s children. If Piper allowed it, she fully intended to honor the commitment. Her daughters would greatly benefit by having a strong, caring woman like Piper in their lives.

Piper let out a cry and came from behind the counter, reaching out to Rachel with open arms. She enveloped her in a tight bear hug. After a few moments, Rachel said, “Piper, you better let me go. I—I can’t breathe.”

Her friend let her go and they both cracked up laughing. Piper was effusive in everything she did. It was one of the main things she loved about her. She knew how to live life out loud. Not having the benefit of her friendship over the past few years had left a huge void in Rachel’s life. She prayed they could get back to the days where they would finish each other’s sentences.

Piper made a face. “I have to get back to work, but we need to get together soon. I can’t wait to see those precious girls.” She lowered her voice. “You owe me some answers.”

Rachel nodded. “I know, Piper. And you’ll get them. I promise.”

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