Cowboys & Navy SEALs

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Gracie tried to stay hidden in the shadows, while craning her neck to catch a glimpse of Brooke and Nash. They were sitting close together, with Nash’s arm wrapped around Brooke. She rubbed her hands together. They were making progress! Thank heavens! She nearly panicked earlier when Brooke saw her standing by the booth. Luckily, she managed to disappear into the crowd before Brooke could confront her. She was starting to feel like a stalker, skulking around in the dark and trying to keep tabs on Brooke, without raising her suspicions. Her job was not supposed to be this hard! Had she been able to go into invisibility mode, like she’d done when she was helping to get Alex and Dawson back together at the inn, then she would be in the center of the activity, rather than on the outskirts, trying her best to get crumbs of information.

The worst was the incident at the ranch when Brooke called her Gracie. Like an idiot, she turned around! The craziest part about the whole thing was that she’d been in invisibility mode the entire time, and yet Brooke could see her—plain as day! Gertrude was still trying to find out why Brooke could see them, but so far, she didn’t have any answers.

She turned when she heard clapping and saw Sheldon standing behind her, an admiring smile on his gorgeous face. “Congratulations.”

Her heart skipped a beat. “Hey.” She’d not seen him since that day at the arena and kept hoping he would show up. He was just as handsome as always in his faded jeans and pullover shirt that clung to his well-formed chest and tapered waist. “It’s really good to see you,” she said softly, picking up where they left off. And then she caught what he’d said. “Congratulations for what?”

He motioned. “From the looks of those two, I’d say you’ve accomplished your mission. Two-for-two. Impressive.”

The admiration in his voice was intoxicating, like she could bask in his affection forever. She blinked, trying to fight the all-too-familiar attraction, pulling her like a flower to the sun. “I’m hopeful that things are moving in the right direction, but it’s still too early to call it. All they’re doing is sitting together.”

He was amused. “Really? You may call that sitting , but we call it something different, where I come from.”

“What?” Her eyes narrowed and then bulged as she did a double-take. A giggle bubbled up in her throat when she realized what was happening. Nash and Brooke were locking lips, kissing each other like there was no tomorrow. She balled her hands into fists and shook them in the air. Good had gone to great in all of a few seconds! And the fact that Sheldon was here to share in the victory made it even sweeter. “This is fabulous!”

He stepped up beside her. “It would be easier for you to see what’s going on if you get closer. From this range, we need a set of binoculars.”

“I know,” she muttered, “it’s ridiculous! I’m having to stand way back here in the dark to keep out of sight. Brooke saw me earlier, and I thought I was done for.”

He gave her a funny look. “What do you mean saw you ? We’re in invisibility mode. No one can see us.” To prove his point, he stepped up to a man walking by. “Hello!” he yelled in his face. The oblivious man kept walking. He turned to Gracie. “See? No one can see us.”

“Brooke can see us … even when we’re in invisibility mode.”

His brows knitted. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m positive! She’s seen me several times!”

He rubbed his jaw, a speculative look on his face. “Does Gertrude know?”

“Yes, she’s trying to get to the bottom of it but doesn’t have an answer yet. We don’t know what’s going on, but it’s making my job nearly impossible, I can tell you that.”

He hesitated before answering. “I see.”

Unease trickled over her. She could tell from the strange look on his face that something was off. “What are you not telling me?”

He shook his head.

“What?” she demanded, grabbing his arm.

Compassion simmered in his light eyes. “There’s only one reason, I know of, that’s allowing Brooke to see you in invisibility mode.”

“Tell me!”

He studied her for one long moment and then shook his head. “It’s not my place. Gertrude should be the one to tell you.”

Her eyes sparked with anger as fear rose thick in her throat. “Tell me, Sheldon!”

“I have to go.” A wistful expression came over him. “And I was so looking forward to spending time with you, love.”

“No!” she cried, reaching for his arm as he vanished into thin air.

Gracie found Gertrude in the white room with the ceiling of endless space. Gertrude didn’t hear her approach at first because she was sitting on the sofa, intently studying her heavenly iPad. Gracie plopped down beside her. “We need to talk.”

Gertrude closed her device. “Sure. What is it?”

“I saw Sheldon at the carnival, and he told me that you know why Brooke is seeing us in invisibility mode.”

“What?” she sputtered. “You had no business talking to Sheldon about Brooke! This is unacceptable!” The vein on her forehead popped out as her face went rigid. “You know what Sheldon is!” she hissed. “I’ve warned you about him. How many times do I have to tell you that he doesn’t have your best interest at heart?”

Exasperation burned over Gracie as she charged forward. She’d come here to get answers, and she wasn’t about to let Gertrude sidetrack her! “Was he right? Do you know why Brooke can see us in invisibility mode?” The guilty look on Gertrude’s face said it all! “He was right. You do know!” Hurt pelted over her … and then came the bitter disappointment. She’d been betrayed by the one person she trusted implicitly. “Why aren’t you telling me?” The words came out strangled.

“I didn’t know at first.” She paused. “In all of my experience of being an angel, I’d never had anything like this happen before.” Her eyes pled for understanding. “And then when I realized … when I learned what was happening …” Her voice broke, and Gracie was startled to see tears forming in her eyes.

Gertrude was not the crying type. This must be bad. Really bad! “What did you realize?”

The anguished look on Gertrude’s face jolted Gracie to the core. “What?” she croaked.

“That Brooke is going to die.”

“Sooo …” Myrna said slyly, “I take it things are going well between you and Nash? Ever since y’all got back from the carnival last weekend, the two of you have been thick as thieves.”

Brooke reached for a waffle and drizzled syrup over it. Then she poured herself a small glass of orange juice and reached for a fork. “Things are going pretty well, I guess.” She kept her tone casual but couldn’t hide the delighted smile breaking over her lips. “Things are going better than I ever imagined,” she beamed.

“I’m so glad! I knew y’all were meant to be together.” She chuckled. “Nash came in this morning—practically floating on air. I don’t think the boy’s feet have touched the ground since you got to the ranch.”

Oh, how she loved hearing that! Things had been going so well with Nash! She felt like she was in a blissful dream that she never wanted to wake from.

“So what’s on the agenda today?”

“Well, I’m going to the stables to see Carlos.”

“Carlos tells me that you’re getting pretty darn good at riding.”

“He’s a great teacher. I’m learning a lot from him.” She gave Myrna a teasing grin. “How did a girl like you manage to snag such a great guy, anyway?”

Myrna didn’t bat an eye. “It was the cooking. Definitely the cooking.”

Brooke laughed. “Your cooking is extraordinary.” She took another bite of the waffle, letting the goodness melt in her mouth. “But it’s only one of your many talents. Carlos is very lucky to have you.”

“Thank you,” she said, appreciation shining in her eyes. “We’re very lucky to have each other.”

A feeling of warmth settled over Brooke. She and Nash were just beginning their relationship … again . She could only hope that it would one-day blossom into the rich, fulfilling relationship that Myrna and Carlos shared. Before coming to the ranch, she’d never believed such strong relationships were possible. While her parents loved each other, their relationship was a series of negotiations, where one was always trying to get the upper hand over the other. Furthermore, they were so consumed with the external aspects of their lives—her dad with his business and her mother with her social status—that their relationship was not a priority. Being here was allowing Brooke to take a step back from herself and do some hard analyzing. In many ways (sadly) she was a lot like her mother—petty and pampered. She was working on improving that, but she still had a long way to go. She’d admitted this to Myrna, who told her in no uncertain terms to stop dwelling on her imperfections and to pick herself up and do good today. Simple, yet profound advice! When her phone buzzed, she let out a groan.

Myrna lifted an eyebrow. “Your daddy?”

“Yep.” She’d confided in Myrna, telling her how angry she was at him for forcing her into the marriage contract.

“You know, you can’t avoid him forever.”

She sighed heavily. “I know.”

“And, from where I’m sitting, it looks like your daddy did you a huge favor. If he hadn’t forced you into coming here, then you and Nash wouldn’t be together right now. Your daddy loves you and wants what’s best.” She gave her a pointed look. “Do yourself a favor and patch things up with him. Life’s too short to let things fester. Ignoring his calls isn’t gonna solve a thing.”

Even though she didn’t want to hear it, she knew Myrna was right.

“Call him today,” Myrna urged.

“Okay,” Brooke muttered, knowing she wouldn’t.

She locked eyes with her. “You promise?”

“I promise,” she said, blowing out a defeated breath.

Myrna gave her a satisfied nod. Then her voice grew light. “You never did get around to telling me all that’s on your agenda for today.”

“After lunch, Nash and I are going horseback riding.”

“How romantic,” she cooed, a twinkle in her eye.

They looked up as Crew, the head ranch hand, rushed into the kitchen, a battered look on his face. “Luther collapsed,” he said, wringing his calloused hands.

Myrna jumped up, tears springing to her eyes. “Oh, no! What happened?”

“We were watching Nash ride Old Blue Shoes. One minute, Luther was standing beside me, talking, and the next, he was on the ground.”

“Where is he?”

“Outside. An ambulance is on its way!”