The Ranger's Forgiveness (Army Ranger Romance Book 5) Read online

  Wednesday evening, with his hand on the railing, Elijah paused at the bottom of the steps at the Mabrey house. This had been his third day working on cleaning up his childhood home, and just as he’d decided to call it quits and run for some drive-thru, Lucas had called with an offer of a gumbo dinner—promising no Taylor in sight.

  The staccato beat of his heart and the memories washing over him made him dizzy. Since he’d been fifteen, a freshman, this was where he spent his time after school, on the weekends, and every spare second he could. They had made him feel wanted and loved.

  After his dad had died, things had gone from bad to worse. His mom’s overbearing personality was more like a steamroller from that point on. If she wasn’t vocally berating him, she was emotionally manipulating him. The Mabrey home was his refuge.

  He hung his head and worked to get himself together.

  “You gonna stand out there all day, or are you coming in?” Joseph asked.

  Elijah lifted his head, and whatever worries were there before were gone. This was home, and he’d missed his family. “I’m coming in.” He smiled.

  Joseph held the door as Elijah took the stairs. “I’ve missed you, kid.”

  As Elijah reached him, he shook his hand. “I missed you guys too. Thank you for inviting me.”

  “Son, this is as much your home as anyone in this family. I’ve got some gumbo on the stove and some dirty rice.”

  Elijah’s stomach did the tango. “With shrimp?”

  “Is it gumbo without it?”

  “No, sir.”

  “Then there’s shrimp in it.”

  Laughing, they entered the house with Joseph a step behind Elijah.

  Lucas was on the sofa and looked up from his phone. “Hey.”

  “Hey, I appreciate you calling.”

  “It was gumbo. I knew you couldn’t resist that.”

  Elijah shook his head. “No, I couldn’t.”

  Joseph stepped around him and headed to the kitchen. As he passed by, he said, “Taylor should be here in a few minutes. I sent her—”

  “Taylor?” He wasn’t that hungry. “I really should go.”

  Her dad put his hand on Elijah’s shoulder, forcing him to face him. “I don’t know what happened between the two of you, but it’s time you put it behind you. This family’s been torn apart long enough because of it, and I want you to stay. You’re my boy just as much as Lucas is, and we have some catching up to do. Now, go set the table before I take you to the woodshed.”

  Lucas choked on a laugh as his dad left.

  Elijah glared at him. “You set me up, you jerk.”

  “Sorry, I had no idea she was going to be here. That was all Dad’s doing.” He held his hands up, shaking his head. “He told me to call and say she wouldn’t be around, most likely thinking it was the only way to get you here. He’s missed you, you know. But I agree with him. You guys need to get over it. Neither of you has ever really moved on, and it’s time.”

  Elijah grumbled as he trudged to go set the table. He could bolt and miss Taylor altogether, but being in the home with Joseph and Lucas made Elijah realize how much he’d missed them. He’d stay for Joseph. Elijah loved the man like a father, and despite being tricked, Elijah knew Joseph loved him too.

  The smell of dinner hit him square in the nose as entered the kitchen, and he salivated. This was by far his favorite meal. Which is why he’d been a fish on a hook. Gumbo was his weakness.

  He began setting the table. “How have you been, Mr. Mabrey?”

  The man stood at the stove, stirring the food. “I’ve been all right. Business is good. The city council approved road construction about a year ago, and they started on it about six weeks ago. We’ve been busy since.”

  “That’s good.”

  “How’ve you been?” asked Joseph as he turned to look at Elijah.

  He shrugged. “I’ve been all right. The Army was good to me.” They were until they dishonorably discharged him, but he’d keep that bit of information to himself for now.

  “I heard you’re in some private security firm. Is that right?”

  Elijah laughed. Chris must have told Joseph. “Yeah, the Guardian Group. The guys from my company—well, most of them—work there. Two have quit in the last year, so my boss is trying to hire some new guys.”

  “What’s this group do? Just bodyguard stuff or what?”

  “That’s part of what we do. We’ve done undercover work and sometimes help the local law enforcement when they needed it. There’s a range of things.”

  “What is that you do?” Joseph asked.

  Elijah chucked. “Uh, I do some of that, but my skill is more ammunition specialist.”

  “What’s that mean?”

  “I was a Ranger sniper in the Army.”

  Joseph set his hands on his hips. “No kidding?”

  Shaking his head, Elijah finished setting the table. “No, no kidding. You’re not disappointed in me, are you?”

  The man eyed him a second. “No, I’m sure not. I know you, son. Your finger wouldn’t even come close to the trigger if you had doubts about what you were doing.”

  With a smile, Elijah cast his gaze down. “I don’t talk about those missions at all. It helps me to keep them locked away.”

  “I bet it does. Still, I’m proud of you. You made a good life for yourself.”

  “I’m just sorry I stayed away so long.”

  Joseph walked to the table and sat down. “Let’s talk a second.”

  Elijah sat to the right of him. “Yes, sir.”

  “Would you tell me what caused you to leave? Tell me the truth.”

  For a moment, Elijah sat there, trying to decide just how much of the truth he could stand talking about. “You know my mom was pressuring me to take over the business.”

  “Yeah, she was being a real…well, we don’t say those words in this house.” Joseph rubbed his chin. “I’m sorry, son, that wasn’t right.”

  Elijah chuckled. “It’s okay. Can’t say I disagree with you. That’s why I up and left. Plus, Taylor was pulling away, and it just seemed like the best thing to do at the time. At least, for me.”

  “You said you spoke to Maria before you left?”

  “Yes, sir. I went really early.” Elijah’s gaze dipped to the table. “At the time, no one knew it, but Taylor and I were going to go get married. We were leaving graduation night, and then we were going to come back with it done. That way my mom couldn’t interfere.”

  Mr. Mabrey sat forward. “Is that why you were asking all those questions about if I thought you were good enough for her? If I’d have a problem if you married her?”

  Nodding, Elijah smiled. “Yes, sir. I wanted to make sure you were okay with it. I loved her.”

  Taylor’s dad leaned back, keeping his gaze trained on Elijah. “You sure you’re using the right tense? She says the same, and I don’t believe her either.”

  “We’re two different people now. That was high school. Honestly, it’s probably best we didn’t marry.” Just saying it made him sick to his stomach. It was the furthest thing from the truth, but it was the easiest lie.

  Joseph nodded. “I understand that. But this thing of being gone nine years at a time is over. You hear me? My kids don’t go off and not talk to me that long. With your number disconnected, I couldn’t even call you.”

  Elijah laughed. “Yes, sir. I won’t do that again. I’ll at least call.”

  “Good. ’Cause I’d hate to whip you in front of your buddies.”

  “Me too, sir.” It wasn’t going to happen, but the thought was comical.

  Joseph stood. “That gumbo smells done to me. How about you?”

  “I think I’m too hungry to give an honest answer.”

  The man nodded his head. “You know. You’ve got a point.”

  This was what Elijah had needed. He’d never called Mr. Mabrey dad, but he thought of him that way. He’d missed his dad and the talks they’d have. The familiar sounds and smells of th
e house. The way it felt like home. It had been so long since he’d had that feeling. Nine years was long enough to be gone. He wasn’t doing that again. These people were his family.

  He wasn’t looking forward to dealing with Taylor, but if he timed it right, maybe he wouldn’t have to. She lived in Roswell now. There was no reason he couldn’t avoid her. To see his family, that’s exactly what he’d do.

  * * *

  Wide-eyed, Taylor parked her car. The rental car sitting in her father’s driveway made her heart pound. She’d been sent to get something for dessert. Never did she consider that Elijah would be there when she got home.

  How was she going to handle this? Him? She’d planned to avoid him for the foreseeable future. Living in Roswell, even if he did happen to make trips to Las Vegas, she could have timed her visits in a way that they’d never cross paths.

  Sitting across the table from him was going to be a knife to the heart. She knew she’d hurt him, but what no one knew was how badly she’d ached for months after. And she’d lost her mom right after he’d left. She’d felt like a zombie. Honestly, even though it had been nine years, there were some days that she still felt that way.

  With a sigh, she got out of the car. There was no point in delaying the inevitable. The best thing to do was to face this nightmare head-on, eat dinner, and get it over with. Maybe if she engulfed her food, the whole thing could take twenty minutes tops. Wishful thinking.

  After trudging up the steps, she paused at the screen door, listening to the voices filtering through. A smile lifted the corner of her lips, and she closed her eyes, letting memories wash over her.

  Elijah was fifteen, she was fourteen, and it wasn’t long after she’d first brought him home. She’d had a math tutoring session with one of the seniors, and she was just getting home. But Elijah had won her family over, and he’d spent a lot of time at her home. His dad had died not long before. He was still reeling from the shock, and his mom was a bear.

  Aside from all the problems, it had been the best year. After such a hard battle, her family had won. Her mom was in remission, and she was home. Her family was back together, and the world was right again. She could almost hear her mom’s laughter. The smell of gumbo floated on the air…the first time her dad had cooked it for Elijah.

  Bracing her hand against the doorframe, she nearly doubled over as the grief seeped into her bones. The victory hadn’t lasted long. Just a year, and her mom was sick again.

  The screen door squeaked as someone opened it. “Taylor?” Lucas said her name.

  “Yeah.”

  “You okay?” he asked as he joined her outside.

  She lifted her gaze to his. “I don’t know that I’ll ever be okay, Lucas.”

  “I know it’s hard to have him here, but he needs this. He needs family right now.”

  “Yeah, I know. I just needed a minute.” Or a couple hundred years. “Did you set me up?”

  He shook his head. “Dad may have, but I didn’t. He’s the one who told me to invite Elijah and tell him you weren’t going to be here. He played me too.”

  She barked a laughed. “He’s the one who sent me to get dessert. I think Elijah and I were both set up.”

  “I think Dad just wants to feel like his family is back together. Taylor, Elijah is family. That he’s been gone so long was hard on Dad. You know Mom made him promise to look after Elijah, right?”

  Her lips parted as her eyes misted over. “No.” But it sounded like something her mom would do. It made Taylor wonder what was in that letter again. Had her mom made Elijah promise something? If so, what was it?

  “She did, and he’s finally able to keep it.” Lucas tipped his head. “Come on in. Dinner’s ready, and I’m starving.”

  Funny. She’d just lost her appetite. Except maybe for chocolate. Maybe a truckload full. “Fine.” She pushed the cake and ice cream she’d purchased into Lucas’s hands. “Here.”

  Dinner with Elijah. She could do this. They were just old acquaintances at this point. In the nine years that had passed, they’d grown up, moved on, and were now adults.

  It was going to be fine. He didn’t care about her, and she didn’t care about him. At least not like that. Not anymore. She couldn’t. Not with Ruth’s threats still hanging over her head.

  Besides, he was probably dating someone. Would it be wrong to hope that he was? She did want him happy. She’d always wanted that. Maybe this dinner would give her some tiny bit of peace that he’d lived a good life. At least she hoped so.

  Chapter 6

  If the air in the house were any stuffier, Elijah would suffocate. He should have made an excuse the moment he found out Taylor would be having dinner with them. Awkward didn’t even begin to describe the atmosphere. It was so uncomfortable.

  Why hadn’t he just thanked Joseph and left? If he answered the question honestly, it was because he’d missed this. There were so many memories of him sitting at this very table with the Mabreys. And all of them were great. This family had taken him in. Loved him. Helped shape who he was. Plus, he thought he could handle it. Clearly, he’d overestimated his ability.

  Joseph sat on one end with Lucas on the other and Taylor across from Elijah. Lucas had tried more than once to start a conversation, but Elijah didn’t want to talk about his life in front of Taylor. She had no business knowing anything about him, especially after she lied about him.

  Joseph sighed loudly and set his fork down. “Okay, you two. I don’t know what happened, but this needs to stop. We’ve been family a long time, and whatever issues you have, you can shelve them while we have dinner. You got it?”

  “Yes, sir,” Elijah replied.

  “Yes, Dad,” Taylor mumbled.

  He looked from Taylor to Elijah. “Lip service. I swear. What happened?”

  “Nothing, sir,” Elijah said. If Taylor hadn’t bothered to share, then he certainly wasn’t going to say a word. That was something that needed to come from her. Besides, he didn’t know the answer anyway.

  Joseph looked at Taylor. “You have anything to say?”

  She shook her head. “No.”

  “Well, if it isn’t important enough to talk about it, then let it go.” There was a finality in his tone. The kind that said to do it or else.

  “Yes, sir.” Elijah wanted to run. He’d lost his mom who’d treated him like dirt. He’d lost Momma Mabrey. It didn’t matter that she’d been gone nine years. The loss was fresh for him. He had the meeting with the estate attorney in the morning, and he dreaded what his mom had planned for him. “Sir, I’m not trying to be ungrateful or disrespectful, but I need to go home. I’m worn out.”

  Joseph eyed him. “Son, you’ve hardly eaten.”

  “I know, and I appreciate you thinking of me.”

  “Wait,” Taylor said. “It’s me. I’m the one making things feel so weird. It’s just a shock that Elijah is back in Las Vegas. I wasn’t prepared for it, and then you gave him a letter from Mom. I’m just…trying to adjust after all this time.”

  “Have you read that letter yet?” Lucas asked.

  Elijah shook his head. “No, I tried last night, but I couldn’t. I feel like if I do, then that means she’s gone, and I’m not ready.”

  Joseph wiped his mouth with his napkin. “All these years, and not a day goes by that I don’t feel the same way.”

  “You remember how she’d do cross-stitching while we played Monopoly? She hated that game, but we loved it. She said we got too competitive.” Elijah chuckled.

  “Oh, man,” Lucas said and laughed. “I do. She couldn’t understand at all. But she’d sit there, watching us play.”

  Lucas nodded. “Yeah. You remember that one Christmas? Elijah, you were a junior, and I was home from college, visiting. She woke us up before dawn to go cook at the shelter.”

  “We’d stayed up the night before, playing video games. We were dragging.” Elijah smiled at the memory. His mom had decided to take a trip to Europe, and he didn’t want to go. She was fine w
ith it until she got home just after New Year’s and found out he’d stayed with Taylor’s family. His mom had torn him up. His smile faded as his stomach flipped. “My mom was so mad that I’d stayed here. She tried to forbid me from coming here so often, but when she realized she couldn’t beat it out of me, she stopped.”

  Taylor’s eyebrows furrowed. “Beat it out of you? What do you mean?”

  “It’s nothing. I let a memory get too vivid.”

  Joseph lifted an eyebrow. “I think I’d like an answer to that too.”

  Elijah hung his head. “Really, it’s okay. It was just a little after that when Momma Mabrey had her checkup and her cancer had come back. You were already dealing with enough. She was so sick after that from the chemo.”

  It was also a moment in time he’d never forget. His mom had always been emotionally abusive, saying hateful, cruel things, but she’d never touched him before then. His plan had been to beat her home, but she’d come back early. She’d caught him coming in the door, and she’d…He shook his head. There was no point in falling down that rabbit hole. It was over, and she was gone.

  He’d lived a good life. That’s what mattered.

  * * *

  Taylor didn’t know what to say or how to feel. Elijah had been physically abused, and he hadn’t told her? She remembered his acting funny when they returned to school, but he’d just brushed it off.

  “Your mom was abusing you, and you never told me?” Taylor asked.

  He lifted his head, and their eyes locked. “There was nothing to tell. It’s over. I lived, and I’m fine.”

  Her lungs felt pressed flat. He’d kept something like that from her? “But you weren’t. When we got back to school after break, something was off, and I kept asking you, but you wouldn’t tell me. That’s what had happened? She’d hurt you?”

  Elijah pushed his plate away and stood. “Really, I’m grateful I had the chance to see you, sir, and the gumbo was delicious, but I need to go.”

  “Elijah,” Joseph said. “I think we’re all just a bit shocked. If we’d known, we’d have done something.”