“I’m sorry,” he said. “I completely forgot about helping you go through your stuff and went for drinks with Preacher. But that’s a terrible excuse and I apologize.”
“It’s okay.” She dried her hands on the dishtowel. “Are you ready for supper? I’m gonna have a quick shower and then I thought we could grill some chicken and -”
“Gracie.” He reached out and caught her hand, pulling her into his arms. “I’m so sorry, baby.”
“I know you are.” She stared at his chest. “It’s no big deal, Gideon.”
“It is,” he said. “I screwed up and I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
She studied a spot over his shoulder, her curvy body tense against his. “It’s okay. I got through most of the stuff surprisingly fast even by myself.”
“You shouldn’t have had to do it by yourself,” he said. “I should have been there with you, but I hadn’t seen Preacher since he was here with his migraine and when he asked me to go for drinks, I didn’t even think. My phone was in my equipment bag and I forgot to bring it into the pub, and I didn’t check -”
“Gideon, it’s okay. You have a busy life and I know that.” She finally looked at him. “I really want to go have a shower.”
“You’re upset with me. Let me make it up to you,” he said.
“I’m not upset with you, I’m just… upset in general. I got through half the boxes and there was literally nothing that could be saved and it’s just,” a tear rolled down her cheek, “upsetting.”
His guilt increased and he hugged her hard. “Fuck, I’m sorry, Gracie.”
“Thanks.” She kissed his chest through his t-shirt and pushed away from him. “I’m going to have a shower. Can you get the chicken started?”
“Sure,” he said.
She left and he stared at Tank who was sitting at his feet. “I fucked up royally, big guy.”
Tank’s tail thumped on the floor and Gideon sighed and petted his head. “C’mon, let’s get the grill started.”
* * *
Gideon stared at the building that housed the sheriff’s department. He’d gone to the diner this morning like he did every morning and had breakfast with half the damn population of Harmony Falls. He’d left after only an hour. He didn’t have his usual patience for the complaining or the gossip. Not when it’d been three days and Grace was still upset with him.
She said all the right things, and it wasn’t like she was ignoring him or being passive aggressive, hell, she hadn’t brought up the storage unit thing once since Sunday. But something seismic had shifted between them, and he didn’t know how to breach the new separation between them. He didn’t know if trying to fix it was even the right thing to do.
What was happening between them wasn’t supposed to mean anything. It was supposed to be a short, meaningless affair. Instead, they’d been playing house for the last three weeks, fucking like bunnies every night, and he was imagining a life with Gracie.
Only… he’d fucked up big time by forgetting his promise to help her on Sunday. Despite what she said, she was hurt and upset with him.
He rubbed at the back of his neck. After he left the diner, he’d done his morning patrol through town and then did it twice more. It was slow, not a single call had come through on the radio and he’d had more time to think then he liked.
Just before noon, he’d finally driven back to his office. He had a shitload of paperwork that he could be doing, but for the last fifteen minutes, he’d been sitting in the parking lot, debating whether he should drop by Gracie’s office and take her for lunch.
For what? To apologize again? It won’t work. You screwed up so bad, buddy. She’s pissed because you treated her like her parents have treated her for her entire life. How could you have forgotten her? How? Jesus, you know she struggles with believing that she matters and then you fucking forget about her and -
His phone rang and he picked it up off the passenger seat, glancing at the screen. Once or twice a week, he took Tank to the local boarding and doggie daycare kennel on the outskirts of town, called Guardians of the Fuzz. He’d dropped Tank off this morning for daycare and the number on his phone was Guardians’ number. Apprehension stirring in his belly, he hit the answer button.
“Gideon speaking.”
“Hey, Sheriff, this is Kennedy from Guardians.”
“Hi, what’s up?”
“We think Tank has bloat. His belly is really big and he’s restless and he keeps trying to throw up without anything coming up.”
He started the SUV, the apprehension turning to fear. “Shit. I’m on my way.”
“No, head over to Brandt Veterinary Clinic. Whitney is about five minutes from the vet with him. We didn’t want to wait. We called Dr. Brandt and gave him the instructions you have on file with us,” Kennedy said. “That he should perform life saving procedures with no cost limit.”
Fear became panic. Hard, biting panic that ate at his insides like a vicious and nasty rat.
“Gideon?” Kennedy’s voice was gentle. “Get to the clinic as quick as you can. Okay?”
“Yeah.” He tossed his phone on the passenger seat, flicked on the lights and his siren, and tore out of the parking lot.
* * *
“Gracie?” Connor stepped into the hallway and motioned for Grace to come into his office.
She plopped down in the chair. “How’s it going? Did you see that Mrs. Morris is back? Apparently, the Harmony Falls Dental Clinic is just as mean as us when it comes to cleanings.”
She grinned at Connor, her smile faltering when he didn’t return it. “What’s wrong?”
“Have you talked to Gideon this afternoon?”
“No, I mean, my phone is in my locker so maybe he’s texted me. Why? What’s going on? Is he hurt?” Fear spiked in her belly. “Shit, Connor, is he -”
“He’s fine,” Connor said quickly. “But Kira just called me. Tank is at the vet. He has bloat. It’s pretty bad.”
“Oh my God,” she whispered. Adrenaline buzzed through her veins and she clutched at the arms of the chair.
“Kira just left the vet now – she has a meeting with a client she can’t miss – but she’s worried about Gideon. He’s not taking it very well. Tank is just going into surgery and -”
“I have to go,” Grace said. “I’m sorry, but I -”
“I know,” he said. “I’ve already asked Alice to do your last two cleanings. Go, Grace.”
She jumped up and raced to the staff room, cursing when it took her two tries to open the combination on her locker. She grabbed her purse and ran out the back door to the employee parking lot.
She checked her phone as she started her car, freezing for a moment when there were no missed calls or texts from Gideon. He hadn’t even tried to call her. Hurt was sliding in with the panic and she pushed it aside. Now was not the time for hurt feelings. Gideon needed her.
* * *
She ran into the lobby of Brandt Veterinary Clinic twenty minutes later. Gideon was sitting in a chair, staring at the floor with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. Preacher was sitting beside him.