see me or talk to me, and she has every right to feel the way she feels. I can’t do anything to change it. Not now. Right now my hands are tied because I will not cause her stress and put the babies at risk in any way.”
“And once she has the babies? What then?”
“Then I figure out a way to fix it. Fix us. I’m going to fight for her, Celeste.”
“And you intend to do that how?”
“That, I’m not so sure about. I have to convince her that I’m here for the duration. That I’m committed. That I’m not like her father or her ex or even the man I was that stormy night in June. I will not fail her again. I have to find a way to convince her that she can trust me.” He paused and gave Celeste a sidelong look. “Any suggestions on how I can pull off that miracle?”
“I have a particular interest in miracles,” she replied, offering a beatific smile. “Tell you what, Gabriel. Try to convince me that Nic’s heart is safe with you, and I’ll see what miraculous advice I have to offer. How are you a different man from the one who abandoned her at the hospital?”
Gabe took a few moments to organize his thoughts before he shrugged and said, “Maybe it’s not that I’m a different man, but that I’ve managed to put the pieces of myself back together again. It’s been a slow, steady process that occurred beneath my own personal radar, not as some great moment of revelation. Nic’s leaving me was a kick to the gut that opened my eyes. I knew I had dealt with my past because I cared about the future. I’m whole again. Well, except for the fact that the person who completes me is living in Denver at the moment.”
“What does your being whole have to do with the safety of Nicole’s heart?”
“Everything.” Gabe splashed the water gently with his heel and watched the ripples radiate outward. “I’m strong again, Celeste. When I first came to Eternity Springs, I was so weak that a snowflake could have knocked me down. Actually, a snowflake did knock me down. This town and these people helped me climb back onto my feet. I know that if we were to rerun that drive to the hospital right now, I’d still be afraid of losing the babies, of losing Nic, but I wouldn’t run. I will be there for her from here on out. Every single time. I can’t prove it. I have no big, splashy sign to show her. I just know it in my bones. So tell me, Celeste, how can I convince Nic of something so intangible? How can I convince her to trust me again?”
“Your instincts are good. You are smart to be patient. All her energies and concerns right now are focused on the babies. When the time does come that she is willing to revisit your relationship, Nic needs to know that she can depend on you. I suspect you’ll have to win her back one small act at a time.”
“I’m willing to do that. I just need her to give me the opportunity to prove myself.” He lifted his gaze to where an eagle soared against the cerulean sky. “I love her, Celeste. I didn’t think it could happen again, but it has. I love her.”
Celeste’s smile turned positively smug. “Of course you love her. You have loved her for some time now. I’m glad you finally realize it. Your heart has healed, Gabe Callahan. In fact, I consider you the first success of our healing center, and to mark the occasion, here’s the gift I mentioned earlier.”
She pulled something from her pocket, a silver medal dangling from a silver chain. “What’s this? A Saint Christopher medal?” he asked.
“No, dear. This is the official healing center blazon, awarded to those who have embraced healing’s grace. Wear it next to your heart, Gabe Callahan. Carry the grace you found here with you whatever life path you travel.”
“Angel’s wings?” he asked, touched by her gift.
“What else?”
“Did Sage design this? It looks like her work.” When Celeste nodded, he added, “It’s beautiful. Thank you.”
He wasn’t one to wear necklaces, but as he slipped it over his head and the medal rested against his chest, he admitted that it felt right. “I’ll wear it always.”
He wrapped an arm around Celeste and gave her a quick hug, then asked, “I don’t suppose you have