Marine's Mission - Rebecca Deel Page 0,33
man’s cheeks colored as he rose shakily from the side of the bed and extended a hand to Owen. “Gilbert Moser.”
“Owen Montgomery. It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir. I understand from my brother that you served in the military.”
He stood straighter. “That’s right. Did you serve?”
“Marines. You?”
“Same. How long have you been out?”
“Less than two years.”
Moser smiled. “Been a bit longer for me.” He motioned to the nearby chair. “Please, sit down. I was showing Gigi pictures of my great-grandson. Would you like to see them?”
Owen’s lips twitched. Yep, Gigi had Moser pegged. “Sure.” He scrolled through the photos on Moser’s cell phone. His lips curved when he saw the kid in the infamous pumpkin outfit. G was right. The kid was adorable.
Moser grunted. “You saw the pumpkin outfit, didn’t you?”
“Cute kid.”
The old man looked at Owen in disgust. “I thought for sure you would agree with my assessment of that girlie outfit.”
“Sorry, Mr. Moser. Despite wearing a vegetable costume, your great-grandson could easily be one of those baby models. The kid’s photogenic.”
“Don’t tell my grandson’s wife that. She’ll find more embarrassing outfits to torture that poor boy.”
Owen chuckled. Moser wasn’t fooling him. The man was proud of the baby.
“Are you here on vacation, too?” Moser asked.
“No, sir. I live thirty minutes from here, but I’m staying at the B & B for a few days.” When Gigi moved to Owen’s side, his arm automatically slid around her waist.
A slight smile curved Moser’s mouth. “Ah. I understand. Why haven’t I met Montgomery before now, young lady?”
“He’s a Morgan County deputy, Mr. Moser. His work shifts rotate. He usually comes to the kitchen or my apartment when he stops by.”
“I see.” Approval gleamed in the old man’s eyes as he shifted his gaze to Owen. “You treat her right, Montgomery. Gigi is a special lady.”
“Believe me, I know. I wasted too much time before I manned up and claimed her.”
Narrowed eyes bored into his. “What took you so long to wise up? You’re a Marine. We never fail on a mission.” He shifted his gaze to Gigi. “Or was it your choice not to date Montgomery?”
Gigi pointed a finger at him, eyes twinkling in amusement. “Listen, buddy, you’re not my grandfather. You won’t guilt me into spilling information to pass on to your grandson. You go home at the end of your visit. I have to live here. I don’t want to feed Archer’s gossip mill.”
“You should respect an elder’s need for gossip, young woman,” Moser complained.
Cheeks burning, Owen said, “The issue was me, Mr. Moser. I wanted to date Gigi my last year of high school, but didn’t think it was fair to her when I was leaving after graduation for Parris Island. We kept in touch, but I didn’t want to tie her to a serious relationship when I didn’t know if I’d return home alive.”
“Oh, Owen,” Gigi whispered.
He glanced down and saw the distress in her eyes. “I was trying to protect you, baby,” he murmured.
Moser grunted. “Young man, you have a lot to learn about Gigi. She’s stronger than you give her credit for.”
Owen kissed her temple, then turned to Moser. “You’re right, sir. I won’t make that mistake again.”
The old man lowered himself to the side of the bed again, looking tired. “Take good care of her. She reminds me of my Angela. My Angel and I had sixty-five amazing years together.”
“I’ll be here for a few days, Mr. Moser. I’d love to know the secret to a long and happy marriage.” He ignored Gigi’s soft gasp.
“I’ll be here when you have time to talk.”
“I look forward to it.” Owen handed Moser his contact card. “I’d like you to keep an eye on things when you’re not visiting your grandson and his family. If you notice anything off while I’m away from the B & B, call or text me.”
Moser squared his shoulders. “What am I looking for?”
“Someone in an area he shouldn’t be or asking too many questions. Whatever you do, don’t confront the man. Just contact me.”
“Is Gigi in danger?”
“Possibly. Two men ran Gigi off the road last night and kidnapped her friend. They’ve seen Gigi up close.”
The old man gave a sharp nod. “You can count on me.” Another slight smile curved his mouth. “Since you’re here at the moment, I’ll take a nap before my grandson arrives to take me to dinner with the family. Hopefully, my great-grandson won’t be dressed as another vegetable.”
Owen chuckled. “Thanks for your help, Mr. Moser.”