Shadow Tag (The Ray Schiller Series - Book 2) (33 page)

“Love is like...like...” Words failed him but he made the leap anyway. “It’s like a life jacket.” Ray’s brow creased. “Man, I suck at this. What I’m trying to say is that love doesn’t guarantee you’ll never get hurt, but it’s what keeps your head above water.” He laced his fingers over his bowed head. “I’m sorry. I don’t know how to say it.”

“You love me.”

“Yes.”

“And you can forgive me?”

“That’s a two-way street. I’m willing to accept my share of the blame,” he said. “I just want to move on.”

Gail’s hands caressed the subtle curve of her belly. “And what about the baby, Ray?”

“Maybe we’ll have a little boy this time.”

Anger flashed in her eyes. “Don’t be glib.” She turned away. “It’s not that easy; you know that. You can’t just gloss over this.”

“I’m sorry. That’s the last thing I meant to do.” He turned her toward him. “I’ve hurt you—probably more often than I know, but you never walked out, Gail. I did. For that I’m sorrier than I can say.”

“Ray, this isn’t about me or even us anymore. There’s going to be a new baby in this family—Mark Haney’s baby. I don’t think you can handle that.”

He gripped her shoulders. “Gail, I can’t promise to be a perfect father to this child, not because the baby is his, but because I’m a long way from perfect even with Laurie and Krista.” Ray let his hands fall to his side. “The baby may not be mine, but I give you my word I’ll care for it as though it were. Will you give me the chance to prove that to you, Gail?” He looked deep into her eyes. “Will you?”

Tears traced paths down either side of her lips. Gail was in his arms—his love—his life. He wrapped her in his arms, swaying to the music, his husky voice murmuring,
“So never leave me lonely. Tell me you love me only and that you’ll always let it be me.”

They would need to talk. They would have to work it out.

They.

The word held a world of promise.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Marjorie Swift Doering grew up, quite literally, on a golf course. Her father, a PGA pro, was the owner/operator of an eighteen-hole course in a tiny town in SE Wisconsin. The distinctly unique childhood surroundings laid the foundation for her lifelong enjoyment of “people watching”. Occasional reminders to “not bother the members” resulted in turning her into an introverted extrovert, a condition she’s since overcome.

She graduated from WSU, Stevens Point with a B.S. in Secondary Education with a major in English and a minor in Psychology. She’s made continuous use of both ever since, but interests and circumstances led her away from the classroom setting. The love of writing has always been a constant in her life.

A few of her proudest accomplishments consist of the production of her one-act play Flight 419 by Darknight Theatrical Productions in Chicago, Illinois in 2005, contributions to
Mosaic, A Collection of Short Stories
in 2009, the 2012 publication of
Dear Crossing
, the first in her Ray Schiller mystery series, and
Shadow Tag
, the second in the series published in 2013.

Marjorie and her husband, Denny, live in Northwestern Wisconsin with their Springer, Casey, and their three crazy, but lovable cats, Freddy, Dickens and JoJo.

Other books by Marjorie Swift Doering

Mosaic: a Collection of Short Stories (an anthology by ten talented authors)

Dear Crossing – Book 1 in the Ray Schiller series